Not since Jack Reacher has there been such a quickthinking, hard-edged antihero who readers will root for against all odds
All recovering drug addict and reformed thief Montgomery Haaviko wants to do is settle down with his wife and baby in their new home and work on building a straight life, one free of the day-to-day hustle and danger of being a career criminal. But for a man who's never held down a legitimate job it isn't going to be easy. When Monty foils a robbery in his new home, killing the intruders, he soon finds he has both a small-time crime boss and a star police sergeant looking for ways to ruin him, run him out of town, or kill him. It's going to take all of the tricks this streetwise ex-con has up his sleeves to prove his innocence, protect his family, and avoid the temptation of the life he left behind.
Montgomery Haaviko's Tricks of the Trade:
• Be nice. Nice is good. Nice sets a standard. Then, when you get mean, the shock is strongest.
• Armored cars are owned by people with guns.
• When burglarizing a house move slowly. Then slow down. Now cut it by half. And you've got it.
• A couple of drops of crazy glue on the tips of your fingers will eliminate fingerprints.
"Monty Haaviko… is a very engaging protagonist and narrator with a story arc that takes him in one direction and then another, back and forth, until the tale reaches its rewarding and appropriate conclusion (leaving the door open, incidentally, for a sequel or two). Van Rooy is not merely a capable writer but a quite gifted one; he draws us into the story pretty much immediately and never really g
Booklist
"A fairy tale worthy… of Quentin Tarantino. Michael van Rooy… makes his hero a MacGyver of crime, who spouts handy lawbreaking tips even as he creates elaborate booby traps or sets up the bad cop for a fall. He's really committed to his new life with his wife and baby, and that makes him a charming rogue instead of a smart-aleck lowlife."
The Charlotte Observer
"A fast and funny tale about an ex-con going straight the crooked way.... Exceptionally readable entertainment."
