Thane and Jessica appear to have it all -- a beautiful house, a healthy son, a well-paying career and plenty of cold, hard cash for the finer things in life. Look a little deeper and you'll discover that Thane and Jessica are in debt up to their eyeballs and carrying around the emotional baggage of a dead son. Thane's career is suspect, at best, and Jessica dulls the pain of everyday life with a little help from the medicine cabinet.

Add in a few old football buddies from school, a backwoods hunting lodge and the Mafia, and you get the story of how everyday people can get tangled up in greed and guilt to the point of doing the unthinkable "just this one time" to get out of trouble and back on track Only that's not how it usually works out. One bad deed requires another, another and yet another.

Thane narrates the tale from prison as the reader listens in on his sessions with the cell block shrink. I was struck by Thane's straightforward and unemotional retelling of his crimes -- it definitely added to the chill of this cold- hearted crime drama. The storyline is solid and the characters are well-developed. This book held my attention hostage until the bloody end.

Book Summary

Bob King is a self-made billionaire who parlayed a rusty backhoe into the 27th spot on Forbes' list. Now, his corporation is a multi-billion dollar construction company that instills greed and competition among friends, including his son Scott and his two best friends, Thane and Ben. But instead of handing over the company's crown, Bob reveals a massive public offering that will make him CEO for life. Thane's wife, Jessica, is furious and goads him into a conspiracy to kill Bob. When the board of directors makes Thane CEO, Ben investigates the truth - and Thane realizes that he can only be safe if his old friend is also dead.