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Criminal Enterprise
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Criminal Enterprise
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Criminal Enterprise
Audiobook10 hours

Criminal Enterprise

Written by Owen Laukkanen

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

The new Stevens and Windermere novel from the author of the dazzlingly acclaimed The Professionals-"one of the best debuts of the year" (Mystery Scene).

From the outside, Carter Tomlin's life looked perfect: a big house, pretty wife, two kids-a St. Paul success story. But Tomlin has a secret. He's lost his job, the bills are mounting, and that perfect life is hanging by a thread. Desperate, he robs a bank. Then he robs another.

As the red flags start to go up, FBI Special Agent Carla Windermere homes in on Tomlin from one direction, while Minnesota state investigator Kirk Stevens picks up the trail from another. The two cops haven't talked since their first case together, but that's all going to change very quickly.

Because Carter Tomlin's decided he likes robbing banks. And it's not because of the money, not anymore. Tomlin has guns and a new taste for violence. And he's not quitting anytime soon.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 21, 2013
ISBN9781101605004
Unavailable
Criminal Enterprise

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Rating: 3.887324366197183 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I initially read CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE only because its author, Owen Laukkanen, is to be part of a panel of authors I will be seeing at a book festival later this month. Turns out, though, this book is very good; I enjoyed it so much it made me put off doing things, such as sleeping, in favor of reading. I even suspect that Laukkanen kept the book's chapters short so that his readers could convince themselves they could read just one more little chapter.Seriously, Laukkanen's two- and three-page chapters added to the feeling that so much was happening in a really short time. A regular guy turned bank robber to preserve his family's swank lifestyle, then turned murderer, and finally turned psycho. He is pursued first by Carla Windermere of the FBI. Then, by coincidence, Kirk Stevens, a state investigator, gets involved. Apparently, the same two characters are also partners in an earlier book, THE PROFESSIONALS.But, although CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE is the second book in a series, it can be read as a standalone (one sign of good writing). I had no trouble. I did, however, wish I had read the first in this series simply because I enjoyed the second so much.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the second book in the series featuring FBI Agent Windermere and her sometime associate from the BCA, Stevens. After the whirlwind thrill ride from Laukkanen's previous book, The Professionals, maybe I set my standards too high, as I felt this offering fell flat.The premise of a homeowner and business man trying to provide for his family, after losing his sole source of income and turning to crime, isn't new. This type of story makes the news everyday, although not in quite the dramatic detail that is shown here. Where the disappointment as a reader came, was the motivation and thought process that drove the protagonist. It's a shallow and shadowy explanation; leaving one to question how much of it ended up on the editing floor to make an action book, and foregoing the actual growth of the characters. Overall, the entire book seemed to lack any depth. I'm hoping it's due to youthful enthusiasm in trying to appease an impatient audience wanting to read more. The author has some well conceived ideas, and I'm hoping in the future he spends more time developing the story and characters and less in trying to make high-octane, action packed movie sequences. As much as I would, and still do recommend The Professionals, I'm afraid this one is going to get shelved and buried deep.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received an Early Reviewer's edition of Criminal Enterprise and found it riveting. The reader's exposure to both the evolution of the perpetrator's crime spree and the intricate sleuthing of FBI agent Windemere and BCA agent Stevens is very original and compelling. I enjoyed the added spice of the tension between Carla Windemere and Kirk Stevens. I have not yet read "The Professionals", but this introduction to author Owen Laukkanen has certainly inspired me to seek it out!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Carter Tomlin looks like a man with everything. He has a job with a huge salary, a beautiful wife and two daughters, he drives a Jaguar, he and owns a huge house in a great neighborhood. When he gets laid off from his job, he makes a snap decision to rob a bank. When he realizes how easy it is to do, he gets a few guns and a couple of partners and turns it into a full-time business. Before long he's doing it because he enjoys the power he feels every time he holds a gun on someone. Of course, it's not long before terrorizing bank tellers isn't enough and his behavior escalates.

    Criminal Enterprise has excellent writing, an interesting story and exciting characters. The book has a lot of chapters, but they are quite short and very easy to read. This proves to be a good way to keep the story moving at a fast pace, as well as approach the story from the point of three different narrators: Stevens, Windermere, and Carter Tomlin. Criminal Enterprise is a very entertaining thriller with an engrossing plot and fast paced action sequences. The characters are well written and it's especially fascinating to see the way Carter Tomlin changes throughout the book.

    I really enjoyed the first book in the Stevens and Windermere series, the Professionals. Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere work for different agencies but successfully teamed up in the prior book. In this one they are not in contact and seem to work the case from their own angles until halfway through the book. I really like their chemistry and hope they work more together in the next book, Kill Fee.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great second novel from Laukkanen. I loved having the thriller from the point of view of the criminal and to see what led him to this life of crime. Of course, along the way I couldn't no longer relate in any way with him and his "plight". But the joyride was still a lot of fun. Really wanted Agent Stevens to shine through some more in this book, but he was really just blah. Hopefully the next book breathes a little more life into him.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    'Criminal Enterprise', Laukkanen's 2nd in the series, is a very good action story that reprises the pairing of FBI agent Carla Windermere and Minnesota state policeman Kirk Stevens. Unlike 'The Professionals', in this one they weren't officially on the case together- circumstances just sort of made that happen.

    The short plot summary is that a fairly young professional is having money problems and on a whim decides to rob a bank. The payoff isn't very much but he gets a rush from the action, escalates his activities to get more money and bigger rushes, and the police begin to track him down.

    Since this book was good enough to entice me to knock it out in a couple days, I suppose I liked it pretty well. (SPOILER ALERT!) However, as with his earlier effort, Laukkanen leaves me wondering about the plausibility of a few things: How likely was it that a bland, almost middle-aged 'good guy' would turn into such a monster? How did he so quickly develop the expertise to use the weapons he acquired? How big a coincidence was it that his family life intersects that of the state cop? Had he not ever seen the movie 'Heat' (re: difficulty in pulling off armored car robberies....), and, finally, why did one of the 10 kids in the house at the end not pull out a cellphone (which I can guarantee they all had) and texted or called someone to alert police to the fact that armed bad guys were in the house? (END SPOILER)

    So, in conclusion, this was a fine police thriller, well-written with good characters, that had a few holes in its story but was otherwise a good addition to his series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    So I got this book a long time ago. I never picked it up and kind of forgot about it. Recently, I was going through my shelves on something to read and decided that I would try to make a little dent in my TBR pile. I say "little" as it will take me a long time to make a "big" dent. I would need about a year off from work to do this. Not kidding. I picked up this book and started reading it. I did finish it in one day. It moved fairly quickly and had plenty of good dialect and action to keep the story moving and not getting stale. However, I found that Kirk kind of faded in the background for me. In fact if someone asked me to describe him, I would say "boring". Not true for Carter and especially, Carla. Carter was the bad guy that you loved to hate. I could forgive him even in the beginning for robbing the banks as he was doing it for his family. Yet as he got more bold, he turned into a jerk. Carla on the other hand was very smart and quick on her feet. She I thought, blew all the guys out of the water with her performance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Meet Carter Tomlin - an accountant that is deeply in debt but is not ready to stop living the life that he and his family had enjoyed. And the only way to do that will be to start living a life of crime, especially when he looses his job. The early jobs are pretty successful so he gets more and more confident... not realizing that everyone makes mistakes. The book is written in short chapters - and if in the earlier part of the book they make sense (they always switch the perspective), later on this changes and in some cases the next chapter just continues the story where the previous one stopped - almost as if the author was too scared to make a long chapter. Of course, there are also detectives - one from FBI, one from BCA - who in the old long tradition of the genre are as different as possible but manage to work together. I had not read the first book in the series but the backstory you need is here - so that is not a problem. Overall an enjoyable thriller and I will probably check the first entry in the series (and probably the later ones as well)PS: Re-posting the review... somehow I managed to delete it at some point...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In Laukkanen's first novel, The Professionals, FBI Agent Carla Windermere teamed up with older, steadier BCA Agent Kirk Stevens to take down a crew of kidnappers. In Criminal Enterprise, the author introduces Carter Tomlin, an accountant deeply in debt after being laid off and too proud to file bankruptcy. Desperate to provide for his family, Tomlin robs a bank and finds it not only surprisingly easy but exhilarating. The take, however, is a drop in his bucket of debt so he escalates to more lucrative targets - and adds serious fire power. The adrenaline rush and addiction to violence soon take their toll on Tomlin's psyche. Smart and observant Windermere has a hunch about Tomlin but no proof and a worthless new partner. She'd like to work with Stevens again but he promised his wife after the last case that he wouldn't play cowboy anymore -- until danger shows up at his door. Could his daughter's basketball coach really be guilty of these crimes, as Windermere suspects? A fast-paced plot steadily accelerates with hair-pin plot turns as Windermere and Stevens, separately and together, chase the clues. Unsettling but compelling; some profanity and graphic violence. Two small plot points are a little weak but Laukkanen once again turns up the heat and his smart, next-door-neighbor villains crumble under the pressure. Windermere and Stevens have a complicated attraction to each other, somewhere between professional and personal, that promises to develop in future novels.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent! Instead of a typical "whodunit," Laukkanen has crafted a story using the parallel route of criminal and cop. But that isn't enough -- the author has also woven in several contributing side stories that do all come together, not all at once but at critical intersections.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not having read the first book in this series this was my first exposure to the crime fighting team of Minnesota investigator Kirk Stevens (married white male) and Carla Windermere (single African-American female originally from Mississippi). Author Owen Laukkanen captures the reader's attention on page one and blends his characters' backstories with an action oriented narrative that never lets up.Some of the characters verge on the stereotypical but it hardly detracts from the well paced development of the storyline. Fans of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers will love this one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In The Professionals FBI Agent Windermere and BCA Office Stevens found they worked well together to bring down the bad guys. Despite promises to keep in touch, other than a cup of coffee once, they went their separate ways. When the prime suspect in a string of bank robberies beeps on Agent Windermere’s radar and that same person happens to coach high school basketball with Officer Stevens their paths cross once again. But Officer Stevens can’t help but wonder if possibly she is off the mark on this once. After all, why would a man who has everything going for him – big house, good job, nice family – resort to robbing banks?

    The Professionals was an excellent page-turner, and with his second novel Mr. Laukkanen proves that was not a fluke. Even better than his first, this story moves along smoothly and quickly. His “bad guy” is once again a normal person, through unforeseen circumstance (and really bad judgment), finds himself in an unusual situation. I hope to read more from Mr. Laukkanen.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “Criminal Enterprise” is a second book about the team of Windermere and Stevens by Owen Laukkanen. “The Professionals” is the first in the series. It is a story of qualified but unemployed individual who loses his job and turns to kidnapping-for-ransom when he cannot get another job that supports him in the way that he is accustomed. Because of the tight job market and his need to acquire money, he turns to crime. FBI agent Windermere and Minnesota State Investigator Stevens are in charge of the investigation and charged with solving the crime. The police characters were not a great fit and for me the dynamics between them did not add to the interest in the story line. There is a bit of a romantic interest but it is not developed and the characters were not very likeable. I felt the main character Carter Tomlin was much more interesting than the other characters in the book. One concern I had while reading this was that it seemed that it was almost seen as okay to turn to kidnapping or other crimes to preserve your lifestyle if you were down on you luck. It was a bit unnerving to see how seductive that the feeling of power and control, especially using force and violence became to the Tomlin. It’s a bit unnerving thinking that circumstances of security and unemployment could change someone so completely. The book was faced paced and entertaining. I would give it 3.5 stars. Thank you to Librarything for the Advanced Copy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Tomlin is unpredictable and driven in his need for crime, he has little remorse. He analyses his progress with tension calculating every move for control without loss. Situations are created by Tomlin while repercussions and investigations swirl into his path. In their investigation, Carla and Kirk's suspicions of Tomlin’s responses bring him closer to wrongdoing. This character driven thriller has suspense building at every turn of events. I recommend this book to fans of crime thrillers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Criminal Enterprise is the second Windermere and Stevens book by Owen Laukkanen, and as good as the first one is (The Professionals), this one is better. The criminals in Laukkanen’s books are not career criminals or people from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are mostly unremarkable people, some even affluent, who face a crossroad and head down a path that grows increasingly dangerous and violent. The villain in Criminal Enterprise, Carter Tomlin, is an ordinary, affluent middle-age businessman who faced with job loss, turns to robbing banks. The ease at which each little decision steers him down a path from which it becomes increasingly difficult and eventually impossible to return is both fascinating and frightening. The idea that someone like this could be your neighbor, your kids’ basketball coach, and even your spouse with you not having the first clue about their secret life is shocking and makes for great drama.The relationship between FBI agent Windermere and Minnesota State Investigator Stevens presents a likewise fascinating and unique dynamic. As a team, who are not really partners, they work incredibly well together. There’s also a quasi-romantic attraction between them that is never acted on and very complex. The plot moves forward crisply and at a very fast-pace, aided by short chapters and alternating viewpoints that keep you reading to see what happens next. Laukkanen is especially gifted at making you feel like you have a ringside seat to watching someone’s life unravel, and even as fortuitous as they may be in evading capture, they are also unable to break free of the downward spiral and the noose that you feel inexorably tightening around their necks. The action is well-written and thrilling. Frightening, violent and compelling. There are a number of possible outcomes that prevent you from seeing exactly how things will play out and this keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end. If there is a formula to be discerned on the basis of his first two books (ordinary people turned criminals, seemingly mismatched partners who work well together, secondary bad guys racing the cops to get to the main set of criminals), it’s a formula that works well because of the very strong writing. If you enjoyed Laukkanen’s first book, you will enjoy this one as well. If you are new to his work, you can jump in without having to have read the first book. This is an exceptionally well-written thriller and this is an author you will be hearing a lot more from in the future. Highly recommended.I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a story of a man who tries tries to keep his family living in the style they have learned to enjoy even though he loses his job. He commits several robberies and eventually works with a couple of other people in this endeavor. The whole time his wife has no idea what he is up to or how the bills are being paid. This is an ok mystery--just not the best. I appreciate LibraryThing selecting me to review this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Overall, this was an enjoyable read. However, it lacked a certain amount of substance that I've come to expect from other, more seasoned, writers. The build up was good, but the finale was lack luster. I would probably pick up another of Laukkanen's books for a beach read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was drawn to this book in part because I am a native Minnesotan, went to college in St. Paul just two blocks off Summit Avenue, and had family who lived in Hastings...all part of the plot. I was drawn into the story and read it in an afternoon, but frankly, found the plot to be very implausible...It's almost like he was trying to write a story that in many ways paralleled "Fargo" -- guy runs into financial problems and tries to find a quick fix and then gets drawn in with all sorts of unsavory characters and situations and sacrifices his family in the process...Watch the movie "Fargo" and you will get an idea of what a movie version of this book will look like...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Criminal Enterprise is a fast read with lots of action right from the get go; I didn't want to put it down. I have not read Laukkanen's first book, but I will look for it now. I like crime novels with strong women protagonists and Laukkanen's character Windemere fits that role.The plot is reminiscent of that movie from the 90's, "Falling Down", where the white collar guy snaps in a traffic jam and goes on a criminal spree, but in Criminal Enterprise the snapping is taken to a whole 'nother level as we watch the main antagonist transform through a complete psychotic breakdown and carry out unthinkable crimes. I also thought it was cool that Laukkanen acknowledge receiving help from CJ Box (and others), whose books I am currently reading though and enjoying.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fasten your seat belts, because Owen Laukkanen is about to take you on a wild ride! First, a bit of advice. If you have not read The Professionals, do that first. The character development of Windermere and Stevens is spot on, and it will serve as a good point to savor the delightful plotting and flow of Laukkanen's writing.I won't even bother doing a synopsis of this book. Just read It! If I could have given it 6 stars, I would have. This is my new favorite author. I hope there are many more Windermere and Stevens novels to come. Thankfully, there is a single unresolved plot thread which remains here, and I hope Owen is currently working on weaving that thread into the fabric of his next thriller.Now quit reading this review, and read Laukkanen instead.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a great way to spend a weekend, or a week. Once this story got cranking, I liked it better than the first one because this felt more tautly paced. Once you get about 3/4 of the way through, there's no good stopping point. You just have to read on through to the end.Laukkanen's style is somewhat similar to John Sandford's, with lots of action and quick scene changes delivered in chapters of 2 to 4 pages. He's thrown in some good sub-plots and family issues for the characters, so things keep moving and stay interesting.Carter Tomlin's shift from buttoned-down, high-powered accountant to murderous criminal strains credulity somewhat, but if thrillers were entirely believable and just like real life, who would want to read them?You don't need to have read the first book, The Professionals, to enjoy this one. There's enough background here about Windermere and Stevens to keep you from feeling left out or lost.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Owen Laukkanen is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! He would be a good choice for fans of Thomas Perry, as he has the same switching viewpoint between the criminal and the law enforcement agent. This is a follow up to Professionals and features the same characters but can be read on its own. His pacing and storytelling are excellent!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was fun to read and watch the author pull all the different threads of the story together. I am going to read the first book in the series and all future titles. Kirk Stevens is a Minnesota cop (BCA as all John Sandford fans know) and Carla Windermere is a black, female FBI agent. They work well together and have a chemistry when on the case. A bank robber who starts out solo has added two partners and robbed several banks in the Twin Cities. Carter Tomlin was foolish enough to use a dated parking receipt for his first holdup note. Windermere has tracked it down and discovered that Tomlin paid for the parking with his credit card. Tomlin was desperate after losing his high paying accounting job. He had just bought a McMansion in a tonier part of the cities. He owns a Jaguar and lives large with his wife and two children. He sees as his only way out to pull off bank jobs. At first you want to root for Tomlin and hope he can get back on his feet and end his crime spree. He proves to be not very likable, to say the least. He enjoys taunting and terrorizing bank tellers. Even after he has what seems like enough money and a new job he cannot stop. Tomlin ends up coaching a middle school basketball team that includes Kirk Stevens' daughter. There are a lot of elements to the plot that are brought together in a skillful and enjoyable way.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a fun read. The plot is interesting, the characters are interesting too, even though they are just a bit formulaic. I still give it five stars because it's just fun to read. I like the author's style of using short chapters and quick changes from one part of the story to another. I really liked the character of Stevens. Others might see him as the most boring of all the characters, but I really enjoyed reading about a man who struggles to keep his promises, and who has high morals. He's a perfect foil to the bad guy, who is driven solely by his baser instincts, but isn't drawn so much according to type that he's unbelievable. This will make a good beach novel or bedtime novel - if you can bare to put it down to go to sleep. After reading this one, I know I have to go back and read the previous one, and I look forward to more Laukkanen novels.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Criminal Enterprise was a great book. Full of action and drama. The characters were so real, like real life. I love FBI/Police dramas and this is on the top of the list. I can't wait for his next book. I definately recommend this to anyone who likes FBI/Police dramas.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I devoured Owen Laukkanen's debut novel The Professionals last year - it was one of those page turning thrillers that I love. And you always wonder after such a strong debut, can the author repeat that success? I have to tell you, Laukkanen did - and actually, I think he did an even better job with this second novel - Criminal Enterprise.Carter Tomlin is one of those guys living the 'good life'. Beautiful family, good job, big house, big car, all the toys and more. Until the economy takes a downswing....and Carter's job is no more. But, all the bills are still his. And he has a lifestyle to maintain for his family. With the pressure to keep up the façade, Carter does the unthinkable. He robs a bank. And then another.And then "It wasn't just about the money anymore. Not even close. It was about the excitement, the power, the quick jolt of electricity he felt when the pretty tellers wilted at the sight of his gun.....It was power. Control. Robbing banks filled the void while he pad off his mortgage. And nobody had figured him out."Someone is trying to figure it out though. Laukkanen brings back the two protagonists from his first book - FBI Agent Carl Windermere and Minnesota BCA detective Kirk Stevens. I was really glad to see this pair return - I really liked them both. They're opposite in personality and each brings a different outlook and set of strengths to the table. And there's a delicious tension between the two.The plotting is tantalizingly clever, with several twists that had me nodding my head in appreciation many times. The ending of one chapter just fueled me to quickly start the next. From Carter's thoughts to the progress of the cops on his trail, the storyline just grabbed me and didn't let go. Note: make sure to start this book when you've got a full day to yourself - you won't want to put it down.Suspense novels are one of my favourite genres and Laukkanen has firmly planted himself on my must read author list. Fans of authors Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay would love Laukkanen. So does John Sandford, who provided a cover blurb: " Laukkanen is slam-bang brilliant." I wholeheartedly agree!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a first rate thriller filled with exciting twists and turns. I really enjoyed the fact that not everything went smoothly for the main characters, both the cops and the villains and that Laukkanen resists the urge to have everything fall into their laps. Add in a thrilling conclusion makes this a top rate thriller.Free review copy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read and loved The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen and was thrilled to get a chance to read his next book, Criminal Enterprise. It follows a similar premise, ordinary people who get an idea to take shortcut to make money because they think it is their only option.In this story, Carter Tomlin has been fired from his high-powered executive job. He has an expensive life-style to support, along with a wife and two kids. At first, he cuts back and his wife goes to work. Carter can't get a job, he can't even sell his house because he'll only lose money. He feels like a failure. So one day in a bank, he decides to rob it my handing a note to the teller. Easy-peasy. He does it a couple more times, then decides to buy a gun. He starts taking more chances and a partner and now he is getting off on not only the thrill of the money, but the thrill of power when he waves his semi-auto around.Agent Windermere of the FBI is bored, and bored to be working a bank robbery case. But she starts to get on the right track though temporarily derailed by her lazy partner who wants an easy solution.Agent Stevens of the BCA has been offered some great promotions since his last case in The Professionals. But his wife doesn't want a husband who is always in danger so he keeps working cold cases. But he becomes part of the Tomlin case as Tomlin is the coach of his daughter's basketball team. Tomlin knows Windermere is looking at him and knows she worked with Stevens, so he befriends him.This was a great fast-paced novel that I enjoyed as much as The Professionals. I devoured this in a day.My only criticism is the relationship between Windermere and Stevens felt forced, the plot didn't smoothly have them work together, it was too deliberate. And Windermere seems to resent Stevens for not working exciting cases. It was much more natural in the first novel. I'm not sure how it will work in the next one. And I do hope there is a next one, but the characters can't be forced together so the author needs to come up with something else for it to work as well as it did the first time. I highly recommend this thriller.