Scan barcode
A review by claudetteb
Forty Thieves by Thomas Perry
3.0
This book has a split personality. The initial plot involves Yin and Yang couples. The good, the Abels (insert eye roll) are retired police officers who have started their own detective agency. The bad, the Hoyts (he thankfully resisted naming them the Cains) are professional hit-men. The first half of the book is quite good, as the Abels are hired to investigate the year old cold case murder of a scientist for a chemical company. The Hoyts are hired to get rid of the Abels. This part is quite entertaining, as both couples are very good at what they do, and the thrust and parry of their interaction is really fun.
The Abels realize they are being targeted because of their most recent investigation and start trying to find clues about Ballantine and his murder. The Hoyts, having failed to dispose of the Abels, are themselves targeted by their employer. At this point, the book becomes a poor man's Donald Westlake crime caper as it turns out the bad guys are a gang of European diamond thieves. Diamond thieves! Really? With a scientist working for a chemical company, this is the best he could come up with for a resolution? About here this book lost me. The body count rose, no mysteries remained - but a third of the book was still to be read. Worst of all, the 2 couples, who had kept the story moving at least, completely lost their individuality. Thomas really lost his story.
The Abels realize they are being targeted because of their most recent investigation and start trying to find clues about Ballantine and his murder. The Hoyts, having failed to dispose of the Abels, are themselves targeted by their employer. At this point, the book becomes a poor man's Donald Westlake crime caper as it turns out the bad guys are a gang of European diamond thieves. Diamond thieves! Really? With a scientist working for a chemical company, this is the best he could come up with for a resolution? About here this book lost me. The body count rose, no mysteries remained - but a third of the book was still to be read. Worst of all, the 2 couples, who had kept the story moving at least, completely lost their individuality. Thomas really lost his story.