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The Fixer
New York Times
bestselling author Joseph Finder delivers his next breakneck stand-alone thriller, following 2014’s bestseller Suspicion.
When Rick Hoffman loses his job and apartment, his only option is to move back into—and renovate—the home of his miserable youth, now empty and in decay since his father’ stroke. But when he starts to pull it apart, he makes an electrifying discovery that will put his life in peril—and change everything he thought he knew about his father.
When Rick Hoffman loses his job and apartment, his only option is to move back into—and renovate—the home of his miserable youth, now empty and in decay since his father’ stroke. But when he starts to pull it apart, he makes an electrifying discovery that will put his life in peril—and change everything he thought he knew about his father.
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2015
665 people are currently reading
4968 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Finder
70 books2,661 followersJoseph Finder is the author of the forthcoming novel JUDGMENT and fourteen other novels, many of them New York Times bestsellers, published in 35 countries around the world. His book HIGH CRIMES was adapted into a movie starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd; PARANOIA was made into the Harrison Ford/Gary Oldman film.
He was born in Chicago, lived in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Washington State, and upstate New York. His novels have won numerous awards, including the Strand Critics award, the Barry Award, and the International Thriller Writers’ Thriller Award for best novel. His first novel, THE MOSCOW CLUB, was named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 10 best spy novels of all time.
He lives with his wife in Boston and Cape Cod, where he roots for the Red Sox and mourns his Golden Retriever rescue dog, Mia. He’s currently trying to convince his wife to get another dog.
He was born in Chicago, lived in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Washington State, and upstate New York. His novels have won numerous awards, including the Strand Critics award, the Barry Award, and the International Thriller Writers’ Thriller Award for best novel. His first novel, THE MOSCOW CLUB, was named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 10 best spy novels of all time.
He lives with his wife in Boston and Cape Cod, where he roots for the Red Sox and mourns his Golden Retriever rescue dog, Mia. He’s currently trying to convince his wife to get another dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 798 reviews
January 15, 2016
2.5* Rick Hoffman was spending his nights in a rundown 1903 Queen Anne home with no heat and furry animals running around inside the walls and rafters. With the only option of sleeping in his car, the house was a place for him to crash after he lost his well paying job, his fiancée, and all the money he freely spent living it up. When his neighbor Jeff offered to renovate it for selling, they immediately got underway by taking a crow bar to a wall and discovered a hidden crawl space. Peering in Rick could see it had been used for storage and decides to take a closer look. Inside he spots a large black tarp and yanks the corner uncovering stacks of hundred dollar bills. Rick thinks he has hit the jackpot, but instead he was about to go down a dangerous path and ends up running for his life. Unfortunately I found ‘The Fixer’ tedious at times, the characters to be bland, and the plot uninteresting.
July 22, 2017
I had a difficult time with this novel, I didn't find the protagonist likeable or sympathetic. Rick Hoffman's father Lenny, had a stroke 18 years ago. When Rick begins a renovation on his father's home he finds millions of dollars between the walls. The first thing this supposed former investigative journalist does, isn't to go look for whose money it is and where it came from, but rather to adopt a finders keepers attitude and spend it as if it's his own. And not in a modest way but in an unnecessarily lavish way, in an attempt to impress an old girlfriend.
Later we learn that "a few weeks ago he didn't care that his father couldn't speak. the Lenny he'd grown up with was gone, replaced by a gaunt, spectral Lenny who bore no relation to his actual father. So for the last twenty years he'd parked this replacement Lenny in a nursing home, just waiting for him to die a quiet and anticlimactic death. Until it turned out that there was a lot of money at stake." Which made me dislike the guy even more than I had before.
Beyond the fact that I didn't care for the protagonist, I found the unraveling of the mystery to be more comic than suspenseful. There is a clue in his father's planner that someone named P was involved with the money and where it came from. Supposedly he looks into who P could be but for some reason doesn't look at his father's old computer which is still in the house. He's also a bit of a slow learner as far as the bad guys go, instead of erring on the side of caution when he thinks he might have someone tailing him, he generally tends to talk himself out of thinking they're on his trail and time and again his location is discovered.
He's so self centered that he never talks to his sister about their father's health and medical treatment until he needs to call her and ask her for a piece of information related to the money and then only mentions their father as an after thought. At one point he's saved by some less than likely heroes, in a scenario which was not at all believable. He, of course, runs into more trouble later and gets help from the old girlfriend he was trying to impress, then sneaks away without saying goodbye or leaving a note.
I finished this book but didn't find anything enjoyable about it. The writing lacked any polish at all, the dialogue was uneven and the whole story felt more like a rough draft than a finished novel. I thought this was going to be an edge of your seat speed through without sleep kind of book. Unfortunately it wasn't anything like that.
Later we learn that "a few weeks ago he didn't care that his father couldn't speak. the Lenny he'd grown up with was gone, replaced by a gaunt, spectral Lenny who bore no relation to his actual father. So for the last twenty years he'd parked this replacement Lenny in a nursing home, just waiting for him to die a quiet and anticlimactic death. Until it turned out that there was a lot of money at stake." Which made me dislike the guy even more than I had before.
Beyond the fact that I didn't care for the protagonist, I found the unraveling of the mystery to be more comic than suspenseful. There is a clue in his father's planner that someone named P was involved with the money and where it came from. Supposedly he looks into who P could be but for some reason doesn't look at his father's old computer which is still in the house. He's also a bit of a slow learner as far as the bad guys go, instead of erring on the side of caution when he thinks he might have someone tailing him, he generally tends to talk himself out of thinking they're on his trail and time and again his location is discovered.
He's so self centered that he never talks to his sister about their father's health and medical treatment until he needs to call her and ask her for a piece of information related to the money and then only mentions their father as an after thought. At one point he's saved by some less than likely heroes, in a scenario which was not at all believable. He, of course, runs into more trouble later and gets help from the old girlfriend he was trying to impress, then sneaks away without saying goodbye or leaving a note.
I finished this book but didn't find anything enjoyable about it. The writing lacked any polish at all, the dialogue was uneven and the whole story felt more like a rough draft than a finished novel. I thought this was going to be an edge of your seat speed through without sleep kind of book. Unfortunately it wasn't anything like that.
July 7, 2016
Rick Hoffman, ace investigative reporter, loses his job, six-figure income, and, thereby, his gorgeous fiancée due to declining newspaper sales. Freelancing and writing only fluff pieces for a Boston magazine, Rick cringes when instructed to give an interviewee “the full Rick Hoffman treatment,” code for to hell with journalistic ability; kiss ass, the truth be damned!
Unable to keep his upscale apartment, Hoffman, grudgingly, returns to his now-deserted childhood home. While attempting to locate raucous scratching sounds within the attic, Rick stumbles on a tented tarp concealing three million dollars. Recklessly blowing through a large chunk, he quickly attracts the wrong kind of attention.
His father in a nursing home, suffering from stroke-induced aphasia (an inability to speak), he’s unable to provide any insight regarding the money’s origin. Rick dusts off his once superior investigative reportorial skills and searches for the source of his good fortune.
Once equipped with the cold hard truth, Rick delivers a powerful exposé, earning the George Polk Award for investigative journalism. More importantly, he discovers he never really knew the father he’d always assumed an innocuous, successful attorney.
Pumped-full of all the right elements, greed, money laundering, and Irish contract killers; Finder’s The Fixer is a satisfying, reasonably paced, methodical mystery.
Unable to keep his upscale apartment, Hoffman, grudgingly, returns to his now-deserted childhood home. While attempting to locate raucous scratching sounds within the attic, Rick stumbles on a tented tarp concealing three million dollars. Recklessly blowing through a large chunk, he quickly attracts the wrong kind of attention.
His father in a nursing home, suffering from stroke-induced aphasia (an inability to speak), he’s unable to provide any insight regarding the money’s origin. Rick dusts off his once superior investigative reportorial skills and searches for the source of his good fortune.
Once equipped with the cold hard truth, Rick delivers a powerful exposé, earning the George Polk Award for investigative journalism. More importantly, he discovers he never really knew the father he’d always assumed an innocuous, successful attorney.
Pumped-full of all the right elements, greed, money laundering, and Irish contract killers; Finder’s The Fixer is a satisfying, reasonably paced, methodical mystery.
January 8, 2016
A special thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Loved, THE FIXER, and everything about this top-notch, innovative, fast-paced riveting crime mystery suspense thriller!
Joseph Finder is at the “top of his game” with father and son team, which may have more in common than they know---deeply buried secrets, conspiracy, power, corruption, and greed in the city of Boston, with some tough emotional life lessons. Set aside the time, as a read in one sitting; a page-turner!
Rick Hoffman has been on top of the world with glitz, glamour, prestige and money with a high profile media Boston magazine as well as a former investigative reporter at the Boston Globe. He still has connections; however, keeping it quiet his currently unemployed; no longer the star.
Unfortunately his last career move, for more money did not last too long, due to the shift in online media world, from the former print business. Presently, he is single, alone, jobless, and broke. He finds himself back in his home town, in his father’s old home, with a sleeping bag, and a BMW. His material possessions now something of the past, as well as his fiancée.
The old home place is a disaster, since his dad had a stroke over eighteen years ago, the house has been sitting empty, in dire need of repair. Unable to sell or lease in its present condition, taking mega bucks to renovate. (money he does not have.) Jeff, the guy next door has been watching out for the place while Rick was away. While Rick, is attempting to sleep in this rat infested house, disgusted with his life, he hears noise in the walls, and figures rats, or squirrels have set up house. The neighbor Jeff, a building contractor shows up, and attempts to assist Rick figure out where the noise is coming from, as they tear down the wall. Turns out there is $3.4 million buried inside the wall!
Rick is afraid Jeff has seen some of the bills (hopefully only a few); makes light of the situation, as he does now want anyone to know about the money. This could be the answer to his prayers; however, where did the money come from, and where will he hide it? He cannot put it all in the bank, and he cannot leave it at the house, or his car. He decides to hire Jeff to begin renovation, in order to sell it, and split the money with his sister, Wendy who lives out of town.
After putting small amounts in several different banks, he decides to get a small storage unit. He of course keeps some, as happens to run into his former girlfriend from college; hot, as well as highly intelligent and promising. She is now divorced with a younger son and he needs to impress her. He goes off buying all these fancy designer clothes and takes her to dinner, blowing thousands, which is really a turn off for her. After all, she is no longer with Goldman Sachs; she runs a non-profit for kids helping them with math. (lots of humor here)
Now Rick feels like a fool, plus he runs into some people, while spending money. Not cool. Soon he has thugs following him and threatening him. They want to know about the money? Rick decides to rent various cars daily, to throw off the guys, going from one bed and breakfast and hotel to another, while he puts on his investigative reporting hat, and begins digging into the mystery behind the money. Since his dad cannot speak, he has to find a way to communicate, in order to find out where the money came from.
Rick soon learns things about his dad, Leonard Hoffman the attorney, the father, and the man he evidently never knew. He is now in a nursing home and sits in front of a TV all day. He has not spoken in eighteen years. Seems he was connected to a shady bunch. He was a Fixer, a Bagman-- When strip clubs and porn clubs (“Combat Zone” Boston’s red-light district) had cash they needed to get rid of, (money laundering) and others who needed cash for bribes, his dad was their man.
The Combat Zone was a center of bribery with some heavy hitter players surrounding the Big Dig, when Boston added new downtown roads and tunnels which transformed the city’s traffic problem. It happened to be the largest and most complex and most technologically challenging construction project in the history of the country. He needs to find out the name behind the power, and why they are being so protective. Rick, now driven and obsessed to get to the bottom of this mystery will utilize all his investigative skills to uncover this complex web of deceit.
However, Rick soon learns everything is not as it appears. His dad was connected to some powerful men, and he is determined to find the answers and bring them down. His dad may have been trying to do the right thing, when he was stopped. When researching the time period, the day of his stroke, he had a meeting with the head of Boston’s PR firm which specializes in reputation management.
Danger is following Rick, and now the numbers have increased. Not only do they want money, they want him quiet; not opening up a can of worms. This giant has paid off half of the town and is now threatened. From the police, the top media PR, a reputation management company, one of the largest developers, political leaders, and others….he has to follow every lead to uncover the misdeeds before they destroy him. In the meantime, he may learn something about his father which may turn out to make him a hero in his eyes, after all, plus learn what really matters in life.
What makes THE FIXER so unique and engaging, is the emotional human dynamics, quite different than the normal crime thriller of finding a stash of money and simple corruption. Finders dives deep into the complex relationship of a father, who longer cannot speak for himself; however, actually speaks volumes. His character, his values, his goals and ambitions did not turn out the way he planned, and the sacrifices he made for his family after his wife died to give his children the best life possible. We also see the transformation of Rick from a selfish self-centered man grow into a man of character. This time he may not be able to be bought, for any price. Well done.
An action-packed, well-written, engrossing plot and compelling suspense thriller of secrets, lies, payoffs, blackmail, and corruption of the underbelly of Boston city business and politics. Mixed with humor, drama, and mystery crossing several genres. Highly recommend –an ideal gift for Father’s Day, an excellent choice for book clubs, discussions, and thriller fans.
On a side note:Thank you for the Judy Collins mention (the folk singer-not me) as you have to be in the age range to be familiar “From Both Sides Now” and “Send in the Clowns”. We share the name; however, I now use Judith, versus Judy, as she dominates the internet domain world. :) Namesake: Was named after the star (so flattered)-a product of the 50s. A classic, especially if you are from the sixties era.
Also pre-ordered the audiobook, and look forward to listening, as well!
JDCMustReadBooks
Loved, THE FIXER, and everything about this top-notch, innovative, fast-paced riveting crime mystery suspense thriller!
Joseph Finder is at the “top of his game” with father and son team, which may have more in common than they know---deeply buried secrets, conspiracy, power, corruption, and greed in the city of Boston, with some tough emotional life lessons. Set aside the time, as a read in one sitting; a page-turner!
Rick Hoffman has been on top of the world with glitz, glamour, prestige and money with a high profile media Boston magazine as well as a former investigative reporter at the Boston Globe. He still has connections; however, keeping it quiet his currently unemployed; no longer the star.
Unfortunately his last career move, for more money did not last too long, due to the shift in online media world, from the former print business. Presently, he is single, alone, jobless, and broke. He finds himself back in his home town, in his father’s old home, with a sleeping bag, and a BMW. His material possessions now something of the past, as well as his fiancée.
The old home place is a disaster, since his dad had a stroke over eighteen years ago, the house has been sitting empty, in dire need of repair. Unable to sell or lease in its present condition, taking mega bucks to renovate. (money he does not have.) Jeff, the guy next door has been watching out for the place while Rick was away. While Rick, is attempting to sleep in this rat infested house, disgusted with his life, he hears noise in the walls, and figures rats, or squirrels have set up house. The neighbor Jeff, a building contractor shows up, and attempts to assist Rick figure out where the noise is coming from, as they tear down the wall. Turns out there is $3.4 million buried inside the wall!
Rick is afraid Jeff has seen some of the bills (hopefully only a few); makes light of the situation, as he does now want anyone to know about the money. This could be the answer to his prayers; however, where did the money come from, and where will he hide it? He cannot put it all in the bank, and he cannot leave it at the house, or his car. He decides to hire Jeff to begin renovation, in order to sell it, and split the money with his sister, Wendy who lives out of town.
After putting small amounts in several different banks, he decides to get a small storage unit. He of course keeps some, as happens to run into his former girlfriend from college; hot, as well as highly intelligent and promising. She is now divorced with a younger son and he needs to impress her. He goes off buying all these fancy designer clothes and takes her to dinner, blowing thousands, which is really a turn off for her. After all, she is no longer with Goldman Sachs; she runs a non-profit for kids helping them with math. (lots of humor here)
Now Rick feels like a fool, plus he runs into some people, while spending money. Not cool. Soon he has thugs following him and threatening him. They want to know about the money? Rick decides to rent various cars daily, to throw off the guys, going from one bed and breakfast and hotel to another, while he puts on his investigative reporting hat, and begins digging into the mystery behind the money. Since his dad cannot speak, he has to find a way to communicate, in order to find out where the money came from.
Rick soon learns things about his dad, Leonard Hoffman the attorney, the father, and the man he evidently never knew. He is now in a nursing home and sits in front of a TV all day. He has not spoken in eighteen years. Seems he was connected to a shady bunch. He was a Fixer, a Bagman-- When strip clubs and porn clubs (“Combat Zone” Boston’s red-light district) had cash they needed to get rid of, (money laundering) and others who needed cash for bribes, his dad was their man.
The Combat Zone was a center of bribery with some heavy hitter players surrounding the Big Dig, when Boston added new downtown roads and tunnels which transformed the city’s traffic problem. It happened to be the largest and most complex and most technologically challenging construction project in the history of the country. He needs to find out the name behind the power, and why they are being so protective. Rick, now driven and obsessed to get to the bottom of this mystery will utilize all his investigative skills to uncover this complex web of deceit.
However, Rick soon learns everything is not as it appears. His dad was connected to some powerful men, and he is determined to find the answers and bring them down. His dad may have been trying to do the right thing, when he was stopped. When researching the time period, the day of his stroke, he had a meeting with the head of Boston’s PR firm which specializes in reputation management.
Danger is following Rick, and now the numbers have increased. Not only do they want money, they want him quiet; not opening up a can of worms. This giant has paid off half of the town and is now threatened. From the police, the top media PR, a reputation management company, one of the largest developers, political leaders, and others….he has to follow every lead to uncover the misdeeds before they destroy him. In the meantime, he may learn something about his father which may turn out to make him a hero in his eyes, after all, plus learn what really matters in life.
What makes THE FIXER so unique and engaging, is the emotional human dynamics, quite different than the normal crime thriller of finding a stash of money and simple corruption. Finders dives deep into the complex relationship of a father, who longer cannot speak for himself; however, actually speaks volumes. His character, his values, his goals and ambitions did not turn out the way he planned, and the sacrifices he made for his family after his wife died to give his children the best life possible. We also see the transformation of Rick from a selfish self-centered man grow into a man of character. This time he may not be able to be bought, for any price. Well done.
An action-packed, well-written, engrossing plot and compelling suspense thriller of secrets, lies, payoffs, blackmail, and corruption of the underbelly of Boston city business and politics. Mixed with humor, drama, and mystery crossing several genres. Highly recommend –an ideal gift for Father’s Day, an excellent choice for book clubs, discussions, and thriller fans.
On a side note:Thank you for the Judy Collins mention (the folk singer-not me) as you have to be in the age range to be familiar “From Both Sides Now” and “Send in the Clowns”. We share the name; however, I now use Judith, versus Judy, as she dominates the internet domain world. :) Namesake: Was named after the star (so flattered)-a product of the 50s. A classic, especially if you are from the sixties era.
Also pre-ordered the audiobook, and look forward to listening, as well!
JDCMustReadBooks
August 14, 2022
I don’t know how many times I gotta say this, people. If you find a bag of money then you should just leave it there. If you take it, bad things will happen.
But since we are a race of slow learners I guess it doesn’t hurt to go over it again.
Rick Hoffman was once an investigative reporter with a promising career, but he left that behind to take a high profile job with a swanky magazine specializing in fluff pieces. Unfortunately, when the magazine downsizes Rick is left unemployed, in debt, and with zero career prospects. He’s so broke that he’s staying in his father’s house which has been falling apart after years of neglect since a stroke put his dad in a nursing home two decades ago.
When Rick discovers over $3 million in cash hidden in one of the walls, he can’t help but give into temptation. He stashes the cash and goes on an ill-advised spending spree at first, but then he’s suddenly kidnapped by some people who threaten him if doesn’t hand it over to them. Rick scrambles for answers by digging into his father’s past as a shady lawyer who acted as a bagman/fixer for a huge construction project just before the stroke left him completely unable to communicate. The more Rick digs, the more dark secrets come out, and the danger gets worse all the time.
I’m a sucker for both stories about finding illicit cash and sleazy fixers so this should have been right in my wheelhouse, but I ultimately found it disappointing. That’s mainly because I didn’t care for the main character at all.
Yeah, I know that this is supposed to be an arc of Rick starting out as kind of jerk who once had potential to be something better and discovering his better nature again. This kind of story demands that the lead character either be so flawed or desperate that they are the kind of person who would take money that will surely bring trouble.
Yet Rick was just too stupid for my taste. He starts off pretty well in his early moves of stashing the money, but when the danger starts he behaves like a moron. Sure, he does some moves like moving around to different hotels and renting different cars, but this is a guy who gets kidnapped and nearly murdered not once, but twice. But he never does anything like get a weapon, hire bodyguards, leave town, or any other thing that having $3 million in cash would allow you to do.
Instead he just bumbles along while surviving mainly by luck. I also didn’t much care for the way he investigates all this. He’s supposed to be a former hot shit reporter who knows how to dig up dirt, and there is some stuff about him pulling records and finding clues. Yet his interactions with the people he tries to question are these incredibly lame efforts of him trying to trick them into believing he’s working on other stories, and yet when his flimsy lies collapse he just starts demanding answers which they have no real reason to give and usually don’t.
Overall, it was OK as a crime story, but never came close to really getting me interested after the money was found.
But since we are a race of slow learners I guess it doesn’t hurt to go over it again.
Rick Hoffman was once an investigative reporter with a promising career, but he left that behind to take a high profile job with a swanky magazine specializing in fluff pieces. Unfortunately, when the magazine downsizes Rick is left unemployed, in debt, and with zero career prospects. He’s so broke that he’s staying in his father’s house which has been falling apart after years of neglect since a stroke put his dad in a nursing home two decades ago.
When Rick discovers over $3 million in cash hidden in one of the walls, he can’t help but give into temptation. He stashes the cash and goes on an ill-advised spending spree at first, but then he’s suddenly kidnapped by some people who threaten him if doesn’t hand it over to them. Rick scrambles for answers by digging into his father’s past as a shady lawyer who acted as a bagman/fixer for a huge construction project just before the stroke left him completely unable to communicate. The more Rick digs, the more dark secrets come out, and the danger gets worse all the time.
I’m a sucker for both stories about finding illicit cash and sleazy fixers so this should have been right in my wheelhouse, but I ultimately found it disappointing. That’s mainly because I didn’t care for the main character at all.
Yeah, I know that this is supposed to be an arc of Rick starting out as kind of jerk who once had potential to be something better and discovering his better nature again. This kind of story demands that the lead character either be so flawed or desperate that they are the kind of person who would take money that will surely bring trouble.
Yet Rick was just too stupid for my taste. He starts off pretty well in his early moves of stashing the money, but when the danger starts he behaves like a moron. Sure, he does some moves like moving around to different hotels and renting different cars, but this is a guy who gets kidnapped and nearly murdered not once, but twice. But he never does anything like get a weapon, hire bodyguards, leave town, or any other thing that having $3 million in cash would allow you to do.
Instead he just bumbles along while surviving mainly by luck. I also didn’t much care for the way he investigates all this. He’s supposed to be a former hot shit reporter who knows how to dig up dirt, and there is some stuff about him pulling records and finding clues. Yet his interactions with the people he tries to question are these incredibly lame efforts of him trying to trick them into believing he’s working on other stories, and yet when his flimsy lies collapse he just starts demanding answers which they have no real reason to give and usually don’t.
Overall, it was OK as a crime story, but never came close to really getting me interested after the money was found.
July 20, 2015
This is appallingly bad. Lately I seem unable to find any new writers who can write well, tell a story and have a clue about life, (basic human psychology) and technology.
In this lame attempt at a thriller, the protagonist stumbles from one violent situation to another, does NOTHING to defend himself - like get a gun or hire a body guard (he can easily afford it) and generally acts like the foolish woman in horror stories who goes to investigate a noise in the basement although aware from news reports that an escaped homicidal maniac is on the loose in her area. I can relate to nothing in this collection of nonsense. I know of no man who would respond in such an idiotic fashion to the circumstances this guy finds himself in. I cannot imagine violent bad guys who would deliberately beat someone so badly that they need hospitalisation - but not kill them - in order to make them keep quiet about something. It is counter-intuitive.
The very weak premise that the plot revolves around is nonsensical. All major construction companies carry Public Liability and Indemnity insurance. It is a requirement for public tender. Accidents OFTEN happen. Windows fall from high rise buildings, elevators fail. It is what the insurance is for. No company is held responsible for any mistake or poor workmanship on the part of one of possibly hundreds of employees or sub-contractors. They certainly would not pay millions to "keep it quiet" in preference to using their compulsory insurance.
This is a very poor effort, with unrealistic characters and a nonsensical plot.
In this lame attempt at a thriller, the protagonist stumbles from one violent situation to another, does NOTHING to defend himself - like get a gun or hire a body guard (he can easily afford it) and generally acts like the foolish woman in horror stories who goes to investigate a noise in the basement although aware from news reports that an escaped homicidal maniac is on the loose in her area. I can relate to nothing in this collection of nonsense. I know of no man who would respond in such an idiotic fashion to the circumstances this guy finds himself in. I cannot imagine violent bad guys who would deliberately beat someone so badly that they need hospitalisation - but not kill them - in order to make them keep quiet about something. It is counter-intuitive.
The very weak premise that the plot revolves around is nonsensical. All major construction companies carry Public Liability and Indemnity insurance. It is a requirement for public tender. Accidents OFTEN happen. Windows fall from high rise buildings, elevators fail. It is what the insurance is for. No company is held responsible for any mistake or poor workmanship on the part of one of possibly hundreds of employees or sub-contractors. They certainly would not pay millions to "keep it quiet" in preference to using their compulsory insurance.
This is a very poor effort, with unrealistic characters and a nonsensical plot.
June 21, 2015
I like books by Joseph finder but I’m not a real big fan. His books have a little of this, a little of that, and not much of the twists, turns and shocking revelations I crave. I do like his writing style and he tells a good story.
Investigative reporter, Rick Hoffman, finds out his father held secrets. Deadly secrets. While Rick’s father, Leonard Hoffman, sits in a care facility after a massive stroke, Rick finds over 3 million dollars inside the walls of his childhood home. In dire need of renovation, Rick hides the money, hires his neighbor for the task and begins to investigate. Follow the money, and that is just what Rick does.
As the story progresses, Rick is finding out there are more than just secrets, there is corruption, bribery and cover ups. Hitmen are on his tail and Rick must search the facts and delve into his father’s past where no one dared to question Leonard Hoffman’s actions or motives. Beaten several times within an inch of his life, this does not stop Rick from finding out the truth and the Fixer is behind it all, but who and what is the Fixer?
I love a good fact finding story when there is a big mystery and this one did not disappoint. It was an easy read, not fast, not slow and there is always something going on. I’m not a big fan of Joseph Finder but I could become one easily if his creativity and imagination were to pick up a little more. I think there could have been more to The Fixer.
Investigative reporter, Rick Hoffman, finds out his father held secrets. Deadly secrets. While Rick’s father, Leonard Hoffman, sits in a care facility after a massive stroke, Rick finds over 3 million dollars inside the walls of his childhood home. In dire need of renovation, Rick hides the money, hires his neighbor for the task and begins to investigate. Follow the money, and that is just what Rick does.
As the story progresses, Rick is finding out there are more than just secrets, there is corruption, bribery and cover ups. Hitmen are on his tail and Rick must search the facts and delve into his father’s past where no one dared to question Leonard Hoffman’s actions or motives. Beaten several times within an inch of his life, this does not stop Rick from finding out the truth and the Fixer is behind it all, but who and what is the Fixer?
I love a good fact finding story when there is a big mystery and this one did not disappoint. It was an easy read, not fast, not slow and there is always something going on. I’m not a big fan of Joseph Finder but I could become one easily if his creativity and imagination were to pick up a little more. I think there could have been more to The Fixer.
November 17, 2023
Good things criminals are stupid. The crooks finally noticed that their shyster lawyer skimmed $3.5 MILLION from them, then the lawyer hides the money in the walls of a house that ends up abandoned for many years. The shyster lawyer gets beaten up so bad that the has a stroke and is a vegetable for 20 years. His journalist son (our hero) finds the money and then he almost dies from a beating and then the crooks who tried to kill him and his father try to bribe him into not publishing the story. Incredibly stupid book.
But the guy does marry the gal in the end despite showing up one time at her door stoned out of his mind.
But the guy does marry the gal in the end despite showing up one time at her door stoned out of his mind.
May 12, 2017
GREAT! A stand alone novel that kept me glued to the edge of my seat from start to finish. If you have not read Joseph Finder,read THE FIXER ASAP!
March 25, 2015
Rick Hoffman is an unhappy guy. Has a lousy job and no real prospects. He moves into his old family house, a dilapidated structure. Living there alone, he discovers a stash of a few million dollars in part of the attic. His only relative who could shed light on where this money came from is his father who's in a nursing home with dementia. The problems start right there, and things only get worse. I hate spoilers so I won't say more about the plot. What would you do if you came across a stash of cash like this? What does Rick Hoffman do? Read this well-written novel by a master of the thriller, and you'll find out. Kudos to the author for another well-conceived and exciting thriller.
Mark Rubinstein
Mark Rubinstein
June 1, 2015
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
This is my first Joseph Finder book and it surely won't be my last. Mr. Finder did an amazing job with this book. He was able to blend a perfect amount of suspense into this thrilling and captivating book. Right off the opening pages, this book was a real page-turner!! This story was an engaging read that had a compelling and engrossing plot filled with secrets, lies, corruptions and secrets waiting to be unraveled. So if you are in a mood for a captivating thriller suspense, then I highly suggest you to read The Fixer by Joseph Finder.
Review can also found on Four Chicks Flipping PagesJoseph Finder
This is my first Joseph Finder book and it surely won't be my last. Mr. Finder did an amazing job with this book. He was able to blend a perfect amount of suspense into this thrilling and captivating book. Right off the opening pages, this book was a real page-turner!! This story was an engaging read that had a compelling and engrossing plot filled with secrets, lies, corruptions and secrets waiting to be unraveled. So if you are in a mood for a captivating thriller suspense, then I highly suggest you to read The Fixer by Joseph Finder.
Review can also found on Four Chicks Flipping PagesJoseph Finder
June 10, 2015
Mr. Finder is another author who when I see his books I do get excited. I could not wait to get my hands on his latest book. I began to read it and the beginning was fine. Then I continued to read and read. Still fine but where is the intense build up. It was steady but not big surprises or adrenaline rush. There was no character that really stuck out for me as strong either.
Although I was missing the intensity from reading this book. I still like Mr. Finder's writing style and stuck with the book. Which by the way the second half of the book is way better then the first half. The story picks up speed and there is action. Things start happening with different players. The ending was a good one.
Although I was missing the intensity from reading this book. I still like Mr. Finder's writing style and stuck with the book. Which by the way the second half of the book is way better then the first half. The story picks up speed and there is action. Things start happening with different players. The ending was a good one.
July 20, 2015
The tagline is appropriate: the protagonist's problems are just beginning when he finds $3.4 MM of cash.
Finder has given readers a wonderful Boston setting--including The Combat Zone--and a ripping mystery with enough plot complexity to keep us wondering until the end.
The fact that I would have liked more of a reconciliation between father and son shows the extent of my involvement with the characters.
While I may be the only reader who misses his corporate/financial thrillers, in The Fixer, Joseph Finder delivers again.
Finder has given readers a wonderful Boston setting--including The Combat Zone--and a ripping mystery with enough plot complexity to keep us wondering until the end.
The fact that I would have liked more of a reconciliation between father and son shows the extent of my involvement with the characters.
While I may be the only reader who misses his corporate/financial thrillers, in The Fixer, Joseph Finder delivers again.
July 5, 2015
Laid off investigative journalist Rick Hoffman is dead broke and camping out in his father's old Victorian house in Cambridge Massachusetts when he accidentally discovers 3.5 million dollars in cash hidden in the walls. Ricks father Leonard, now totally incommunicado and hospitalized from a stroke he suffered 20 years earlier, was a low profile lawyer representing dodgy clients in Boston's old "Combat Zone" so named for downtown's notorious area of bars and strip clubs. With the "Big Dig", Boston's massive construction project to depress the central artery bisecting the city in full swing in the early 1990's, he became a bag man or "fixer" for a construction industry desperately trying to avoid derailing the 20 billion dollar money train generated by the "Big Dig". Everyone involved in the project had both hands out and the construction industry had a licence to print money.
Rick parks the cash in a self storage locker and starts asking questions about the provenance of the 3.5 million. Even 20 plus years later, Rick's father's practice remains shrouded in mystery and unknown forces start leaning on Rick to stop asking questions even to the point of telling him to keep the 3.5 million in exchange for dropping his investigation. Rick deduces there was a major bribe paid or not paid for something by someone to someone and by searching for the truth he learns a lot about the incapacitated father he never knew. He also learns a lot about himself, his values and what really matters in life.
This is an extraordinarily good novel masquerading as a page turning mystery about an undiscovered 20 year old crime and the courage and integrity needed to investigate it. Very highly recommended.
Rick parks the cash in a self storage locker and starts asking questions about the provenance of the 3.5 million. Even 20 plus years later, Rick's father's practice remains shrouded in mystery and unknown forces start leaning on Rick to stop asking questions even to the point of telling him to keep the 3.5 million in exchange for dropping his investigation. Rick deduces there was a major bribe paid or not paid for something by someone to someone and by searching for the truth he learns a lot about the incapacitated father he never knew. He also learns a lot about himself, his values and what really matters in life.
This is an extraordinarily good novel masquerading as a page turning mystery about an undiscovered 20 year old crime and the courage and integrity needed to investigate it. Very highly recommended.
July 21, 2015
4 ½ stars. Good mystery suspense. I enjoyed it.
Rick used to be an investigative reporter. He’s currently unemployed. His father has been in a nursing home for 18 years. Rick finds a large stash of money in his father’s home. He begins investigating. His father cannot speak or communicate.
My only hesitation was why Rick didn’t carry a weapon to protect himself. He was beaten and his life threatened more than once - because powerful people did not want him digging in the past. One time he knew who beat him, but he did not tell the cops. I wish the author explained motivations for those things better.
I was sooo happy the author wrote this in 3rd person. He has written other books in 1st person. I don’t like reading 1st person.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Steven Kearney was pretty good, but not as good as Will Patton and Frank Mueller. Some of his reading was wooden. For example: “Why don’t you tell me, Rick said acidly.” The narrator read this in a regular tone of voice instead of “acidly.” The recording equipment was good because I did not hear Kearney’s breaths - yay.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged Audiobook length: 9 hrs and 38 mins. Swearing language: I don’t remember hearing any. Sexual content: none. Setting: mostly current day Boston, Massachusetts. Book copyright: 2015. Genre: mystery suspense.
Rick used to be an investigative reporter. He’s currently unemployed. His father has been in a nursing home for 18 years. Rick finds a large stash of money in his father’s home. He begins investigating. His father cannot speak or communicate.
My only hesitation was why Rick didn’t carry a weapon to protect himself. He was beaten and his life threatened more than once - because powerful people did not want him digging in the past. One time he knew who beat him, but he did not tell the cops. I wish the author explained motivations for those things better.
I was sooo happy the author wrote this in 3rd person. He has written other books in 1st person. I don’t like reading 1st person.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Steven Kearney was pretty good, but not as good as Will Patton and Frank Mueller. Some of his reading was wooden. For example: “Why don’t you tell me, Rick said acidly.” The narrator read this in a regular tone of voice instead of “acidly.” The recording equipment was good because I did not hear Kearney’s breaths - yay.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged Audiobook length: 9 hrs and 38 mins. Swearing language: I don’t remember hearing any. Sexual content: none. Setting: mostly current day Boston, Massachusetts. Book copyright: 2015. Genre: mystery suspense.
October 5, 2015
Another good book by Joseph Finder. If you're a fan of JF and love his writings or just looking for a new author , then I highly recommend the book to you. It has non-stop action from the beginning to the end.
September 27, 2015
In another thrilling one-off novel, Finder pulls the reader into a story of a man who comes to realise that he knows little about the man he's called 'dad' his entire life. Rick Hoffman suffers numerous set-backs, which forces him to return to his childhood home. With a father in a nursing home after a horrific stroke, Hoffman chooses to renovate the house, with the help of a neighbour. What they find in the walls, besides rot and despair, ends up being a sizeable amount of money. Hoffman hides this from everyone and begins using his investigative journalist skills to track down the source of the funds. With a father who cannot speak, Hoffman must look at the business dealings that took place in and around the time of the stroke, slowly getting a better image of the man who put on the front of being a reputable lawyer, but who chose to be a bagman for seedy businessmen, paying bribes where needed. The further Hoffman digs, the more the mystery unravels, moving things from the past into the present. A key piece of information piques Hoffman's interest, though its discovery has a number of highly resourceful men on edge, who will stop at nothing to keep it hidden. As Hoffman stays one step ahead of danger, he finds himself turning down many pathways covered it pitfalls. It could take a single mistake to end his life and maintain the silence forever. Finder tantalises the reader with this stellar piece of fiction surrounding Boston in the early 90s, packed with a punch that will resonate the further the reader delves. A must-read for any and all who love a good thrill.
Finder uses his capable writing style to bring the reader into the middle of the story from the outset, pinning plausible characters against a plot that develops seamlessly. The reader sees strong shifts in the novel throughout, but the narrative is such that the flow is uninterrupted and the action intensifies. While not based on a series, Finder is able to bring the reader to better understand the likes of Rick Hoffman without needing extensive backstory, but does offer crumbs throughout, keeping the reader curious, yet informed of the character's development. With Boston as a wonderful backdrop, Finder speculates on The Big Dig and how its creation was surely filled with bribes, lies, and backroom deals. A wonderful piece sure to lure in the new fan and leave them begging for more.
Kudos, Mr. Finder for this great piece. I cannot wait to see what you have in store for your fans in the years to come.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Finder uses his capable writing style to bring the reader into the middle of the story from the outset, pinning plausible characters against a plot that develops seamlessly. The reader sees strong shifts in the novel throughout, but the narrative is such that the flow is uninterrupted and the action intensifies. While not based on a series, Finder is able to bring the reader to better understand the likes of Rick Hoffman without needing extensive backstory, but does offer crumbs throughout, keeping the reader curious, yet informed of the character's development. With Boston as a wonderful backdrop, Finder speculates on The Big Dig and how its creation was surely filled with bribes, lies, and backroom deals. A wonderful piece sure to lure in the new fan and leave them begging for more.
Kudos, Mr. Finder for this great piece. I cannot wait to see what you have in store for your fans in the years to come.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
June 18, 2015
THE FIXER
Joseph Finder
He’s done it again! Mr. Finder has written a mystery/thriller that is a great read, and the good news is there are no spies or terrorists in sight.
Rick Hoffman, formerly an investigative reporter has lost everything and moves back into the empty family home. Felled by a stroke twenty years ago Rick’s father has been unable to speak and in a nursing home all that time.
When Rick begins to tear apart the old house he makes an electrifying discovery, millions of dollars hidden in the walls. The discovery makes Rick question where the money came from and what had he missed about his father’s past. His investigative skills soon find him running from dangerous enemies desperate to keep the past buried and hide this father’s secrets.
THE FIXER is a page turning, eventful, carefully crafted book that will capture you.
Highly Recommended
Joseph Finder
He’s done it again! Mr. Finder has written a mystery/thriller that is a great read, and the good news is there are no spies or terrorists in sight.
Rick Hoffman, formerly an investigative reporter has lost everything and moves back into the empty family home. Felled by a stroke twenty years ago Rick’s father has been unable to speak and in a nursing home all that time.
When Rick begins to tear apart the old house he makes an electrifying discovery, millions of dollars hidden in the walls. The discovery makes Rick question where the money came from and what had he missed about his father’s past. His investigative skills soon find him running from dangerous enemies desperate to keep the past buried and hide this father’s secrets.
THE FIXER is a page turning, eventful, carefully crafted book that will capture you.
Highly Recommended
September 13, 2015
Was not crazy about this book or the protagonist. Review to come.
July 27, 2015
Well, I didn't like this book at all. I read an interview with the author that his father had passed away and during his process of going through his father's stuff, he realizes his father had a whole other life before he had kids. And I really liked this theme, he wrote the Fixer using this life experience in creating a father and son character where the son is realizing his father had a different life before he had a family. Well. Spoiler Alert: In the Fixer, Rick's dad is still alive, albeit incapacitated from a stroke for most of the book. Which for me, isn't about a character of a son dealing with the loss of his father and then going through his father's stuff to get to the "another life" epiphany. Furthermore, the character of Rick is a douche. In the beginning, after his fiance Holly and him break up he talks to her and realizes that he was using her as eye candy-- because of how beautiful she is. And Rick goes through this passage where money isn't everything even though previously when he had money, he showed it and it was everything to him. So when he takes his high school sweetheart out on a first date, what does he do? Treats her out like he has money- dressing too fancy, ordering $4,000 bottle wine, etc. So what you're saying is, Rick didn't learn his lesson with Holly even though the writing made you seem like he was going to be a new man. Ok, whatever.
The audio book made this book feel like it was written like stereo instructions. Also there were several passages that were just trivial. And no one says, "My word is my bond," anymore dude. So 1990s. Also, the narrator used the same voice for the man that kidnaps Rick, so later on I knew who the guy was before Rick did. Way to spoil the mystery. But whatevs.
Another problem: In the beginning of the book, Rick gets laid off from the magazine he works for. And the reader is led to believe that Rick is unemployed. But when Rick needs to do research in order to solve the mystery of his dad's previous life, he is able to go back to his magazine and have access to all the databases. So evidently, the author doesn't understand what laid off means. FYI: once an employee is laid off, they rarely have access to the company resources anymore, bud. Furthermore, the author's never heard of a public library, or even a law library where Rick could have done his Lexis Nexis research.(?) For reals? Mucho points deducted man.
Finally, the ending. Rick and Andrea make lots of money doing awesome jobs. So the moral of the story is: make lots of money cuz that buys you happiness.
I didn't like this book and I don't recommend it to anyone.
The audio book made this book feel like it was written like stereo instructions. Also there were several passages that were just trivial. And no one says, "My word is my bond," anymore dude. So 1990s. Also, the narrator used the same voice for the man that kidnaps Rick, so later on I knew who the guy was before Rick did. Way to spoil the mystery. But whatevs.
Another problem: In the beginning of the book, Rick gets laid off from the magazine he works for. And the reader is led to believe that Rick is unemployed. But when Rick needs to do research in order to solve the mystery of his dad's previous life, he is able to go back to his magazine and have access to all the databases. So evidently, the author doesn't understand what laid off means. FYI: once an employee is laid off, they rarely have access to the company resources anymore, bud. Furthermore, the author's never heard of a public library, or even a law library where Rick could have done his Lexis Nexis research.(?) For reals? Mucho points deducted man.
Finally, the ending. Rick and Andrea make lots of money doing awesome jobs. So the moral of the story is: make lots of money cuz that buys you happiness.
I didn't like this book and I don't recommend it to anyone.
January 14, 2016
I got a copy of this through First to Read, Penguin's advance copy program. I was super excited because Joseph Finder seems like a really nice guy and I really liked his Paranoia, I felt like it captured the telecom/tech industry really well. So maybe I didn't enjoy The Fixer as much because I didn't work in the magazine industry, but there felt like there was something a little flatter in this book. There was a lot of description, and it's obvious that Mr. Finder loves his adopted home of Boston, but I felt a lot of of felt clunky, vague, as if afraid to commit.
Around page 76, in the BlueFire Reader edition, there's a scene in which Rick, the main character, finds himself in a situation that might be a bit disorienting, but in the span of one paragraph we hear the voice he hears are Irish, *maybe*, that the thing he tastes is *maybe* burlap, something he jams his foot into isn't steel, it's *probably* human. The other, most egregious example of the reader being beaten over the head with something was later on in the book, page 173, where Rick understands something, but "Dr. Girona went on as if Rick hadn't replied," and we're treated to the definition of a stroke.
The story was a promising one, but I struggled to find Rick all that interesting (he loses the riches and fame of a lifestyle you're not quite sure he's earned, and then re-earns the riches, sort of, and becomes a d**khead again for a short while) and I found the extensive wardrobe descriptions a little tedious after a while.
I'd go back to Finder again in the future, because he's got a great history of fun, ripping reads, and this would make a good beach read where you can skim the description a little bit more when you have to squint because the sun has come out from behind the clouds again. But this one wasn't his best.
Around page 76, in the BlueFire Reader edition, there's a scene in which Rick, the main character, finds himself in a situation that might be a bit disorienting, but in the span of one paragraph we hear the voice he hears are Irish, *maybe*, that the thing he tastes is *maybe* burlap, something he jams his foot into isn't steel, it's *probably* human. The other, most egregious example of the reader being beaten over the head with something was later on in the book, page 173, where Rick understands something, but "Dr. Girona went on as if Rick hadn't replied," and we're treated to the definition of a stroke.
The story was a promising one, but I struggled to find Rick all that interesting (he loses the riches and fame of a lifestyle you're not quite sure he's earned, and then re-earns the riches, sort of, and becomes a d**khead again for a short while) and I found the extensive wardrobe descriptions a little tedious after a while.
I'd go back to Finder again in the future, because he's got a great history of fun, ripping reads, and this would make a good beach read where you can skim the description a little bit more when you have to squint because the sun has come out from behind the clouds again. But this one wasn't his best.
July 24, 2015
This is probably the most interesting and mind boggling book I've read in many years. I'd seen the blurb somewhere on line and immediately put it on hold at my local library. I've been reading it for almost a week and had trouble putting it down when there were other things I needed to be doing.
This is a story, a murder mystery, and an adventure. It all happens because a young man (Rick Hoffman) is “downsized” from his second career choice job (lots of glitz and money but no substance. He lost everything that he thought mattered to him and finds himself living in his old family home. The house is decrepit and in need of major repairs before he can sell it and have money to move on with.
His next door neighbor approaches him with an offer to do the repairs for a share of the sale. The next day he and this neighbor do some basic work tearing out a wall and Rick sees something hidden between the walls and at that moment his whole life is changed. Rick now wants to find out the truth about his father who has been in a nursing home for eighteen years. After supposedly having a stroke. His research into his father’s life will lead him down a path full of danger and possible death.
If you read any book this year you need to make it this one.
FTC Full Disclosure: I took this book out of the Brooklyn Public Library
This is a story, a murder mystery, and an adventure. It all happens because a young man (Rick Hoffman) is “downsized” from his second career choice job (lots of glitz and money but no substance. He lost everything that he thought mattered to him and finds himself living in his old family home. The house is decrepit and in need of major repairs before he can sell it and have money to move on with.
His next door neighbor approaches him with an offer to do the repairs for a share of the sale. The next day he and this neighbor do some basic work tearing out a wall and Rick sees something hidden between the walls and at that moment his whole life is changed. Rick now wants to find out the truth about his father who has been in a nursing home for eighteen years. After supposedly having a stroke. His research into his father’s life will lead him down a path full of danger and possible death.
If you read any book this year you need to make it this one.
FTC Full Disclosure: I took this book out of the Brooklyn Public Library
April 3, 2015
Finder's novels are always exciting and entertaining, especially when he sends you an ARC himself! This storyline in THE FIXER is compelling and suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat (actually my bed since that's normally where I like to read). Rick Hoffman is a crime journalist currently unemployed and caring for his lawyer dad who had a stroke many years earlier. Of course, nothing is as simple as it sounds in Finder's stories. Rick decides to update the old family home in the Boston area since it's falling apart and worthless unless something is done immediately. As he is demolishing the house, he finds a "secret" room with oodles of money hidden in it. Since his dad cannot speak because of the stoke, Rick begins looking through old client records to find clues about the money. There are the bad guys who learn Rick has this hidden money and begin to threaten him. The plot gets more complicated and exciting when Rick learns about an earlier death/murder case that was never resolved. Everything ties together in the end but the ending came too quickly for me. I would love to see a sequel with Rick Hoffman solving some more crimes, but we'll have to just wait and see. Be sure to get a copy of this book when it comes out in June.
September 11, 2015
Was very surprised with this book. Wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but once I started I fell in love with the story. Not the typical "Thriller" I would read, but kept me glued to the story from beginning to end.
July 29, 2017
חייו של ריק הופמן מתדרדרים מדחי לדחי. לאחר שפוטר ממשרה יוקרתית כעורך בעיתון, בת זוגו נוטשת אותו ומבטלת את אירוסיהם, הוא נותר ללא הכנסה וללא מזומנים ולכן הוא חוזר לבית אביו ומגלה שמצב הבית בכי רע. הוא מזמין את השכן שלו, ג'ף, חבר ילדותו לסייע לו בשיפוץ הבית ובמהלך הסריקה שהם מבצעים ריק מגלה ערימה גדולה של כסף. ליתר דיוק כ- 3.5 מליון דולר שהוחבאה מאחורי קיר רעוע.
ריק, לא יודע של מי הכסף. אביו היה עו"ד אולם לפני כ- 18 שנים קיבל שבץ מוחי ומאז הוא מאושפז בבית חולים סיעודי שכן הוא לא שיקם את התיפקודים המילוליים שלו. ולפתע אנשים שונים רודפים את ריק מאיימים עליו ומנסים להרוג אותו. לריק לא נותרת ברירה אלא לנסות לחקור את מקור הכסף בכדי להציל את חיו.
הספר אינו קיצבי ומסחרר כמו הספרים של הרלן קובן אבל לאמיתו של דבר גם כך קצב האירועים היה מספק עבורי. אחד מהנושאים שעולים בספר במלוא עוצמתם וניכרת הביקורת של פיינדר (אם כי זו לא ביקורת בוטה וחריפה בסגנון הספרים של גרישם) היא מצבה של התקשורת והעיתונאות החוקרת שמושפעת מבעלי ההון שקונים לעצמם את הפרסום החיובי בזכות הכסף שלהם שיכול לעוור את העיתונאים שממילא פתם דלה. ביקורת שיתכן שהיא אמיתית ושבאמת מתמעטים העיתונאים החוקרים שמוכנים לוותר על הכסף שטמון בכניעה לעיתונות אוהדת ומטשטשת גם במחיר כיסוי על עוולות חברתיות קשות.
אחת מהבעיות היא שבניגוד לעבר, היום העיתונאות החוקרת מבוססת על פרילנסרים שאין להם תנאים או שכר קבוע וההכנסה שלהם תלוייה בחלקה בסנסציות מופרעות ומופרכות שימשכו תשומת לב או בנכונות שלהם להעלים עין וליצור עיתונות אוהדת לטובת בעלי ההון. עיתונאות חוקרת אמיתית דורשת זמן, מאמצים וכסף שלעיתונאי פרילנסר אין, אלא אם עומד מאחוריו גוף גדול ומשאבים פיננסיים שמאפשרים לו לחקור באמת את הדברים.
בסה"כ ספר קיצבי ומהנה.
ריק, לא יודע של מי הכסף. אביו היה עו"ד אולם לפני כ- 18 שנים קיבל שבץ מוחי ומאז הוא מאושפז בבית חולים סיעודי שכן הוא לא שיקם את התיפקודים המילוליים שלו. ולפתע אנשים שונים רודפים את ריק מאיימים עליו ומנסים להרוג אותו. לריק לא נותרת ברירה אלא לנסות לחקור את מקור הכסף בכדי להציל את חיו.
הספר אינו קיצבי ומסחרר כמו הספרים של הרלן קובן אבל לאמיתו של דבר גם כך קצב האירועים היה מספק עבורי. אחד מהנושאים שעולים בספר במלוא עוצמתם וניכרת הביקורת של פיינדר (אם כי זו לא ביקורת בוטה וחריפה בסגנון הספרים של גרישם) היא מצבה של התקשורת והעיתונאות החוקרת שמושפעת מבעלי ההון שקונים לעצמם את הפרסום החיובי בזכות הכסף שלהם שיכול לעוור את העיתונאים שממילא פתם דלה. ביקורת שיתכן שהיא אמיתית ושבאמת מתמעטים העיתונאים החוקרים שמוכנים לוותר על הכסף שטמון בכניעה לעיתונות אוהדת ומטשטשת גם במחיר כיסוי על עוולות חברתיות קשות.
אחת מהבעיות היא שבניגוד לעבר, היום העיתונאות החוקרת מבוססת על פרילנסרים שאין להם תנאים או שכר קבוע וההכנסה שלהם תלוייה בחלקה בסנסציות מופרעות ומופרכות שימשכו תשומת לב או בנכונות שלהם להעלים עין וליצור עיתונות אוהדת לטובת בעלי ההון. עיתונאות חוקרת אמיתית דורשת זמן, מאמצים וכסף שלעיתונאי פרילנסר אין, אלא אם עומד מאחוריו גוף גדול ומשאבים פיננסיים שמאפשרים לו לחקור באמת את הדברים.
בסה"כ ספר קיצבי ומהנה.
February 28, 2022
היו לו ספרים הרבה יותר טובים וזה אחד הפחות טובים שקראתי.
הסיפור כאן ברובו טוב ודי מותח. הבעיה היחידה שהייתה לי, היא
דווקא עם הדמות הראשית - ריק הופמן.
לפי המתואר בפרקים נראה שהוא באמת מבין את הסיטואציה שאליה
הוא נקלע וכן, מודע בצורך שלו להתנהלות נכונה כדי להימנע מצרות.
ובכל זאת, מידי פעם בפעם (ובדיוק רצה הגורל) הוא עושה שטות
שלא אמורה לאפיין דמות עם מאפיינים כשלו.
הסיפור כאן ברובו טוב ודי מותח. הבעיה היחידה שהייתה לי, היא
דווקא עם הדמות הראשית - ריק הופמן.
לפי המתואר בפרקים נראה שהוא באמת מבין את הסיטואציה שאליה
הוא נקלע וכן, מודע בצורך שלו להתנהלות נכונה כדי להימנע מצרות.
ובכל זאת, מידי פעם בפעם (ובדיוק רצה הגורל) הוא עושה שטות
שלא אמורה לאפיין דמות עם מאפיינים כשלו.
November 16, 2019
This was a great book. It was my first book by Finder and I hope his others are as good as this. The writing is crisp and moves along. There's not a lot of wasted detail. The twists and turns come at a pace that gives you an incentive to keep reading. What's not to like?
September 6, 2017
Joe Finder’s humanity as a man and a writer shines through every sentence. At its heart, it’s a tale about the often heart-breaking gulf between the parents we think we know, and the people they actually are. Or were. He deals brilliantly with loss, death, and reimagining. He’s a master of haunting details: the trigger moments in a kid’s life that shape an entire way of viewing a parent, how those perceptions carve paths of anger, indifference and distance. Rick Hoffman returns emptied out to his house of origin, jobless, wifeless, exhausted and ashamed. The house is a hot mess, a wreck of mildewed carpets, buckling floors, sagging ceilings. No power. Not in the house, and certainly not in Hoffman. And then the extraordinary happens. Buried inside the wall in his dad’s old study, is a pot-load of cash.
Where it came from, to whom it belongs, and what ultimately happens to it drive the story to a resounding finish. The Fixer is about unfinished business: father/son, brother/sister, fractured loves, decayed and betrayed friendships, and then Finder does a leap from the high bar and makes it also encompass the unfinished business of an entire city.
A beauty of a book.
Where it came from, to whom it belongs, and what ultimately happens to it drive the story to a resounding finish. The Fixer is about unfinished business: father/son, brother/sister, fractured loves, decayed and betrayed friendships, and then Finder does a leap from the high bar and makes it also encompass the unfinished business of an entire city.
A beauty of a book.
Read
May 11, 2017This is a fast, exciting thriller that oddly enough seems like it could happen to someone you actually know. The protagonist is a magazine writer, like many he aspired to Woodward and Bernstein heights, and the economy has led his bloated magazine to online-only status. When his girlfriend leaves him he moves back into his family home, left untended for years after his father's stroke. Secrets come pouring out of the house and re-awaken his long-held professional interests, while providing new information about his father. How will it end? The mystery is good and the book is solid. The characters are winning and believable. Boston is always good for a story with lots of secrets and this one is filled with them.
-Suzanne
-Suzanne
September 22, 2015
This is one of those books that inspires me to become a writer myself. Because I could easily write a much MUCH better book than this. This book was terrible, tired, cliched, and badly in need of an editor. There were so many absurd plot holes and ridiculous tangents that it became almost distracting. I only finished it because it was set in my beloved Boston, and I wanted to see if there was some sort of a payoff at the end. There wasn't. It was pretty much exactly what you assumed about halfway into it. Very disappointed I spent any time on this at all.
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