Plot or Premise

When a rich and powerful man dies, leaving behind a lengthy and vengeful document of his life, many powerful forces move to capture the document before the document can be revealed to the public.

What I Liked

Whereas the first book read almost like a John Grisham novel, this second one seems like more of a Jeffrey Archer saga across the ages. The Lacey Confession is a document best kept hidden, or so many think. But the terms of his will are quite specific. On the fourth day after his death, it is to be released. Including details about major events of the 20th Century, including the assassination of JFK. While the story could be historical, or more like the Da Vinci Code, Greener roots the story in a young Foreign Service Officer who is the one who receives the document. Some want to protect him, and one hires Walter Sherman, aka The Locator aka The Finder, to hunt him down and find a safe place to keep him hidden. An assassin with pluck and a mysterious powerful CIA fixer are great main characters in the story.

What I Didn’t Like

There are two giant plot holes in the storyline and chronology of events. In the first instance, a lawyer representing Lacey reveals to the Foreign Service Officer that he has the document and gives it to him. Except he wouldn’t. He needed it in order to honour his client’s wishes, as he has for many years. He expects to be “thwarted” in his plans, and that he won’t be allowed to release the Confession, but it makes no sense he gives up the only copy to the random US FSO who shows at his office. Equally, at the end, the person who ends up with the document has it for six to eight weeks while Walter is otherwise engaged. Yet he apparently does NOTHING with the document. He doesn’t act on its contents, he doesn’t tell his partner for whom he is doing all of it, nada. Everything stands still and waits for Walter to be back in the game. The first is a mere plot device, not egregious, while the second is ridiculous and makes no sense whatsoever. It detracts enough from the story to knock it down a star.

The Bottom Line

The best in the series, but alas, there are no more