Broken Trust Blog Tour and Review

Broken Trust by Thomas Maurin
Publication date: November, 2014 by Cultivating Change, LLC
Source: Author/publisher via iRead Book Tours for an honest review
Description:

This is a story about three smart, successful people who were once fast friends in college and have now been thrust together again in an unlikely, multi-layered investigation with far-reaching international implications and billions of dollars at stake. One is a forensic accountant for the SEC, one beta tests hardware and software for the US Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defense, and the third is a wildly successful entrepreneur, software developer and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.

They get caught up in the hunt for a corrupt Swiss banker intent on finally unloading the last of the gold stolen by his father in World War II; a violent, narcissist leader of a Mexican drug cartel making his move to take over as the head of all cartels in Central America; and the daughter of a murdered Bulgarian arms dealer making the deal that will give her mother financial stability and get them both out of the increasingly unstable arms business.

The plot unfolds as financial crimes committed by insiders put common criminal activities to shame in a world where technology has increasingly insinuated itself into our lives to good and bad effects.

My Take:

I don't know what to categorize Broken Trust as, except to call it a financial thriller. The book starts out with a quick introduction to Mary Catherine Fitzsimmons - better know as Fitz - and her SEC investigation into a Swiss bank.  There are hints that some of the accounts may somehow be connected with her own family and she is tense and worried - then things take a sudden, violent turn when her partner is struck by a car that seems to come out of nowhere. Fitz is determined to find out what is going on and why someone would intentionally hit her partner. It all seems connected - because, of course it is. 

The reader is introduced to the different parties to a huge financial transaction that has so much hanging in the balance - not just money.  I was completely drawn into this wild ride of a story. There are some really great characters, including some great villains, arms dealers, corrupt bankers and even Nazi gold. Really, is all you could ask for in a financial thriller.

Fitz winds up working with her ex, Chas, and their other college buddy Jamie, to solve the banking mystery and stop some serious international criminals.  I really hate to go into too much detail, because this is one book that it is more fun to experience it all as it is revealed. It is wild and fun. There is even a bit of romance thrown in and I loved the way the family drama and the financial mystery all dovetailed together.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thrill-ride of a novel. I certainly hope that there will be more novels about Fitz and her adventures.  I can't help but believe that the team of Fitz, Chas and Jamie have a lot more adventures in their future.  I would recommend Broken Trust to anyone who enjoys a good fast-paced thriller. 

Author's Bio:

Thomas Maurin is the pen name of husband and wife writing team Bonnie B. Hartley, Ph.D., and Michael T. Hartley, CFP®. They both write non-fiction books and articles regarding financial and family business topics and have delivered talks on those subjects internationally over the last thirty years.

Connect with them:  Website  ~  Twitter

You can follow the tour here:

Jan 7 - Feminist Reflections - review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 7 - Coffee, Books & Art - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 7 - Cindy's Love of Books - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 8 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review / author interview / giveaway
Jan 8 - Girl with Camera - review / giveaway
Jan 9 - Green and Glassie - review
Jan 12 - The Discerning Reader - review / giveaway
Jan 12 - Like a Bump on a Blog - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 13 - Bookaholics Must Read - review 
Jan 13 - Celticlady's Reviews -book spotlight
Jan 14 - Cassandra M's Place - review / giveaway
Jan 14 - Library of Clean Reads - book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 15 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review
Jan 15 -  Pinky's Favorite Reads - book spotlight 
Jan 16 - Simpliread - review 
Jan 19 - Back Porchervations - review / giveaway
Jan 20 - Confessions Of A Reader - book spotlight
Jan 20 - A Book Geek - review 
Jan 21 - A Soccer Mom's Book Blog - review / giveaway
Jan 21 - Roughseasinthemed - review
Jan 21 - Brooke Blogs - review / author interview / giveaway
Jan 22 - StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 23 - A Blue Million Books - author interview / giveaway
Jan 23 - Life as Leels - review / author interview / giveaway
Jan 26 - The Book Review - review / giveaway
Jan 26 - Pure Jonel, Confessions of a Bibliophile - review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 27 - The Many Thoughts of a Reader - review
Jan 27 - Bound 4 Escape - review
Jan 28 - Jessica Cassidy - review / guest post
Jan 28 - Omnimystery News - book spotlight / author interview

iRead Book Tours Broken Trust page here.