Review
Reviewed by Kevin Cannon for Reedsy Discovery.
5 Star, Must Read, Trophy Review.
Two for the Money by Steve Zettler is an adventure, crime thriller novel split between Philadelphia in the United States and Panama City. Former Secret Service agent Sam Christie returns to Philadelphia every year to lay flowers on the grave of his best friend Pete Macaluso who was killed on active service.This year it doesn't go according to plan. First he meets a mutual friend of Pete's and between them they rescue an ex-navy SEAL, Ike, who has taken a tumble from his wheelchair into an empty grave.Ike, it turns out, has been waiting for Sam in the churchyard with a proposition. An encounter with a Philly mobster followed by a trip to Panama City on the trail of a large amount of cash hidden in Panama Bay kicks off a roller coaster journey that could cost Sam and his friends their lives.Throw in some local criminals and a rogue CIA agent to mix things up and you've got a cracker of a story that is very difficult to put down.The plot is perfectly paced with plenty of twists and turns. Reveals are ideally placed to maximise their shock value.The main characters are nicely described and get the reader rooting for them. The bad guys are suitably villainous. They give a feeling that anything could happen and that not everyone is going to get out of the situation alive.I enjoyed the descriptions of the locations and also the bits and pieces of relevant Panamanian history.Too few books these days have the ability to capture my attention and entertain throughout, but this one really hit the mark. I loved the characters, the plot and the writing style. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys action / adventure stories, well paced thrillers or just loves a great story that is well told. In parts this reminds me of some of the early Clive Cussler novels before they became too convoluted.
Reviewed by Alex Ceko for Reader Views (11/2023)
4 Stars - A 90s thriller with a noir feel that consistently raises the stakes.
Good detectives are named Sam: Sam Spade, Samuel Benjamin Marlowe, and Sam Christie.
Two for the Money by Steve Zettler is a detective thriller about a former government employee named Sam Christie. When visiting a friend's grave in Philadelphia Christie is offered a proposition: go to Panama and retrieve bags of money sitting in the water near the canal. It would seem like an easy enough job if not for the fact that his journey starts with death, mistrust, dangerous locals, and almost everyone he knew in Philadelphia surprising Christie.
The very start of the book makes you want to keep reading to learn what is happening. After that I was unsure how some of the things happening in Philadelphia would connect to the larger story but I held off on second-guessing Zettler's reason for scenes and characters. I am thankful that I did because it comes together and answers every question I had while reading. And once the story moves to Panama, the action doesn't stop. If anything, the stakes keep getting higher and higher.
Now, where real-life PI Samuel Benjamin Marlowe inspired the fictional character Sam Spade (as well as Philip Marlowe), it is clear that Sam Spade was an influence on our main character, Sam Christie. Christie is as hardboiled as they come regarding comments and plan of action.
The book's setting in the 90s threw me off a little. Christie talks like a film noir detective, which I love, but besides the car phones and politics happening in Panama, not a lot reminds us of when this takes place. I was young when the events in this book would have been happening and as a result only think of Van Halen when I hear the name of the Central American country. But I do have to give Zettler credit when it comes to his extensive knowledge and research of Panama.
Like always, I tended to be drawn to side characters and people whose motivation might not become abundantly clear until later in the story. One perfect example of that is Lou Bonachi. Lou is a Philly mobster, for lack of a better term, whose men tick off Christie early in the book. Lou's demeanor immediately screams "treacherous" and is a bit annoying. Regardless, or maybe because of that, I couldn't wait to see how or where he would appear next. And he didn't disappoint.
Another character who I was getting excited to see more of was Tess DiLionetti. She's someone who proves that love might really be the only motivation needed to put yourself in danger. She starts the story as a potential damsel in distress but ends up being more competent and
knowledgeable than the men she keeps company with. Her job in baseball means she is fluent in more than one language, which is a plus in Panama (or with mobsters), and her handcuff trick makes me jealous that I don't have thinner wrists.
Overall, the book feels perfect for a vacation: entertaining and not too heavy but will keep you guessing what will happen next. Anyone who picks up this novel will not want to put it down before finishing.
The last thing I will say about Steve Zettler's Two for the Money is that if another book starring Sam Christie is released, know that I will be one of the first in line to get a copy.
About the Author
Steve Zettler is a professional writer, actor, and photographer. He is the author of the international thrillers The Second Man, Double Identity, and Ronin. He is also the coauthor of the Nero Blanc Mystery Series. He has worked extensively as an actor in New York and in regional theaters, and created a memorable role in a Pulitzer Prize winning play. He has also worked on countless television shows and many feature films. More information is available at www.stevezettler.com
