Criminal enterprise

Owen Laukkanen

Book - 2013

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Subjects
Genres
Suspense fiction
Published
New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons c2013.
Language
English
Main Author
Owen Laukkanen (-)
Physical Description
408 p. ; 24 cm
ISBN
9780399157905
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* After achieving law-enforcement fame in The Professionals (2012), Twin Cities FBI agent Carla Windermere and state BCA agent Kirk Stevens head in separate directions. She's stalking the adrenaline rush of big cases, and he's begun a career-sacrificing effort to avoid the cowboying in their last adventure. Now, a bank robber's violent rampage brings them back together. Carter Tomlin, a recently unemployed executive who's been leveraging debt to live in luxury, impulsively robs a bank. The heist nets little cash but a big payoff to his ego. His victims' fear provides a drug-like high, addictive after his emasculating job loss. Tomlin quickly acquires automatic weapons and a supporting team of thieves and begins leaving bodies in his wake. Windermere is sure Tomlin is the gang's mastermind but struggles to convince fellow agents that the seemingly wealthy suburbanite is a violent criminal. Stevens, who's personally acquainted with Tomlin, also doubts Windermere's theories, but clues are soon difficult to mask as coincidences, and he joins Windermere in the hunt. Laukkanen has clearly avoided the sophomore slump, deftly alternating taut narratives and building toward a grand climax that's completely organic to the story. Windermere, Stevens, and Tomlin are strikingly realistic characters sharing varying degrees of dissatisfaction with their lives, and readers will identify with their struggles to reconcile their own needs with their responsibilities to others.--Tran, Christine Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In Laukkanen's fine sequel to his impressive debut, The Professionals (2012), laid-off Minneapolis accountant Carter Tomlin starts to rob banks once he realizes he can no longer pay his mortgage or support his beautiful wife and two kids. But his secret life as a bank robber is more addicting than he anticipates, and he's making money faster than ever before. As Tomlin's heists get more and more outrageous, FBI special agent Carla Windermere targets him as her prime suspect, despite the semblance of a perfect family life, a Victorian mansion, and a fancy car. When Windermere fails to persuade anyone that this embodiment of the American Dream could be leading a double life, she turns to her old partner, Minnesota state investigator Kirk Stevens. The hard-boiled narrative moves at a quick clip, and the tension between Windermere and Stevens adds some spice to the intrigue, though Tomlin's over-the-top actions may strike some readers as unconvincing. Author tour. Agent: Stacia Decker, Donald Maass Literary. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Carter Tomlin was living the American dream: a successful career, a beautiful wife, and two kids. But after he loses his job and the bills start piling up, Carter impulsively holds up a bank with a simple note. Soon the thrill of robbing banks becomes a drug for Carter and as the money stacks up, the heists become more dangerous and his sense of morality crumbles. VERDICT Fans of Breaking Bad will love this good-man-turned-bad story that has all the pacing of a car careening out of a control and enough stomach-twisting carnage to satisfy adrenaline junkies. (LJ 3/1/13) (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

With this second thriller in a series, Laukkanen's latest provides an entertaining worst-case scenario of an accountant gone bad. Carter Tomlin has a lovely wife, daughter and home, but the good life in Minnesota comes crashing down when he's laid off from his accounting job. Now no one wants to hire him, and consulting can't pay the bills. How can he support his family and their lifestyle? Well, banks have money. He'll rob one. Just one ballsy heist to tide him over, and he's done. It doesn't yield him enough cash, though, and he discovers that scaring the living bejesus out of harmless bank tellers is a lot more fun than balancing books. So, he has to amp up his game, and he and a young lady partner go for bigger scores. Bullets start to fly, and soon, Tomlin is in much deeper trouble than he'd ever expected--and he's loving it, all while his innocent family remains clueless. Meanwhile, FBI agent Carla Windermere and detective Kirk Stevens team up to identify the robber and try to bring him down. They've previously worked together in Laukkanen's debut, The Professionals (2012), and have a professional and personal chemistry that makes them fun to follow and easy to root for. Tomlin takes them through plenty of twists and turns as he becomes increasingly unhinged and dangerous--even other bad guys had best give him a wide berth. Fans of crime thrillers shouldn't miss this one or anything else with Laukkanen's name on the cover. The writing is so crisp, the pages almost want to turn themselves. He's a terrific storyteller.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.