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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
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
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
THE PIVOTAL MOMENT of the negotiation had arrived, the point in the dialogue when pen was poised over contract. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
heir finders, heir hunter, boarding tunnel, heir finding Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Von Rohr, New York, San Francisco, Gerald Jacobs, Nick Merchant, General Inquiry, Des Moines, Ludwig Holtzmann, Columbia County, Alex Moreno, Lawrence Castleton, United States, Miss Moreno, Gerald Raymond Jacobs, Jesus Christ, Nicholas Merchant, Bill Merchant, Edmund Arminger, Lloyd Koenig, Los Angeles, Victor Chagnon, Director Gordon, Michael Drive, Place Bel-Air, Senator Newland New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THE PIVOTAL MOMENT of the negotiation had arrived, the point in the dialogue when pen was poised over contract. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
heir finders, heir hunter, boarding tunnel, heir finding Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Von Rohr, New York, San Francisco, Gerald Jacobs, Nick Merchant, General Inquiry, Des Moines, Ludwig Holtzmann, Columbia County, Alex Moreno, Lawrence Castleton, United States, Miss Moreno, Gerald Raymond Jacobs, Jesus Christ, Nicholas Merchant, Bill Merchant, Edmund Arminger, Lloyd Koenig, Los Angeles, Victor Chagnon, Director Gordon, Michael Drive, Place Bel-Air, Senator Newland New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
1
book
cites this book:
- Silent Justice by William Bernhardt in Front Matter
- War of the Rats by David L. Robbins in Front Matter
- Rising Phoenix by Kyle Mills in Front Matter
- Free Fall by Deanie Francis Mills in Front Matter
- William Morris (Discovering Art) (Spanish Edition) by N. M. Wells in Front Matter
See all 6 books this book cites
- Ninth Square by Gorman Bechard in Front Matter
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