Inside every good author is that one breakout book, the one that will separate them from the pack of other writers in their genre. For James Grippando that moment has arrived. Money To Burn is his breakout novel. It is the best thing he has written and it is topical and riveting. It should be the one to announce his name to the literary public.
At the center of this fast-moving thriller is the character of Michael Cantella. Cantella is an upwardly mobile investment banker. He has a bright and lucrative future ahead of him, plus he has found a woman to love. Ivy Layton knows the world in which Michael lives and is a part of it. They couldn't be a more compatible couple which is why they jump into a quickie marriage in Nassau.
After the marriage things immediately go downhill. Ivy disappears and is presumed dead. A few years later Michael marries a woman named Mallory and life gets good again. That is until the FBI shows up at his door and accuses him of a variety of misdeeds involving his company and his stock portfolio.
As the next few days play out Michael is drawn into an abyss of confusion. His friends and family turn against him and the evidence of his corruption seems insurmountable. He has few people on whom he can rely, and then he begins to get messages that might be coming from Ivy. Is she communicating with him from the grave or has she somehow miraculously been resurrected?
Grippando's plot is logical and gripping. Each whirlpool of disaster that surrounds Michael seems logical, and each step he takes to redeem himself is plausible too. The reader never finds that the words in the story create situations beyond belief. Michael, his life, his situations, and his resolutions are all believable; and in a story like this one that takes skillful writing.
Grippando has had success in the past most notably with the Jack Swyteck novels but never has he fashioned a story such as this one. Writing about Wall Street and investment companies could make for dry reading all around. This author, however, attaches his story to this frame and makes it explode. There is nothing dry about any of the chapters devoted to this story.
If you like fast-paced adventure stories them you are going to have a love feast with this one. It jumps out of the gate and never takes a break until the last word has been read. Even when you have finished the book the adrenaline still pulses as you recall all that has happened.
Block out a few hours of time and get this book. You will have one of the best times ever reading about the life and times of Michael Cantella. He is a fascinating character who has an awesome adventure on his hands.
Money To Burn is published by Harper Books. It contains 360 pages and sells for $25.99.
Jackie K Cooper - www.jackiekcooper.com