My Review

When I see that an author is writing from their area of expertise, I get excited. Brian Brady brings his background in law enforcement and private security to the page, and the details about procedures and inner workings clearly reflect that knowledge. However, I struggled a bit with the way this book was presented. Labeled as a serial killer thriller, I kept waiting for that element to appear—but what I actually read felt much more like an art heist thriller. And truth be told, it’s a very good art heist thriller.

One strength I especially appreciated was the character work. Brady develops his cast well, giving readers enough depth to understand their motives and personalities without bogging the story down in lengthy backstory. That balance kept the momentum of the heist sharp and engaging, rather than slowing the pace.

The pacing, tension, and insider details kept me turning the pages, but one other hurdle was the use of present tense. Sometimes this can pull me out of the narrative, though if you can adjust to it, the payoff is a solid and entertaining read.

If you go into this one expecting an art-centered thriller with high-stakes twists, you’ll likely enjoy it as much as I did.

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Book Summary

An international mystery. A group of thieves working out of New York, Amsterdam and Paris set in motion a complex art forgery and theft project. Initially they are highly successful, that is until one member is overcome by greed and the promise of a quick buck, not necessarily shared with his partners.

This greedy departure from a proven method of operation suddenly goes oh, so wrong. People die, partnerships are threatened and the entire mess lands in the collective laps of the San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide Bureau.

Inspectors O’Neill, Donnelly, Gibson and Sullivan are now responsible for solving a homicide that will lead them far outside their normal comfort zone. International crime, art forgery and murder, a lethal combination that will test the investigative skills of the Inspectors.