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The Adventures of Nick & Carter #6
The Seductive Sellout
Thursday, January 21, 1971
Nick and Carter are flying to Hong Kong aboard their private 707 jetliner.
It's been 16 years since their last trip there.
The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity as they've identified a major drug pusher and found body after body along the way.
After all the dust settled, they now know exactly who the killer is.
With major governments blatantly refusing to do anything, it's up to Nick and Carter and their folks at WilliamsJones to take care of this particular problem.
But, when the time comes and a decision has to be made, it's really up to Nick.
And, until the very end, he's still not sure.
Is this who they are?
Do they eliminate problems and walk away with blood on their hands?
Or do they let someone else do all the dirty work?
Find out in The Seductive Sellout, the final book in this thrilling trilogy of intrigue, murder, and, in the end, redemption.
* * *
This is the third and final book in a trilogy beginning with The Sordid Socialite and The Seductive Sellout.
It's 1971, the world is changing fast, and the upper crust of San Francisco (not to mention New York and elsewhere) still isn't quite sure what to make of things. So, they're pushing their way into the world of the radicals and, as a result, are inventing the radical chic. This three-book story is about what that might have looked like in the Nick & Carter Universe. Our two heroes, after all, were radical long before it was chic!
Nick and Carter are flying to Hong Kong aboard their private 707 jetliner.
It's been 16 years since their last trip there.
The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity as they've identified a major drug pusher and found body after body along the way.
After all the dust settled, they now know exactly who the killer is.
With major governments blatantly refusing to do anything, it's up to Nick and Carter and their folks at WilliamsJones to take care of this particular problem.
But, when the time comes and a decision has to be made, it's really up to Nick.
And, until the very end, he's still not sure.
Is this who they are?
Do they eliminate problems and walk away with blood on their hands?
Or do they let someone else do all the dirty work?
Find out in The Seductive Sellout, the final book in this thrilling trilogy of intrigue, murder, and, in the end, redemption.
* * *
This is the third and final book in a trilogy beginning with The Sordid Socialite and The Seductive Sellout.
It's 1971, the world is changing fast, and the upper crust of San Francisco (not to mention New York and elsewhere) still isn't quite sure what to make of things. So, they're pushing their way into the world of the radicals and, as a result, are inventing the radical chic. This three-book story is about what that might have looked like in the Nick & Carter Universe. Our two heroes, after all, were radical long before it was chic!
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2022
3 people want to read
About the author
Frank W. Butterfield
123 books106 followersFrank W. Butterfield, not an assumed name, loves old movies, wise-cracking smart guys with hearts of gold, and writing for fun.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
Although he worships San Francisco, he lives at the beach on another coast.
Born on a windy day in November of 1966, he was elected President of his high school Spanish Club in the spring of 1983.
After moving across these United States like a rapid-fire pinball, he currently makes his home in a hurricane-proof apartment with superior water pressure that was built in 1926.
While he hasn't met any dolphins personally, that invitation is always open.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 27, 2022
The Seductive Sellout (Adventures of Nick & Carter 6)
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2022
Five stars
OK, this was a really good one. Wrapping up the trio-within-a-series, “The Seductive Sellout” completes a painful and dramatic moment in Carter and Nick’s middle-aged lives. This book offers a dramatic climax to the events begun in the Sordid Socialite and carried into darker, uglier territory in The Useful Uncle. You need to read all three. It’s very powerful, not to mention exciting.
This book also offers two other critical culminations: a dramatic change of status in the world for Nick & Carter, and an equally dramatic expansion of Nick’s family (and his understanding of his roots).
Frank Butterfield’s storytelling is at its best in this book, combining political intrigue with emotional turning points. Butterfield’s shocking revelations about the moral ambiguity of our own federal government are not really any surprise to a conscious American today, but still something we certainly didn’t understand as a nation back when I was fifteen years old.
It is startling how these two men have grown at the hands of their creator/author. Carter, the big fireman good-ol’-boy from Georgia, now speaking fluent French to waiters in fancy hotels. Nick, who had trouble spending his great-uncle’s ill-gotten gains, now buys airlines and hotels with the flick of a fountain pen. These gentle, deeply moral men have been dragged into the worst that humanity can offer, and somehow remain uncorrupted, despite the evil they’ve witnessed. The chosen family that surrounds them—from Mike and Greg to Marnie and Robert—have grown with them, and have continued to be their anchor in an ever-shifting world.
There is even a bit of weird tongue-in-cheek meta-ness going on in this episode and it made me laugh out loud.
I was fifteen at the moment in history that this book is set. Butterfield manages to bring that era back to life vividly. His skill as a narrator and world-builder is remarkable.
By Frank W. Butterfield
Published by the author, 2022
Five stars
OK, this was a really good one. Wrapping up the trio-within-a-series, “The Seductive Sellout” completes a painful and dramatic moment in Carter and Nick’s middle-aged lives. This book offers a dramatic climax to the events begun in the Sordid Socialite and carried into darker, uglier territory in The Useful Uncle. You need to read all three. It’s very powerful, not to mention exciting.
This book also offers two other critical culminations: a dramatic change of status in the world for Nick & Carter, and an equally dramatic expansion of Nick’s family (and his understanding of his roots).
Frank Butterfield’s storytelling is at its best in this book, combining political intrigue with emotional turning points. Butterfield’s shocking revelations about the moral ambiguity of our own federal government are not really any surprise to a conscious American today, but still something we certainly didn’t understand as a nation back when I was fifteen years old.
It is startling how these two men have grown at the hands of their creator/author. Carter, the big fireman good-ol’-boy from Georgia, now speaking fluent French to waiters in fancy hotels. Nick, who had trouble spending his great-uncle’s ill-gotten gains, now buys airlines and hotels with the flick of a fountain pen. These gentle, deeply moral men have been dragged into the worst that humanity can offer, and somehow remain uncorrupted, despite the evil they’ve witnessed. The chosen family that surrounds them—from Mike and Greg to Marnie and Robert—have grown with them, and have continued to be their anchor in an ever-shifting world.
There is even a bit of weird tongue-in-cheek meta-ness going on in this episode and it made me laugh out loud.
I was fifteen at the moment in history that this book is set. Butterfield manages to bring that era back to life vividly. His skill as a narrator and world-builder is remarkable.
July 21, 2022
Wow! What an ending for the trilogy!
This has been a fantastic arc, one that has brought an incredible amount of hardship to our heroes. And the least of them has not been having to decide how they are going to deal with the ruthless assassin.
I loved how, amidst all the mayhem, we still have tender moments between our boys, and oh, what a welcome respite they were!
And those inklings about Nick's family! Brilliant!
The ending is so perfect... Carter's actions show that nothing happens in a void, that there are consequences and the most immediate is the need for a change. But their love? their love is stronger than ever ~happy sigh~
This has been a fantastic arc, one that has brought an incredible amount of hardship to our heroes. And the least of them has not been having to decide how they are going to deal with the ruthless assassin.
I loved how, amidst all the mayhem, we still have tender moments between our boys, and oh, what a welcome respite they were!
And those inklings about Nick's family! Brilliant!
The ending is so perfect... Carter's actions show that nothing happens in a void, that there are consequences and the most immediate is the need for a change. But their love? their love is stronger than ever ~happy sigh~
July 28, 2022
I can't write anything different than what your other reviewers did. The book was great, and the ending was perfect. I felt that Nick and Carter had a reached a milestone in their lives and their future looked brighter to them because of it. Can't wait for the next book. Definitely recommend reading this trilogy.
July 30, 2022
Wow, there was a bit of a dark turn here, but I loved all of the family stories.
June 6, 2024
A stunning conclusion to a harrowing trilogy. Bodies are amassing. The murders are decisive and remorseless. The who and how are known. What’s revealed now is the chilling depth and breadth of a brilliant psychopath – unmasking and unraveling right in front of Nick.
Kiki Van Poole has fled to Hong Kong. With agencies and governments sidestepping the task of reeling her in, it’s Nick and Carter and team who face the difficult decision of whether to eliminate her directly or find another way to neutralize this threat. Her cunning in murder after murder after murder has cast a pall across the team.
In a tender moment of respite, en route to Hong Kong, Mike, Greg, Nick, and Carter once again consider the ‘Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice’ scenario. It’s a marvelous scene of intimacy, freedom, connection, and love.
More surprises pop up in this story. A link between a Hong Kong family and Nick’s ancestry is discovered. Oddly familiar apparitions barge into Nick’s bedroom with tales and gadgets of future events. And in a time of reflection, Nick and Carter decide it’s time for some new paths. Their lovemaking scene, concluding the book, is tender and passionate… so deeply in love with one another. Simply perfect.
Kiki Van Poole has fled to Hong Kong. With agencies and governments sidestepping the task of reeling her in, it’s Nick and Carter and team who face the difficult decision of whether to eliminate her directly or find another way to neutralize this threat. Her cunning in murder after murder after murder has cast a pall across the team.
In a tender moment of respite, en route to Hong Kong, Mike, Greg, Nick, and Carter once again consider the ‘Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice’ scenario. It’s a marvelous scene of intimacy, freedom, connection, and love.
More surprises pop up in this story. A link between a Hong Kong family and Nick’s ancestry is discovered. Oddly familiar apparitions barge into Nick’s bedroom with tales and gadgets of future events. And in a time of reflection, Nick and Carter decide it’s time for some new paths. Their lovemaking scene, concluding the book, is tender and passionate… so deeply in love with one another. Simply perfect.
October 7, 2025
Denouement Finally
This installment brings resolution to several story threads which began in this trilogy. Several dark themes are deftly handled, and amidst growing concern we see Carter and Nick finding a new balance in their relationship.
This installment brings resolution to several story threads which began in this trilogy. Several dark themes are deftly handled, and amidst growing concern we see Carter and Nick finding a new balance in their relationship.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews