Chameleon

Chameleon
Richard Hains
Beaufort Boks
ISBN: 0825305101
Fiction, Thriller
Reviewed by John R. Clark

This is not a book for prudes or the squeamish. The sex is steamy and intense and the violent parts of the book are fairly graphic. Neither fact takes anything away from the quality of the story. This is one of those 'strap yourself in, hold on and count your teeth at the end of the ride' books. In addition, the author's extensive background in the world of finance shows through his weaving of that knowledge into the story in relatively seamless ways.
One of the plusses for the story is the variety of settings. By the time you have closed the cover, the story has taken you from various parts of London to unique neighborhoods in New York City and then on to Australia. Along the way, you have been introduced to some interesting folks, a few of whom are quite nasty.
The story is one of greed gone awry. Jon Phillips wants to make one quick score and isn't necessarily concerned about ethics or legality. He involves a shady Russian type who is eager to launder his ill-gotten gains in a huge bond deal that is south of legal. When the deal collapses for reasons beyond Jon's expectations and control, the Russian is bound and determined to get his money back and Jon be damned. Toss in a sexy reporter with gender orientation issues, yachters, former CIA agents and thugs whose favorite pastimes would make even the hardened reader a bit queasy and you have the essence of the plot. I particularly liked the Dateline-like approach of the layout where each section and all chapters started with the location and country in italics. This helped me make the geographic shifts more easily, something helpful in a book where the action moves around so frequently. A good read for any thriller fan waiting to find a new author.