The charming Harry Starke returns in Two for the Money, the second book in the series created by Blair Howard. Harry receives an unexpected call late in the evening. It is from an old school friend, Tom Sattler. Tom begs Harry to meet him at his house as a matter of urgency. Harry sets off and an hour later arrives at the house to find his friend dead in the living room. An apparent suicide, but forensics prove it was murder. An investigation is opened and Harry and his team soon discover that, besides the murder, $350 million has been stolen from the hedge fund, New Vision Strategic Investments. Inc, and has disappeared into hundreds of untraceable accounts. Tom was a partner. It seems that Tom stole the money just before he was killed, but it doesn't make sense. The other partners and investors come under close scrutiny, as well as Tom's family members. Who had motive and opportunity? Someone is lying, and the team needs to discover who. The answers do not come easily. A few twists in the tale will leave your head spinning!

Harry is a fascinating character. He is witty, charming, dedicated and intuitive. He is a real womanizer, a man women find irresistible. He is no angel, which leads him into some very awkward situations, some of which are quite hilarious. Two for the Money is a fascinating mystery of murder and financial intrigue, laced with clever deductions, some luck, dangerous situations, sexual overtures, and woven through with light humor. Something for everyone. Once again Blair Howard has presented us with another captivating mystery. The plots are dealt with in an interesting way, taking seemingly insignificant details and weaving them into a colorful tapestry, throwing in some twists and turns, giggles and heart stopping moments, all leading to an interesting conclusion. The characters are easy to relate to, very human and likable, with flaws and all, which makes the reading all the more interesting. Blair Howard has an easy, realistic writing style, which makes the characters come alive on the pages. I look forward to further novels in this series!

Two For the Money by Blair Howard is Book 2 of the Harry Starke novels. Private investigator Harry Starke is back and this time it’s personal. He receives a call late on Wednesday night from a man he hasn’t seen for 5 years. Tom Sattler needs Harry’s help and he needs it now, but by the time Harry gets there Tom is dead, an apparent suicide. That doesn’t make sense to Harry or to Kate, his old flame from the police department. Together they set out to investigate Tom’s background, to find out who might want him dead and why. The answers to those questions lie on a treacherous path of deceit, murder, organized crime and corruption. Why did Tom need Harry’s help? Was it suicide or was it a hit?

Two for the Money by Blair Howard is a thrilling read from start to finish. From the very first page, the story takes off and runs and it doesn’t stop. This is an action all the way book with a steady pace that picks up speed as the story unfolds. The tension mounts until it reaches boiling point and, although there are plenty of clues along the way, the real culprit will come as a surprise to most readers. I thought this had an exceptional plot, and the characters developed nicely. I didn’t have the privilege of reading the first book in the series so I thought I might have missed some important character development, but there is enough in this book that it could be read as a standalone novel. Excellent work, I thoroughly enjoyed it.