Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The Benefactor-John Moran

The Benefactor
John Moran
Five Star, Jun 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594147715

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