Next month, it will have been five years since I read and reviewed a book by Joseph Finder…that one was 5-star House On Fire, #4 in the Nick Heller series (note to self: go back and read 1-4!!) During the pandemic, I read a ton of books, including lots of thrillers, espionage and finance-related stories, but Finder is such a great writer and storyteller, I was extremely happy to receive a copy of The Oligarch’s Daughter from Harper and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

Not part of a series, this story focuses on Grant Anderson, a quiet man living in a small town in New England, harboring a huge secret. Five years ago, he was living in New York, working as a hotshot young financial wizard on Wall Street named Paul Brightman. He met, fell in love, and married a beautiful photographer, completely unaware that her father was a Russian oligarch. When Paul went to work for her father, he became more and more aware of the complex illegal investment schemes he was being dragged into, leading him essentially become a spy. Not surprisingly, when the Russians found out, he went on the run, adopted a new identity, and hid out in the woods, having learned survival skills from his father (“a sleeping bag is a bear’s taco”). He had a complex security system that worked – until it didn’t. The story is told with alternating timelines, and as the story unravels, the mystery and tension increase. It’s such a cliche to say a book will keep you up all night, but this one really did. I loved the complexity of the story and the unraveling of the situation Paul/Grant found himself in. Five stars. I loved it!

This was a five star fast paced thriller that will have your heart pounding along with the main character Paul Brightman as he has to look over his shoulder at every given moment! Finder mixes finance, espionage, family and love where the stakes are as high as the body count.
Grant Anderson is boat builder living an unassuming life in a quiet town of New Hampshire. When an attempt is made on his life, he knows its time to run! That’s because Anderson is actually Paul Brightman. Brightman was a Wall Street phenom who fell in love and married a beautiful photographer, Tatyana. Once married, and pulled into her father’s business does Brightman realize the extent of his father in law’s ties to the Russian oligarchs and the pressure upon him to cooperate in their illicit dealings. The more he digs, the more suspicions he raises and the more danger he is in.
With dual timelines, both with high intensity tension and no one to trust this page turning thriller will have you on the edge of your seat, staying up late to reach the final conclusion!

Joseph Finder expertly delivers the suspense in his latest thriller, "The Oligarch's Daughter". When Paul Brightman, a rising Wall Street financial whiz meets a beautiful photographer, Tatyana, he's unaware that her father is an extremely wealthy Russian oligarch. They marry, Paul accepts a position at his father-in-law's firm despite initial misgivings. His innate sense that something is off grows. Finder tells his story using alternating timelines, one following Paul's relationship and suspicions of his work and his life on the run 6 years later. Finder seamlessly weaves the background of Russian oligarchs and the power they continue to hold over governments and financial markets throughout the story. Finder's own background and knowlege of Russia makes "The Oligarch's Daughter" a compelling thriller. I've yet to be disappointed with anything written by Joseph Finder. His books are that good.

A modern-day homage to classic cold war thrillers, The Oligarch’s Daughter is an intriguing, pulse-pounding and exhilarating story that’s all gas no brakes. Joseph Finder’s latest novel will keep you on your toes and on the edge of your seat as you journey through this tangled web of finance, love, espionage and geopolitics.

Grant Anderson is living a quiet life building and repairing boats in a small New Hampshire town. But he has a secret. Grant is really Paul Brightman, a man hiding out from dangerous people looking to find and kill him. Because 6 years ago, Paul was a hot shot on Wall Street who fell in love with and married the daughter of a Russian oligarch, for whom he went to work and then found himself becoming a spy for US law enforcement and intelligence agencies rather than conduct illegal investment activities. Unfortunately for him, the Russians don’t take kindly to traitors and have long memories. Now, with Paul’s location and cover being compromised, he must go on the run once again while trying to unravel a long-standing conspiracy that, if he can solve and expose, could save his life. If the Russian operatives hot on his trail don’t get to him first.

Expect to be in a constant state of tension and anxiety as you jump back and forth from the present to the events of 6 years ago. Finder barely ever lets you take a breather, moving from one perilous moment to another, wondering if each one will spell disaster and finally result in Paul’s death or maybe he will continue to narrowly escape by the skin of his teeth. It’s this contrast of terror and hope that propels this novel forward at a blistering pace, compelling you to rush to the end in search for the truth.

Another well-crafted and wonderfully executed thriller by Joseph Finder, The Oligarch’s Daughter will appeal to those who love a good cold war-esque story, as well as anyone who enjoys an adrenaline-fueled cat and mouse game. It’s compelling and exciting from start to finish.

A riveting thriller playing out in two timelines, interwoven intricately by Joseph Finder for an excellent payoff. It’s corporate espionage at its finest.

This book was every cliche, in the best way possible. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Yes. Stayed up all night long, couldn’t put it down until I read the last page? Yes. Jaw dropped (especially learning about the palm print/blood flow scenario)? Yes. This is Finder at the top of his game. I loved it. Thank you Joseph Finder and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of’The Oligarch’s Daughter’.

Joe Finder writes great thrillers. The Oligarch's Daughter continues that tradition. Money, big money, bad guys, every bad guys, and Russian criminals. What more do you need? Great characters, a fast-moving plots, and strong writing. Highly recommended.

DP Lyle

This book is the definition of a page turner! Told in alternate time lines of the present and five years earlier, the story of how the protagonist met and married the daughter of an apparent Russian billionaire oligarch, plays out as he runs from a new assumed identity once his new life is discovered and exposed. Well plotted, with a few unexpected twists and some background which explains the hero's unique skills, I literally read it straight through in one day!

Thrillers aren’t really my thing, but I love novels set in Russia or involving Russians, especially when the author actually knows something about Russia, its language, and its history—long-ago or recent. This novel certainly meets those criteria.

It’s difficult to say much without giving away crucial plot points, but structurally the story occurs in alternating timelines: one in the present day and the other five to six years in the past. In the current timeline, Grant Anderson, a boat builder in New England, is minding his own business when several thugs from his past track him down and force him to flee for his life. In the earlier timeline, a young Wall Street analyst named Paul Brightman attends what he anticipates will be a boring social event, only to run into a beautiful blonde who gives her name as Tatyana Belkin. Paul finds her instantly appealing.

Suffice it to say that Tatyana is not telling Paul the full story, and over time his attraction to her drags him into a situation that operates by rules he neither recognizes nor completely understands. How these two threads intertwine, I will leave readers to discover. You can also find out more from my blog interview with the author (link below) in late January, when the book appears.

Paul Brightman is hiding. There is a bounty on his head with very violent Russians hoping to cash in.
What would have happened if he hadn't met Tatyana, the oligarch's daughter?

In this action-packed, vicious story, Paul flees to the woods of New Hampshire. Finder does an excellent job of creating depth in the character and in the surrounding community - this is not a one-dimensional spy thriller! Finder is an author that can add tension without subtracting content. Grab this novel now and help Paul try to evade his killers and live for weeks in the wilderness.
#harper #theoligarchsdaughter #josephfinder

The Oligarch’s Daughter was an excellent book. The chapters were quick and it was really hard to put down.

The story is about a young professional Wall Street broker, Paul Brightman who meets and falls in love with a Russian photographer, Tatyana. He doesn’t know until much later after meeting her that she is the daughter of a very wealthy Russian oligarch. Without giving too much away - Paul then finds himself in the middle of an organization involved in insider trading, among other things, being watched by several government agencies. The story goes back and forth between five years in the past and present day.

This was a very fast paced book that kept me guessing right up until the end.

Having read a few of Joseph Finder’s previous titles, I will keep him on my list as a favorite author. Highly recommend.

The book starts out in what seems like will be a very predictable way. The twists and turns in this novel had me second guessing who the true villain of the story was. The descriptions of the grandeur of the Oligarch in question will delight readers, while the nitty gritty action scenes will appeal to those who want some fighting in their stories. This book had me hooked from the beginning.