By Christopher Reich
Simon Riske can pick your pocket faster than he can turn a wrench; and as one who restores exotic automobiles, he's really good with a wrench.
Christopher Reich introduces us to Simon Riske, a new spy one reviewer describes as "part James Bond, part Jack Reacher." Riske's life seems simple enough. Working out of his London shop, he restores million-dollar classics. But there is more expertise to this expert than the mechanical.
Riske has a personal provenance more intriguing than any of his automobiles. Reich slowly "rewinds the tape" on his fascinating past by means of well-placed flashbacks. We discover his past, the source of his skills, what drives him . . . and ultimately what drove him to let it go.
In The Take we follow Riske as he unravels the mystery behind a dazzling heist in the streets of Paris. The take was big, but not big enough to lure Riske into the chase, until he discovers the thief was Tino Coluzzi. Now the hunt is on!
Christopher Reich dazzles us with his ability to weave a complex story filled with a believable cast of characters, set in time, place, and politics he obviously knows well. The Takeis mystery and intrigue, treachery and revenge, and even a little restoration and redemption.