The Heir Hunter [Mass Market Paperback]

Chris Larsgaard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2001

He's young. He's ambitious.

He's got less than a week to find the heirs to a $22 million estate.

Now everyone he sees is trying to kill him.

Welcome to the world of Nick Merchant, heir hunter.

Nick Merchant is in the business of finding heirs. As payment, the San Francisco-based private investigator gets a percentage of the estate. So when Gerald Jacobs is found dead in a creaky old house in upstate New York, Nick thinks he's about to score the payday of a lifetime.

Unfortunately, he's got some pretty stiff competition. Working with his partner -- and former girlfriend -- Alex Moreno, Nick races against the clock, narrowly eluding his rivals, dodging bullets, and unearthing a history a lot of people would rather keep buried.

Moving from San Francisco to New York, from Switzerland to Washington, D.C. -- and dozens of points in between -- they struggle to uncover the guilty secret behind a rich man's fortune. But as Nick and Alex close in on the truth, they are about to find out just how deadly this game can get....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An unclaimed $22-million estate is up for grabs in first-time novelist Larsgaard's ingenious thriller. Sexy attorney Alex Moreno-the Albany, N.Y.-based partner to former cop Nick Merchant who now specializes in finding heirs to unsettled estates-slips a county deputy attorney a $10,000 bribe to get a sneak preview of four probate files 10 days before the official release date. One of the files contains the mind-boggling multimillion-dollar legacy of Gerald Jacobs, an 87-year-old Hudson, N.Y., recluse who died with no apparent heirs. Since Nick's customary finder's fee averages about 30%, this represents the proverbial jackpot. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no record of the deceased's life earlier than his final three years at the Hudson address, so leads for Nick and Alex are meager. Unaware of clandestine forces working to quash any probe into the dead man's background, the intrepid heir hunters stage a daylight burglary of Jacobs's residence, but are interrupted by a mysterious intruder who shoots a cop investigating the reported break-in. Accused of attempted murder, Nick follows sketchy clues obtained in the burglary and winds up in Germany, where he finds an old lover of Jacobs and learns that the mysterious retiree was part of the FBI's witness protection program. The plot thickens and the chase picks up speed as Nick investigates in Iowa and Geneva. Grim reminders of the Holocaust and Swiss bankers' collusion with the Nazis--plus a sobering look at federal agencies operating outside the law--are well drawn, as is an artful undercurrent of sexual tension. If one forgives a brief lapse in the middle of the story that gives a bit too much plot away, and sporadic missteps from the fledgling author's earnest tendency to overwrite, this fine debut oozes authenticity and provides a fascinating glimpse into the quixotic and dangerous realm of high-stakes "assets recovery." 20-city satellite tour. (Feb.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

In his first novel, Larsgaard sets up an interesting premise and follows through with a gripping story. Like the author, protagonist Nick Merchant is a private investigator who specializes in finding heirs to unclaimed estates. Facing stiff competition, he sends his East Coast partner, Alex Moreno, to bribe a county bureaucrat in Hudson, NY, to get an early look at probate files. To their astonishment, Nick and Alex find themselves holding the first clues to an estate worth $22 million. As they begin their hunt, they realize that matters are not going to be as straightforward as they would like. They're up against competitors, the FBI, and possible assassins in a search that takes them from New York to Switzerland. Although at times it is difficult to keep track of the various factions, the novel's fast pace and interesting details more than compensate. Recommended for public libraries.
-Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Dell (January 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044023462X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440234623
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,045,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT, FRESH, EXCITING PAGE -TURNING THRILLER, February 23, 2000

By 

Matthew Bialer (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Heir Hunter (Hardcover)

If you love John Grisham or a great airplane read you will love this book! If you want to be introduced to the whole intriguing and dangerous world of heir finding then you will love this book! Imagine that your dream comes true. Somebody rings your doorbell and tells you that you have come in to some money - A LOT of money. Now see that dream turn in to a nightmare. Read one of the most exciting thrillers in a long time. If you really like thrillers you will see what I mean. Larsgaard does not reinvent the genre but this novel is one of those truly rare ones that grabs you and never lets go.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only read one book this year it MUST be The Heir Hunt, April 25, 2000

By 

Trevor Jones (Northern Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heir Hunter (Hardcover)

I aquired a copy of Chris Larsgaard's novel 'The Heir Hunter'and what an adventure it turned out to be. The topic was refreshingly new and the plot, which started of quite simple soon takes the reader on a journey of intrigue and political scandal. It moves at breathtaking speed but this does not in any way dilute the overall storyline. I often found myself holding my breath during the many twists and turns. This is an absolutely first class book. Congratulations Chris this must be a winner. I hope the film- makers read this also. I would sum it up in one sentence from the book..'he (Nick Merchant)had no desire to walk away from this case rich; all he wanted to do was just walk away alive.' What a great book

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick pace makes you dizzy, March 22, 2000

By 

"merch11" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heir Hunter (Hardcover)

This book has a wonderful original premise. The main characters (a guy and girl naturally) are PI's who look for beneficiaries of recluses who die with $$ in the bank. Don't be fooled though - this is not a PI novel. It's more of a story of two young and naive "heir hunters" who think life is all laughs and $, that is, until they stumble upon a multi-million dollar estate they have no business messing with. There is a great atmosphere of strangled paranoia in this book, and the main characters, although not as well drawn as they might be, are likable and easy to root for, despite their flaws which are in abundance. The underlying conflict in this book is wild, but Larsgard does pull it off. Only nitpick was me wanting to see more characterization, but it's easy to forgive when the story's this good.