Fatal book #1

This is an oldie I finally picked up from a long very long list of books I downloaded years ago. “Fatal Exchange” was published in 2011; definitely this book was overdue for my attention.

There are two storylines in this thriller that despite how different they are they work together well. First we follow a case of counterfeiting American hundred bills linked to the country of Myanmar where someone decided to take their cut to the US and buy valuable antiques with it. When Myanmar finance minister realizes it and sends a pair of killers on the trail of the money to get it back. No need for me to tell you how gruesome these hired hands do to their victims....the story describe this vividly. The author does not mince words.

The second story involves Tess Gideon, a bike messenger in New York. When someone starts to murder female bike messengers in a very gruesome way and at the same time she becomes embroiled in the counterfeiting scheme now she also becomes a target. Then comes to the forefront, Ron Stanford, a detective in the NYPD, to save the day and bring to justice a murderer who kills more and more quickly.

We have a very large cast of characters all with their own point of view including the serial killer as well as the Asian ones. No worries following this story the tempo stays steady, the language is clear and the narration makes every word come alive. I particularly like the short scenes that quickly change from character to character it made everything move fast. Not a dull moment in this gritty edge of your seat thriller. ( )

Fast-paced, with well developed characters I thoroughly enjoyed this action / crime thriller. It is more gruesome than I usually read and I wouldn't recommend it for the faint-hearted, but if you love fast-paced action with two interwoven story lines, this is well worth the read. ( )

Absolutely an amazing thriller. I was completely entranced by the interweaving of two seemingly unrelated plots with a central cast of characters. It actually worked very well. It took me awhile to realize who the central character would be. that is how well crafted the author has made the storyline. The characters were very believable and interesting - even the minor ones. Russell Blake is the real deal and can compete easily with the mainstream published authors.

Some reviewers thought there was an underlying theme of concerted violence against women. They should get a grip on reality and give the author a break. There is nothing here to complain about. Simply a great novel. I enthusiastically will be looking for more titles by this talented author. ( )