Editorial Content for Once a Thief: A Simon Riske Novel
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
ONCE A THIEF, Christopher Reich’s fourth Simon Riske caper, begins with a celebration for a $100 million sale of a rare vintage Ferrari that Riske and his colleagues had restored. But when Sylvie Bettencourt, the agent for the mystery buyer, demands that Riske find the car’s original gearbox, he follows the trail to a Russian mobster whom he helped capture several years earlier. Now in witness protection, the mobster seems to be taunting Riske by holding on to the prized gearbox.
"The exotic locales and plot twists, not to mention enough action to keep you turning each page, make ONCE A THIEF an enjoyable experience."
Of course, our hero prevails --- until Sylvie shows him evidence tying him to a murder that she threatens to release unless he agrees to work for her. Though she travels around the world, spending millions on cars, art and real estate in a money laundering operation for a high-placed Russian, she wants her own fortune and needs Riske’s skills to retrieve financial information that would allow her to retire and disappear.
As this is playing out, a car bomb kills a Swiss banker with ties to the Russians. His daughter, Anna, though not close to him, feels that she must find out who murdered him, and why. Along the way, she and Riske cross paths, learning that they have a common foe. As Riske is sucked into the underworld of the oligarchs, and as Anna and a crowdsourced crime-solving group called Chatterbell get closer to the truth about her father, the risks increase and the opponents multiply.
Those who have followed Simon Riske may know his background as a young thief in Marseille. But despite his shady past, he’s not usually a violent sort, so some of his actions may surprise readers at first. However, the denouement, which is hurried and not entirely satisfying, helps to explain his rationale. The exotic locales and plot twists, not to mention enough action to keep you turning each page, make ONCE A THIEF an enjoyable experience.
Teaser
Simon Riske is toasting the record hundred-million-dollar sale of a rare 1963 Ferrari that he restored himself. The buyer is a sophisticated French woman named Sylvie Bettencourt. Riske enjoys her company until her bodyguard storms in, claiming the vehicle is a fake. Riske must prove the car is the real thing…or else. Meanwhile, Carl Bildt, banker to the rich and nefarious, is killed by a powerful car bomb, moments before he can deliver evidence to the authorities. His daughter, Anna, rushes to Switzerland to investigate her father’s violent death. As Riske strives to prove the Ferrari’s authenticity and look deeper into Sylvie’s past, he crosses paths with Anna and discovers they have an enemy in common.
Promo
Simon Riske is toasting the record hundred-million-dollar sale of a rare 1963 Ferrari that he restored himself. The buyer is a sophisticated French woman named Sylvie Bettencourt. Riske enjoys her company until her bodyguard storms in, claiming the vehicle is a fake. Riske must prove the car is the real thing…or else. Meanwhile, Carl Bildt, banker to the rich and nefarious, is killed by a powerful car bomb, moments before he can deliver evidence to the authorities. His daughter, Anna, rushes to Switzerland to investigate her father’s violent death. As Riske strives to prove the Ferrari’s authenticity and look deeper into Sylvie’s past, he crosses paths with Anna and discovers they have an enemy in common.
About the Book
Facing enemies at every turn, freelance private spy Simon Riske dashes across Europe to find the truth behind a mysterious investor known as "the Collector," in this high-stakes, page-turning international espionage series known for its "stylish escapism" (Booklist).
Simon Riske sits in sun-dappled Napa Valley, toasting the record hundred-million-dollar sale of a rare 1963 Ferrari which he restored himself. The buyer, a sophisticated French woman named Sylvie Bettencourt, has purchased the car for an unnamed client whose anonymity she will guard at all costs. Riske enjoys her company and the flowing champagne until Sylvie’s formidable Russian bodyguard storms in, claiming the vehicle is a fake. Riske is given an ultimatum. Prove the car is the real thing…or else.
Meanwhile, in Lugano, Switzerland, Carl Bildt, banker to the rich and nefarious, is killed by a powerful car bomb, moments before he can deliver evidence to the authorities and disappear into witness protection. His beautiful and headstrong daughter, Anna, rushes to Switzerland to investigate her father’s violent death.
As Simon Riske strives to prove the Ferraris’ authenticity and look deeper into Sylvie’s past --- and the identity of her client --- he crosses paths with Anna Bildt and discovers they have an enemy in common. From the bustling streets of London to a secret outpost high in the French Alps, from the freeports of Corsica to the glittering beaches of the Costa Smeralda, the Emerald Coast of Sardinia, Riske and Anna find themselves players in a deadly game, where billions of dollars change hands and knowledge is paid for with your life.
Told with Reich’s signature stylish prose, clever plotting and pulse-pounding action sequences, ONCE A THIEF is sure to appeal to longtime fans of the series and newcomers alike. Riske may be a bit older, showing a little wear and tear, but his desire to get the job done at any cost is stronger than ever.
Audiobook available, read by Paul Michael
