The Benefactor

by John Moran

Book Overview

A young widow discovers her husband's accidental death is the latest in a decade-long series of murders-for-profit.

Kay Daniels's troubled marriage ends when her wealthy husband dies in a car crash. After the funeral, a stranger, calling himself her benefactor, reveals the truth about the accident. An urbane foreigner of indeterminate origin, he explains how he targets an affluent couple in conflict, disposes of the wealthier partner, and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1087889979
• ISBN13: 9781087889979
• Release Date: August 2020
• Publisher: Atelier Publishing Company
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

as the knife twists

This book is pure plot with twists and teasers that will delight aficionados of the mystery genre and desultory readers who like to be manipulated by its devises. Masterfully crafted, The Benefactor begs to be made into a movie. A thinner Alec Baldwin would make a great MacBride.

A Whirlwind Read

The Benefactor was a whirlwind read. The author provides an ingenious plot, with rich character development from beginning to end. This is not a cookie-cutter mystery, there was no way to correctly predict what was going to happen next. I could not put this book, I haven't done that since The Thorn Birds. Kudos to John Moran. I cannot wait for his next novel.

exhilarating tale

In Connecticut forty-one year old widow Kay Daniels does not grieve the death of her spouse Bernard in a car accident. He had become an ugly alcoholic abusing her to the point she had to take out a restraining order. Kay feared mostly for her daughter Kelley. Bernard's death left her free of his violence and wealthy as she inherits all. A few months later, a stranger Nikolas Seifer demands she give him half of the estate. He explains that he is a businessman who arranges accidental deaths to eliminate abusive partners so that the survivor, his unwitting client, inherits. Nikolas shows her proof that if she failed to cooperate he will give to the cops, especially New Croyden Homicide Detective Frank Sinclair who suspects her of killing her husband. The Nebraska phone number of the driver Marilyn Jarvis who killed Bernard in a vehicular accident is listed on Kay's AT & T bill just before the death and they were in the same hotel the night before. Kay is stunned as she wants to tell Nikolas to go to hell, but fears he has her trapped. Just before leaving her, Nikolas says he will not be back after she remits her one payment because he does not want her bankrupt so that she talks to the law; but also warns her if she fails to remit his fee, there will be repercussions. THE BENEFACTOR will hook readers with the fresh extortion scheme from the onset as Nikolas visits Kay and never slows down even with a romantic subplot that actually enhances the tense thriller. Nikolas the assassin arranger owns the novel though his appearances are somewhat limited compared to the beleaguered heroine; he is a terrific psychopath whose brilliant calm coldness sets the tone of this fast-paced story line. Readers will enjoy John Moran's exhilarating tale and in a macabre fascination with the villain will relish more Seifer kills; perhaps some of those he presented to sell his case to Kay. Harriet Klausner