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The Teller
Twenty-three-year-old Elaine Kelly doesn’t earn much as a bank teller, and most of her salary goes toward caring for her terminally ill mother. When a lonely old man who deposits money at her bank every week gets hit and killed by a delivery truck, Elaine—a good Irish girl from Queens—thinks she’s found the answer to her problems. She’ll just transfer $1 million from the dead man’s account into hers.
Except that the lonely old man may not have been who he seemed. And when you take $1 million that isn’t yours, it can cost you…way more.
Acclaimed author Jonathan Stone’s pulse-pounding thriller takes readers from the darkest corners of New York’s financial empire into a shadowy hierarchy of wealth and power. The Teller follows the money—and takes readers along for the wild ride.
Except that the lonely old man may not have been who he seemed. And when you take $1 million that isn’t yours, it can cost you…way more.
Acclaimed author Jonathan Stone’s pulse-pounding thriller takes readers from the darkest corners of New York’s financial empire into a shadowy hierarchy of wealth and power. The Teller follows the money—and takes readers along for the wild ride.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2012
224 people are currently reading
846 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Stone
57 books111 followersJonathan Stone, author of the Julian Palmer novels, is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a Scholar of the House in Fiction Writing and twice won the English Department's John Hubbard Curtis Prize for Best Imaginative Writing. He works in advertising and lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
April 13, 2015
I thought this book started off wonderfully. Elaine is a teller in a bank; her mother is gravely ill, and lives with her, and there is never enough money. An old man visits the bank quite often to deposit large checks, waits for the teller specifically, and they have some small exchanges of pleasantries. He asks after her mother, and while they aren't exactly friends, she has some feeling for him.
One day after visiting the bank, the old man is struck and killed by a truck just outside the door. Elaine had been having computer problems, and the old man's deposit had not yet gone through. Elaine suddenly sees the answer to all of her problems, and in a flash has transferred over a million dollars into her account from the old man's. After all, he seems to have no one, and now that he's dead, who would know?
As it turns out, the lonely old man wasn't really what he seemed to be, and Elaine's live suddenly becomes more complicated and dangerous than she could have imagined.
From this point on, I wasn't as crazy about the story. Without giving any spoilers away, it seemed to me to be too far-fetched. I did finish it, though, and found it enjoyable, I just didn't feel like the second half of the book lived up to the first half.
One day after visiting the bank, the old man is struck and killed by a truck just outside the door. Elaine had been having computer problems, and the old man's deposit had not yet gone through. Elaine suddenly sees the answer to all of her problems, and in a flash has transferred over a million dollars into her account from the old man's. After all, he seems to have no one, and now that he's dead, who would know?
As it turns out, the lonely old man wasn't really what he seemed to be, and Elaine's live suddenly becomes more complicated and dangerous than she could have imagined.
From this point on, I wasn't as crazy about the story. Without giving any spoilers away, it seemed to me to be too far-fetched. I did finish it, though, and found it enjoyable, I just didn't feel like the second half of the book lived up to the first half.
January 22, 2020
1.5 stars rounded to 2 stars for the first 80 pages.
This is the extreme exception and the most disappointing.
In other words an intriguing and proportioned well with verve beginning. And then a turgid period before a shocking event starting the middle. And THEN- 100 plus pages of ridiculousness. All types of characters added with bizarre relationship and impossible juxtapositions.
Honestly, it was like two or three different people wrote this. For me in the read, the prose form was varied. And the continuity to the story got broken several times without tension voids purposes. Just a lot of branches hanging out there without trees for a trunk foundation.
The banking aspect became a joke in this tech period. Far fetched is one way to say it. But this was beyond that into some genre change to magic realism? Not believable. Nor entertaining. I do not recommend this read.
My award for the last 10 years of 100's of books: Best beginning for a real dog novel overall.
And that's giving dogs a bad name. Sorry.
This is the extreme exception and the most disappointing.
In other words an intriguing and proportioned well with verve beginning. And then a turgid period before a shocking event starting the middle. And THEN- 100 plus pages of ridiculousness. All types of characters added with bizarre relationship and impossible juxtapositions.
Honestly, it was like two or three different people wrote this. For me in the read, the prose form was varied. And the continuity to the story got broken several times without tension voids purposes. Just a lot of branches hanging out there without trees for a trunk foundation.
The banking aspect became a joke in this tech period. Far fetched is one way to say it. But this was beyond that into some genre change to magic realism? Not believable. Nor entertaining. I do not recommend this read.
My award for the last 10 years of 100's of books: Best beginning for a real dog novel overall.
And that's giving dogs a bad name. Sorry.
May 3, 2015
I was happy to get this to read and review from Amazon Publishing it looked a really good solid read.
When I first settled down to read this, I really was thrown into something good.
Elaine is looking after her Mother, she is terminally ill and needs a lot of caring for. Elaine doesn't have much money, she can barely make ends meet. She cannot trouble her poor ailing Mother, so she is struggling on.
Elaine has a job as a Bank Teller, this doesn't earn much. By the time she has paid the rent, the bills, there isn't much more left over for anything. Especially no treats.
There is a man that comes in and deposits money regular. She doesn't know him well, only has the man who comes in each week and deposits money into his bank account.
The story was brilliant until.....
A lorry comes along and knocks him over in the street, dead.
Now Elaine transfers a fund of $1 million from his account to hers.
I just found this convenient, and just a little far fetched.
The story did take off again a bit later with the twists in it. But the bit of her transferring money into her own account was just too high out there for me. And for her to get away with it?
I know this is 'fiction' but there is fiction and there is fiction!
Believable fiction...
Unbelievable far fetched fiction...
Fairy tale fiction.......
Its someone between the latter 2 for me I am afraid.
I do like a believable storyline.
Because its well written, and because it held my attention until the lorry knocked him down and she 'stole' his money.....it was all going well.
3.07 for me.
However, you may like it, so this is just my version of the book.
August 5, 2015
I first came across Jonathan Stone when I read his book "Moving Day" and fell in love with 72 year old Stanley Peke. Such a great story. So when I came across "The Teller" I convinced myself that he had written another great story. And I wasnt disappointed at all. When I get a book I cant put down - it means it's a five star book. The story follows Elaine Kelly - bank teller who cares for her terminally ill mother. A little old man comes into her bank every week to deposit money - one day he leaves the bank and gets hit by a truck and dies. And the adventure begins when Elaine takes 1.3 million dollars out of his account (since he won't need it anyway) unaware that there is a sinister reason there is so much money in the old man's account.
Elaine is drawn into a world of drugs, killings, prostitution, lying and unsavory characters with only Det. Nussbaum to help her. You are kept on the edge of your seat with every page that turns and every surprise waiting for you. Elaine's bank has 164,000 employees but she is all alone in this venture.
Elaine is drawn into a world of drugs, killings, prostitution, lying and unsavory characters with only Det. Nussbaum to help her. You are kept on the edge of your seat with every page that turns and every surprise waiting for you. Elaine's bank has 164,000 employees but she is all alone in this venture.
June 17, 2015
Well I got a little more than half way through this book and couldn't stand to actually finish reading it... So i skimmed the second half, enough to get the jist of the situation and then fully read the last chapter or two. Mostly, this book was horrible. From start to finish it all just seemed so unbelieveable. I work in a bank, so maybe that was part of the problem. Either way, I really wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, which is disappointing becuase I thought the premise had promise.
December 31, 2015
received copy from netgalley for honest review.
I started reading this book as it sounded quite good , but before too long I was getting a wee bit fed up and slightly bored.
It was a little unbelievable at times and I felt it could have went further-man gets run over by truck after you steal the money?
All in all it was well written but not a great story.
I started reading this book as it sounded quite good , but before too long I was getting a wee bit fed up and slightly bored.
It was a little unbelievable at times and I felt it could have went further-man gets run over by truck after you steal the money?
All in all it was well written but not a great story.
June 4, 2015
Started out well enough & then went all over the place. Too much so.
October 31, 2017
So interesting with twists and turns that kept me up reading until late at night. Jonathan Stone you can write a great mystery!
May 12, 2015
Elaine cares for her sick mother and after paying all the bills she is left very short of money at the end of the month, every month.
She works as a ‘teller’ and often serves an old man who waits for her to be free. He shows interest in her mother every week.
But when he is killed outside, by a truck- Elaine sees that as an answer to all her problems and transfers his balance into her account. She thinks it’s a ‘victimless’ crime- as the old man has no family.
But was he who he appeared to be, has she just put herself in all sorts of danger? Is she going to be able to keep herself safe- or are her dreams about her new found wealth going to be her undoing? I actually found the concept of this book disturbing and as such could feel no empathy for the situation Elaine finds herself in!
Many thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book.
She works as a ‘teller’ and often serves an old man who waits for her to be free. He shows interest in her mother every week.
But when he is killed outside, by a truck- Elaine sees that as an answer to all her problems and transfers his balance into her account. She thinks it’s a ‘victimless’ crime- as the old man has no family.
But was he who he appeared to be, has she just put herself in all sorts of danger? Is she going to be able to keep herself safe- or are her dreams about her new found wealth going to be her undoing? I actually found the concept of this book disturbing and as such could feel no empathy for the situation Elaine finds herself in!
Many thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book.
July 5, 2015
This started out well, and then went crazy. This story suffered from being written in the present tense, as it doesn't serve this story well, as it robs, rather than intensifies the suspense. The premise was promising, but as the story "developed" it lost it's believability. Everything developed as a "roll of the dice," luck. The transitions were stunning, in that they just HAPPENED, without any reason, they just happened out of nowhere. The heroine was involved only in the initial part of the story, then "stuff" just seemed to happen to her. She just sorta hung around to watch the outcome. Even her escape from sex slavery (yeah, really) was done on the cuff. In many cases this book, while well written, was overwritten. Yes, the author is a WRITER, but in this one he should have been less verbose.
I finished it, but not sure why. I really didn't care much about how it would end.
I finished it, but not sure why. I really didn't care much about how it would end.
June 17, 2015
Amazing Book!
An old man visits a bank branch each week. He makes a deposit. The same deposit over and over. Yet he never touches it. A bank teller bored at her job and feeling confined by her life circumstances, impulsively decides to transfer the money to her account instead.
Thinking that the old man was alone and lonely, no one would come looking for it. Elaine Kelly becomes a targeted woman. Whose money does it belong to and why all the strange deposits? Elaine researches this while just trying to stay alive.
This is my first time reading this author. I cannot wait to read more books by him.
An old man visits a bank branch each week. He makes a deposit. The same deposit over and over. Yet he never touches it. A bank teller bored at her job and feeling confined by her life circumstances, impulsively decides to transfer the money to her account instead.
Thinking that the old man was alone and lonely, no one would come looking for it. Elaine Kelly becomes a targeted woman. Whose money does it belong to and why all the strange deposits? Elaine researches this while just trying to stay alive.
This is my first time reading this author. I cannot wait to read more books by him.
June 3, 2018
I really liked the start of the book, but then it just became too unbelievable. I don't want to spoil for anyone wanting to read it, but it goes from her stealing the money (this is on the back of the book, not a spoiler) and goes on to weird sadistic events. Then it just ends with an almost "she lived happily ever after" despite all that happened to her because she got money.
September 2, 2018
Interesting premise that goes off the rails
I was intrigued by the premise of this story - a regular person making a bad, impulsive choice - but about 1/3 of the way into the book, the plot makes a hard right turn into silliness, and the climax of the story depends on a complete lack of understanding of some of the most basic technology, like how email servers work.
I was intrigued by the premise of this story - a regular person making a bad, impulsive choice - but about 1/3 of the way into the book, the plot makes a hard right turn into silliness, and the climax of the story depends on a complete lack of understanding of some of the most basic technology, like how email servers work.
April 25, 2015
I received this arc from Netgalley.
This has a strong start and grabbed my attention. But after about midway it just becomes completely unbelievable. Yes, I know this is fiction but come on. Lil ole Elaine managed all of that, huh? Overall just an okay read.
This has a strong start and grabbed my attention. But after about midway it just becomes completely unbelievable. Yes, I know this is fiction but come on. Lil ole Elaine managed all of that, huh? Overall just an okay read.
June 2, 2015
The teller
Weird telling of a fascinating story and concept that today's world makes possible. The story was told in that out of body manner that both frustrated me yet went to a point otherwise not seen in its clarity.
Weird telling of a fascinating story and concept that today's world makes possible. The story was told in that out of body manner that both frustrated me yet went to a point otherwise not seen in its clarity.
September 4, 2017
Garbage
This book started out in an intriguing way, but halfway through it went to crap. Seriously. Crap....and the ending....still crap.... all unrealistically unbelievable. (not in any good way)
This book started out in an intriguing way, but halfway through it went to crap. Seriously. Crap....and the ending....still crap.... all unrealistically unbelievable. (not in any good way)
November 11, 2015
Review of THE TELLER (a thriller) on One Breath Books http://nednote.com/the-teller-jonatha...
January 6, 2016
Great premise and entertaining but the plot gets a little cluttered at the end.
March 1, 2017
The first 30=-pages were promising. The the whole thing fell apart, ridiculous plot lines, terrible writing.
May 7, 2017
What in the hell was the point of having her be a virgin???
March 15, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Twenty-three-year-old Elaine Kelly doesn’t earn much as a bank teller, and most of her salary goes toward caring for her terminally ill mother. When a lonely old man who deposits money at her bank every week gets hit and killed by a delivery truck, Elaine—a good Irish girl from Queens—thinks she’s found the answer to her problems. She’ll just transfer $1 million from the dead man’s account into hers.
Except that the lonely old man may not have been who he seemed. And when you take $1 million that isn’t yours, it can cost you…way more.
One of those thriller novels that starts out with the best intentions and ends up being over-written and goes beyond the level of believability. Which is a shame...
As a lot of reviewers have previously said, the first part of this book was really good. Some good character insight into Elaine - working at the bank, trying to support her ill mother - and we got off to a good start. But when the lovely old guy gets knocked over in the street and she decides to help herself to cool million bucks...that's when this story goes backwards.
The seemingly unlimited number of events that befall Elaine are insanely ridiculous. Worse still, the way she kind of just "lucked" her way out of them was just as silly. I don't know what the author was trying to achieve but it just didn't work.
Sadly, this also affected the pacing of the story too. For a while, the suspense would build nicely, then a ridiculous event would happen...and this went on a number of times, to a point where the "incident" became a case of "oh, here comes another McGuyver escape..."
I find it hard to recommend this book based on all the other great crime fiction getting around. However, if you like the idea of "the more ridiculous, the better", then this could be for you!
Paul
ARH
Twenty-three-year-old Elaine Kelly doesn’t earn much as a bank teller, and most of her salary goes toward caring for her terminally ill mother. When a lonely old man who deposits money at her bank every week gets hit and killed by a delivery truck, Elaine—a good Irish girl from Queens—thinks she’s found the answer to her problems. She’ll just transfer $1 million from the dead man’s account into hers.
Except that the lonely old man may not have been who he seemed. And when you take $1 million that isn’t yours, it can cost you…way more.
One of those thriller novels that starts out with the best intentions and ends up being over-written and goes beyond the level of believability. Which is a shame...
As a lot of reviewers have previously said, the first part of this book was really good. Some good character insight into Elaine - working at the bank, trying to support her ill mother - and we got off to a good start. But when the lovely old guy gets knocked over in the street and she decides to help herself to cool million bucks...that's when this story goes backwards.
The seemingly unlimited number of events that befall Elaine are insanely ridiculous. Worse still, the way she kind of just "lucked" her way out of them was just as silly. I don't know what the author was trying to achieve but it just didn't work.
Sadly, this also affected the pacing of the story too. For a while, the suspense would build nicely, then a ridiculous event would happen...and this went on a number of times, to a point where the "incident" became a case of "oh, here comes another McGuyver escape..."
I find it hard to recommend this book based on all the other great crime fiction getting around. However, if you like the idea of "the more ridiculous, the better", then this could be for you!
Paul
ARH
October 5, 2017
Elaine Kelly struggles to take care of her dying mother while working as a bank teller, when, one day, she makes an impulsive decision that propels her into a living nightmare. She's handled deposits for a particular little old man for some time, but one day, as he leaves the bank, he's struck by a truck, which kills him instantly, and Elaine transfers over a million dollars into her own bank account.
This novel is a fast-paced shell game of misdirection, in which it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad. The plotting is tight as a drum, and Stone’s writing lean, with short, staccato sentences that create an immediate and immersive experience. A page-turner with depth and character.
This novel is a fast-paced shell game of misdirection, in which it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad. The plotting is tight as a drum, and Stone’s writing lean, with short, staccato sentences that create an immediate and immersive experience. A page-turner with depth and character.
January 19, 2018
It started off well, but I found about half way through that the plot lost its way. I have to admit I scanned more than I read for the second half. There were good parts but not enough to make me rate this more than a two star. Apologies to the author. It may just be me. Perhaps others may enjoy it all.
April 28, 2018
A beautiful, naive, highly-philosophical bank teller makes a bad decision. Quickly, she and others pay a price -- for a time.
To enjoy this book, all knowledge of human nature and police procedures must be suspended. Then, as a reward, the reader is treated to an ending on a par with the jottings of some teenaged social misfit.
To enjoy this book, all knowledge of human nature and police procedures must be suspended. Then, as a reward, the reader is treated to an ending on a par with the jottings of some teenaged social misfit.
December 11, 2017
This was a well thought out plot, but the reason I graded it as only three stars is because it is mostly pages and pages of philosophical thinking. "why did he do this?" "Why did I react this way?" and on and on. As the country song goes, I want a little less talk and a lot more action.
March 25, 2018
Incredible
From the first page until the end, you can't stop reading. The characters and plots are believable and gripping. Very few Authors are capable of producing this level of suspense. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a great thriller.
From the first page until the end, you can't stop reading. The characters and plots are believable and gripping. Very few Authors are capable of producing this level of suspense. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a great thriller.
June 7, 2020
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mind capturing mystery!
Patterson is the best. The twists and turns ups and downs Elaine
goes through, Terrific!!! A thriller!!! Must read. Thanks
Patterson is the best. The twists and turns ups and downs Elaine
goes through, Terrific!!! A thriller!!! Must read. Thanks
March 1, 2024
Good premise - bank teller stealing a customer’s money. Had me in the first part. Yet, part two begins and this story just gets weird. And I mean *weird* in an unbelievably bad way.
I couldn’t recommend this to anyone.
I couldn’t recommend this to anyone.
November 12, 2016
Relentless
Thus book grabs you at the beginning and never lets go. You need to find out what will happen next to The Teller!
Thus book grabs you at the beginning and never lets go. You need to find out what will happen next to The Teller!
May 7, 2017
Far fetched
The storyline seemed a good one. But was ruined by being so far fetched.
Im surprised it has been rated so highly
The storyline seemed a good one. But was ruined by being so far fetched.
Im surprised it has been rated so highly
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews