The stronghold of white-collar crime in the rarefied world of high finance–this is the setting for Peter Spiegelman's edgy, suspenseful, sharply-honed debut novel. At the center: John March, who walked away from his family's venerable merchant bank for the life of a rural deputy sheriff–a life that would explode in personal tragedy and professional disaster. Three years later, he's back in Manhattan, working as a PI and running from his grief and the expectations of his wealthy family. March takes the case of Rick Pierro, a self-made man who has everything–and who's in danger of losing it all. An anonymous, poisonous threat has implicated him in a vast money-laundering scheme already under investigation by the feds. March's own investigation uncovers a blood-stained paper trail that leads him deep into the lives of both insiders and outcasts on the street. He discovers that his client may be the latest victim of a serial extortionist diabolically adept at psychological and physical intimidation, but the more March learns the more questions he has about Pierro, his wife, and the secrets hidden beneath the glossy surfaces of their lives. And the more he begins to fear that his own blood will be added to the trail before the case is closed. With its headlong narrative, quick, incisive language, and brilliantly clarified details of finance–the legal and the illegal–Black Maps is a stunning first novel.
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"A little heavy on the banking talk, but it gave the writer some legitimate backing. Amusing how detailed he was on everyone's clothing and weight. Not a bad read, will check out his next book " — Emily (4 out of 5 stars)
"A little heavy on the banking talk, but it gave the writer some legitimate backing. Amusing how detailed he was on everyone's clothing and weight. Not a bad read, will check out his next book "
" it's all about WALL STREET..... if you are interested :) "
" Not bad. Not fabulous at least in part because it was dealing with finance. Ugh. However, not bad. "
" A very good entry into the "Noir" category, not only for attitude & back story of the lead character, but for atmosphere as well. "
" Good pacing- and excitement, but the structure seems the same (down to the character roles) as the other March mysteries. Maybe that's the point of noir. "
" this book would have been much better with some EDITING! 3 adjectives to describe a minor characters eyes is too much! descriptive overkill! I would have enjoyed this book much more without it! aside from that, not a bad read but not great. "
" Stopped 50 pages in. Convinced I read it before. Believe I liked it enough that I'm starting #2 in the series. "
" Interesting character and premise well paced but one too many times gets too unrealistic. How much abuse can one body take and still keep walking? "
" A well-paced thriller with solid background and an appealling protagonist, but a bit thin in the character development department. Still worth seeking the sequels, though. "
" P.I. is the odd one of the family that runs to financial types (Banks & Wall Street). Interesting to have stories set in the world of Wall Street. "
" This was so good I immediately bought and read the next one in the series. More thoughts generally about the books in that review... "
" A little heavy on the banking talk, but it gave the writer some legitimate backing. Amusing how detailed he was on everyone's clothing and weight. Not a bad read, will check out his next book "
" Good strong noir. Not the best as far as a who-dunnit goes, but enoyable main character and nice writing. Starting the second in the series today. "
" John March #1. pretty good, promising series. "
" Very well written. Loved the fast pace plus the main character was likable/believable! "
" financial who dunit...John March, PI, financial/bank blackmailer...lots of data and detail and wall street type of info–maybe too much...may read another one by this author. "
Peter Spiegelman is the author of Black Maps, which won the 2004 Shamus Award for Best First Novel. He is a veteran of more than twenty years in the financial services and software industries, and he has worked with leading financial institutions in major markets around the globe.
David Aaron Baker is a voice and film actor. He is an award-winning narrator of dozens of audiobooks, including the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz, Paradise Dogs by Man Martin, and The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig. He has earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a three-time finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration.
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