Midas

by Russell Andrews

Book Overview

New York's Hamptons are the summer playground for Wall Street big shots, Hollywood starlets, and all species of glitterati in between. But when a Middle Eastern man rigged with explosives walks into a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892967919
• ISBN13: 9780892967919
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Mysterious Press
• Length: 371 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Midas by Russell Andrews

Excellent mystery. I have read all of his books wish there were more to read.

This book has it all.

This book has it all: intrigue, politics, terrorism, romance, wealth with a Hamptons backdrop. He did alot of research for this book and it is a real page turner. I'm looking forward to his next one...

"Midas" is golden.

Russell Andrews, in his new novel, "Midas," succeeds at an almost impossible task. He uses the old "conspiracy theory" and "corruption in high places" formula and actually makes it fresh and compelling. The protagonist is Justin (Jay) Westwood, a cop in East End Harbor, Long Island. When Jay's boss, police chief Jimmy Leggett, is killed in what appears to be a terrorist bombing of a local restaurant, the mayor appoints Jay to take Jimmy's place. Shortly after the bombing, a small plane crashes in East End Harbor. Jay decides to investigate, but the pilot's body is quickly whisked away. When Jay questions the authorities, he is stymied at every turn. Being a good cop and a curious individual, Jay calls in favors from some friends of his, and he begins to put together the pieces of a mind-boggling conspiracy. As witnesses are killed off one by one, Jay has a choice. Should he play it safe and back off, or should he keep pressing for answers, even if doing so might cost him his life? "Midas" is a timely thriller that deals with issues in the news: escalating oil prices, terrorism and the government's response to it, and the abuse of political power for personal gain. Jay Westwood is an appealing, albeit flawed hero with his share of inner demons. He is grieving over the tragic loss of his wife and child, and, more often than he'd like to admit, he anesthetizes himself with pot and booze in order to get to sleep. Still, he has a core of inner strength and integrity, as well as a passion for justice; he is stubbornly unwilling to let important questions go unanswered. When he is warned to stop investigating, Jay redoubles his efforts to get at the truth. Andrews has created a fascinating and varied cast of characters. Bruno Pecozzi is an oversized hitman for the mob who, for some reason, is rather fond of the police chief. A sexy cop named Regina Bokkenheuser joins the East End Harbor police force as Jay's assistant and she soon becomes indispensable, both professionally and personally. Other memorable characters are Chuck Billings, an obsessive bomb expert who never takes a crime scene at face value, Hubbell Schrader, a vicious FBI agent, and Theresa Cooke, the jittery and terrified widow of the mysterious dead pilot. "Midas" is action-packed and fast-moving. Andrews has woven a plot that is complex but comprehensible. As Jay slowly sifts through dozens of clues and puts together the disparate elements of his case, he eventually realizes that he is up against people who can crush him instantly. There is a particularly harrowing and well-written sequence in which the author describes Jay's incarceration under subhuman conditions. The dialogue is sharp and realistic, the book has an internal logic that works throughout, and the novel concludes with some nifty surprises. "Midas" is a suspenseful and engrossing story that effortlessly sweeps the reader along from beginning to end.

A timely read....an edge of the seater

Russell Andrews delivers a page turner in Midas. This is my first Andrews novel and it now appears that I have some catching up to do with his earlier novels; Gideon, Icarus, and Aphrodite. In Midas we witness an apparent terrorist bombing in a small Long Island restaurant killing everyone inside, including the current Sheriff, Jimmy Leggett. The new sheriff Justin Westwood is soon on the case. Before he can make much progress with the bombing, a plane crash draws him into another investigation. Eventually he suspects the two events are connected. The rest of the book is a roller coaster ride. Of particular interest for some readers will be the pages dealing with Guantanomo Bay.... Well written, with great characters in a fast paced story, Midas is worth the time it takes to read. I suspect others will continue to discover Russell Andrews and I certainly will look for new books from him in the future.

Good Techno Thriller, Quite Anti-Government

Two points about this book immediately come to mind: 1. If you're a devoted fan of Michael Moore and his Hollywood crowd and believe that the Government is truly evil, capable of anything, and putting all kinds of nefarious conspiracy plans into action, then this is exactly the book for you (the author is an actor). If you believe the Government is a bunch of folk stumbling along as best they can, then you might want to ignore this book, or perhaps just ignore the big conspiracy and read it for the rest of the story which is pretty good in its own right. 2. Surprisingly, the technical aspects of the book are also pretty good. I wouldn't put it quite up there with a Clancy, but the planes, bombs, and even the financial aspects are pretty detailed. The story itself has a post 9/11 plot, which begins with the first suicide bomber in the US. It goes on from there to more terrorism, interconnected in some pretty strange ways. There's also a pretty strange set of characters, especially the bad guys. Good story, highly recommended, if the anti-government aspects doesn't get to you.