The Budapest Connection: A Novel [Hardcover]

Henry C. Lee (Author), Jerry Labriola (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2006

On a dank fall night at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in New York City, police uncover a grisly scene: the naked corpses of three murdered young women lying on the pier. Weirdly, their bodies are neatly arranged to form a perfect triangle, each face up with one eye glued open and the other shut. A gunshot wound to the side of each women's head confirms the initial impression that this was an execution-style killing. Dr Henry Liu - a brilliant forensic scientist - calls together the Global Interactive Forensics Team (GIFT) to investigate these brutal murders. Composed of the very best in the profession, this eclectic group of four men and one woman work together as a forensics SWAT team to solve bizarre and insidious crimes around the globe. Fans of mystery novels, true crime and forensics dramas will not be able to put down this entertaining and suspenseful page-turner.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first fiction collaboration between medical doctors Lee and Labriola (coauthors of the true crime studies Dr. Henry Lee's Forensic Files and Famous Crimes Revisited) introduces Dr. Henry Liu, a forensics expert who, like his primary creator, worked on the O.J. Simpson case, the Jon Benet Ramsey investigation and the JFK assassination. As the head of the high-powered Global Interactive Forensics Team (or GIFT), Liu investigates the murder of three young women whose naked corpses are found arranged in a triangle at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in New York City. The promising setup, however, leads to an ordinary plot involving international white slavery. Admirers of the real Dr. Lee may be dismayed to see the pioneering scientific criminologist transformed into an action hero and babe-magnet, though CSI fans will find plenty to savor. (Oct.)
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Review

"[A] master storyteller. Beware! Don't start reading 'The Budapest Connection' after dinner...There is no good place to stop." -- F. Lee Bailey

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (October 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159102465X
• ISBN-13: 978-1591024651
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,550,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A lot was left on the table here..., December 9, 2006

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Budapest Connection: A Novel (Hardcover)

I ran out of recreational reading material awhile back, so I picked this up from the library based on the synopsis and cover... The Budapest Connection by Dr. Henry C. Lee & Jerry Labriola, MD. What I hoped for was a medical/forensic thriller, but what I got was something that never did grab ahold of my interest...

The main character, Dr. Henry Liu, is a forensic scientist who heads up a small international crime-solving group called GIFT - Global Interactive Forensics Team. This group has regular day jobs, but they are also available to head anywhere in the world on a private jet and consult on high-profile, difficult, or sensitive cases. GIFT has been called in to a crime scene here involving three dead girls on a waterfront pier. The nude bodies are arranged in a triangle, with one guy glued open and the other glued shut. Liu reluctantly takes the lead on the case, since it's relatively close to where he lives. The arrangement of the bodies suggest a Triad killing, and other clues link it to a Mafia matter. A chance request from a Hungarian official to consult on a crime also touches on this case, and it means that there are Eastern European elements in play. In all likelihood the case involves trafficking in young women ("white slavery"), and there are some people who would prefer that Liu just ignore everything he's seen and let things alone. But of course, that's not going to happen, regardless of how many brushes with death he has...

Having never read any of Lee and Labriola's other works of non-fiction, I came into this with no preconceptions. After a short time, I figured I must have stepped into the middle of a series as there was a lot of background I didn't seem to have on the characters. Only after finishing the book did I find out this was a first fictional effort by the two, which makes this even harder to understand. Other than the Liu character, everyone else was just filler with no depth. One of the team members is making overt sexual advances towards Lui (for what reason I don't know), but he's turning her down (again, not quite sure why). Lui travels with a bodyguard and driver during the day, but I must have missed why. The ending is a bit strange, and I never quite had a firm grasp of who the players were and why they were part of the international crime group. All in all, I was turning pages, but without much enthusiam...

This could have the makings of a decent series, but the character development needs to improve dramatically (in my opinion). I'd like to care about and understand the characters, but in this story I certainly didn't...

4.0 out of 5 stars Good first fictional effort from a great forensics man!, October 18, 2006

By 

B. Larson (Palatine, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Budapest Connection: A Novel (Hardcover)

Dr. Henry Lee creates a character who reminds most of...himself. Even the name Henry Liu is close. Anyway, Dr. Liu and his team of forensic professionals G.I.F.T. find themselves in the middle of an investigation that starts with three dead girls and ends in a climax that endangers the life of Liu and takes the lives of others.

This book was a good read, not great, but it was very entertaining. The mix of science, thrills, and twists make the story move. I was disappointed in the ending as I would have liked more explanation and follow up on some of the main players, but all in all it was a good debut effort.

If you are looking for a quick interesting read, this one is for you.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific mystery and timely setting, August 1, 2007

By 

Daniel A. Uitti (Oakville, CT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Budapest Connection: A Novel (Hardcover)

The story is a master of intrigue that reflects the abilities and esperiences of the authors. It is a terrific blend of mystery fiction and forensic science. Dr. Lee is a mentor to fornsic scientists and Dr. Labriola is a montor to myster writers.

Dan Uitti - President, Connecticut Authors & Publishers Association