Michael Sears books never fail to be enjoyable for me and his latest was no different. He always has a way of having people who fall from grace because of their own actions somehow turn it around and be the hero.

“The best way to proceed with crazy people is to stick to facts, speak cautiously, and make no sudden movements.” – Michael Sears, Tower of Babel

Tower of Babel had a killer plot, a likeable hero, and unforgettable characters, and I was sucked in by the author’s wit and playfulness. Some of his sentences were just magic: “…streaks of grime hung like bats beneath the windows.” Can’t you just picture that? The writing was hit or miss, though. There were poorly modified sentences, overuse of certain words, and sometimes his cleverness bordered on corniness. For me, the book dragged a bit and then had an abrupt, dissatisfying ending. No doubt other readers will disagree. 3.5 stars.

Ted Malloy is a tracker. He tracks down people who are owed money and helps them get the money for some commission. Richie is his right-hand man.

When Richie brings him a big case, Ted almost rejects it. But Richie is murdered within days and Ted is intrigued. Richie's wife expedites matters by asking him to find the killer and recover the money.

A rollercoaster begins - one that involves the Russian Mafia - and Ted is embroiled very quickly in something he might not be able to come out of alive.

The writing is good, though some parts felt too descriptive for my taste. This is the first Michael Sears book I have read and I will surely be reading his other books.

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Michael Sears does a wonderful of making Queens, NYC very vivid...you feel you could parachute in and find your way around. My problem is with the overcrowded story. It’s complicated by subplots and the primary storyline is intriguing but ends up flooded with the Russian mafia and too many stock figures from the world of mystery/thrillers. I’m giving three stars because I think some readers would like this book....but in my opinion this would have been a better book if pruned back.

Ted Malloy once the top of his class coming out of law school and heading to a top New York prestiges law firm along with getting the girl from said law firm. But he ends up in divorce and gets driven out of the law firm. He manages to make a living by reuniting individuals that lost property in commercial foreclosures and had leftover money they did exist with said money for a finders fee. This is not glamourous work but it keeps the bills paid. Things seem to be going all right until his runner who brings Mr. Malloy potential cases brings him one that goes against his better judgment seeing that there is to much money there. Things take a turn for the worse when his runner turns up dead from what looks like maybe a hit. This brings Mr. Molloy into quite a cast of characters and potentially a murder suspect. This book has social activist, crooked politicians, Russian hitman to name a few. This story keeps you interested from start until the end with many twist and turn. It is a good read and you will not be disappointed. I received an ARC from Netgalley and SoHo press for a fair and honest review.

Tower of Babel is set in Queens NY and features a fast-paced plot in the world of real estate law. You get mystery, corruption, suspense, and easy-to-hate real estate developers. This was my first Michael Sears novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to Soho Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

Tower of Babel by Michael Sears
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: Ted Malloy is a burnt out former lawyer scraping by finding left over surplus money from lost property. Or some such scheme. When his helper is murdered and the spouse demands he find the killer it’s sets a conspiracy thriller into full throttle as Ted risks life and limb to find out why his partner was killed.

Comments: A great fast page turning and original conspiracy thriller. Sears doesn’t get fancy with his writing, but he sure knows how to get the reader flipping those pages. If you like a good financial thriller, and completely original, this is a fun book. Recommended

Ted Malloy's life as a lawyer for a well-regarded law firm in Manhattan, married to the beloved granddaughter of a powerful judge, has fallen apart. He has returned to his native Queens where he mines a crack in real estate deals for a living. It's not a glamorous life - he gets paid when he finds commercial property that has been foreclosed and is being sold at auction. If the price paid for the property is higher than what is owed in mortgage payments and back taxes, the difference can be claimed by the previous owner. Ted has an ex-con gopher who locates records of such auctions, then Ted locates the previous owners and splits this "surplus money" with them. Usually it's not a lot of money, but it's enough for Ted. But his gopher comes across an unusual case where the "surplus" is over a million bucks. Normally Ted wouldn't pursue big deals like this, but when his gopher is killed and the man's wife asks Ted to find the money and the murderer, his sense of justice is aroused and he agrees to check it out, dipping a toe into a fast-moving current of corruption.

Michael Sears is known for financial thrillers that send readers into the moneyed halls of Wall Street firms. In this debut of a new series, he sets readers down far from Wall Street, on the streets of the most diverse county in the nation, where most residents get by with small businesses and modest lives but where gentrification is threatening to upend lives. The characters in this novel are well drawn, the plot is intricate, and the pacing, while not break-neck, has a steady foot on the accelerator. Moving to Queens may be a step down on the financial ladder for Ted Malloy but it's a good move for readers who've had enough of Wall Street but not of Michael Sears.