Among Thieves

James Beck #1

by John Clarkson

They thought they could cover up what an out-of-control trader at a Manhattan brokerage firm did to Olivia Sanchez. She worked hard, played by the rules, but so what? Blackball her from the industry and be done with her.

Who's going to stop them?

Nobody, until Olivia turns to her cousin Manny, an ex-con and ex-gang leader whose first reaction is to take care of the arrogant bastard who hurt his cousin—permanently. His partner, James Beck, part of a tight clique of ex-cons based in Brooklyn's Red Hook, convinces Manny to hold off. Things can be complicated in the real world. But even the savvy Beck has no idea what's really going on.

There's much more at stake than Beck imagines, starting with enough money to ignite a level of ruthless greed that can wipe Beck and his partners off the face of the earth. It's tens of millions of dollars, connected to arms dealing for a clandestine U.S. agency.

Beck and his loyal band are forced into an escalating nonstop war against an arms dealer, war criminals, Russian mobsters, and even the NYPD. The only way to stay out of prison and survive is to outsmart, outfight, never concede, and ultimately rob their enemies of the source of their power: 116 million dollars.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Action, Suspense

432 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2015

About the author

John Clarkson is the author of eight previous novels, including And Justice for One.

His new thriller series featuring James Beck began with the publication of AMONG THIEVES in 2015. The sequel, BRONX REQUIEM, came out in November of 2016.
After quite a long effort, the third novel in the series was finally published in December of 2020. The title is DEATH COMES DUE. Quite of few of John's readers have hailed this novel as the best in the series. Find out more about it on John's website: www.johnclarkson.com

John spent many years in the New York advertising industry as a copywriter, running his own agency, and as a private consultant. He is now writing full time and intends to publish under his own imprint which will hopefully mean more books more quickly.

He and his wife divide their time between a home in upstate New York and Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* A Manhattan trader Olivia Sanchez was a diligent worker, savvy, consistently staying late, but ultimately stumbled onto something out of the ordinary by one of the top hedge fund traders Alan Crane. Alan discovered her snooping and made threats for her to back off. Olivia was soon fired and was further humiliated by being blackballed in the industry. Well what was the poor girl to do! She called her cousin Manny an ex-gang leader who belongs to a ruthless group of ex-cons run by their leader James Beck a man no one was ever willing to cross. Among Thieves is a turbo charged, non stop action with a group of brutal thugs going against an equally immoral group of Russian mobsters. With a complex plot, stellar writing, Among Thieves will be difficult to put down and is highly recommended.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter a GR Book Giveaway Contest! Hosting Feb 6-20. 1-3 Hardcover Signed Copies. Enter for a chance to win (US). Find out where "it all began." James Beck #1.

"A story about what happens when power and greed reach insane levels."

Wow! AMONG THIEVES by John Clarkson is a non-stop complex action crime thriller, involving a Manhattan brokerage firm, Wall Street traders, a whistleblower, blacklisting, power, retribution; criminals, ex-cons and gang leaders, secret government agencies, Russian mobsters, money laundering, revenge, power, greed, $166 billion dollars, war criminals and the NYPD—when they go up against one another, which side will still be left standing and remain alive?

To round off the intensity and suspense, who better than my favorite audiobook crime thriller narrator, Peter Berkrot, with his sexy, twisted, chilling, and mysterious voice for an outstanding delivery!

Olivia Sanchez, a compliance offer on Wall Street; the beautiful, sexy, driven and intelligent woman has just been fired at her brokerage firm, for doing the right thing – suspecting financial fraud. (As a former whistleblower of a publicly traded company (SOX), love these stories – when there is fraud, the company’s first action is to fire, assault, discredit, and blacklist as they continue the illegal business and coverup).

Desperate, she turns to her cousin, ex-con and gang leader, Manny, for help. Of course, he is out for blood and revenge. However, his partner, James Beck is a little smarter as is fully aware of how ruthless business criminals can be. They begin their strategy, working out of a base of operations in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. (What a group of prison cohorts; however, are they are a match for their evil and intelligent business opponents)?

Little does smart and savvy, Beck realize that Olivia's employment problem is minor compared to the connection between Milstein and Crane, involving illegal multi-million dollar investments, the Russian mob, illegal arms deals, as well as a clandestine U.S. government agency. Olivia gets caught in the crossfire with assault and threats against her life.

Things get complicated; Beck and his guys are up against a long list of enemies from Bosnian war criminals, a ruthless gang of Russian mobsters, Russian arms dealer, and of course hidden by the politically connected CEO of a Manhattan brokerage firm and the NYPD. What about Markov, a violent Russian arms dealer who is Crane's main client, who may have a link to the U.S. military.

As the intensity builds, the enemies catch on, a tip-off, Becks’ group of cohorts cannot go back to prison; and then there is the stolen money. Have they underestimated their opponents? Kidnapping? The steamy sexy attraction between Beck and Olivia?

Who will strike next? Which criminal will outsmart the other? Can you really trust a thief?

An edgy, gritty, complex and entertaining hard-boiled crime fiction. A web of crime, violence, attraction, and deceit, which will leave your head spinning with twists and turns around every corner--for an intense page-turner of danger, lies, and betrayal.

John Clarkson has developed an enthralling suspense crime thriller, urban noir fans will devour! My first book by Clarkson and look forward to reading more.

JDCMustRead Books

OMG! Beck and the gang return. You have to read Bronx Requiem Coming Nov 8, 2016 "Top Crime Thrillers of 2016"!

[Maureen DeLuca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in the James Beck Series - and I have to say I really enjoyed it! Beck and his crew( his 'family') of really tough former felons have formed more of a band of brothers who look out for each other in a very hostile world. They make money one way or another( some legal, some - well, not so legal) and use a good bit of the profits to help parolees adjust to life outside prison. These are bad guys, that well, you just cannot help but like them.

One of Becks 'family' members has a (beautiful) cousin that got into trouble at her stock market job so she goes to her cousin for help-getting her life back in order. From here we get to meet all sorts of characters- bad guys, really bad guys and omg scary bad guys. James Beck is the thinker and planner of the group-the book takes you on a ride of constant background of danger and action.

Remembering it is still a book- the action is ruthless and not overly concerned with the law or political correctness-which makes it fun.

I'm so looking forward to reading the second in this series.... !!

[Luca · Rating 5 out of 5]

'If I need to explain why girls love bad boys... well.. read this book and meet James Beck'... :D

Alright, so how do you know that you have read a great book?
Is when you can't get the story and the characters out of your head. When you are on the last pages, you are already in panic and immediately start to search for a sequel because otherwise - even though you have tons of unread books on your shelves or on your kindle - you have absolutely no idea what the hell are you going to read in the next days... And once you finish the book, you finish the sequel, you are just not able to read another book for days...

So that's exactly what happened to me with John Clarkson's Among Thieves: A Novel and Bronx Requiem. Which is quite surprising because I wouldn't say these books were 'my kind of' books. I have no idea how Among Thieves: A Novel got into my hand. But once you have it, believe me, you won't able to put it down...

Basically there are no any 'good guy' in the books (Maybe there is one in Bronx Requiem, but I won't tell who, no spoiler ;) and raises tons of moral questions.

There is James Beck who is a very interesting and complex character. He is an ex-con a cop killer. He doesn't afraid of fights and he kills if he thinks it's necessary. Extremely smart and can be quite dangerous, BUT he is highly likeable as well... You see his reasons, and really makes you think what would you do in his situation. I think this is the strength of both books. Beck and his ex-con 'brothers' go after people who are even more dangerous and brutal than Beck himself.
Yep... and If I need to explain why girls love bad boys... well.. read this book and meet James Beck... :D

Both of the books are full with violence, action and twists. When I said it's hard to put down, I meant literally!!!! Within one chapter everything can go upside down, and you have no idea what will happen on the next page.

I can highly recommend this book, even for those who doesn't like these kind of books - I am not really keen of these either but believe me the characters the story and of course James Beck will make you love it. :)

[Urbansurfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Thumbs UP! for this pot-boiler. The plot flows like a James Bond / Bourne movie, it’s filled with tough guys, sleazy financiers, scummy arms-dealer, the baddest of the Russian mafia, one gorgeous femme fatale and a dash of NYC’s finest men in blue.

The atmosphere, street settings, and dialog rank alongside Michael Connelly and Lee Child novels. The pace fluctuates between thinking and planning to figuring it out on the fly and Life/Death reactions in bare knuckle fights where anything is a weapon.

Each character is well drawn and not bogged down with (any) excess preamble. This action-packed (soon to be a movie?) story is bad-guy vs. bad-guy-with-a-moral-code-of-sorts.

To connect the dots, there are elements of the Paul Newman/Robert Redford movie “The Sting”, a lead bad guy with the calm, thinking rationale of George Clooney, tough guys ala ”Reservoir Dogs” and Russian mafia dudes right out of “Eastern Promises”. It’s equally atmospheric and bounces all over Metropolitan NY City over the course of about 1-week. You’ve got assault, corporate shenanigans, money laundering, US Military Intelligence, cyber-crime and a criminal’s code. Good Stuff indeed.

Don’t know if this Clarkson’s best effort to date but it warrants my attention enough to go back and read something else by him. I LIKED this book.

[Cosima · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Among Thieves", bar owner James Beck receives word that his friend and business partner Manny Guzman's cousin has a serious problem that needs solving. Olivia Sanchez has not only been assaulted by her stock broker co-worker, but she's also been fired and effectively locked out of employment. Beck and his loyal band of ex-cons decide to intervene but quickly find themselves caught up in a complex and ever murkier conflict, their enemies multiplying daily.

This was a good read! The first chapter opens with a bang and sets the tone for the book as things snowball out of control for the characters. Reading it was like watching one of those tough guy crime movies (you know what I mean) with stock brokers and trading terminology thrown into the mix of seasoned criminals, violence, deception, misunderstandings, and scheming. Most of the characters are shady, but of course you end up siding with the lesser of the two evils.

While I was on the edge of my seat with all of the action, I did find some parts too wordy. Long conversations about the stock market were plentiful and partially lost on me, and every bodily injury suffered (there were a lot of those) was described in detail as if being relayed from one MD to another.

Though not realistic and too tidy in the end, I enjoyed "Among Thieves". It has a LOT of violence, cursing, and some really repugnant characters, but if you like crime thriller movies like those from Martin Scorcese and/or Guy Ritchie, you would probably like this book.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a thriller ! The protagonist, James Beck along with his gang ,esp. Manny and Ciro and Demarco move from action scene to another with barely time for Beck to figure out the proper tactic to use! Facing a rogue hedge fund trader, a Russian arms dealer, the Russian mafia, and US Intelligence that are funding the arms shipments.
A lot of violence but coupled with elaborate financial unwindings with a large dose of doubledealings but justice is served in the end.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

3+

[Mysticpt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of action and testosterone in this one featuring ex-cons, brokers, Eastern Europeans, and more, all badasses each and every one of them. And keep your eye on the one female character as well. No new ground is broken here and it probably goes on longer than it needs to but it is a page-turner with some fun characters so I will round it up to four stars. looking forward to the next book in the series as it seems even more highly rated

[Coffee&Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Copy of this novel for review from the publisher via NetGalley.

So, you know you're reading a really good book when you have no fingernails left, your bottom lip is bleeding and you've uttered,'Oh for goodness sake!" at least half a dozen times. Bonus points you've almost tossed the book (or ereader) across the room.

Among Thieves begins as a story about a team of ex cons, led by James Beck, who have joined forces to not only help other men fresh out of jail but right the wrongs of the world... sort of like a modern day expanded A-Team. Beck has weapons specialists, financial specialists, even an on call doctor to stitch up wounds. James has collected a motley crew of individuals that has become his family.

Manny, who serves as cook and resident Guy You Don't Want To Piss Off, has a problem-- his cousin, a Wall Street stock broker, has been assaulted and forced out of her job. She's been black balled from the finance industry and can't get a job at another firm. She wants revenge and her ex con, frightening and terrifyingly large cousin with big guns is just the man for the job.

Beck steps in because if he doesn't, all hell will break loose. When Manny wants to kill someone, he's virtually unstoppable. Beck formulates a brilliant plan to extort money from Milstein, owner of Summit Financial, Olivia's previous employer--severance, plus pain and suffering, since Alex Crane, a fellow coworker, broke two of her fingers in an attempt to throw her off the trail of some illegal trading practices.

The ruse should work and go off without a hitch... should being the operative word. Milstein doesn't like being told what to do. He calls in his drug addled, all the way crazy biggest client Markov to alert him of the attempt to extort money, knowing full well Markov will deal with Olivia and Beck. And here's where things just get nuts.

What should have been a simple, "pay her the money you owe her and everyone goes away," becomes an increasingly convoluted scheme to take down Markov, a Russian mobster, and all of his gun wielding associates. Beck gets in more fights and beats off more goons in a 48 hour period than Jean Claude Van Damme-- he's almost unbelievably skilled at kicking mercenary butt.

Beck's seemingly apparent flaw, though, is his attraction to Olivia and this is dangerous because what seems like a frightened, trapped woman is nothing but and James Beck-- and Manny and the entire 'family' are embroiled in a scheme that goes so deep, the US Army is involved.

The saying is that there is no honor among thieves and the theme of this book proves that to be true. You can't trust a thief to keep his word. Or hers. This book was a tumultuous ride that wasn't sure I was going to enjoy, but every once in awhile I had to take a break because I found it hard to breathe. I'm pleased to find out that this will be a series, because I could deal with much more of James Beck and his Band of Not So Merry Men.

Four star read, worth the panic attack!

[Christine Zibas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there honor among thieves? John Clarkson's exciting new crime drama mixes Wall Street corruption with organized crime to come up with the answer. It all begins when Olivia Sanchez comes to her cousin, a hardened criminal (who's out of a crew in Red Hook, Brooklyn) after a Wall Street broker she works with breaks her fingers. She's discovered some illegal dealings at her brokerage house and apparently become a threat to higher-ups.

Blackballed from the financial world and reeling from her personal attack, Olivia turns to Manny Guzman, a real hot head ex-con, in an effort to seek some justice. Guzman's crew is led by James Beck, who has spent years in prison, like Manny, but has a much cooler head and somber approach. He attempts to sort out some financial compensation for Olivia, but waters are muddied by the head of the brokerage firm, who calls in favors from a Russian arms dealer, whose money is ultimately tied up with the illegal activities that Olivia was following.

From there, things get deadly on a variety of levels, but James Beck is a man who can roll with the punches and adapt plans as he goes. While Manny wants to kill Olivia's boss to teach him a lesson, cooler heads prevail, but things are no less deadly as all sides dig in for a long fight. Beck and Guzman have plenty of local resources, but will they be a match for the Russian mob or the Bosnian war criminals employed by the drug-addled Russian arms dealer?

In Author John Clarkson's deft hands, this story turns in on itself, criminals switch sides, and what you thought you knew changes. It's a very well written thriller with well developed characters at every level, from ex-NYPD security guards to the relationship between cousins Olivia and Manny. James Beck is clearly the leader, not only of his own crew, but of the storyline itself and he's learned to walk the line between crime and the law, judging individuals for themselves. In a book with many despicable characters, he's one to cheer for. Clarkson will only leave readers wanting more, both of Beck and his writing.


Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action-Packed From Beginning To End...But Not Without Some Flaws!

I think the last book I read by Clarkson was New Lots in 1998. And like New Lots (and two other of his books I read), Clarkson maintains his ability in Among Thieves to write books filled with action, excitement and more action and excitement; and on these dimensions I'd give Among Thieves a 4 1/2 star rating.

I won't spend time describing the plot, which can be read about in the Book Description above; but I will say that while always interesting and entertaining, I found the plot stretched my limits to believe beyond what I would have preferred, thus making portions a bit far-fetched for me.

Further, while the characters are serviceable enough to keep the story moving along at a fast pace, I didn't find any of them to be particularly well-developed. In particular, although I liked the main character, James Beck, Clarkson makes him too larger-than-life for me; causing me to think of him more as an action hero than a real person. On the dimensions of plot and character development, I'd give Among Friends a 3-to-3 1/2 star rating.

Overall, despite the flaws described, I enjoyed Among Thieves and consider it a book I think you'll enjoy when you're in the mood for total escapism and not much more. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

[Maxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among Thieves John Clarkson
I truly enjoyed Among Thieves because of its well written format.Personally, I was reeled into the story from the first few pages and stay riveted in place to the last punctuation mark. I adored Olivia and Beck. The secondary characters possess the right amount of dimension to carry the story while supporting the main characters. As the story rolls along at a steady clip I wondered if there would be multiple deaths? Have will the truth be revealed? Would my favorite characters make the right choices to bring about the best situations for those they care, love and respect? The book offers the audience an emotional connection as well as the constant anticipation for the upcoming dramatic events blending various cultures and ethics often linked to forgiveness and compassion.
Among Thieves holds true to the secret bond that holds many positions /relationships together for a lifetime.

[Yatish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turning thriller! This is a realistic action/mystery thriller with great characters and realistic action sequences which respects its reader's intelligence unlike the fantastical thrillers in the market. Without giving the story away, I loved the machinations and twists that occur. John Clarkson hits this out of the park and it would be really interesting if there is a prequel about Beck and his life in prison.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me a review copy.

[Alaina Maxam · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS A WELL WRITTEN MYSTERY THAT KEEPS YOU GUESSING. I NEVER SAW THE END COMING. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO CURL UP WITH A GOOD MYSTERY

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a "guy book," but was a blast to read and review. Reviewed at Bookin' with Sunny: http://bookinwithsunny.com/among-thie...

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars***

Way back in the day, I had a small love affair with Jack Reacher, the hero from Lee Childs series. I read the books as soon as they came out. Jack Reacher was a good guy, but built like a brick house, but a bit of a bad boy too. I put him on my list of male literary heroes that I wouldn't mind a clandestine affair with....including Rochester, Darcy and a few others. But somewhere around the 10th book, I had to hang it up....the series had gotten a bit wrung out for me and the love affair was over. So it goes....

Present day.....since my daughter had her own job this holiday season, I told her that she had to buy one present with her own cash. I'm an easy buy.....just go get me a book. In the past, this has been treacherous territory, with me ending up with books that I would never ever read, and covertly sending them hidden in a pile to Goodwill. I appreciated the effort, but it simply wasn't my taste. Times change, and daughters grow up , and I was pleasantly surprised this year....getting Clarkson's book, about James Beck, a man living under the radar, minding his business after being released from an eight year penal sentence, where the state concluded he was wrongly accused. Among him is a small posse of loyal men, working for him, and using his bar as a point of contact for work, jobs and resources. All of them men known from the prison. All of them very hard, non-negotiating men.

As you can guess, one of the men has a cousin in trouble, comes to Beck for help, and the whole crew of men are pulled into stock trading scam that involves not only a black arms dealer, but the Russian mafia as well. Is this deep fiction? Absolutely not. Is it entertaining as hell? You bet. Perfect for the holidays. Does it read very much like a Childs novel? Yes. But it's fresh, and I love the concept of this one (very intimidating) guy protecting these men just coming out of the system, and the whole lot of them working towards a concentrated goal for one another. It's tough, it's brutal, and at times, comedic.

No surprise, it's a series. But James Beck is definitely worth another try. And I'm not holding it against my daughter when she later told me that she pulled the book at the bottom of a pile at the Dollar Tree. **sigh***Does this book deserve to be sold for a dollar. No. But I'm glad that she found it for me. And I'll make sure that it gets passed on for another reader to find.

[JustSomeGuy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a very crowded genre, I guess I expect more from my characters. Granted, James Beck is a cool tough guy who has gathered around him a talented gang of ex-cons, making for a decent base to build from, but there wasn't much done to expand on any of those characters.  We don't learn much about Beck other than how he can absorb an incredible amount of punishment and put a serious beat down on bad guys. How and where did he learn how to fight? What is his purpose in helping ex-cons and why do they all obediently follow him and risk their lives in the process? What did he do before he spent 8 years in jail?  None of this is addressed at all in this book, and while I understand this is a series and we'll likely learn more about Beck in future installments, it's difficult to buy into him without a little bit more background.  The plot is decent, the action and the action quotient is high. There is some serious plot contradictions when Beck bends over backwards to fend off an attack on his compound without killing anyone to avoid having any of his guys go back to jail, but then promptly and illogically drives uptown to take out another set of gangsters. So you can kill one set of bad guys but not another? We're told Beck is the leader, problem-solver and while he pulls off an impressive heist despite claiming not to be thief, his solution to just about every problem is to attack it violently. If this introductory book was meant to set the stage for a series within the criminal underworld, a lot of supplemental characters that had the potential to be interesting players moving forward were removed from the equation, leaving only Beck and his crew, and I'm not sure that's enough to keep me interested.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars FUN stars! I have always felt that readers fit into basically two categories. There are what I call grazers. Those who like to just snack. They pick up a book and read a chapter or so before bed or before running errands. Then there are the feasters. Those who sit back with a book with the expectations of devouring it in a few long sessions of reading. Those who finish some books in a day because they find themselves up at 3:00 in the morning still reading. Luckily, I find myself in the latter, because this book is NOT for grazers. This book explodes out of the gate and only continues to accelerate throughout the read. There is never a lull or slow point where you might say, " This is a good stopping point". If you have already read several reviews on this book, you know the premise, no need to regurgitate the plot. Just know that if you want a nice read to snack on a little at a time, this book is probably not what you are looking for, BUT, if you are looking for an adrenaline rush of a ride, this book is it. Among Thieves is a perfect title, for even the good guys are a group of ex-cons, with a bond so unbreakable and a loyalty so strong, that when one calls, the others join without question. Even when the actions may result in injury ,death, or returning to prison. Why? "Because it involves one of us." as Beck says. No need for further explanation. Gritty, sometimes gory, but not ever exploitive. I would have given this 5 stars, but it does have a few parts that stretches the believability limit. For me, it was not enough to spoil the fun.

[Mark Ayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely Gripping – A Must-Read!

Among Thieves by John Clarkson is hands down the best novel I’ve read this year. From the first page to the last, it was a total page-turner that played out like a movie in my head — which, to me, is the ultimate sign of a well-written book.

The main character, James Beck, is one of the most compelling leads I’ve come across. You’re never quite sure if he’s a bad good guy or a good bad guy, but either way, he’s a very clever bloke with depth and grit. The supporting characters are just as strong — each one well developed and adding real weight to the story.

If you’re into fast-paced thrillers with sharp dialogue and unforgettable characters, this one’s for you. I’ll definitely be reading more from the James Beck series and anything else by John Clarkson. Highly recommend!

[OleGreatFella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up because it stood out from the rest of the books. The Lee Child recommendation on the cover page made me more attracted to it, although I wasn't a big fan of Lee. Oh man...I am thankful to God I picked this book up. The characters are just sooo good, good beyond description. Clarkson has described even the trading scenes of the book beautifully, and James Beck is just beyond anyone else. Every chapter has something important going on, and so far there was no boring bit in this one. This book is WAY underrated. I'm sad I finished it. And also, Beck isn't a fantasy superhero who can't be killed; he is mortal, and that changes the whole perspective of the book. It fully deserves 5/5.

[Bluedaizy · Rating 2 out of 5]

haven't finished listening to this one yet. i will finish it, but not loving the characters. actually i don't believe i like any of the characters. they are caricatures ratherd than well fleshed out human beings. kind of a trudge to read. seems like everyone wants to kill everyone else. boring. i just started reading the latest by Robert Crais and only 80 pages in, i'm already immersed in the plot and the characters. the writing is night and day. but i heard the next novel is even better so i'm going to finish this one and start reading the next. but not until i finish loving The First Rule!

[Jo Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a fun read, the action and fight scenes are well written and extremely exciting.

My main gripe with this book is why the f$%& is James Beck so absolutely OP? It's never truly explained how he became such a bad ass. Like, sure, he was wrongfully imprisoned for a number of years, but so are a lot of people who don't come out with intellect and physical abilities bordering on superhuman.

Despite my occasional annoyance at how overpowered the main character was I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to find the story enjoyable.

[Robert J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. Fast paced and fun.

This is a new author for me and the first of his books I've read. It's well written and fun and very entertaining. I found the hero to be a bit too good - but interesting because he is ruthless and not overly concerned with the law or political correctness. He is loyal to his troops and an excellent leader so all in all a good guy. Hope there are more books with him and his crew.

[Sean Beckett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a reasonably good holiday read.

It is however too long and detailed and quite unbelievable.

Strangely unbalanced as well; 3/4 of the way in no one dies, and then loads do.

The thought of the main character doing what he does and second guessing his opponents just doesn’t work. Very much in the theme of Reacher, but not as good.

[Ann Otto · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like a book with plot shifts, you'll like Among Thieves. Clarkson did a blog on writing good fight scenes, something I'm trying to master, and a great one starts this tale of relationships among friends and foes. We love these bad guys. It reminds me of Get Shorty.

[Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I really like the James Beck character and am looking forward to more books. I am hoping that "Manny" is brought in more and your learn more about him also.
It's a good read and though I figured out about 1/2 of it, there were some good twist in it.

[Ashley Axelrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!!

I could not put this book down! It had me from the first chapter. It is so well written and the characters were so believable! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a fast paced, exciting read.

[John Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book pretty fast as it had something going on the whole time!! I really enjoyed the characters. There were a lot, but they had their own personalities! story was also really good! Twists throughout.
A lot of swearing and a couple of sex scenes, so I wouldn't have a youth read it.

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent; a group of ex-cons comes together to help out one's relative, who has been injured and blackballed at her financial services firm, where some strange business is being conducted