Tower of Babel

by Michael Sears

Shamus Award–winning author Michael Sears brings Queens, New York, to literary life in this crime series debut featuring a somewhat seedy lawyer with a heart of gold (or at least gold plate).

Queens, New York—the most diverse place on earth. Native son Ted Molloy knows these streets like the back of his hand. Ted was once a high-powered Manhattan lawyer, but after a spectacular fall from grace, he has found himself back on his home turf, scraping by as a foreclosure profiteer. It’s a grubby business, but a safe one—until Ted’s case sourcer, a mostly reformed small-time conman named Richie Rubiano, turns up murdered shortly after tipping Ted off to an improbably lucrative lead.

With Richie’s widow on his back and shadows of the past popping up at every turn, Ted realizes he’s gotten himself embroiled in a murder investigation. His quest for the truth will take him all over Queens, plunging him into the machinations of greedy developers, mobsters, enraged activists, old litigator foes and old-school New York City operators.

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

394 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted Malloy’s career went into a downward trajectory when he lost his job at his ex-father-in law’s law firm. His law license has lapsed, but he makes a decent living glomming on to excess cash in real estate foreclosures. His associate Richie Rubiano is murdered shortly after coming to Ted with a deal that has a suspiciously large amount of excess cash. Reluctantly, Ted gets pulled into a corrupt circle of city politicians, real estate developers, lawyers, Russian money launderers and an immense Greek thug who is following his own agenda.

Basically, it’s business as usual for the real estate business in New York. The author has a good feel for it, as well as for the multi-national, multi-ethnic environment of the borough of Queens. Ted figures out who the bad guys are and what their scheme is pretty early in this book, so there was a little too much going around in circles that padded the length of the book. However, the plot felt realistic and held my interest. The ending was also realistic, unfortunately. I would be willing to read more by this author.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[3 no 7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Tower of Babel” opens with a confession; if Ted had known Richie would be dead in three days perhaps he would have tried harder to like him. What follows is a story of scheming, political corruption, money laundering, defrauding the elderly, and just bad karma.

Sears drops readers into the middle of Queens, an ethnically and culturally diverse part of New York City. It is a city in transition with new development threatening to tear the community apart. New construction with buildings stretching upward into the dark grey sky seems to be planned in every neighborhood. The cost to empty a building for redevelopment is more than just money; it can also be measured by the lives of people who are disrupted, shattered, and left homeless.

Ted Molloy is a fixer, a finder; he is resourceful, impulsive, and loves baseball. He normally tracks down people who are owed extra money from real estate sales and takes a cut for helping them get the cash. He follows the money. No one gets murdered over surplus money, and yet somehow someone did.

“Tower of Babel” starts slowly with the search for an elderly land owner and picks up momentum until the fast, furious, and tragic end. Lines are crossed that should never have been approached. One question remains; was it love or obsession if you murdered someone? Did it matter?

I received a review copy of “Tower of Babel” from Michael Sears and Soho Crime. The characters have layer upon layer of secrets, motives, and surprises. Oh yes, and there are Russians.

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been several years since Michael Sears’ last novel, so I was thrilled to sink my teeth into his new release, TOWER OF BABEL.

Readers are introduced to Ted Molloy, who is almost instantly memorable and sympathetic. Ted is a native New Yorker who has a penchant for home games, which he attends as frequently as possible, occasionally in the company of his ex-wife. He is also a former attorney who was once on the fast track to success with a white-shoe Manhattan law firm. His fall from grace was abrupt and dramatic. Although he left behind his license to practice law with his high salary and prestige, he took his skill set with him and parlayed it into a marginally successful career as a foreclosure profiteer. He looks for situations where he can make some money, though not a lot, eschewing high-finance transactions that tend to be time-consuming in favor of numerous smaller ones.

Ted is assisted by a bottom feeder named Richie Rubiano, a one-time con man who works as his case sourcer. Richie spends his time pouring over foreclosure actions in the office of the clerk of courts and looking for potential winners within the financial parameters set by Ted. When Richie brings him a seven-figure case --- well beyond the limits he has set --- he almost instantly rejects it. However, Ted’s interest is renewed when Richie is murdered three days later. It appears that his untimely death was related to this case, which becomes increasingly suspicious since the original owner of the property is flush with cash and advanced in age. Ted does some digging and finds Russians, an unscrupulous real estate developer, and ties to his ex-wife and former law firm all in the mix.

He senses more injustice taking place as he becomes involved in the investigation of Richie’s murder, in which he is a person of interest. Richie’s widow implores him to find out who killed her husband and to ostensibly recover his share of the case that he brought to Ted. She is a bit mercurial in mood, which certainly complicates matters. Ted gets some unexpected help from several sources, including an alcoholic grifter who is nonetheless connected and a community activist with whom he is feeling the urge to get active. However, they are arrayed against powerful forces and will be lucky to escape with their lives, let alone obtain justice, even of a sort.

Sears was the managing director for two Wall Street brokerage firms. As a result, his novels are shot through with an air of authenticity. Ted Molloy is an interesting and addictive character whom fans of author Timothy Hallinan will find particularly appealing. Return visits from Ted and those characters who make it to the conclusion of TOWER OF BABEL in one piece will be most welcomed. I only ask that Sears, if possible, shorten the interval between his books next time.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

[Nisha Joshi (swamped, will review whenever possible) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted Malloy is a tracker. He tracks down people who are owed money and helps them get the money for some commission. Richie is his right-hand man.

When Richie brings him a big case, Ted almost rejects it. But Richie is murdered within days and Ted is intrigued. Richie's wife expedites matters by asking him to find the killer and recover the money.

A rollercoaster begins - one that involves the Russian Mafia - and Ted is embroiled very quickly in something he might not be able to come out of alive.

The writing is good, though some parts felt too descriptive for my taste. This is the first Michael Sears book I have read and I will surely be reading his other books.

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[David Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern crime story that harkens back to old school noir.
Ted Molloy was a successful Manhattan lawyer until he divorced his wife who just happened to be the granddaughter of one of the firm's partners and a powerful judge. Now Ted's chasing down money that's been forgotten in the system, reuniting it with its rightful owners while taking a cut for himself. When his pal Richie is murdered shortly after informing Ted of a possible big payday, Ted finds himself mired in a case of greedy developers, crooked politicians, Russian mobsters and one very large Greek man. Ted is determined to find Richie's killer while also working to get an elderly woman her money back but finds them to be a challenge to both mind and body. What follows is a compelling start to a new series.

This is one very well written and entertaining story. I found Ted to be a likeable character that I enjoyed following around Queens, NY while he worked the case. The twists and turns the story takes are clever with an ending that while satisfying, left you wanting more, just what you'd expect from the start of a series. I look forward to where Ted's story takes him next.

Thank you to the author, Soho Press, Wiley Saichek and Saichek Publicity for the gifted copy to read, review and enjoy.

[Shivesh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book I really wanted to like; it featured hard boiled protagonists set in an almost alternate NYC where noir still exists. I remembered parts of the Queens I used to live in back in 2007-8 before the Crash and before a lot of things changed in the teens. It was halfway from the ethnic Queens of the 20th century and the new modern gentrified borough it is now.

Ted is a typical down on his luck gumshoe who was once a high flying lawyer with a powerful judge as a father in law. It felt like the premise was superbly unlikely at the outset. The story gets a little convoluted with an unlikely romantic pairing as a central feature. At the risk of oversimplifying the narrative: the judge and lawyers and pretty much every institution in this book is portrayed as completely compromised and crooked. The middle narrative gets hopelessly bogged down in an unconvincing love story. This leads to a sudden and unsatisfying conclusion and denouement - much like if the author realized that he was reaching his word count and needed to wrap things up. I glided through the last few chapters and did not feel I missed much. This would have been better as a Law and Order episode.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Enough To Finish But Not Good Enough To Recommend!

Tower Of Babel by Michael Sears is one of those that that had nothing about it that I particularly disliked but, it also had nothing about it that I particularly liked. Bottom line: it was, at best, just an okay read; for me.

Here’s a bit about why I felt this way about Tower Of Babel :
…the plot concept piqued my interest but, executionally, Sears dragged it out too much to stimulate my interest, and, at times, bored me;
…the characters, while serviceable enough to move the plot along, lacked sufficient depth to make me care much about what happened to them;
…its 329 page “kindle” length could have benefited from being 50 or so pages shorter; being a classic example of a book in which “less” would have resulted in “more.”

[Sarah I · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the main characters Ted and Lester and McKenzie. Fun to her the hallmarks of Queens.

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S TOWER OF BABEL ABOUT?
I really don't like not providing my own synopsis/tease for a novel. But I'm overdue with this post, and a lot of that has to do with stumbling on this section. So I'm going to appropriate it from Soho Press' site:

Queens, New York—the most diverse place on earth. Native son Ted Molloy knows these streets like the back of his hand. Ted was once a high-powered Manhattan lawyer, but after a spectacular fall from grace, he has found himself back on his home turf, scraping by as a foreclosure profiteer. It’s a grubby business, but a safe one—until Ted’s case sourcer, a mostly reformed small-time conman named Richie Rubiano, turns up murdered shortly after tipping Ted off to an improbably lucrative lead.

With Richie’s widow on his back and shadows of the past popping up at every turn, Ted realizes he’s gotten himself embroiled in a murder investigation. His quest for the truth will take him all over Queens, plunging him into the machinations of greedy developers, mobsters, enraged activists, old litigator foes and old-school New York City operators.

HAAAAAVE YOU MET TED?*
* Sorry, I couldn't resist. Not that I tried all that hard.

Ted's a good example of a very familiar type of Crime Fiction protagonist. At one point in the not-too-distant past, he'd been very successful for his age with a bright future ahead of him. Then he hits a personal and professional rough patch, and all that success and future vanishes. He's now had to recalibrate his life, his legal career in ruins and so begins a new—albeit somewhat related—career, with new routines, a new home, new allies, and so on to restart his life.

Like most of this type, he's moved on, but not really. He still misses his old life, still laments it, regrets the things that happened (unjustly) to bring down his house of cards, and would go back if he could. He's given chances over the course of Tower of Babel to revisit that life, to see how green the grass is on that side of the fence, and his response to that really tells the reader more about who he is than anything else in the book can.

IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
I love when a novel hits me with a great sense of place—and Tower of Babel did that to me. Sears doesn't spend that much time describing the city or its landmarks or anything like that. But the city permeates everything. Travis Bickle drove the same streets as Mohammad did (and probably in a safer manner). Sherman McCoy struck deals with the same kinds of people. Det. Denny Malone would be known to the detectives on the murder.

This is a novel that has to take place in New York.* I just don't see it working anywhere else—are there shady real estate deals, corrupt politicians, organized crime, and entities with too much power in Chicago, Miami, L.A., Boston, London, etc.? Absolutely. Do other major cities have teams that have a fanbase as devoted and as constantly disappointed as the Mets? Absolutely (although most of them don't have to share a city with the Yankees). Ethnic diversity and economic disparity might have different mixes and present in different ways from metropolitan to metropolitan, but they're there just the same. But I just don't see how this novel works in Miami or Boston. The organized crime of it all would be different in Chicago. There's something about shady real estate antics that seems quintessentially NYC (it shouldn't, but it does).

* Granted, I'm just some dude from Idaho, what do I know?

Any book that transports me so convincingly is worth the time and effort (not that this took much of the latter).

TED AND JILL
Ted is still friends with his ex-wife, Jill. They're obviously very important to each other and spend a good deal of time together—primarily because of the NY Mets and Ted's season tickets. I absolutely loved this version of divorced adults interacting with each other (there were no kids involved, which likely helped). Early on, when I wasn't as sold as I eventually would be on the murder storyline (and was still trying to understand the real estate angle), I put in my notes that I'd have enjoyed the novel more if it was just about them spending time together. By the novel's end, I'd changed my mind—but I'd still take a novella just about the two of them.

It's a healthy friendship, supportive and challenging—and just fun. (then again, this is a noir-ish Crime Novel, so I make no promises that the way things start is the way they will end).

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT TOWER OF BABEL?
I stumbled a little in the beginning trying to understand the way that Ted's making his money now and the antics involved in all the real estate transactions (ethical, legal, and otherwise), but that's primarily because my brain doesn't do well with that sort of thing. I ultimately gave up trying and just accepted it in the same way I do with Asimov's worldbuilding or things along those lines. By the end of the novel, I (am pretty sure that) I understood it all because I'd stopped trying to decipher it (I still can't totally explain psychohistory or Asimov's take on superluminal flight, for what's it's worth). The details are both not as important to the novel as everything else and not as difficult as I was making it.

I can see Sears settling into this character and this world and turning Molloy into a typical scrappy lawyer character in the vein of Mickey Haller or Eddie Flynn. But I don't think that's the direction this is going—would I read that version? Absolutely, but I already have Haller, Flynn, et al. It feels to me that this is headed in a more David vs. Corporate Goliaths tack, maybe with some murder, etc. thrown in, sure—but my money is on this series focusing on corporate crimes, and corruption (both political and economic). Either way, I'm in for at least one or two more books—and I expect most readers will feel the same way.

This is not your typical Legal Thriller, and Sears sucks you into the story in ways you won't expect—actually, I think you'll end up expecting very little about the story and characters as you go along. But in the end, you'll realize that just about everything had to go the way it did. I love that feeling of being taken unaware and then seeing that there was no other way for this jigsaw to be put together. It's so satisfying when you can look at the whole thing (and a great ride along the way).

Crimes you're not accustomed to reading about—crimes you're very familiar with—a cast of characters you don't see every day, and an ethically dubious protagonist (or is he?). Tower of Babel is a great entryway into a series that should garner a fanbase, and you should think about hopping on before the bandwagon builds up too much speed.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the author via Wiley Saichek and Saichek Publicity in exchange for this post—while I appreciate that, the opinions expressed are wholly mine.

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but I hated it.

I'll start off with the positive aspects of the book. First off, you can tell the author worked on Wall Street because the descriptions of the setting in New York are amazing. Second positive is the actual storyline is rather interesting.

However, the protagonist is such a bore. Also, I almost suffocated on the underlying misogyny present throughout novel. Along with the misogynistic comments sprinkled in to the novel, I can think of five relevant female characters and each one of them is basically described as a bitch in their own way and have little to no character development. My third critique is the slow pace of the novel. The slow pace combines with the boring protagonist made this book hard to read at times. Finally, the ending was not interesting at all. I'll admit I did not predict the ending. However, I would have actually preferred a predictable ending because the unpredicted ending was lame and cliche.

In conclusion, I would not recommend.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook. Ted Malloy is an ex-lawyer who has given up his license after being essentially booted from the law firm he worked for. Now he uses a local man, Richie, to do title research for him. They are looking for foreclosed commercial properties with money sitting unclaimed. Ted picks the cases, contacts the owners, and offers to split the money if he can recover it. It is legal but not particularly lucrative. One day Richie brings him a property with over one and half million dollars sitting. Ted tells him it is too big - companies won’t leave that kind of money unclaimed. But Richie insists it is a big payday. Before Ted knows what is happening Richie is murdered. Richie’s wife approaches Ted and wants him to get the money from the big deal foreclosure and figure out who killed him. Thus begins a complicated plot involving crooked politicians and lawyers, ruthless developers, the Russian mob, and a crooked judge who happens to be Ted’s former grandfather-in-law. Ted’s ex-wife is married to the crooked lawyer. Ted finds a new man, Lester, to work with him on his foreclosure business. Lester is savvy and ends up being a big help to Ted as they try to find the original owner of the property. Ted meets a community activist who not only turns his head, but also makes a formidable ally. Ted is neither a superman nor a fighter, but he finds himself and those he meets along the way in great danger. Richie’s wife is a grifter, Ted has a couple of homicide cops on his tail, and the Russian mob is after him. He always feels like he is a step behind, but he is smart and sometimes lucky as he tries to get to the truth. There isn’t a rosy ending where truth and justice prevail, but Ted and his friends are safe, and that is an accomplishment. I liked this book.

[Sam Reaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the New York boroughs, Queens is the most mysterious to me; what goes on out there? There's LaGuardia, and the Mets, and... Archie Bunker, right? Well, it turns out there's a lot going on in Queens, according to Michael Sears in this entertaining crime novel set in New York's largest borough.
Ted Molloy is a fallen lawyer; after a fast rise to a good position in a prestigious firm (aided by marrying the founder's granddaughter) he was let go following his divorce from said daughter, let his license lapse and now makes his living in a peculiar niche in the capitalist ecology, chasing "surplus money" left over after foreclosure auctions. (Read the book for an explanation.) Ted avoids any cases that involve big money because of the headaches that come with them, but when the finder who sniffs out cases for him is murdered after bringing Ted a possible big score, Ted has to get interested. When it turns out there's a link to his ex-wife (for whom he still pines), it gets personal. Clues point to a real estate powerhouse planning a skyscraper nobody wants and corrupt local politicians. Probing the case despite being warned off by Russian mobsters, Ted hooks up with a fellow bottom-feeder and an attractive community activist to turn over rocks and see what crawls out. Before too long, somebody's going to get hurt.
Michael Sears knows the territory and paints a vivid picture of political sleaze in a social and ethnic melting pot. Good stuff.

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted Malloy once the top of his class coming out of law school and heading to a top New York prestiges law firm along with getting the girl from said law firm. But he ends up in divorce and gets driven out of the law firm. He manages to make a living by reuniting individuals that lost property in commercial foreclosures and had leftover money they did exist with said money for a finders fee. This is not glamourous work but it keeps the bills paid. Things seem to be going all right until his runner who brings Mr. Malloy potential cases brings him one that goes against his better judgment seeing that there is to much money there. Things take a turn for the worse when his runner turns up dead from what looks like maybe a hit. This brings Mr. Molloy into quite a cast of characters and potentially a murder suspect. This book has social activist, crooked politicians, Russian hitman to name a few. This story keeps you interested from start until the end with many twist and turn. It is a good read and you will not be disappointed. I received an ARC from Netgalley and SoHo press for a fair and honest review.

[viemag · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tower of Babel is the first installment in the Queens Mystery series by Michael Sears. This novel tells the story of Ted Molloy a once up and coming attorney but now a disbarred attorney who makes a living searching for owners of foreclosed properties and helping the owners to recover the money from the foreclosure. It's not a great living but it works fo Molloy. Molloy has a case sourcer by the name of Richie Rubiano. When Richie is murdered and the NYPD pay a visit to Molloy his natural curiosity takes over and he wants to find out what happened to Richie. Along the way he meets Richie's ex wife, an environmental protester, and several not very nice people and corrupt politicians. I found this stoy to be intriguing and am waiting for the next installment continuing Ted Molloy's business of uncovering corruption.

[Viccy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward "Ted" Molloy is a lawyer, or used to be. He was the favored son-in-law at his father-in-lawys firm when he was married to the judge's favorite granddaughter. Now Ted is divorced and forced out of the firm and he makes his living pursuing "lost money" cases by researching the files of tax records in Manhattan. His primary research assistant brings him a case that would have large financial implications for Ted, over a million dollars. But as Ted researches the claim he comes across a greedy land developer and a huge bribery case, both of which involved the woman his ex-wife is currently married to. Richie Rubiano, the assistant, turns up dead and Ted is the prime suspect, but as the case unfolds, bribery is the least of the issues involved. Murder and mayhem also show up. An interesting case and a character with ethics and smarts. Looking forward to the next book.

[Pammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in a row for me set in NYC. This time around it's Queens , rich with typical New York characters and locations that will fee familiar to those from the area.
It's a story of corrupt politicians and shady real estate developers. It's described as "more than a little seedy underdog story.
Hero is native son Ted Malloy, who steps up to the plate as vulnerable tarnished-lawyer turned sleuth. I use the baseball reference since our hero is a dyed in the wool Mets fan.
So there's a small-time con man who comes up murdered, a grieving widow who wants revenge among other things, and an activist determined to stop a huge inner development which will roll over the current inhabitants. Oh yeah.. and that activist is a really cute woman.

[Amy Hagberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The best way to proceed with crazy people is to stick to facts, speak cautiously, and make no sudden movements.” – Michael Sears, Tower of Babel

Tower of Babel had a killer plot, a likeable hero, and unforgettable characters, and I was sucked in by the author’s wit and playfulness. Some of his sentences were just magic: “…streaks of grime hung like bats beneath the windows.” Can’t you just picture that? The writing was hit or miss, though. There were poorly modified sentences, overuse of certain words, and sometimes his cleverness bordered on corniness. For me, the book dragged a bit and then had an abrupt, dissatisfying ending. No doubt other readers will disagree. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy. 3.5 stars.

[Karan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book and the characters and I particularly liked reading a book set in Queens, NY, written by someone who knows Queens. I have been to some of the places mentioned and I drooled over every meal the characters ate because all those wonderful things are non-existent where I live now.

The story itself was a little hard to follow at times and some of the things a bit far-fetched, but I read it all and wanted to see it to the end, so that's a good sign. It touches on a lot of important things, but only just lightly, and it should have gone one way or the other: make us upset with the reality or just don't go there. I wanted to like it more than I did. Maybe if we have a follow-up things will tighten up a little and I'll be a fan.

[Susan Ovans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former lawyer Ted Molloy scratches out a living in NYC tracking foreclosed properties in search of surplus funds their sales generate and that's owed to former owners who might be induced to share the wealth they haven't claimed. When one of his document runners is murdered, Molloy gets dragged into a police investigation that threatens his life and livelihood, as well as his ex-wife, her new wife, and various and sundry other characters who can generally be encountered in real life in the pages of the NY Post. Tower of Babel is a fun and exciting read from an author who speaks with an authentic NY accent. Hope there's a sequel in the works.

[John Parikhal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really worth the time

I love detective/mystery novels and tend to set the 5 star bar high - Raymond Chandler, James Lee Burke, James M. Cain, Walter Mosley, Patricia Highsmith, Agatha Christie, just for starters.

I give extra points for history and locale. So I was ready to enjoy this book because of the gritty New York boroughs and dirty politics that can give a story a bit of zing.

In the end, there just wasn’t enough of a mystery, the characters were well-drawn but a bit tired and clichéd, and it was just too long for what it delivered.

[Stuart Leven · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was great until the ending. I couldn't put it down. There was an intricate web of deceit, conniving, danger, and intertwined relationships that really kept me going. There were so many ways it could have been resolved, and I couldn't wait to find out what the resolution would be. The actual ending came from out of nowhere, which could be good if it was handled well. In this case, the resolution was so lame that I felt like I had wasted my time reading the book, which is a shame, since it had so much promise.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot summary: down on his luck lawyer stumbles into a huge scam involving real estate deals in NYC including the building of a new tower. At the end, he gets the girl and some people get what they need like $$ and a green card but none of the criminals go to jail. The ending is open for another book abt the lawyer going after these guys to bring them to justice.

Review: this is a John Grisham wanna-be book. Same style, lawyer has high morals and uses his wits to get away from all the bad guys. JG’s books are much better, at least the earlier ones.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I was drawn in. Loved the details of the setting and very much felt like it was written by a Queens native. But it just dragged on and on. Could have been a lot more concise and got muddled in the second half. After that point I mostly skimmed just to get the gist and at no point felt inclined to make the deep dive back in.
2.5

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. It has all the elements of a classic murder mystery: ex-lawyer protagonist with a lingering moral compass set to help those he serves; intriguing and convincing allies in his search for justice; bad guys who are thugs AND the highly placed corrupt whom they serve; just a smidge of romance (not enough to turn off practically any aro); and descriptions of the city that really made me miss NYC. Read if you enjoy the classic movies featuring Humphrey Bogart.

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent; Continuing character: Ted Malloy (first in series); a disgraced lawyer works real estate to claim forgotten funds; when his assistant is killed while following a particularly lucrative potential deal, he is led into a conspiracy involving politicians, Russian mobsters, and devious lawyers

[Rich Buickerood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy the attorney based/legal novels by Michael Sears. This one, about surplue/second chance money was intersting, but was draggy at times. Ted, the main character was likable, an ex-attorney who still loved his ex-wife who was now married to a woman! The plot revolved around NYC real estate development, and coudl be a bit of a primer for those who still son't get Trump.

[Rolland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Film noir in audio for me. Felt like a TCM movie. Short clipped chapters ending with hangers, but not all cliff.
Plausible story lines. Fun to read about different parts of NYC I don’t remember so well from when I lived there 25 years ago. Smelled, tasted, heard, saw and almost touched some fond memories.

[Jovdb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather verbose novel that might have been better if it was much, much, shorter!

None of the characters were especially likeable and the ending was not the best. The bad guys, rich guys, get away with their crooked dealings and the little guy loses out. If I wanted an ending like this, I can just read the newspapers!

[Philippe Bogdanoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book!!!!
I loved reading to very much.
Michael Sears is a great story teller, reading the book you feel the atmosphere of Queens )))))

"New York rewards the strong and the lucky. Everyone else gets by or gets devoured. It has always been that way" - great words!!!!

[John Machata · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Definitely a good read. Characters right out of The World's Borough. Plenty of Noir influence, at times too much. Plot absolutely from The NY Post headlines. An out of work lawyer, a social worker, white shoe law firm, grifters, opportunists, NYPD detectives- what's not to like?