As an avid reader, my tastes generally focus on history and biography, as well as fiction that includes legal-themed novels, sports and historical epics. But there are times when I like to take a break from heavy reading and enjoy a less demanding experience. So occasionally I venture into a black comedy thriller with a cast of hustlers, schemers and other characters who can only exist on the pages of a crime noir novel.

One author I know who will take me on the adventure that I need to recharge my reading life is Tod Goldberg. His latest book is a welcome addition to a long list of thrillers that are enjoyable because they do not take themselves too seriously.

"ONLY WAY OUT is an entertaining adventure with not too many murders, a lot of sharp repartee, and a just ending."

ONLY WAY OUT begins with a well-planned heist. Over the past 10 years, Robert Green has failed the bar exam in New York, California and Washington a total of 15 times. His graduation from Harvard Law School allows him to be employed by Baer & Harris, a prominent law firm in Seattle. They maintain a vault where clients are able to store valuable and sometimes illegal property in safe-deposit boxes. Green has decided that he will remove a large number of the boxes and sail off to South America with his sister, Penny. It is a well-executed plan foiled only by freezing rain and dangerous road conditions.

After the opening pages establish the crime, readers jump ahead 15 years to a community on the West Coast where the safe-deposit box theft has become something of a legend. Think D.B. Cooper, who parachuted out of a plane with $200,000 in 1971. Neither he nor the money has ever been found.

One man who knows what happened is Jack Biddle, a small-town police chief who came upon Green as he was fleeing from the theft and driving to the Pacific Ocean to meet Penny. Biddle is aware of Green’s fate, but he is doing his best to hide the evidence in order to keep the proceeds from the heist for himself. It is a perfect opportunity for him, but crimes like this often draw the attention of others hoping to get a share of the pot.

One such person is Mitch Diamond, an ex-con who knows something about the disreputable activities at Baer & Harris and would like to get his hands on the money. He focuses his efforts on Penny, who will make an enviable and humorous antagonist for him.

ONLY WAY OUT is an entertaining adventure with not too many murders, a lot of sharp repartee, and a just ending. If you are looking for that kind of reading experience during these long winter months, then this is the novel for you.