Tower of Babel

This action-packed series launch from Thriller Award finalist Sears (Black Fridays) introduces Ted Molloy, a down-on-his-heels former lawyer who now works as a foreclosure profiteer seeking “surplus money” in Queens, N.Y. Molloy’s choice to break his first rule of business—taking on a job where the money at stake is large enough to involve underhanded and scheming characters willing to knock off anyone who gets in the way—results in the shooting death of his research partner, Richie Rubiano. Richie’s widow, Cheryl, hair “dyed the color of fresh lemons,” hires Molloy to find Richie’s killer. Molloy’s quest for the culprit leads him to several crooked politicians, a disreputable banker, a nefarious real estate developer, the Russian mafia, a neighborhood activist, and his manipulative ex-father-in-law, who happens to be a retired judge. The whole crew is messed up in conspiracy, fraud, bribery, and murder. Razor-edged prose, sharply defined characters, and a fast-paced plot boost this noir-wrought drama. Fans of Raymond Chandler and classic gangster films will be rewarded. [em]Agent: Judith Weber, Sobol Weber Assoc. (June) [/em]