Dead Exit

 Dead Exit is the third book in the Marty and Bo Thriller Series. It was 14 months ago when I first ran across the author, Michael Balter. I wrote a review of the second book, The Vatican Deal which I highly praised, rating Balter up there with Daniel Silva, Dan Brown and Don Winslow. Dead Exit continued the trouble between the protagonists, Marty and Bo, and their antagonists, Natalya and the Russian oligarch Dmitry. Despite them being a couple, and despite being a married man with two children, Marty allowed himself to get sexually involved with Natalya. In the third book, Marty is continuing to struggle with his intense attachment to Natalya and although he has reconciled his marriage. Additionally, although it was Natalya who fronted the money they needed to create their own business empire, it was Dmitry’s limitless funds which they borrowed in order to buy more businesses.

Just like in the first book, they learned that one of their companies, 120 convenience stores were at the center of a Chinese and North Korean enterprise to smuggle counterfeit cigarettes throughout the United States. This was a billion-dollar enterprise, one which the Chinese and North Korean operators were not willing to let go. Meanwhile, they discovered that the FBI was in a deep investigation into this illegal activity. Although Bo and Marty were willing to help the FBI, their enemies threatened their lives and those of their families. Bo was at risk for having his prior affair with Natalya made public and he knew it would blow his marriage apart.

This was a fast-paced book with lots of intrigue between the Russians, the Chinese, the North Koreans, and of course, the Americans. These are great and believable characters, and the plot kept me glued to the novel. The ending was not what I expected. Now, having fallen in love with Balter’s writing, I need to acquire the first book, Chasing Money, while waiting for his fourth novel.

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The Vatican Deal

 This is the first review in the blog for Michael Balter who has written a dynamite book. The Vatican Deal is subtitled A Marty and Bo Thriller. The main characters are Marty Schott and Bo Bishop are business partners. They’ve been buying businesses, but despite a solid plan, they were languishing until they took in a new partner, Natalya Danilenko, a Russian who is being back with seemingly unlimited funds from a Russian oligarch. They have a business opportunity with the Vatican who are willing to allow access to the secret Vatican achives, to sell various artifacts, and to make duplicates of countless Vatican treasures. It turns out that there are liars everywhere. The oligarch wants access to the Vatican bank for the purpose of money laundering, and the Naples Mafia also want in. Clearly Cardinal Bertolini who is making the deal for the Pope, is not telling all that he knows about this proposed deal.

 The book opens in one of my favorite places in Rome, Piazza Navona. Bo had been badly beaten up, although it is not clear who was behind the act. However, he is warned to stay away from the deal for the Italian foundry, Chiurazzi. On the other hand, the Vatican is claiming they want Marty and  Bo to make the deal. Finances at the church are very tight and they are badly in need of the money this deal would bring to them. Meanwhile Natalya is kidnapped and Marty and Bo are presented with a package that contains the fingernail from her little finger and a picture of her suffering from it’s removal. So the story moves forward in a rapid pace. I could not put it down.

 

I’m ready to give very high praise to Balter. His use of  simile is excellent and entertaining. Considering the content, it is reasonable to compare the writing of travel and mayhem to the works of Daniel Silva, Dan Brown, and Don Winslow – high praise indeed. The main characters are very different from one another, are believable, and they enliven the plot. I want more of these characters, so I hope Balter will be bringing more novels to the table.