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Onyx reviews: Fool Me Twice by Jeff Lindsay
Reviewed by Bev Vincent, 08/11/2020
Jeff Lindsay, creator of Dexter Morgan, returns with the second book in his
new series (after Just Watch Me)
featuring egomaniacal thief Riley Wolfe. Whereas Dexter was a serial killer
struggling to find a place in society, Wolfe is devoid of any moral scruples,
which makes him a hard protagonist to root for. His joy in life comes from
executing impossible thefts and, occasionally, executing people who get in his
way.
After a daring heist in Russia (he sees the crime as payback for Russian
interference in international affairs), Wolfe's perfectly planned escape is foiled
when someone betrays him. He ends up chained in a rocky cell, prisoner of
Patrick Boniface, the deadliest arms dealer in the world, and his Bond-villain-esque
torture expert Bernadette. The prison is deep in the bowels of an impregnable
island at the remotest spot in the world. After Bernadette softens him up for a
few days to guarantee his cooperation, Boniface explains why Wolfe has been brought
here. Boniface appreciates beautiful art—something he and Wolfe have in
common—and his collection includes items that are supposedly currently
hanging in museums around the world.
Boniface wants Wolfe to steal something. Once he explains what it is, Wolfe
realizes his peril. The object Boniface wants can't possibly be stolen, not even
by a clever and resourceful man like Wolfe. However, he has little choice but to
agree, and Boniface releases him, whereupon he is promptly re-kidnapped by a
rival arms dealer who wants Wolfe to carry out Boniface's scheme so the rival
can use the opportunity to defeat him.
Wolfe has ample time to consider his plight—Boniface understands that a
caper like this will take months to orchestrate. Wolfe enlists the aid of
Monique, the angriest woman on the planet and, simultaneously, the world's best
forger (as Lindsay reminds readers half a dozen times). Wolfe can steal anything
he wants, but he can't have Monique—although they did have one ill-advised
but highly successful night together in the past. Wolfe pursues Monique
relentlessly, but she only puts up with him because he has often paid her
handsomely for her services in the past. This time, though, she is in the
crosshairs with Wolfe, putting her in the uncomfortable position of having to
participate in his wacky scheme in an attempt to dislodge themselves from their
dangerous position.
In the meantime, FBI Special Agent Frank Delgado, part of a task force
pursuing Boniface and other arms dealers, who has long been in obsessive pursuit
of Wolfe, learns of Wolfe's jeopardy and sees it as the perfect opportunity to
finally nab his most-wanted criminal.
Wolfe's solution to his dilemma is ingenious, involving multiple levels of
misdirection and specialized research from a polymer chemist, but he still has a
habit of dispatching otherwise innocent people who might spoil his plan. It's
all very thrilling, but readers might be left wondering why they are eager for
Wolfe to succeed.
One side benefit of reading the Wolfe novels: Lindsay uses Wolfe to introduce
readers to works of art and music with which they might not already be familiar.
In particular, Wolfe relates the story of how Keith Jarrett's 1975 Köln Concert
came about. The solo jazz piano work is worth checking out: it can be found
via this page, along with the fascinating backstory.
Web site and all contents © Copyright Bev Vincent
2020. All rights reserved.
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