Review: Suspicion

Summary: When single father Danny Goodman suddenly finds himself unable to afford the private school his teenage daughter adores, he has no one to turn to for financial support.

In what seems like a stroke of brilliant luck, Danny meets Thomas Galvin, the father of his daughter’s new best friend, who also happens to be one of the wealthiest men in Boston. Galvin is aware of Danny’s situation and out of the blue offers a $50,000 loan to help Danny cover his daughter’s tuition. Uncomfortable but desperate, Danny takes the money, promising to pay Galvin back.

What transpires is something Danny never imagined. The moment the money is wired into his account, the DEA comes knocking on his door. Danny’s impossible choice: an indictment for accepting drug money that he can’t afford to fight in court, or an unthinkably treacherous undercover assignment helping the government get close to his new family friend.

As Danny begins to lie to everyone in his life, including those he loves most in the world, he must decide once and for all who the real enemy is or risk losing everything—and everyone—that matters to him. -- Dutton

I don't think I've read a book by Joseph Finder for quite awhile, but when I read the description for his newest one SUSPICION, I thought it sounded terrific! One of the main reasons I started Mystery Mondays a few years ago was to discover great mysteries and thrillers and share them with you. I think SUSPICION is one of those!

SUSPICION tells the story of Danny Goodman, a single dad who doesn't have the money to pay for his daughter's private school education. That's when Thomas Galvin enters the picture! Galvin is the father of Goodman's daughter's best friend and one of the richest men in Boston. He offers Goodman a loan of $50,000 to help cover the tuition, and Goodman reluctantly accepts.

Fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money for Goodman to owe; however, the debt is only the beginning of his problems. Immediately after Galvin wires the money into Goodman's account, the DEA comes knocking. They give him quite the ultimatum. He can either be indicted for accepting drug money (and probably become a target of a major drug cartel) or start "spying" on Goodman which also has its fair share of risk!

The DEA agents keep asking Goodman for more and more, and the stakes keep getting higher. Not only is Goodman in danger, but he fears that everyone he holds dear is at risk too. As Goodman tries to balance pleasing the DEA agents with staying "friends" with Galvin with protecting his loved ones, he discovers that he isn't sure what's the truth or who he can trust.

I liked SUSPICION quite a bit and I think fans of thrillers will appreciate this exciting and fast-paced novel. I actually couldn't put the book down and my heart raced as Goodman got himself into one tense situation after another. I was extremely impressed with not only Mr. Finder's invention of a creative story, but also his ability to build suspense. In addition to creating a likable character in Goodman, Mr. Finder also managed to keep my interest with the crazy amount of twists and turns in the story. I will definitely admit to being majorly surprised more than a few times!

As much as I loved the entire book, I'm still a little up in the air about how I feel about the ending. Don't get me wrong, I was happy with how things worked out for Goodman. (I can't really say much more than that!) However, I felt as if everything wrapped up a little too neat and tidy. I guess it's not really a complaint of mine about the novel, though, because if things had ended differently, I think I would have been disappointed. Does that make sense?

Overall, SUSPICION is a great thriller with one exciting and tense-filled scene after another. I wouldn't be surprised to see this come to the big screen in the future. Highly recommended for fans of thrillers and mysteries. It's a great addition to your beach or pool bag this summer!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read. Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.