Customer Reviews

Walking Money

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the best tradition of Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen, James O. Born has produced a twisted, fascinating and hilarious first novel of cops and crooks plying their trade in corrupt and juicy southern Florida.

The plot of Walking Money revolves around a crooked minister and his on-the-lam sidekick, who have scammed $1.5 million in cash from their community foundation. When word gets out, every bent operator in the city is desperate to get his hands on the lucre. It's up to state cop Bill Tasker to make sure none of them do.

This book will have readers laughing one minute and wincing the next, as the author leads them along a deliciously circuitous journey with all the skill and polish of a veteran writer. Born spent 17 years in law enforcement, so he obviously knows the criminal territory well. What is surprising is just how good a writer he is. I look forward to his next book.

Reviewed by David Montgomery, Chicago Sun-Times

This book interested me from the blurbs on the cover. Big time writers like John Sanford don't endorse soemthing unless it's good. This comical story of a cop caught up in someone else's scheme kept me involved from the first page to the last.

The author is a cop and it shows in how the characters intereact, joke and even how they fight. This is a fast moving., involving book with a ton of well placed twists and turns.

I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good detective story and realizm. I hope there is a series with the main character, Bill Tasker. The guy is interesting without being a carbon copy of TV cops. His life outside his work has a beat and interest as well. This really was a great book

EJ

Elmore Leonard blurbs that "Jim Born is the real thing-" I agree; really liked the sure handling of a police based story un-fettered with forensics details or deep procedural specifics, written by a law enforcement professional.

Walking Money is a story about twists and turns taken following a bag of big money that makes it hard for Bill Tasker, a good cop, to get his life together. Born gives us a tightly written tale introducing a sympathetic character, with good laughs, good suspense and personal drama, in a voice all his own. I'm looking forward to seeing where the series takes us.

jim born's book is great! i've never been into crime fiction but i read this because he is a florida writer. i can't wait for his next one. the constant twists and turns in the plot made it hard for me to put it down and all the characters were so vivid, funny, and real. given born's expertise in law enforcment, he gives the reader a clear view of what it would be like to live the life of a cop and to realize they are real people with real problems. very entertaining and a real fun read. this book will be great as a movie. well done mr. born, you have a new fan.

This is the most compelling, fast paced, intelligent book I've read in a year. The story of a cop framed by a FBI agent is funny, and feels like it really happened. A crooked reverend takes cash from the homeless but the FBI agent steals it. When things get hot he pins it on a Florida State agent.

This felt like a good movie. I coul;d see the action unfold and felt like the characters were fighting for their lives.

I loved this book and recommend it to anyone, not just readers of mysteries.

The is an entertaining cops and robbers story that makes good light reading. It kept me up late getting to the end, which was an added twist which you will have to read for yourself (no peeking).

A couple of people have been skimming money and stashing it in a bank safety deposit box. The problem is that various people know about the money, or find out about the money, and everyone seems to have a scheme for getting their hands on it. A bag contains about $1.5 million, and the bag keeps changing hands. It is undocumented, untraceable cash, and as long as it is not in official custody nobody can prove that it actually exists. A big temptation for everyone, including some police officers, community activists, and even an exotic dancer.

State cop Bill Tasker finds himself caught in the middle as people steal the bag, have it stolen back, and it becomes like a complicated three shell game where nobody is sure who finally has it. Nobody can report a theft without implicating themselves. A few dead bodies are left along the way, and the FBI, state police, county police and local police have to figure out who can be charged with what.

Along the way there are some conflicts between blacks, hispanics, and whites; and some additional conflicts between the FBI, state, and local authorities.

Florida state police Bill Tasker is in trouble. He is under suspicion for stealing over one and one-half million dollars. He knows he was framed but the question is by who? The reader, however, is for the most part well aware of who has the money- the greedy lawyer of a false preacher, the corrupt FBI agent, the corrupt cop or even a girlfriend- some still alive but some now dead. The money moves from place to place- hence the title of this overall successful debut.
There is a certain wacky sense of reality in this quite noir novel. One is almost reminded of the Elmore Leonard books (who just so happens to give a front cover blurb). The length is somewhat slight yet there is much repetition of the plot that reflects a novice's inability to stay focused on the storyline. The book, therefore, reads longer than it actually is. The characters remain the strength and raise this book among many other firsts this year. Most characters are realistic especially Bill Tasker. Others such as the lawyer Cole Hodges or the corrupt FBI agent, Tom Dooley are characatures but nonetheless remain interesting and viable creations. Overall an auspicious debut effort.

I'm a big Elmore Leonard and was drawn to 'Walking Money' since Mr. Leonard gave it such rave reviews. He sure knows how to pick 'em! 'Walking Money' was truly an authentic thriller that reads easily and was extremely entertaining. It was a great mix of mystery, action, and humor.

I would highly recommend 'Walking Money' to all!

This is a cop book that's more than just a cop book. Lots of plot twists & interesting characters. A real South Florida feel. I can't wait for Born's next book.

James O. Born spent seventeen years with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, state detectives. This background obviously adds to the reality of the book, a very fine debut. If you live in S.E. Florida like I do it makes it even better. We meet Bill Tasker, FDLE agent and another cop easy to like, funny and good at his job.
This a great little beach read. I hope Born continues to write Florida mysteries.