he Bottom Line: This timeless, lighthearted mafia thriller – featuring dynamite chemistry between the two lead characters – is not to be missed.
Michael Balter, whose novel Chasing Money was named Best Crime Thriller in last year’s BestThrillers.com Book Awards, is back with a sequel that does not disappoint.
In The Vatican Deal, business partners Marty and Bo arrive in Italy with hopes of closing an art deal with the Vatican. Working with an emissary named Leo Giacobbe, their stated plan is to replicate art from the Vatican Museum to raise money for charitable events. Not only does Leo claim to have secured the approval of a powerful Cardinal, but he also asserts that everything in the Vatican Apostolic Library – including a sculpture foundry – is for sale. But can he be trusted?
As Marty and Bo soon find out, nothing is quite as it seems. The two soon find themselves caught between the mafia and the Vatican. Fortunately, they have help courtesy of a well-drawn cast. That includes the multifaceted, sharp-tongued Dante, who sarcastically quips that he once “snuffed people for shits and giggles.” There’s also Natalya Danilenko, their company’s financier and chairperson. But as the plot thickens, virtually nobody within Marty and Bo’s orbit will be entirely safe.
Once again, Balter proves he has a gift for inventing a wildly entertaining business scheme that, while over the top, seems just plausible enough to base a story around. But the relationship between Marty and Bo is what makes everything work. Despite the danger, the two easily shift between lighthearted, carefree banter and serious discussions about their safety and future. Loyalty is everything between this pair (favorite quote: “Takes more than a mafia war to break us up”), and considering the level of trouble they get into, their bond will be mightily tested. What’s more, despite their absurd aspirations, it’s impossible not to root for them.
We can’t remember the last time we read a mafia thriller that was this fun. This has everything to do with the dialogue, which is consistently clever, whipsmart and efficient, even during action scenes. If there’s any downside to The Vatican Deal, it’s the book’s non-linear timeline. In a plot this entertaining, the repeated use of flashbacks and flash-forwards is simply an unnecessary distraction. With that said, the book is so good that we’re more than willing to deal with it, and readers will be, too.
