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martyfried's review
4.0
This is the second book of this series, and is similar in some ways to the first. The first one had villains that were not really evil, just a bit naive who made some bad decisions; at times it was hard not to hope they were successful when the going got rough.
In this one, it started out similarly; a guy who gets laid off during a downturn in the economy, and can't pay his mortgage and other bills. Of course, he's not totally innocent of getting overextended, but it was the pressures of his family and trying to keep them happy. However, he started losing it somewhere along the way, until he lost all sympathy from everyone. He somehow became really evil, and we only hoped he'd die soon.
It probably wasn't very realistic at all. It's pretty hard to believe a rich accountant could become a ruthless killer and not get caught pretty quickly. But it was a fun and exciting ride, with some humor along the way, at least for a while. I had trouble putting it down for the last third or so, and it went very fast with lost of short chapters.
In this one, it started out similarly; a guy who gets laid off during a downturn in the economy, and can't pay his mortgage and other bills. Of course, he's not totally innocent of getting overextended, but it was the pressures of his family and trying to keep them happy. However, he started losing it somewhere along the way, until he lost all sympathy from everyone. He somehow became really evil, and we only hoped he'd die soon.
It probably wasn't very realistic at all. It's pretty hard to believe a rich accountant could become a ruthless killer and not get caught pretty quickly. But it was a fun and exciting ride, with some humor along the way, at least for a while. I had trouble putting it down for the last third or so, and it went very fast with lost of short chapters.
tpaulschulte's review
5.0
Owen Laukkanen's 2nd entry in the Stevens and Windermere series proves that The Professionals (Stevens and Windermere #1) was no fluke. The writing is assured, the plot well thought out and fast moving. Laukkanen is quickly making his mark in crime fiction and is a welcome addition to other great Twin Cities standbys such as Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. This series is a wonderful companion and will be a worthy successor once Sandford decides to hang it up. Which I hope is years down the road.
In Criminal Enterprise, we meet Carter Tomlin, a well paid CPA that lives in a McMansion in an affluent area. His perfect life falls apart pretty quickly when he is laid off and resorts to a life of crime to keep the mortgage paid, etc..
Unfortunately for Tomlin, he likes the life, it gives him a thrill and his crimes escalate quickly.
Windermere is hot on the case while dealing with a reluctant partner and Stevens is trying to resist the lure of the excitement of the FBI. Their jobs collide again and the ending is cinematic and climactic.
You will love this series.
Caution: There is language and a few sexual situations.
In Criminal Enterprise, we meet Carter Tomlin, a well paid CPA that lives in a McMansion in an affluent area. His perfect life falls apart pretty quickly when he is laid off and resorts to a life of crime to keep the mortgage paid, etc..
Unfortunately for Tomlin, he likes the life, it gives him a thrill and his crimes escalate quickly.
Windermere is hot on the case while dealing with a reluctant partner and Stevens is trying to resist the lure of the excitement of the FBI. Their jobs collide again and the ending is cinematic and climactic.
You will love this series.
Caution: There is language and a few sexual situations.
jeanetterenee's review
4.0
This is a great way to spend a weekend, or a week. Once this story got cranking, I liked it better than the first one because this felt more tautly paced. Once you get about 3/4 of the way through, there's no good stopping point. You'll just want to keep reading right on through to the end to see how everything turns out.
Laukkanen's style is somewhat similar to John Sandford's, with lots of action and quick scene changes delivered in chapters of 2 to 4 pages. He's thrown in some good sub-plots and family issues for the characters, so things keep moving and stay interesting.
Carter Tomlin's shift from buttoned-down, high-powered accountant to murderous criminal strains credulity somewhat, but if thrillers were entirely believable and just like real life, who would want to read them?
You don't need to have read the first book, The Professionals, to enjoy this one. There's enough background here about Windermere and Stevens to keep you from feeling left out or lost.
Laukkanen's style is somewhat similar to John Sandford's, with lots of action and quick scene changes delivered in chapters of 2 to 4 pages. He's thrown in some good sub-plots and family issues for the characters, so things keep moving and stay interesting.
Carter Tomlin's shift from buttoned-down, high-powered accountant to murderous criminal strains credulity somewhat, but if thrillers were entirely believable and just like real life, who would want to read them?
You don't need to have read the first book, The Professionals, to enjoy this one. There's enough background here about Windermere and Stevens to keep you from feeling left out or lost.
howjessicareads's review
4.0
Action-packed bank-heist thriller. With a surprisingly believable bad guy.
clambook's review
4.0
First one I've read in the series (this is #2 of 4). Promising - good pace, tight writing. The villain of the piece -- mild-mannered CFO turned batshit killer - is a little beyond the beyond. I'll go for another one, largely to see if the relationship between Stevens and Windermere ripens into something more than professional.
pearwaldorf's review
3.0
I got an ARC at ALA Midwinter. The guy passing out the books billed it as a fun police procedural. I don't know if I would characterize it as fun (a man losing his job and descending into bank robbery and increasingly violent psychopathy isn't exactly my idea of a pile of yuks), but it certainly clips along quickly. Windermere and Stevens have an excellent rapport but aren't really partner-y in the traditional sense. A good train or beach read.