Chasing Money

A Marty and Bo Thriller

By: Michael Balter

Narrated by: Frits Zernike

Winner - 2024 Feathered Quill Award - Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Winner - 2023 Best Indie Book Award - Crime Thriller

A missing masterpiece. A deadly threat. A desperate search.

Marty and Bo were just trying to keep their struggling startup alive - but now they've got a bigger problem - keeping themselves alive. Most investor pitch meetings don't end in murder - but then Marty and Bo haven't had a lot of luck lately. They've been struggling to keep their startup business alive. It's not high-tech, it's not highly successful and the pressure to find capital has strained their bank accounts and Marty's marriage.

So when Nico Scava offered to invest they eagerly accepted. He had money, connections in the art world, and a creative idea, but maybe they should have asked more questions. Now Nico's dead and they're on the hook for whatever scheme he was running. The Russian mob is after them, and if they don't find $10 million and a mysterious missing painting in the next few days they'll be dead too.

Their frantic chase will lead them from a cabin in the Oregon woods to a Portland strip club, from an aging artist to a bogus baron, and deep into the history of a missing masterpiece that someone is willing to kill to obtain. As the bodies pile up, Marty and Bo will have some tough choices to make about how far they'll go to protect their families, their company, and themselves.

"Exceptionally clever and compelling" - Midwest Book Review

"Packed with action. A strong voice paired with authentic dialogue" - The BookLife Prize

"A satisfying crime novel that will keep readers hooked." - Kirkus Reviews

©2023 Michael Balter Books LLC (P)2024 Michael Balter Books LLC

Critic reviews

"Exceptionally clever and compelling" - Midwest Book Review

"Packed with action. A strong voice paired with authentic dialogue… Witty and engaging.” The BookLife Prize

"A satisfying crime novel that will keep readers hooked." Kirkus Reviews

Strong Start, Fascinating Characters Unfold

A riveting story with a strong beginning that required my full focus to keep up with all the moving parts and characters. There was quite a bit of historical art information that, admittedly, made me sleepy at times (but that’s on me). Overall, the story flowed well and kept me interested. I found myself liking Marty and Bo more and more as the story progressed. The narrator did a great job bringing it to life, and the accents were well done.

Unbelievable Art Mystery

Michael Balter crafts a nonstop action-adventure crime thriller set in Oregon. Marty tells the story in the first person, making it personal. He and his business partner, Bo, are entrepreneurs in a Paladin start-up. Marty and his wife are at odds over his chasing this business dream. Everything about this story is perfect. Thrills, action, fear, uncertainty, and doubt are woven into a realistic story. Well-researched discussions on World War II, art history, and the lengths people will go to win keep listeners and readers on the edge of their seats.

Marty and Bo start the story at gunpoint with a maniac waving a gun demanding an unknown painting and ten million dollars. Their business partner Nico seems to understand but has permanently stopped speaking. Tracking clues, uncovering deceptions, and learning the truth take Marty and Bo on an unbelievable journey.

Listening to the story unfold flashed vivid pictures of these characters' situations. The excellent prose left no stone unturned as each character and their idiosyncrasies contributed to the story. This debut novel by Michael Balter is a winner in the believable situations, riveting, realistic character development, and realistic, fast-paced dialog made this listen impossible to set aside until it finished.

The narration by Frits Zernike was outstanding. There was perfect pacing, well-timed voices, and accents that easily delineated the characters. There were no problems with the audio and I enjoyed this voice. Lucky for listeners and readers, the author is working on another Marty and Bo thriller, which this listener hopes is narrated by this outstanding voice actor. Fans of crime thrillers who revel in action adventure will enjoy this book to the very end and beg for more.

Highly Recommend

Thrilling mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat! The narrator did a great job of differentiating all the characters and kept me engaged the entire time. Loved it.

A Masterpiece From Start to Finish

This was a very very fun book! I was hooked early and glued throughout. I finished it in 2 days! I can't remember the last time I listened to anything nonstop, start to finish.

The writing was great, and the narrator nailed it. Unfortunately the author doesn't have more books, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for future books.

Highly recommend this book if you like crime novels, and puzzles.

Crime Thriller of Greed, Lies and more

An international action-filled crime thriller filled with intriguing characters and plot twists that will leave the listener captivated.

Michael Balter captivates using vivid imagery to bring scenes and characters to the forefront making visualization easy. Balter is very adept at using detailed descriptions and projected dialogues keeping an exemplary and entertaining layer to the narrative.

The narrator, Frits Zernike provided an entertaining performance with his deliberately paced cadence and energy. He slipped into each character flawlessly projecting their essence vividly.

I found Balter and Zernike made an excellent team. This audiobook comes highly recommended