Customer Reviews

Money to Burn

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This is an incredible book. It is beautifuly written and carefully crafted.

The story centers around four complex characters. Judge Devine is a federal judge, who plots to rob the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago. James Zagel, the author, does an amazing job establishing a credible reason why the judge would commit such a crime (no, it's not greed). The judge is a fascinating character because the criminal and judicial parts of his character seem to live in parallel. He is a model judge in the courtroom, and yet when he romoves his black robe and goes home, he plots a highly complicated and devious robbery.

The plan to beat the Federal Reserve is truly imaginative. But the story does not end there, as the judge and his cohorts find themselves confronted with a dogged investigator who at times seems to have mixed motives himself. Indeed, the process of trying to stay ahead of the investigator provides a lot of sharp twists and elevates the intricacy of the plot.

This book is truly exceptional. The plot has been carefully constructed, both in terms of being very original as well including a lot of very realistic detail (according to the dust jacket, the author is a judge, and former police chief, so that's why this book has a very real feel to it). The characters are not, in any way, predictable -- something encountered in all too many crime based books.

Without doubt, this is one of the best mystery books in a long time from a new author. Read it, it's really great.

Let there be mostly boring, mind-numbing cases on Judge James B. Zagel's docket because --- like the fictional Judge Paulie Devine --- he puts what might otherwise be idle brain cycles to good use conjuring up, among other things, intelligent and exciting books and essays. His first published novel, "Money to Burn," is not autobiographical according to the author but law enforcement personnel in Illinois can certainly be excused if they find at least a few extraordinary similiarities between Judges Devine and Zagel.

For one thing, Zagel obviously knows and loves Chicago: its jazz clubs, restaurants, geography, and --- most of all --- its people. And so does Devine. As a $100 million heist of the Federal Reserve is planned, executed, and then unraveled, Devine goes all over town to places familiar to Chicago readers. The images Zagel paints are authentic and could almost be the beginnings of a screenplay.

The planning of the caper and the actual event are told with the attention to detail and plot development that I usually expect only from (real) Tom Clancy novels. It is the darker second half of the book, however, where Zagel's richly-drawn characters agonize over the moral issues of what they have done, that gives this book real intellectual and emotional heft.

I recommend this book without reservation and hope to read more novels by this author.

I can't remember ever reading a novel written by a federal district court judge, but Money to Burn, written by Judge James Zagel weaves a compelling legal thriller/crime fiction tale from this unique perspective.

In the novel, fictional district court judge Paul Devine, plans a robbery of the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago, motivated by a desire to avenge a wrong done by the director of the bank to his deceased wife. Devine is also just bored with his life on the bench and plotting the crime is a thrill for him. His co-conspirator is his best friend and fireman-turned-arsonist Dave Brody, whose own criminal experience and knowledge of explosives and medicine is key to the plot. When a head security guard for the Fed and her electrician/husband appear in Devine's courtroom, the criminal conspiracy is underway.

Concurrent with his crime plotting, Judge Devine carries on his daily courtroom routine. We get to see the workings of a judge's mind: how he decides his cases, his daydreaming during cases and the games he plays to keep cases interesting. Despite his criminal bent, Devine is a crusader on the topic of ensuring the guilty are punished, even if it means bending the law. One story line involves a lazy prosecutor who proposes a plea bargain with a short jail time for a con-artist who cheats the elderly out of their life-savings. Devine refuses to accept the plea and makes suggestions to the police detective on advancing certain evidence that comes to a bad conclusion for the criminal.

The chilling part of the novel includes both the suspensful robbery and aftermath but also involves the same police detective who is the only one to suspect a robbery may have taken place. Like a man on a mission, the detective seems to be everywhere which begins to rattle the suspects. Will one of them crack and turn in the others? Does Inspector Plymouth really know what happened and more importantly, can he prove anything?

There are lots of surprises in store for you in this outstanding first novel. The pages will fly, and the suspense builds to such a pitch that you are hesitant to continue in case something bad is going to happen but you are also afraid to stop reading because the story is so gripping.

Money to Burn is a first novel written by James Zagel, a federal judge in Chicago. In addition to telling a compelling story, it provides a palatable description of what a federal court judge does, how he thinks, and how he makes decisions, commenting on both the seriousness of the process and the inevitable strategy and trivia that accompanies it. These brief examples of justice rendered serve as occasional illustrations throughout the book. The reader soon suspects that the story line is a tool in the service of introducing the reader to what courts are really about, but it is wielded so deftly that one comes away with both a rapid heart-beat and a glimpse of a poorly understood part of our legal system.

The story is narrated by a fictional federal court judge in Chicago who decides it is possible to successfully steal a large amount of money from the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank. He arrives at a decision to attempt this feat as a way to prove to himself that it can be done, to extract some vengeance, and perhaps to relieve an underlying boredom with life following the tragic death of his wife. Two incongruities that may be detected early are eventually washed away by either the reasonable development of the novel or by the readerÕs recognition of their unimportance; the narrative is powerful enough to wash them away. One of these is that an intelligent, worldly wise, financially secure and socially prominent judge would consider the project that he undertakes, and the other is that the same clever person would be unaware that a common flaw in legal as well as illegal activities is involving other people. He should have become a cat burglar.

The judge in the novel, Paul Devine, makes a good case for why his plan should succeed. In the outside world, however, making a good case is frequently only a beginning, regardless of how excellently reasoned, and does not ensure a desired outcome.

There is very little bad news about this book. The editing was so-so, which makes it about average. The design of the book, as well as its jacket, is excellent.

I highly recommend this novel. It is both engrossing and quick to read. In fact, the reader will find it difficult to put down Š I finished the last page while my plane was taxiing to the arrival bay. In Chicago.

In Chicago, Judge Paul Divine decides to rob the Chicago branch of the Federal Reserve Bank mostly because he wants to taste the thrill of the caper. He thinks of his best friend Dave Brody, a fire department paramedic, who enjoys torching buildings and wants the feel of being on the edge excitement.

During an equal opportunity case in his court in which the reserve bank is defending its policy, Paul believes he has found the remaining members of his heist gang besides Dave. He enlists Sergeant of the Guards Charity Scott and her husband electrician Trimble Young to help pull off the robbery. Both are angry with the bank's leadership for enforcing a little used rule on spouses working together. Now the team is in place and the plan is set with only the time left to select when to pull off the caper.

Think of Taking of Pelham 123 occurring inside the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank to grasp the underlying action of MONEY TO BURN. However, what engages the reader with the story line is the thought processes of the Judge, a model citizen who seems to have allowed his darker side to take charge. James Zagel provides an intriguing debut novel that will hopefully not be the last because this author has plenty of talent.

Harriet Klausner

As a lawyer,I've often wondered what goes through a judge's head as cases drone on. Fortunately, when the judge is Zagel, we get a taut, sharply drawn story that grips our attention from start to finish. Alternating between the reality of judicial life and a high-wire robbery of the Fed., Zagel uses his intimate knowledge of Chicago and an unfailing ear for dialog to hurtle us through the twists and turns of this caper; the characters jump off the page. I found myself not so much reading this book as watching it race by.

As a former prosecutor, I enjoyed this book. A nice set-up, characters we are ambivalent about (good people don't rob Federal Reserve banks, do they?), a lot of tension, and one or two surprises. The book is satisfactorily written, but I did feel I was reading a particularly well thought-out back story for a screen play. By the end of the book, I was itching to cast the Hollywood stars to play this story on the big screen. I don't see why a movie based on Zagel's book shouldn't give John Grisham a run for his money. And if money to make the film is no object, my choices are: Paulie Devine: Jeff Bridges. Dave: Kurt Russell. Charity: Angela Bassett. Trimble: Brad Pitt. Plymouth: Andy Garcia. Prindiville: James Rebhorn. Corman: Brian Dennehy. Ellen: Patricia Clarkson.

This is one of the finest thrillers I've read in some time. It is an wonderfully written tale that avoids cliches and the often [ironic] plot twists that populate the lesser novels in this genre. The characters are sharply drawn, although none more than Judge Devine. He is arrogant at times and burning with pain over the loss of his wife. The details of Chicago (and I say this as a Chicagoan through and through) are pitch perfect. The heist is complex. I like how much of the story deals with the fall out of the heist. It is not the type of story that ends with the main characters, tanned, rested, and toasting each other on board a yacht somewhere outside the US. Finding happiness and moral guidance is not easy for the characters--it is complex story. Zagel writes extremely well and I look forward to another book, should he desire to write one.

Money to Burn is an exceptionally well-written book that offers a look into the mind of a federal judge and a criminal planning a heist. The book is that much more interesting since the judge and criminal are the same man.

Read this book as a fast-paced crime novel, or for a chance to peek inside the mind of a federal judge or both. I loved the book for its realistic detail of the crime and of the Chicago that the characters inhabit.

The author has spent his professional life in law enforcement - from police chief to prosecutor and trial court judge. It shows. The main story is about the burglary of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. But whenever he believes that the reader needs a break, he inserts wonderful little stories that can happen to a federal judge. The solution to these stories is always more humane than legal. The audience probably will cheer, but any trial lawyer will cringe.

US District Judge Paul Devine tells us how he planned the robbery of the Federal Reserve Bank for zillions of dollars, and how he executed his plan. He had three accomplices:
Dave Brody, a childhood friend, now a fireman and paramedic. He torches buildings on order.
Charity Scott, a black lieutenant of security at the bank. Devine threw a case in her direction, later collecting on her gratitude.
Trimble Young, white electrician at the bank. He slavishly follows the directions given by Charity, his wife.

The opponents:
Redding Prindiville, who runs the bank.
"The Wheezer" Corman, head of security.
Detective Tony Plymouth, who solves cases by just thinking extra hard about them.

Obviously, I should not give away how the caper comes to an end. Suffice it to say that it is a wonderful mystery with a well-executed new approach. This being a first effort, let us hope for more in the near future.