The Extraditionist

Benn Bluestone #1

by Todd Merer

When the world’s most notorious cartel bosses get arrested, they call Benn Bluestone. A drug lawyer sharp enough to exploit loopholes in the system, Bluestone loves the money, the women, the action that come with his career…but working between the lines of justice and crime has taken its toll, and he desperately wants out. He’s convinced himself that only an insanely rich client can guarantee him a lavish retirement.

When the New Year begins with three promising cases, Bluestone thinks he’s hit pay dirt. But then the cases link dangerously together—and to his own past. Does the mysterious drug kingpin Sombra hold the key to Bluestone’s ambitions? Or does the key open a door that could bring the entire federal justice system to a screeching halt and net Bluestone a life in jail without parole?

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Ebooks, Suspense, Audiobook, Contemporary

430 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2017

About the author

Todd Merer, a New York University Law School graduate, boasts a four-decade career in criminal defense law. Throughout his tenure, he specialized in representing individuals facing drug crime allegations, particularly those extradited from Latin America. Notably, his clientele included prominent figures such as leaders of the Cali Cartel, the Pablo Escobar family, the Bogota Cartel boss, and Colombian associates of El Chapo.

Drawing from his wealth of experience, Merer authored "The Extraditionist," a widely acclaimed novel that achieved best-selling status and earned recognition as an “Amazon book of the month” selection.

Reviews

[Paul Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author took me on a nerve-racking journey into the adrenaline-charged world of the illegal drug trade. The costly war on drugs had been a complete failure. Death-dealing drugs crossing the border like the wind. A total success. For all involved, it was every person for them self. This well-written narrative had unscrupulous characters coming at me from all angles. Not a moment to breathe. No one was clean. At every turn, I was waiting for a bullet to whiz by. I was riveted by non-stop action with endless twists and turns that carried through to the very end. A fitting end.

There are lawyers to fit every conceivable legal need of society. Then there is Benn Bluestone. A specialist among specialists. Extraditionist. Extraditing someone usually meant trying that person for a crime in another country. It came with its pitfalls. Not all countries shared this agreement. To expedite matters, it always came down to the same thing. Greasing the palms of the right people.

Benn's New York City law practice had taken him to far reaches around the globe. Especially, South America. The land of white powder. Cocaine. Life in the fast lane. He knew the extradition laws of these neighboring countries like the back of his hand. White powder is a big business that won't be going away anytime soon. Talking billions here. Always comes down to supply and demand.

As sometimes happens, when a Colombian drug lord had found that he is no longer welcome in his home country, it's time to take a powder. If possible. Many a time, punishment for drug-related crimes in a criminals host country would prove far worse than, let's say, the United States. Better to stay alive and work a deal within a safe haven. The good ole' US of A. Just ask Pablo Escobar, king of cocaine. Former king. Oh wait, you can't. He was gunned down in the streets of his hometown by the National Police. Justice served-up seething hot, Columbian Style.

Benn needed to get out of this racket. He'd been cashing in on the proceeds of crime without enduring the ramifications of being a criminal. Been walking a tightrope for way too long. If Lucky, it would only be a matter of time till he's rich beyond his wildest dreams. Most probably, he'll just get whacked. Maybe both. Dead and rich. Haunted by the lure of the money, oh the money. Just one big score - one last trial. Set up for life. One more. So he keeps telling himself. Immersed in a world of drugs, blood and dirty money. Didn't know if he'd ever find the exit door. Or if there even was one. It all came down to one last trial. So he hoped. Time would tell.

This ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Gratitude sent to Thomas & Mercer for allowing this pre-release edition made available.

[Tulay · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Kindle First choices I made.

Fictional books written by a real attorney is always really good, sometimes even learn something. Like didn't know lawyer were called doctor in Colombia, or in federal court, only the judge decides whether a prospective juror should be disqualified for cause.
Benn Bluestone character is developed from the start as someone you'll hate doing business with. He's definitely "ultranarcissits" (author's description), everybody around him are as bad as this character. Cartels, drugs, money laundering and lots of beautiful women.

[Chris Steeden · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘In my years of lawyering, I’d earned fortunes, but subtract from them the sums of my unholy trinity—drugs, drink, divorce—and the subtotal was troubling. Now, like a shark needing to keep swimming to breathe, I needed to keep working to maintain my extravagances. My fees, although sizable, were a fraction of what I needed to retire in the manner to which I was accustomed. I was all alone in the world and wanted the kind of nurturing only big bucks could buy’.

Meet Benjamin T. Bluestone a narco-lawyer whose clients are world-class drug dealers. Sounds like an interesting concept. I read-on.

His deal is to get his clients off (or at least a lesser sentence) by getting them to give up the bigger fish of the cartels to the US government once they have been extradited there. He gets multiple jobs at once. Will one of these jobs be a ‘Mr Biggy’ that will sort out Bluestone’s retirement? ‘Mr Biggy’ is indeed out there going under the nom de guerre of ‘Sombra’ which translates to ‘Shadow’.

The central and south America settings make it edgy. Nerves are always tense and like Bluestone you are never sure what is lurking around the corner. Danger is everywhere. When the violence hits it is short, sharp and brutal. Bluestone is flitting around trying to work his clients. It’s a juggling act for him and the reader. I’m glad I took notes as I went along so I could look back over as I found it a little tricky keeping track as the plot is very convoluted. I was hoping that it would become clearer the more into the book I read. It did, sort of, but I was past caring by that point.

I felt that the twists and turns in the book lacked effect because I was finding it difficult keeping track of everything going on in the plot and the characters were not fleshed out enough as I did not care at all what happened to them and that includes the lead protagonist. There’s even an assassin that would be perfect in a James Bond movie.

I’ll leave the last words to Bluestone; ‘I didn’t know what the real truth was. Or care’.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Todd Merer has an engaging writing style. He puts readers right in the midst of the characters' world. The pace is quick and the concept unique. That being said, I didn't love this book.

To begin with, I didn't like Benn Bluestone at all. He's a womanizer, he's greedy, and he lacks compassion. This story is written in first person, from Benn's perspective, so the reading experience came down to me spending hours with someone who grated on my nerves the entire time.

The plot is well thought out and executed. It's also (overly) complex. Benn interacts with a whole lot of people, both clients and associates. He also travels all over South America, routinely flying back and forth from New York, interacting with yet more people. You might need a chart to keep all the characters and their relationships straight while reading. For me, the abundance of characters and things happening made the story feel too chaotic. I couldn't settle into it.

I figured out Sombra's identity early on. Even so, it's a good twist that's handled well.

The author's own background and experience in the field lends authenticity to the material. In fact, the author's bio reads much like Benn Bluestone's bio would read. Because of this, the story has a strong feel of realism.

If you like legal thrillers, and you want to see our wonderfully corrupt drug laws at work, then you might want to give this book a try.

[Teresa Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really was hoping for more; but all in all it was interesting and kept me readiing.

[Ira Brandstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true thriller

A very quick and entertaining book, with many twists and turns. Also, I’m from Brooklyn, so I may be a little biased.

[Sharon Bogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dark side

I didn't think I would find this book all that interesting. I was very wrong. Like history? Like legal thrillers? Interested in how contaminated we are by drugs? Read this book....

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Hang on the edge of your seat. Stay up late to finish another chapter. Twisty turns and conspiracy theories run wild. Best book I've read this year (2017)

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally devoured this book in 48 hours! Mr. Mere kept me on the edge of my seat with the unending plot twists and "ah ha" moments! Remarkable literary debut...looking forward to what Benn Bluestone will stumble into next!

[Schuyler Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

In real life Todd Merer is a criminal defense attorney in New York City. Benn Bluestone, protagonist of Merer’s first novel, “The Extraditionist,” is the same, representing the same criminals, high-ranking drug cartel chiefs, who have been extradited to the United States to answer for their transgressions against US citizens. Merer probably explored his files for material to construct his story, a move, if his novel is to be believed, which could be somewhat dangerous for him.

Bluestone’s existence certainly is a life of peril. Deception and murder follow him constantly, only made tolerable by the huge sums of money he commands to prepare a defense intended to either free the miscreants or substantially shorten their time in striped suits. A man of bad habits, Bluestone is also wise in the ways of drug dealing and adept at crawling around in the muck. He is very aware of the loose money floating around to buy freedom. But, it seems that every dark space hides someone with a gun or a knife who is worried about Bluestone’s activities and wants to ensure he doesn’t get too close to their secrets.

There is much secrecy in this book, maybe too much because many characters with too much to hide (or to try to find) make the book hard to follow. There’s good dialogue but the problem is deciding who’s talking to whom and what they are talking about. The author has an intriguing story and the talent to tell it but needs to tone down his tendency to provide too much information and detail. If this were a jury room, all the minutiae would have the judge, jury, attorneys, and spectators rolling their eyes and looking at the clock.

The book is left open-ended leaving no doubt that the author intends to produce more stories about Benn Bluestone. Hopefully he’ll be more cognizant of the old, less is more fig.

[Ed Doolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book

I really liked this book very much. It was very fast paced with new twists and turns every few pages. The characters in the book were very believable and developed in a very crisp narrative. You could tell the author had knowledge of this drug world and how it works. I would recommend this book. I am sure Benn Bluestone will be back.

[Nancy E. Schadt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Did not like the narrator, Benn Bluestone; he did not have any redeeming qualities. Also there were too many one dimensional characters and too little plot development. Did not feel invested in any aspect of the novel by chapter 16 and so did something I rarely do; I stopped reading. Life is too short.

[Charley Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benn, oh Benn! When will you learn? I guess in the end he learned his lesson, but since this is the first in the series, perhaps not. Benn is a messed up dude. He plays both sides and is a greedy lawyer. Some how I liked him and felt some empathy for him while he tried to solve the mystery! I'll be reading the next one in the series.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing especially interesting in the plot of this book. I was hoping for something new but was disappointed. The last cemetery scene was original for this type of plot, would I recommended it, probably not.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the story was fairly predictable, you can’t help get sucked into the story or care what happens to the main character

[Mike Poe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting thriller about the lawyers who support the drug trade but it strained credulity too many times.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

Interesting characters and great story line I look forward to another installment from this author I see a sequel in Mr.Bluestone

[Amy Peck · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quit at 50% read. Too circular. I keep reading page after page and get nowhere. I’ve come to the point that I don’t care anymore. Disappointing.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Held my interest right to the end

Tight dialog and compelling plot movement held my interest enough to read this in one sitting. Looking forward to the next volume.

[David Daniel Klipper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fascinating Read

This book exposed me to a new world I’d never imagined. Given the author’s background, and the general air of verisimilitude, I tend to believe it is accurate. Reading this book was a guilty pleasure; most of the characters are utterly reprehensible, and yet once I got into it, I didn’t want to put it down. If you’ve ever been interested in what happens after significant drug traffickers are arrested, read this book. I look forward to meeting this character again in subsequent books.

[Gronk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every character is a worthless crook. Anyone and everyone is likely to be killed on the next page. What's the point?

[Ken Hulse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good

I have heard that war And peace is a book can cure insomnia. This book is in the running for another one that can do the same job. Meandering plot with zero character development and no real story line. An attorney who does almost no legal work represents south American drug dealers hoping to buy immunity by snitching on other drug dealers. That's it nothing more. The dealers are one name and one dimensional. No one is believable or the least bit interesting or likeable. The character development is nonexistent. When I saw this is supposed to be the first in a series I shook my head in disbelief.

[Jim A · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those novels where I found nothing about the main character that is going to move me on to volume 2 when it is released.

Other's, obviously from the five star reviews, have a different view. As has been stated by many, "No two people read the same book."

[Tim Marsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought it was boring. One of the worst books I have read. Actually I couldn't finish reading it.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

A debut thriller that shines a light into a particularly dark corner of the legal world, The Extraditionist is the story of a talented lawyer who’s made his comfortable living representing the leaders of drug cartels at risk of being extradited to the United States. IRL, author Merer is, cover copy would have you believe, a specialist in defending these same high-ranking cartel chiefs. “He gained acquittals in more than 150 trials,” it crows. This seems a dubious business and, as a result, you may have trouble warming up to the book’s protagonist, a first-person narrator who may be no more than the author’s alter-ego.
When three potentially lucrative clients send out feelers—“a trifecta of new clients suddenly emerg(ing) from the free-fire zone of the War against Drugs”—Bluestone whips into action.
Bluestone knows next-to-nothing about any of these potential clients, except that they are all dangerous men supported by large trigger-happy criminal gangs. You may have trouble keeping all the players straight. I did. Nevertheless, he’s all in, hoping for the big score that will let him retire. There’s a possibility that one of the three is the elusive Sombra, a mysterious drug lord living high in the Andes among the Logui people who reportedly pays no bribes and extorts no officials. Bluestone is skeptical. “In my experience, tales of the moral principles of drug legendaries are bullshit. On the opposite end of the spectrum, stories of their violence are underestimated.” You wonder how he’s survived.
Throughout the story, Bluestone’s friends and confidants and fixers and what-have-you are murdered by one cartel or the other, yet Bluestone soldiers on, seemingly unaffected by the death and destruction that follows in this wake. Over the course of the narrative, he develops a theory about who Sombra is (one I did not share), and you may figure out rather quickly the true identify of a couple of key characters.
The huge amounts of cash sloshing around and the casual way in which they were handled, the wholesale murder, and the efforts to obtain for drug traffickers the lightest possible sentences exposed a moral vacuum at the heart of this novel that makes it difficult to care about the protagonist or his supposedly clever doings. It’s quite a contrast to the perspective on the destructive wake of the cartels (in Mexico this time) of Don Winslow’s excellent The Cartel.

[Ken Bour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book from the Amazon Kindle "First" program (free). It is generally well-written and, at times, action-packed; however, there is a plethora of characters (each with a nickname) making it exceedingly difficult to keep track of their significance/roles in the plot. As a consequence, the story line is intricate and complex with many threads and backdrops involving illegal drug trafficking.

Benn Bluestone is a money-hungry opportunist, womanizer; and, when the going gets rough, an unremorseful killer (bad guys only). I can understand why many readers wouldn't like or approve of him. On the positive side, there are ethical lines he won't cross and he does exhibit several core values that have redeeming qualities among which are integrity, loyalty, and honesty.

Eventually, I grasped the purpose of the "Alune" references and passages, but they seemed out-of-character (mysterious/ethereal) with the tone of the novel (gritty/existential) and did nothing for me in terms of contributing to or strengthening the story. The "Extraditionist" has a legal underpinning and a few courtroom drama scenes which I enjoyed. There was an unanticipated twist at the end which I won't spoil and, it appears, some "future" for Benn Bluestone although it isn't clear that it will be as an attorney.

Although I found this particular novel, Todd Merer's first, to be challenging from a reader perspective, I am inclined to check out the next installment in this series...

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benn Bluestone is an attorney that represents the worst of the worst. He is an ultranarcissits and someone you won’t like. He represents drug cartels and plays a major role in getting them off the charges or getting their lives shortened. Of course he has to watch his back because there is always someone that wants to keep their secrets safe and Benn on the wrong side of a gun. But then he finds himself tangled up with Sombra and things take a serious turn for the worst.

You can tell that Todd Merer is a real life attorney that deals with cartels. This sounds like something that would happen in real life and is well written. Having said that, I couldn’t stand Benn because he irritated the heck out of me and had me cheering for those trying to kill him. I know, I’m a horrible person but between Benn and all the characters I had a hard time reading this book.

If you can get past that, there is a lot of action and thrills. There are a lot of twists and turns that this will keep you entertained until the last page. This is not a bad book but one that I had a hard time getting into. I do recommend checking it out, it might be your new favorite.

I received The Extraditionist from Little Bird Publicity for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

[Jak60 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a not unusual storytelling technique that in the first part of a book a writer keeps widening, opening up, expanding his plot, adding new pieces and angles; he might give at times the impression of meandering but then usually a point is reached where he starts closing in, connecting the dots and bringing home the lose ends - in a word, the funnel reverses and it leads you to an end.
Well, The Extraditionist does well the first part, so much that I started soon to loose track of who was lawyer to whom, who was trying to set up whom, who wanted to kill whom and why.
It’s not that the plot is overly complex, it is just that I felt often times lost into this thick spiderweb of drug traffickers, middlemen, thugs, corrupt lawyers and corrupt cops.
At the end, the author is kind enough to let you have a glimpse into the nutshell of what it was all about, but why he had to wrap it into the above mentioned spiderweb remains obscure to me.
Nevertheless, I must admit the novel has a certain flair, the tension remains high and, despite the permanent confusional state in which the reader is left throughout the narration, you still want to know what will happen next.

[William Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be prepared to take notes!

The author is evidently well-versed in criminal procedure, the inner-workings of the drug-trafficing world and all the trimmings and trappings of both- with which he wraps the reader in a fairly engaging yarn about a mostly ok Joe who just happens to be the "go-to guy" for defending drug king pins. But Benn Bluestone's docket is a bit //too/ busy as Merer piles on character after character after character. The more threads he adds to his web, the thinner they get until at some point you become numb and give into the temptation of being ok with not remembering "who that guy was"... To his credit, his depiction of every type of lawyer, good or bad, is handled with skill and makes for solid three dimensional characterizations, but that final scene... Oy! //literally// the stuff of Indiana Jones that just makes you shake your head and cringe. Good beach equipment at best.

[Kathleen A Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flaming Excitement

Age weakens a youthful trust in any system. As a retired Healthcare Professional, I enjoy a ‘safe read’: i.e. feeling the raw excitement of life endangerment & unexpected twists in expectation. I also enjoyed the phraseology & wordplay that the author used. The reference to the Jack Hawkins movie almost made the story feel as if it targeted me (early childhood memories & handsome movie star crush), but Jilly’s character (timeline; history) was ultimately disappointing - too trite; unrealistic - perfectly preserving her mother’s deceased remains, within a New York pyramid of gold, gone-PTSD-crazy after suffering a traumatic rape six years previously... More likely her neurological status was more affected by ‘this-is-your-brain-on-drugs’ scrambling.