From Publishers Weekly
An overstuffed thriller that groans "film version" on every page, this is a plodding story of corruption, greed, family disintegration and the Mob. Jeffrey Blaine is an investment banker who's so absurdly successful he can rent out New York's most exclusive restaurant for his spoiled daughter Jessica's 18th birthday party. That Jessica and her friends have also invited a bunch of Sopranos-type thugs does not go unnoticed by Sharon Lamm, a Wall Street reporter sulking over her boring party assignment; by Schliester and Gogarty, organized crime investigators working for the U.S. Attorney's office; or by an aggressive AG wannabe named Elaine Lester. The date rape of a society girl at the party by one of the young thugs brings in Chet Fiore, heir to the organization of Gaetano Falcone and a mobster with a mission, who "handles" the situation. Fiore exploits this opportunity to get his hooks into Jeffrey, intending to use him to launch a massive, unprecedented money-laundering operation. There follow roughly 400 pages of tit-for-tat maneuvers political, economic, sexual among various members of the bloated cast, which comprises mainly familiar faces, from Mafiosos to flashy investors and a bitchy gossip columnist. Rosenberg, a screenwriter and novelist whose solo credits include Contract on Cherry Street and who has written with Robert Tanenbaum, is aiming for a chess match between the gangster and the banker, the outcome of which is visible long before the end.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Wall Street meets the Mob in this dull and uninspired effort from author and screenwriter Rosenberg (To Sir with Love II, etc.). Gangster Chet Fiore needs help in laundering millions in dirty money, so he uses the threat of blackmail to enlist Jeffrey Blaine, a successful investment banker with the requisite know-how. To retain his hold over Blaine, Fiore uses Blaine's daughter as a bargaining chip, knowing that Blaine will do anything to protect her. There's a side story involving federal investigators, and Blaine's wife is also thrown into the mix. Rosenberg draws obvious parallels between Fiore and Blaine in an attempt perhaps to show that, despite their difference in profession, the two men are similar. The point would have been better made if the characters had any level of complexity or invoked sympathy from the reader, or if the action were somewhat more believable. There are many well-written suspense novels out there, but this is not one of them. Not recommended. Craig L. Shufelt, Lane P.L., Fairfield, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
