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Squeeze Play: A Novel
 
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Squeeze Play: A Novel [Hardcover]

R J Kaiser (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 1, 2002
On a warm September night, in a San Francisco law office, Joe Sasso and his attorney, Sonny Culp, are gunned down. It is just the start of what will be the biggest squeeze play the city has ever seen . . .

Nick Sasso: A disgraced ex-cop, Nick returns home to San Francisco to face his dying father and deal with problems in the family business. His brother, Joe, has been "borrowing" money from the family restaurant, and it's becoming clear that Joe is in over his head. Then Joe is killed, And Nick won't stop stepping on toes 'til he finds out why.

Billie Fox: When her ex-husband, Sonny Culp, is murdered, this tough-talking defense attorney jumps into the investigation without thinking twice. Nick Sasso is an unlikely ally, and they can't agree on anything, but they share a common goal: to expose the connection between Sonny and Joe and follow that trail to a killer.

Dickson Hong: His career as a homicide detective was very nearly derailed when his partner, Nick Sasso, botched an investigation. Now, five years later, he's investigating the murder of Joe Sasso, and Nick has returned to once again complicate his life. Will this be the case to finally make or break his career?

Henry Chin: He has risen to one of the highest political offices in the city but the district attorney has his eye on the mayor's office. The only catch is that he's at the center of a corruption scam that, if exposed, could land him -- and other powerful political players -- in jail. Now all he has to do is get rid of those who could take him down.

Igor Sakharov: He was supposed to be retired. But when he is approached to do one last job, for more money than he's ever seen, this hit man with the heart of gold can't refuse. Then everything goes wrong and his inexperienced brother, Alexei, is left to complete the job.

Jolie Hays: She is just starting out as a street hooker; but she lands the wrong john and comes away with a piece of information that will make her a target and provide her with the opportunity to change her life . . . if she survives.

In this novel filled with suspense, adventure and craziness, these most unlikely characters make their way toward an inevitable -- and unexpected -- conclusion. Sit back, take a deep breath and experience the unpredictable trip that is SQUEEZE PLAY.


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nick Sasso left San Francisco in disgrace, but in this coming of age story disguised as a thriller, he returns to confront his demons, redeem his past, face his dying father, and discover who gunned down his brother. Joe Sasso was the solid, responsible man who took over the family business and then risked everything in a get-rich-quick scheme involving some of the city's most prominent lawyers and politicians. Charged by his father with clearing the Sasso name and restoring the family's honor, confused by his feelings for Billie Fox, whose ex-husband was murdered along with Joe, Nick finds himself squarely in the gun sights of the same Russian hit man suspected of killing Joe and Sonny. The plot is more complicated than it needs to be, and some of the minor characters are more interesting than the protagonist--especially the aging Russian hit man and his enthusiastic young protégé--but by the time the narrative thunders to its dramatic conclusion and Nick finally manages to grow up, most readers won't quibble. --Jane Adams

From Booklist

Five years after ex-cop Nick Sasso left San Francisco in disgrace, he has made a new start in New York as the proprietor of a popular restaurant. But his complacent life is shattered when his dying father asks him to come back to the West Coast to discover why his brother Joe is "borrowing" money from the family business. A reluctant Nick returns only to find his brother murdered during a clandestine meeting with his lawyer, Sonny Culp. Nick and unlikely ally Billie Fox, the cynical ex-wife of Joe's lawyer, search for the killer as well as the reasons behind the deaths. Kaiser injects new life into classic character cliches, such as the amiable assassin, the hooker with a heart of gold, the Asian femme fatale, and the lecherous Russian mobster, to create a thriller that careens on unpredictably until the last page. Mystery and suspense fans will be up all night with this quirky page-turner. Recommended for popular fiction collections. Michael Gannon
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Mira (September 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1551669366
  • ISBN-13: 978-1551669366
  • Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,577,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars is NOT ENOUGH!, January 21, 2003
By 
Carolyn Buchanan (Soldotna, AK United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Squeeze Play: A Novel (Hardcover)
Whatever you do, you've gotta read this book! It was absolutely pure pleasure, so much fun that when I finished I wanted to start it all over again! You'll thoroughly enjoy every one of the characters and revel in getting to know them better as you read through the book. Each one is a true gem, and their actions and interactions will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages!! And if you like mystery.... Well, I'll bet you'll never guess how this one is going to come out! It's a real winner, and Kaiser just keeps getting better and better! Do yourself a favor and DON'T MISS THIS BOOK!!!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars great suspense thriller, September 14, 2002
This review is from: Squeeze Play: A Novel (Hardcover)
Former San Francisco cop Nick Sasso is in self-exile across the continent after apparently screwing up an investigation. Nick opened up a Manhattan restaurant that has just taken off. Currently he is watching a Yankee-Red Sox game at the Stadium when his girlfriend Bree Davis calls the restaurant to see how things are going after a tremendous review in the paper. Though the restaurant is doing great, Nick learns he got a call from his estranged father's accountant that something is wrong with the books of the family business now run by brother Joe, who rumors fly is near bankruptcy.

Nick returns to the Bay only to find Joe murdered. Though he knows he should allow the police led by his ex-partner to investigate, Nick refuses to sit on the sidelines. He makes inquiries that upset a lot more people than just the SFPD as he begins to uncover something more sinister and conspiratorial than just some falling out over debts.

SQUEEZE PLAY is a great suspense thriller that works on several levels due a strong cast. Nick is the focus of the tale with his ill-accepted investigation, but the secondary characters turn the action-packed plot into a game-winning walk off home run as they provide depth to the story line and the lead protagonist. However, the support crew is not just benchwarmers as they seem so real; they are the fielders that enable R.J. Kaiser to pitch a near perfect game that rivals that of Don Larson.

Harriet Klausner

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 stars, October 25, 2002
By 
Konrad Kern (OFallon, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Squeeze Play: A Novel (Hardcover)
See book description above.

A well plotted crime drama with a wide variety of characters and a very likeable protagonist named Nick Sasso. The writing style will keep you enthralled. With all the suspense and emotional depth you'll be sure to be satisfied.

Recommended

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