Rating: 
Summary: Admirably entertaining
Review: Two brother, Oliver and Charlie Caruso attempt to pull off the perfect crime-- transfer funds in the private bank in which they are employed from an account of a dead man to an account they create that can't be traced. It may be a very cool three million dollars. However, after the transfer, they realize they are playing a game much larger than they originally thought including the amount they stand to gain if they could pull it off. However, fast on their heels are two violent secret service agents and a relentless female PI.
Brad Meltzer, after only a few novels, has already established himself as one of the best thriller novelists currently working. A characteristic of his work is the very long length of the narratives. It is almost as if he has to stretch the tale out as long as possible to bulk up the size of the book and the resultant sales. Characters are quite sympathetic yet surprisingly comic considering the far-reaching implications their actions have on their life and potential loss of freedom. There is little doubt that this novel's main purpose is to entertain and on that level it succeeds admirably.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy Money!
Review: This book is an excellent thriller that has you wondering what will happen next. Charlie and Oliver Caruso both work for an exclusive bank dealing with some of the world's richest clients. After giving four years of his life to the bank Oliver realises that he is being screwed. The brothers discover that someone has supplied a bogus identity for a dead man who has three million in his account and decide if someone is going to steal the money it might as well be them. Caught by the banks security guard they are forced to cut him in on the deal but shortly after the crime is even more of a success then they could have hoped, the Secret Service murders him in front of their eyes. They are lucky to escape themselves but now are on the run. They cannot surrender to the cops as they will be handed over to the secret service who will no doubt kill them as they want the money for themselves. An excellent financial thriller. Ending isn't up to the standard of the rest of the book but still a good read. The best financial thriller in the literary world is The Money Makers by Harry Bingham. Check it out too.
Rating: 
Summary: deeply flawed and fast read
Review: This book starts out strong and engaging with a fast moving storyline but it quickly turns into a contrived work. The story centers around two brothers Charlie and Oliver who work at an upscale bank and decide to steel money from an abandoned account with the help of their friend Shep who is head of security. One problem, the government was monitoring the account. The G-men quickly unravel the crime and in the process kill Shep (they want the money too of course) So the two brothers run and carnage ensues. The novel is a fast read despite its length but after the first hundred pages I felt as if I was reading the script to a TV movie of the week. The chapters are short and utilize these ridiculous cliffhanger endings. As the story develops the plot become increasingly silly (spoilers ahead skip to the last paragraph if you don't want to know how it end) involving a secret worm imbedded in Disney's website and the book climaxes at the Magic Kingdom. Of course what would the narrative be with out a love story, so one is thrown in. As implausible as it is Oliver manages to fall in love while he is running for his life. Finally the "twist" ending was especially corny as the two Brothers discover that their friend Shep is alive and Oliver's love interest is actually Shep's wife. Even more outlandish is the revelation that Shep and his wife are in on the plot to steel the money with the corrupt feds. I picked up this book because I saw Meltzer on CNN with Lou Dobbs and I thought I was in for a first right financial thriller, I was sorely disappointed. I recommend any of John Grisham's earlier books (The Firm, The Pelican brief, The Client) instead of this one. Those novels were great stories that really kept you on the edge of your seat and felt plausible, this book was just one cheap thrill. Literary candy that makes you feel guilty for having consumed it.
Rating:
Summary: Meltzer delivers another solid thriller / mystery.
Review: I first bumped into this author by listening to an abridged version of 'First Counsel,' which I think, to date, has been one of the best audiobook thriller experiences I've had.
This one comes a very close second, and only does so because I guessed a small part of the plot when the author dropped a clue - and I suppose even so, just because I was paying a lot of attention at that point, I noted it - so I'd figured out the mystery a bit. Not where it ultimately went, but a part of it.
Here's the basic plot set-up: Oliver works at a private bank, a big one, where the clients all need millions just to set up an account. His family is deep into health-related hospital bills, and he needs cash in a big way. When he and his brother realize that someone is about to rip off the bank in a big way, the temptation takes seed...
See, in the U.S., after five years, an unattended account is transferred to the bank. It's been five years, and no next-of-kin has been found for a fellow with three million in his account, and it's about to go to the government. Then, at the last minute, someone steps in and sends a fax saying, "Hey, I'm kin." So Oliver is about to make the transfer when his brother notices the fax number is for the Kinko's next door. Sure enough, they're being bilked...
...so why not take the money themselves? No one is getting hurt, right - the fella is dead, no next-of-kin ever turned up except for the fake one. There's no way to get caught. What could it hurt?
And from there, the double-crosses, betrayals, and confusion escalates, and before long, they're not looking for those millions, they're looking for a way out alive.
Tension jacks up at a nice pace, each tape seems carefully crafted to end you on a high note (a nice touch, and makes you flip over the tape in a manic way). Very recommended.
'Nathan
Rating:
Summary: My least favorite of Meltzer's book
Review: After reading all of Meltzer's books and most recently The First Counsel, I was very disappointed with this book. It's his least-favorite of mine. The plot sounds good, exciting, but as I started this book I immediately knew that something was missing. I don't know what it is exactly, but I do know I had a hard time liking the characters & caring about them. I also found the book to be pretty slow-paced. It also got annoying reading from different characters points of view, usually I enjoy that, but this book just didn't pull it off. And the suspense that was supposed to be there- wasn't there, a lot of the time. I am still a big fan of Meltzer, I have been since his first book, so if you're looking at reading something of his, I'd recommend First Counsel or Dead Even. Both are much better than this book. I'm still planning on reading his next book, however, this one has made me a bit weary. I think he just tried a concept & it just didn't flow.
Rating:
Summary: Too many perspectives, too far-fetched
Review: The story was told from 3 separate perspectives, making it very choppy and interrupted. The writing was at a very basic level. Also, the book had chapters about 3 pages long - 89 chapters in this puppy! Why? So the author could add in a ton of unnecessary, silly "Goosebumps-ish" (R.L. Stine) chapter endings... "He saw the gun lift up towards his brother Charlie. "No!" Oliver shouted just as he heard the gun go off."
Cut. Next chapter. Puh lease. Of COURSE Charlie wasn't shot, this book has a happily ever after storybook ending. The story-line was also a bit unbelievable. As for the secret "invention," finding it on the disney web site in the manner they did, and the entire Secret Service involvement were all factors too extraordinary and improbable to be believed. Unfortunately, this is the first book I've read by Meltzer, and I won't pick up another of his without a glowing recommendation from a reader whose tastes I share.
Rating:
Summary: Ehh....
Review: I found this book in the library one afternoon and decided that it looked intriguing. When I started to read it, I realized right away that the "good guys" weren't the good guys in reality. THEY STOLE THE MONEY!! Geez. They should have been scared, they should have gone to jail, they should have lost their jobs. C'mon! I figured out a lot of the plot twists before they were revealed and found myself actually rooting for the main characters to get killed (even though it was written in first person...which was strange to begin with...). And then the "invention" was bizarre and the concept was just weird. It was a quick read (I think mostly because it was written on a 10th grade reading level). I was anxious for the ending, but then the ending was soooooo long and contrived. I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it. Then I read The Tenth Justice. I'm just glad I didn't read that first, or I would never have read Meltzer's books.
Rating:
Summary: Fast read, Grisham type of book
Review: This book was a fast read and entertaining. It had the same formula as most of John Grisham's books. It's the type of book that Hollywood usually puts on film, so I wouldn't be surprised if I see it at the theaters soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining read
Review: Meltzer makes the 2 brothers likeable from the start and draws you into their perils right away. I would highly recommend this book. I listened to it on unabridged audio.
Rating:
Summary: 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4
Review: This was a decent book, but everything seemed a little too neat. A little too Hollywood. The story started off great and had me engaged from the beginning. Too bad things didn't go quite so well from there. It was a bit hard suspending belief at the typical cliches in the book. Moreover, drawing from my own personal experience, I can say without a doubt that one of the plot points in the book was ridiculous. I don't care to really elaborate on that, but just trust me. ;) From a positive viewpoint, though, the book was a fast read and I was anxious to get to the end. Unfortunately, it was a good story that probably would have been better with a little more research and a little less Hollywood. Still, if you're looking for a fun read--which, admittedly, it was--this is a decent book.
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