In The Oligarch's Daughter, Joseph Finder delivers a searing, action-packed novel that handily wraps a love story inside a political thriller.
The Oligarch's Daughter seamlessly moves back and forth between the present and several years earlier, when investment analyst Paul Brightman falls in love with photographer Tatyana Belkin. Her down-market East Village apartment and simple lifestyle lead Paul to believe Tatyana struggles financially--until he meets her father, a Russian oligarch with a mega-opulent lifestyle. Paul quits his firm to join his future father-in-law's investment company, where he is almost seduced by the high salary and benefits. But Paul soon realizes his father-in-law runs a criminal organization with ties to the Kremlin, and deals in insider trading, among other illegal enterprises. That twist will come as little surprise, but Finder adds others to ratchet up the tension. In the present day, Paul has reinvented himself as New Hampshire boat-builder Grant Anderson after he went on the run. But the past is about to resurface, and if he wants to stay alive, he'll have to learn he can trust no one and develop survivor skills.
Finder (House on Fire; Judgment; Guilty Minds) superbly builds suspense as Paul tries to outstrip his past. There's little doubt Paul and Tatyana are deeply in love, but Tatyana is her father's daughter--choosing between her husband and her family may be impossible. Finder's ingenious use of betrayal throughout the relentless plot makes the question of who to believe into an enthralling puzzle. The Oligarch's Daughter is a riveting thriller shot through with love and money. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer