Exhibit A books
December 31st, 2013
Coming quick on the heels of his debut novel PENANCE (May, 2013) comes the griping follow-up GREED. More of a “the next adventure” than a direct sequel, O’Shea proves that the success of PENANCE was no mere beginners luck.
After the multi-generational conspiracy drama of PENANCE established Detective John Lynch as the next great hero in procedural fiction, O’Shea took an interesting approach by keeping Lynch on the fringe of GREED for most of the story. Our focal point now is ex-Marine Nick Hardin, a soldier-of-fortune making the most of a rotten situation in Africa. While helping to facilitate the “Dollars for Darfur” event, Hardin has an unfortunate run-in with American actor (and overall ass) Seamus Fenn. Confrontational to the extreme, Fenn gets his nose bent out of shape over a perceived slight.
So Hardin is then forced to break it.
Figuring his days of living on the outskirts of civilization are nearing an end, Hardin hatches a scheme to steal a fortune in diamonds and head back home to Chicago. There he has line on a contact that would be able to change out the stones for cash. Retirement is sounding sweet, and is oh so close to becoming a reality.
Boy, would that be a boring thriller.
As Hardin hits the city, looking to reach his contact, his theft of the diamonds has shown up on everyone’s radar: Mideast terror agents, the local mob, and even the Mexican drug cartel. Thankfully, Dan O’Shea has written his thriller with a firm hand. Because looking at this laundry list of characters and plot points, one is tempted to ask, “Where’s the kitchen sink?” The story is paced so well, the action layed out so brilliantly, that every new piece to the story makes perfect sense, fitting together in the most logical of ways.
Lynch and his super-cop partner Bernstein are putting those same pieces together as best they can. When they do catch up to Hardin, you’ll smile when you realize, these are the cops that are always in the background in those spy thrillers. When Bond and Bourne are running around blowing up cities left and right, Lynch and Bernstein are the boys in blue trying to cut through the red tape and save the city that they love.
And when they do save the city? You’ll stand up and cheer, because O’Shea has made his laundry list of characters and puzzle pieces of plot points work so well. And what’s more is he’s made you care about these people that are awash in drama, intrigue, and violence.
 
Dan Malmon