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Last Act #1
The Last Act
Award-winning author Brad Parks delivers a deliciously tense novel of thrills, twists, and deceit that will keep readers riveted.
Struggling stage actor Tommy Jump knows he has to stop chasing applause and start chasing greenbacks. But then he's offered the role of a lifetime: $150,000 for a six-month acting gig. With a newly pregnant fiancee depending on him, it's an opportunity he can't refuse, even though the offer comes from the strangest employer imaginable: the FBI.
The feds won a small victory when they arrested Mitchell Dupree, a banker who has spent the past four years laundering money for New Colima, one of the deadliest cartels in Mexico and a major supplier of crystal meth in the US. But Dupree has documents that could lead to arrests of high-ranking members of New Colima, including their fearsome leader, El Vio . . . if only he'd tell the FBI where they are.
Using a false name and backstory, Tommy will enter Dupree's low-security prison as a felon and get close to the banker in the hopes that he'll reveal the documents' whereabouts. But when Tommy arrives, he quickly realizes that he's underestimated the enormity of his task and the terrifying reach of the cartel. Because the FBI isn't the only one looking for the documents, and if Tommy doesn't play his role to perfection, it just may be his last act.
Struggling stage actor Tommy Jump knows he has to stop chasing applause and start chasing greenbacks. But then he's offered the role of a lifetime: $150,000 for a six-month acting gig. With a newly pregnant fiancee depending on him, it's an opportunity he can't refuse, even though the offer comes from the strangest employer imaginable: the FBI.
The feds won a small victory when they arrested Mitchell Dupree, a banker who has spent the past four years laundering money for New Colima, one of the deadliest cartels in Mexico and a major supplier of crystal meth in the US. But Dupree has documents that could lead to arrests of high-ranking members of New Colima, including their fearsome leader, El Vio . . . if only he'd tell the FBI where they are.
Using a false name and backstory, Tommy will enter Dupree's low-security prison as a felon and get close to the banker in the hopes that he'll reveal the documents' whereabouts. But when Tommy arrives, he quickly realizes that he's underestimated the enormity of his task and the terrifying reach of the cartel. Because the FBI isn't the only one looking for the documents, and if Tommy doesn't play his role to perfection, it just may be his last act.
371 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
About the author
Brad Parks
29 books734 followersInternational bestseller author Brad Parks is the only writer to have won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Awards, three of American crime fiction's most prestigious prizes. His books have been translated into 16 languages and have earned starred reviews from every major pre-publication journal.
A father of two and a husband of one, Brad is a slow runner and an even slower swimmer. He's grateful for his readers, because otherwise he'd just be a guy who has a lot of conversations with himself in his own head.
For more information -- or to sign up for the newsletter written by his impertinent interns -- visit his website at www.bradparksbooks.com.
To find Brad on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/Brad_Parks.
And for Facebook: www.facebook.com/BradParksBooks.
A father of two and a husband of one, Brad is a slow runner and an even slower swimmer. He's grateful for his readers, because otherwise he'd just be a guy who has a lot of conversations with himself in his own head.
For more information -- or to sign up for the newsletter written by his impertinent interns -- visit his website at www.bradparksbooks.com.
To find Brad on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/Brad_Parks.
And for Facebook: www.facebook.com/BradParksBooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
February 4, 2019
There's just something so self-affirming about giving yourself a five-star review.
(That said: I really did like this book. I don't know if the characters were real to you, but they were sure real in my head).
(That said: I really did like this book. I don't know if the characters were real to you, but they were sure real in my head).
June 25, 2019
After thoroughly enjoying my first venture into the world of Brad Parks—a prequel short story—I thought I would take a dive into the complementing full-length novel. For fans who remember how The Whistleblower ended, this is a wonderful means of continuing to discover more about the life and choices of Mitch Dupree. With Dupree locked away, the Mexican cartel he sought to uncover wants his head, but he was smart enough to hide away some key documents in an undisclosed location. The Feds want access and will use this to bring down the largest distributor of crystal meth in the United States. To do so, they turn to Tommy Jump, a musical theatre actor who has been down on his luck. Asking him to perform in his most daring role yet, Jump will have to go undercover and befriend Mitch Dupree, learning where the documents are being stored. However, this is easier said than done, even for a man who prides himself on being able to handle any role. Life in prison, even minimum security, is nothing like he expected. The large payout will help his pregnant fiancée, but will it be enough. Using a pseudonym, Jump enters the prison system and tries to nonchalantly get closer to Dupree. The Feds are on the outside, willing to help, but so is the cartel. They have approached Dupree’s wife and made their own threats, making the cache of documents all the more important. With Jump wanting to get this acting job complete, he will do most anything to learn Dupree’s secret, but will it come at a price that costs him a curtain call? Parks does a masterful job of taking the reader inside the world of prisons, cartels, and continues the action surrounding a massive money laundering scheme. Recommended to those who love thrillers with a twist and the reader who may enjoy prison-based novels. While not essential, it helps to have read the prequel short story for the nuanced details.
I always enjoy finding new authors and Brad Parks is one that will remain on my radar. Both the short story and this novel are full of great detail and intriguing storytelling, keeping me hooked from the opening pages through to the impactful ending of this piece. Parks uses another soft-hearted character as a protagonist, this time with Tommy Jump. A struggling actor who is trying to make it in the cutthroat world, his fiancée pregnant with their first child, Jump will do most anything to advance himself. With a massive payout and the chance to help the Feds, Jump leaps at the chance to help. He must know his target, Mitch Dupree, but also pretend not to know anything about him. As the novel progresses, Jump learns the ins and outs of prison life, as well as the place Mitch Dupree has made for himself in short order. The reader is also able to learn a little more about Dupree, who is trying to get through this sentence for a crime he did not commit. He knows the truth and yet cannot prove anything. Wanting to blow the whistle, he does not yet have enough to ensure his family’s safety once and for all. This novel gives the reader more time to connect with him, even while he is not the main focus. The secondary characters do serve a great purpose and entertain as well as educate. Working the angles of prison life, the looming cartel, and trying to decipher the details of the financial crimes, the reader can use the strong collection of characters to weave their way through the story. The story was strong and left me feeling fully invested in the piece. I can only hope that there is more to come, both in this story, and with more Parks that I can enjoy. I see major awards and at least one full series into which I can sink my teeth. I hope others will follow my lead or fans of the author will look into this series.
Kudos, Mr. Parks, for a great continuation of this series. I am eager to get my hands on more of your writing!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I always enjoy finding new authors and Brad Parks is one that will remain on my radar. Both the short story and this novel are full of great detail and intriguing storytelling, keeping me hooked from the opening pages through to the impactful ending of this piece. Parks uses another soft-hearted character as a protagonist, this time with Tommy Jump. A struggling actor who is trying to make it in the cutthroat world, his fiancée pregnant with their first child, Jump will do most anything to advance himself. With a massive payout and the chance to help the Feds, Jump leaps at the chance to help. He must know his target, Mitch Dupree, but also pretend not to know anything about him. As the novel progresses, Jump learns the ins and outs of prison life, as well as the place Mitch Dupree has made for himself in short order. The reader is also able to learn a little more about Dupree, who is trying to get through this sentence for a crime he did not commit. He knows the truth and yet cannot prove anything. Wanting to blow the whistle, he does not yet have enough to ensure his family’s safety once and for all. This novel gives the reader more time to connect with him, even while he is not the main focus. The secondary characters do serve a great purpose and entertain as well as educate. Working the angles of prison life, the looming cartel, and trying to decipher the details of the financial crimes, the reader can use the strong collection of characters to weave their way through the story. The story was strong and left me feeling fully invested in the piece. I can only hope that there is more to come, both in this story, and with more Parks that I can enjoy. I see major awards and at least one full series into which I can sink my teeth. I hope others will follow my lead or fans of the author will look into this series.
Kudos, Mr. Parks, for a great continuation of this series. I am eager to get my hands on more of your writing!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
February 20, 2019
The Last Act
is an emotionally driven thriller, seeking out to show you the deception and power of some of the most corrupt criminal organizations in the world.
Drug lords and cartels have more power than you nor I will hopefully ever know. When Tommy Jump bumps into a former classmate working for the FBI, he is tasked with working as an undercover actor in order to seek out answers against one of the most deadly cartels in Mexico—New Colima. The FBI wants to stage a coup against the cartel, and Tommy's professional history is the key to unlocking how. Tommy Jump is a former child star—famous from his Broadway days, but he's been struggling to find work after being typecast in the role that made him famous. Although nervous about being put in jail, he takes this as a gig and knows that he will not only be helping the criminal justice system out, but he will also be making enough money for his family to thrive on for a good amount of time in the future. They won't have to worry about their next paycheck, and they can live a good life for enough time for Tommy to find another job. Under a pseudonym, Tommy has entered the prison where he must go undercover and find out the truth. However, with New Colima also peeking nearby, will this be his last act?
I really can't get into the story anymore than I have, because it's just one of those novels that you need to take just a peek before diving in, but then you need to dive in full force. And once you do dive in, you will be shook! Seriously, I read this over the holiday break, and instead of talking to my family, I just ignored them and read this amazing Brad Parks novel. The writing is on point, gripping, and it delivers. I seriously cannot believe how gripped I was in this story, especially since I've read so many books over the last year with a similar premise.
One thing that sticks out with The Last Act that so many books fail to deliver, is the fear of reality. Although I'm not an actor, and probably never get asked to participate in such a riveting acting job, I do think that Tommy's fears and stress with life is relatable. Money issues, relationship dramas, and fear. He's not only a relatable character, but a charismatic, multifaceted, and likable character as well.
If you enjoy anything by John Grishman, JP Delaney's Believe Me, or Jennifer Hillier's Jar of Hearts, I think you'd love The Last Act . It's a whirlwind of thrills from start-to-finish, and it gives the viewers a peek about our criminal justice system and how crime against drug offenses are possibly being handled in our society today. I hope to see more of Tommy Jump, and I hope to read more from Brad Parks. Five glowing stars.
Drug lords and cartels have more power than you nor I will hopefully ever know. When Tommy Jump bumps into a former classmate working for the FBI, he is tasked with working as an undercover actor in order to seek out answers against one of the most deadly cartels in Mexico—New Colima. The FBI wants to stage a coup against the cartel, and Tommy's professional history is the key to unlocking how. Tommy Jump is a former child star—famous from his Broadway days, but he's been struggling to find work after being typecast in the role that made him famous. Although nervous about being put in jail, he takes this as a gig and knows that he will not only be helping the criminal justice system out, but he will also be making enough money for his family to thrive on for a good amount of time in the future. They won't have to worry about their next paycheck, and they can live a good life for enough time for Tommy to find another job. Under a pseudonym, Tommy has entered the prison where he must go undercover and find out the truth. However, with New Colima also peeking nearby, will this be his last act?
I really can't get into the story anymore than I have, because it's just one of those novels that you need to take just a peek before diving in, but then you need to dive in full force. And once you do dive in, you will be shook! Seriously, I read this over the holiday break, and instead of talking to my family, I just ignored them and read this amazing Brad Parks novel. The writing is on point, gripping, and it delivers. I seriously cannot believe how gripped I was in this story, especially since I've read so many books over the last year with a similar premise.
One thing that sticks out with The Last Act that so many books fail to deliver, is the fear of reality. Although I'm not an actor, and probably never get asked to participate in such a riveting acting job, I do think that Tommy's fears and stress with life is relatable. Money issues, relationship dramas, and fear. He's not only a relatable character, but a charismatic, multifaceted, and likable character as well.
If you enjoy anything by John Grishman, JP Delaney's Believe Me, or Jennifer Hillier's Jar of Hearts, I think you'd love The Last Act . It's a whirlwind of thrills from start-to-finish, and it gives the viewers a peek about our criminal justice system and how crime against drug offenses are possibly being handled in our society today. I hope to see more of Tommy Jump, and I hope to read more from Brad Parks. Five glowing stars.
March 15, 2019
Over the past few years I’ve become a huge fan of Brad Parks because he always delivers, each book seems to top his previous ones and they are all already of a very high caliber. He never fails to come up with these questions and scenarios that make you think about what you would do and this time was no exception.
Tommy is offered a once in a lifetime acting job working for the FBI and making some serious money doing so, but he has to go undercover in a prison. I know I would never in a million years entertain such an offer but you can easily see why someone like Tommy would jump at this opportunity. Much like the characters in Parks previous books Tommy is such a relatable, every day sort of guy. To me, that’s what makes his novels to great, there’s an authenticity to his characters that makes you think, this crazy shit could happen to anyone, maybe even me!
Parks is the master of the well executed and perfectly timed twists, this one shocked me several times AND at unexpected moments which is always so much fun. It’s incredibly fast paced and one of those truly unputdownable books, I can see this appealing to anyone who likes thrillers in general but also for fans of authors like Harlan Coben and David Bell. If you haven’t read Parks before his last three books come highly recommended by me!
The Last Act in three words: Riveting, Gripping and Relentless
Tommy is offered a once in a lifetime acting job working for the FBI and making some serious money doing so, but he has to go undercover in a prison. I know I would never in a million years entertain such an offer but you can easily see why someone like Tommy would jump at this opportunity. Much like the characters in Parks previous books Tommy is such a relatable, every day sort of guy. To me, that’s what makes his novels to great, there’s an authenticity to his characters that makes you think, this crazy shit could happen to anyone, maybe even me!
Parks is the master of the well executed and perfectly timed twists, this one shocked me several times AND at unexpected moments which is always so much fun. It’s incredibly fast paced and one of those truly unputdownable books, I can see this appealing to anyone who likes thrillers in general but also for fans of authors like Harlan Coben and David Bell. If you haven’t read Parks before his last three books come highly recommended by me!
The Last Act in three words: Riveting, Gripping and Relentless
March 20, 2019
OH Brad Parks, how you slay me. GUYS and GALS - if you haven't read anything by Brad Parks yet I implore you to remedy that situation IMMEDIATELY! This is my third book by Parks and I am having a hard time deciding if this one or Say Nothing is my favorite. (Also, nice cheeky nod to Say Nothing, haha - I seeee youuuuu).
Do you read author notes? Because if you don't you really should. His note comes at the beginning and states how although this is a work of fiction, it's based on real events and I LOVE books like these! Every one of his books has been absolutely binge worthy and has captured my attention from the very first chapter and this one is no different.
I feel like I should've seen these little nuances and twists coming but I didn't. I was actually so enraptured in the story line that I didn't even try to figure anything out - I just let it all play out and that's a rarity for me so YAS!
I really loved these characters - Tommy is highly entertaining, superbly smart and watching him go through each moment while being in his head was an absolute delight. But you know which character really touched me for some reason? His cell mate, Frank. I wish I had all the Slim Jims to give to him. The fact that Park can create this tertiary character and make him stand out so much is a testament to his writing.
Seriously, if you like thrillers, please do yourself a favor and pick up a Parks books. And it looks like this may be a series?? If so, HELL TO THE YES!
Thank you Dutton Books for this copy.
Do you read author notes? Because if you don't you really should. His note comes at the beginning and states how although this is a work of fiction, it's based on real events and I LOVE books like these! Every one of his books has been absolutely binge worthy and has captured my attention from the very first chapter and this one is no different.
I feel like I should've seen these little nuances and twists coming but I didn't. I was actually so enraptured in the story line that I didn't even try to figure anything out - I just let it all play out and that's a rarity for me so YAS!
I really loved these characters - Tommy is highly entertaining, superbly smart and watching him go through each moment while being in his head was an absolute delight. But you know which character really touched me for some reason? His cell mate, Frank. I wish I had all the Slim Jims to give to him. The fact that Park can create this tertiary character and make him stand out so much is a testament to his writing.
Seriously, if you like thrillers, please do yourself a favor and pick up a Parks books. And it looks like this may be a series?? If so, HELL TO THE YES!
Thank you Dutton Books for this copy.
April 16, 2019
Rounded up to 3.5 stars. I've been a big fan of Brad Parks for many years, especially his Carter Ross series. The Last Act didn't work for me as well. I liked the premise and most of the characters, and the book was very well-written, as always. However, I thought the first part of the story went way too slowly, and I admit that I was getting bored. The plot didn't pick up until the last 100 pages or so, which was the only truly suspenseful part of the book. I seem to be in the minority on this one, so I'm sure it will appeal to many others.
May 19, 2019
HBO's 'Oz' this isn't
Too vanilla.
An actor goes undercover in prison to learn where a jailed banker has stashed the documents that could bring down a drug cartel. Didn't i see that in a Sylvester Stallone movie or was in Arnold Schwarzenegger? Or was it some hour tv drama? Anyway not a bad read but it's not something i can recommend. The kind of book dad reads on the airplane.
"My fiance isn't a criminal. He's an actor." -Amanda
Too vanilla.
An actor goes undercover in prison to learn where a jailed banker has stashed the documents that could bring down a drug cartel. Didn't i see that in a Sylvester Stallone movie or was in Arnold Schwarzenegger? Or was it some hour tv drama? Anyway not a bad read but it's not something i can recommend. The kind of book dad reads on the airplane.
"My fiance isn't a criminal. He's an actor." -Amanda
May 16, 2019
An actor goes undercover in prison to learn where a jailed banker has stashed the documents that could bring down a drug cartel. If that sounds like an episode of "Mission: Impossible," it is (might have been Season 5, after the IMF stopped focusing on international espionage and went after organized crime). But Mr. Parks' hero, Tommy Jump (yep, Tommy Jump), is no Rollin Hand, or even Willy Armitage. Instead he's a downscale Ben Platt who never got cast in a star vehicle like "Dear Evan Hansen" and now has a pregnant girlfriend and no job. The plot is predictable, the writing is pedestrian, and the chunks of exposition read like they've been cut and pasted from "Wikipedia" articles. But like the painfully earnest young star of a second-rate musical, Mr. Parks throws his heart and soul into this creaky vehicle, desperately believing in the shopworn plot devices and phony climaxes long after we've given up on them. That's why we applaud. He deserves that, at least.
March 18, 2019
I would like to thank Faber & Faber for inviting me to be part of this blog tour. This review is my unbiased opinion.
Brad Parks is a new author to me. The Last Act was my door to his work. This door was blown up and my hours were lit on fire as soon as I opened this novel. There is no other way to describe it!!
Tommy Jump is an actor running out of stage time. His prestigious hours are gone. But it doesn’t mean his life is over. He has a wonderful girlfriend and the kind of mom which make you crazy but you can’t help but love with all your heart. Tommy is trying to figure out what’s next for him when he runs into an old pal. You know what they say about old pals? They’re ‘old’ for a reason! What do you mean, I am being paranoid? You have no idea… Anyway, back to Tommy and Danny, who brings with him an opportunity for Tommy to secure his future in exchange for a few months of his life.
All of this happens right at the beginning of the book, giving the reader the role of their life – being the fly on the wall, privy to a top-secret operation that seems to come out of nowhere.
From the little I’d gathered about Tommy, I could feel he was a good man. Having dreams is not a crime, and life getting in the way made his situation real enough to support what was to come.
Would you give up six months of your life, your freedom, for money? Or for a greater cause, such as helping dismantle a drug cartel? Or both? Would you have the balls to do it? Would I? When those questions popped into my head, I knew I was hooked! I was like a rabbit in front of a carrot, or my dog when I’m eating French Fries…
I was trying to make out the personality of each character’s I was meeting while understanding the chance/opportunity/crazy plan offered to Tommy. I like my action thrillers to be multi-layered, juicy with curveballs, lies, danger, and characters who don’t sound as if they were just taken out of a bad cartoon. I had a feeling those first chapters could only lead to an explosive, intelligent, and surprising read.
Was I right?
When am I not?!!!
The Last Act delivers on everything you look for in action novels! It even over-does it with real and authentic protagonists looking for brighter days. Yes, money is useful to get a better life, but money has a cost… That’s a lesson for Tommy to learn!
Life in prison… I had a vague memory of a white-collar establishment from the show Suits, which helped me visualize the place at first, but then the writing took over. The words were powerful enough to create Tommy’s world without the help of my memory. I was in a hostile place, with rules and the unsettling fear that never truly goes away in a place like prisons. On top of navigating on his new identity and life, Tommy needs to put on the show of his life to survive and meet his end of the bargain.
Prison is a lonely place, they say. I certainly felt it! Each inmate’s face danced in front of my eyes as I was putting them in boxes: can trust / can’t trust / no idea what the hell?! Tommy and I were walking on eggs, making it even more difficult to get on with the mission: approach the target, discover important papers, and get the hell out. But in a place where trust is rarer than anything else, how do you make someone trust you? Because it goes both ways! If you can’t trust them, they can’t trust you! The pressure was weighing on my chest as the adrenaline levels rose and decreased, following Tommy’s play. What a hell of an actor! Small steps, setbacks, the ticking clock, everything was there to make me edgy and nervous. I wasn’t even in one of those cells!
Wrapped in this world and focused on the task at hand, I was sent to the ground, walked over, and knocked off my seat several times as twists kept making things harder and harder. Because if on paper everything felt nice and proper, when reality hits, Tommy needs to reconsider his choices.
The author skillfully plotted a twisted and explosive act. I was over the moon to see mind games take the lead instead of getting punches and bloody noses. Not that the book lacks in action! The Last Act is a fantastic and balanced action thriller. It’s a terrific piece of work! How much strain is needed to break a family? To break a man? In fact, calling it an action novel doesn’t cover it. Brad Parks has written a powerful, taut, and moving poker game!
February 25, 2019
The Last Act is the first book in the series of same name by Brad Parks.
But first...there is a prequel titled The Whistleblower that helps set the stage for a suspenseful thriller. Mitch Dupree landed his dream job: bank compliance director. It is his job to abide by Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations with a Cover Your Ass (CYA) mentality. After all, banks are the first line of defense against illicit transactions. He notices suspicious activity and what may possibly be money laundering transactions made by a drug cartel. He is faced with an ethical issue: turn a blind eye and protect the family atmosphere at work or blow the whistle.
Struggling actor Tommy Jump is offered the role of a lifetime: $150,000 for a 6-month gig. But it comes from an unlikely employer: the FBI. Feds arrested Mitch Dupree, a bank compliance director, who for the past four years appeared to be laundering money for one of the deadliest drug cartels. Dupree has documents that could lead to way more arrests and personally take down the cartel's leader. It is Tommy's job to enter the prison and act like an inmate. More specifically, he needs to get close to Dupree in hopes of revealing the documents whereabouts. It is a dangerous job and may be Tommy's last act.
A snow day couldn't have come at a better time. It allowed me to spend the day wearing pajamas while reading this new 400+ page book uninterrupted. And oh, did I ever need a lazy day for this gripping tale of deceit! What made it more engaging, is that it's loosely inspired by a true story. Wachovia Bank failed to apply anti-money laundering laws on $378,000,000,000 (BILLION) worth of transfers to and from Mexican currency exchange houses. This directly tied the Mexican drug cartels to the U.S. banking system. It was the largest violation ever uncovered in our country. So much for the war on drugs. 🙄
This new novel is proof why Brad Parks is an international bestselling author. While I enjoyed the well-paced novel and the likable main character, Tommy Jump, I would totally be okay with this being a standalone. There were no major loose ends so it feels complete. How about a movie adaptation instead?
Happy Early Pub Day, Brad Parks! The Last Act will be available Tuesday, March 12.
LiteraryMarie
But first...there is a prequel titled The Whistleblower that helps set the stage for a suspenseful thriller. Mitch Dupree landed his dream job: bank compliance director. It is his job to abide by Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations with a Cover Your Ass (CYA) mentality. After all, banks are the first line of defense against illicit transactions. He notices suspicious activity and what may possibly be money laundering transactions made by a drug cartel. He is faced with an ethical issue: turn a blind eye and protect the family atmosphere at work or blow the whistle.
Struggling actor Tommy Jump is offered the role of a lifetime: $150,000 for a 6-month gig. But it comes from an unlikely employer: the FBI. Feds arrested Mitch Dupree, a bank compliance director, who for the past four years appeared to be laundering money for one of the deadliest drug cartels. Dupree has documents that could lead to way more arrests and personally take down the cartel's leader. It is Tommy's job to enter the prison and act like an inmate. More specifically, he needs to get close to Dupree in hopes of revealing the documents whereabouts. It is a dangerous job and may be Tommy's last act.
A snow day couldn't have come at a better time. It allowed me to spend the day wearing pajamas while reading this new 400+ page book uninterrupted. And oh, did I ever need a lazy day for this gripping tale of deceit! What made it more engaging, is that it's loosely inspired by a true story. Wachovia Bank failed to apply anti-money laundering laws on $378,000,000,000 (BILLION) worth of transfers to and from Mexican currency exchange houses. This directly tied the Mexican drug cartels to the U.S. banking system. It was the largest violation ever uncovered in our country. So much for the war on drugs. 🙄
This new novel is proof why Brad Parks is an international bestselling author. While I enjoyed the well-paced novel and the likable main character, Tommy Jump, I would totally be okay with this being a standalone. There were no major loose ends so it feels complete. How about a movie adaptation instead?
Happy Early Pub Day, Brad Parks! The Last Act will be available Tuesday, March 12.
LiteraryMarie
April 2, 2019
3.5 rounded up. Tommy Jump needs money. His acting gig is about to end and his girlfriend Amanda is pregnant. Then an old childhood friend contacts him about an unusual acting role—that of criminal. Tommy and Danny go back a long way; Danny invites Tommy to sit down and asks him to do a job for the FBI that involves infiltrating a prison. It’s risky and involves being locked up for a goodly while, but the money is enough to live off of for years, and the upfront payment will provide for Amanda and the baby while he is away. It doesn’t take long for Tommy to agree.
I was invited by Random House Dutton to read and review this psychological thriller, the first of a new series. Author Brad Parks has won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty awards, so it’s fun to get in on the ground floor here. This book is for sale now. (Another title by this author, "Closer Than You Know," was released the same day, but it is not from the same series.)
While Tommy—who now poses as Pete Goodrich, a high school teacher locked up for his one and only felony—is away, Amanda, who’s an artist, gets an invitation to meet with a prominent gallery owner. Turns out the gallery owner wants Amanda to share something more personal than paintings, and here I have to wonder why this thread is even included. Jodie Foster, an actor, producer, and director, once remarked that men all tend to go down the same path when determining motivation for a female character. Almost reflexively, they say it was rape. She must’ve been raped. She is traumatized by rape. And so when the gallery owner reaches into Amanda’s shirt, I roll my eyes and say, here we go again.
Fortunately, this event has little to do with the rest of the story, and once we are past it and back in jail with Tommy Pete, the pace quickens and tightens. Our protagonist is charged with getting close to a big player in a Columbian cartel, a man in possession of important documents that Danny says can crack this whole case. Tommy takes risk after risk in ways that were never planned and that could, if things go amiss, either buy him an extended sentence he’ll probably have to serve, or worse, could get him dead. The prose is taut, and the pages turn themselves. Who's lying, and who's telling the truth?
The story is almost entirely Tommy’s, but we briefly meet Tommy’s mother. Amanda and Tommy go visit her before he pleads guilty, and initially I bristle when they agree on the drive over to tell Tommy’s mother to ‘behave herself.’ Perhaps it’s because I am the mother of three grown sons, but I felt a snarl forming when I read this. Don’t talk to your mother that way! But that disappears completely when we meet this woman, whose nickname is “the BBC” because of her propensity to share personal information widely. I love this character! I. LOVE. THIS. CHARACTER. Our time spent with her is way too fleeting, but since we are on book one of the series, I suspect she is introduced to us for future reference. I hope Park will develop her with care and skill. I want to see Park develop a female character, but in particular, I want to see him develop this one. Because I really, truly, very muchly looove—wait. Did I already say this?
Ahem. I may have gotten carried away. Now where were we? Ah yes, this is the place where I ruin the ending by telling you how it all shakes out. No, of course not! Go get it and see for yourself.
Recommended to Parks’s readers, and to those that enjoy a good series.
I was invited by Random House Dutton to read and review this psychological thriller, the first of a new series. Author Brad Parks has won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty awards, so it’s fun to get in on the ground floor here. This book is for sale now. (Another title by this author, "Closer Than You Know," was released the same day, but it is not from the same series.)
While Tommy—who now poses as Pete Goodrich, a high school teacher locked up for his one and only felony—is away, Amanda, who’s an artist, gets an invitation to meet with a prominent gallery owner. Turns out the gallery owner wants Amanda to share something more personal than paintings, and here I have to wonder why this thread is even included. Jodie Foster, an actor, producer, and director, once remarked that men all tend to go down the same path when determining motivation for a female character. Almost reflexively, they say it was rape. She must’ve been raped. She is traumatized by rape. And so when the gallery owner reaches into Amanda’s shirt, I roll my eyes and say, here we go again.
Fortunately, this event has little to do with the rest of the story, and once we are past it and back in jail with Tommy Pete, the pace quickens and tightens. Our protagonist is charged with getting close to a big player in a Columbian cartel, a man in possession of important documents that Danny says can crack this whole case. Tommy takes risk after risk in ways that were never planned and that could, if things go amiss, either buy him an extended sentence he’ll probably have to serve, or worse, could get him dead. The prose is taut, and the pages turn themselves. Who's lying, and who's telling the truth?
The story is almost entirely Tommy’s, but we briefly meet Tommy’s mother. Amanda and Tommy go visit her before he pleads guilty, and initially I bristle when they agree on the drive over to tell Tommy’s mother to ‘behave herself.’ Perhaps it’s because I am the mother of three grown sons, but I felt a snarl forming when I read this. Don’t talk to your mother that way! But that disappears completely when we meet this woman, whose nickname is “the BBC” because of her propensity to share personal information widely. I love this character! I. LOVE. THIS. CHARACTER. Our time spent with her is way too fleeting, but since we are on book one of the series, I suspect she is introduced to us for future reference. I hope Park will develop her with care and skill. I want to see Park develop a female character, but in particular, I want to see him develop this one. Because I really, truly, very muchly looove—wait. Did I already say this?
Ahem. I may have gotten carried away. Now where were we? Ah yes, this is the place where I ruin the ending by telling you how it all shakes out. No, of course not! Go get it and see for yourself.
Recommended to Parks’s readers, and to those that enjoy a good series.
January 16, 2019
This book is loosely based on a real life banking scandal between Wachovia Bank and a drug cartel.
Tommy Jump is a child actor who never made the big time and is at loose ends after his final performance when he is approached by a childhood friend he has not seen in years who now works for the FBI. Tommy is presented with an offer to earn up to 150k and continue the career he loves. The catch? He will be pretending to be a prisoner in a minimum security prison, befriend another innate and obtain information the FBI needs.
The story is told from varying viewpoints and is very engaging. The reader can sense there is a problem but there are red herrings i really enjoyed.
I would recommend reading a short story called "The Whistleblower" before this book as an introduction.
I highly recommend this book.
Brad Parks is one of the best writers in the mystery field. This is a stand alone and does not feature his recurring character , Carter Page.
Tommy Jump is a child actor who never made the big time and is at loose ends after his final performance when he is approached by a childhood friend he has not seen in years who now works for the FBI. Tommy is presented with an offer to earn up to 150k and continue the career he loves. The catch? He will be pretending to be a prisoner in a minimum security prison, befriend another innate and obtain information the FBI needs.
The story is told from varying viewpoints and is very engaging. The reader can sense there is a problem but there are red herrings i really enjoyed.
I would recommend reading a short story called "The Whistleblower" before this book as an introduction.
I highly recommend this book.
Brad Parks is one of the best writers in the mystery field. This is a stand alone and does not feature his recurring character , Carter Page.
January 10, 2020
I found the beginning of this one a little slow and the whole thing somewhat predictable, and where it wasn’t predictable I found it forced. You have to really suspend belief, because there’s a lot of plot lines that would never happen in the way presented.
I have read one other Brad Parks novel and I really liked that one, but this one wouldn’t make me pick up the next in the series, because I think this is the start of a series.
On to the next....
I have read one other Brad Parks novel and I really liked that one, but this one wouldn’t make me pick up the next in the series, because I think this is the start of a series.
On to the next....
March 30, 2019
3.9 I really enjoyed this book. The author said it was loosely based on a Wachovia Bank case. Some folks are framed, others just looking to have money for their families, and then there’s “the big bad wolf”...money laundering with banks and Mexican Cartel.. the book was a quick easy read that kept my attention.
March 18, 2019
Predictable and main character was a bit unappealing to me. Not sure why. The ending picks up and has a good twist that wraps it up. If this was to be a series, I am not sure I would read the next one.
May 3, 2019
A fun, gripping thriller from Parks where a down & out Broadway actor takes on a role for the feds and gets in way over his head! A natural storyteller who entertains you with character and compels with twists you never see coming.
January 30, 2021
An easy read with a few twists. Nothing heart pounding.
January 4, 2023
It’s kind of like in Face/Off when Sean Archer goes to prison as Castor Troy to get details about where the bomb was planted from his brother until Castor Troy shows up as Sean Archer… except without the face transplant.
This is a unique thriller about a hired actor set to return to prison to coerce information from another inmate, until he discovers not everything is as it seems. If you like Ozark, Don Winslow books, or Face/Off, this should be a pleaser. Love Brad Parks’ unique spins on the thriller genre.
This is a unique thriller about a hired actor set to return to prison to coerce information from another inmate, until he discovers not everything is as it seems. If you like Ozark, Don Winslow books, or Face/Off, this should be a pleaser. Love Brad Parks’ unique spins on the thriller genre.
March 5, 2019
A thriller featuring a protagonist who is a musical-theater star? Are you kidding me?! Since crime fiction and theater are two of my favorite things, I am definitely in the target audience for The Last Act. “I swear, the moment lasted longer than ‘City on Fire’/ ‘Final Sequence’ from Sweeney Todd—and that’s a thirteen-minute song” is a typical Tommy Jump quip. Tommy is the Tony-nominated star of the “short-lived but critically acclaimed” Broadway tuner Cherokee Purples, “a show about a family who had left the rat race in order to farm and sell the ultimate organic heirloom tomato.”
Unfortunately, Tommy, now in his late 20s, finds himself in an awkward stage: too old for kid roles, too short to be a leading man. He has decided that a summer-stock production of Man of La Mancha will be his swan song; he’s going to quit acting, maybe get a gig as assistant managing director of a regional theater in Arkansas. Until he gets an offer for a really big role.
A childhood pal of Tommy’s is now an FBI agent on the trail of a Mexican drug cartel. The one guy who has the evidence to bring down the cartel leader is an inmate in a minimum-security, “Club Fed” prison. Tommy will be given a new identity, then he’ll plead guilty to a crime in order to be sentenced to prison, befriend the inmate, and manage to convince him to reveal the location of a valuable stash of documents. He’ll be behind bars for no more than six months, and he’ll get $150,000 for his trouble, with more cash to follow if the information leads to an indictment.
At this point, I was practically shrieking “TOMMY, THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA!” at the book, but of course, the actor—who has a pregnant girlfriend—figures the money would give his new family a great start, and says he’ll do it. Needless to say, complications ensue.
I absolutely loved Parks’ last book, Closer Than You Know, and while of course I don’t want to reveal too much about the outcome of The Last Act, one of the reasons I enjoy Parks’ thrillers so much is that it’s obvious that the author really loves his characters. So I always know in the back of my mind that things will turn out OK, and I find that enormously comforting. Parks writes about nice people who go through hell and are able to use their wits to prevail in the end. There are lots of twists along the way, plus an obviously well-researched and engrossing look at day-to-day life in a minimum-security prison. This is a terrifically entertaining book.
Thanks to Dutton/Penguin Random House for sending me a review copy of The Last Act!
Unfortunately, Tommy, now in his late 20s, finds himself in an awkward stage: too old for kid roles, too short to be a leading man. He has decided that a summer-stock production of Man of La Mancha will be his swan song; he’s going to quit acting, maybe get a gig as assistant managing director of a regional theater in Arkansas. Until he gets an offer for a really big role.
A childhood pal of Tommy’s is now an FBI agent on the trail of a Mexican drug cartel. The one guy who has the evidence to bring down the cartel leader is an inmate in a minimum-security, “Club Fed” prison. Tommy will be given a new identity, then he’ll plead guilty to a crime in order to be sentenced to prison, befriend the inmate, and manage to convince him to reveal the location of a valuable stash of documents. He’ll be behind bars for no more than six months, and he’ll get $150,000 for his trouble, with more cash to follow if the information leads to an indictment.
At this point, I was practically shrieking “TOMMY, THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA!” at the book, but of course, the actor—who has a pregnant girlfriend—figures the money would give his new family a great start, and says he’ll do it. Needless to say, complications ensue.
I absolutely loved Parks’ last book, Closer Than You Know, and while of course I don’t want to reveal too much about the outcome of The Last Act, one of the reasons I enjoy Parks’ thrillers so much is that it’s obvious that the author really loves his characters. So I always know in the back of my mind that things will turn out OK, and I find that enormously comforting. Parks writes about nice people who go through hell and are able to use their wits to prevail in the end. There are lots of twists along the way, plus an obviously well-researched and engrossing look at day-to-day life in a minimum-security prison. This is a terrifically entertaining book.
Thanks to Dutton/Penguin Random House for sending me a review copy of The Last Act!
March 6, 2019
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Inspired by the Wachovia Bank scandal from a few years back, Brad Parks' third stand-alone is a departure in a sense from his previous two. Rather than crimes close to home for his protagonists, this is crime on an international scale, with most of the figures involved never laying eyes on each other.
Mitch Dupree was a high-level bank executive who was convicted of aiding a Mexican drug cartel by laundering a lot of money. He's been sentenced to a minimum security prison in West Virginia. If after reading this -- or even while reading it -- you want a few more details about what happened with Dupree before the novel starts (or more specifics about the events leading up to his arrest), check out the prequel short story, The Whistle Blower. He has made it known both far and wide that he has a large amount of evidence against the cartel tucked away safely -- and as long as he and/or his family are alive, that evidence stays hidden.
Naturally, the DEA, FBI and the cartel want to get their hands on it -- and are willing to do some above and beyond work to get it.
Enter Tommy Jump -- he'd risen to fame and prominence (and a Tony nomination) as a child on Broadway, but as he aged into adulthood the parts dried up. He's on the verge of calling it quits -- at least for a couple of decades. He's approached by a childhood friend, Danny Ruiz, flashing a shiny FBI badge and an interesting job offer. Danny and his partner, Rick Gilmartin, want Tommy to go undercover with an assumed identity of a bank robber and serve time in the same prison. He has six months to get close to Dupree, win his trust and get the location of the documents. If the intelligence he gathers leads to indictments, he gets a hefty bonus on top of the pretty nice initial paycheck (all the funds come from civil forfeiture, and the well seems to run pretty deep). Given that his fiancé -- a painter waiting to be discovered -- just told him she was pregnant, any kind of pay-day sounds good to an out-of-work actor, one with a pay-day that could set them up for years? How can he pass that up?
The early stages of the plan go pretty smoothly -- Tommy's given a new identity, develops a cover story and is sentenced to the same prison. He arrives and gets settled -- not really making friends, but getting well acquainted with fellow inmates, who show him the ropes and help him get acclimated. It goes so smoothly, actually, that it bugged me a little. Sure, he's an actor, but this isn't a play, there's no script, and it seems easy. But, Tommy's such a likeable guy, a winning narrator that I just kept shrugging off my skepticism and rolled with it -- I wanted things to work out for Tommy and Amanda, I wanted to see what happened with Dupree -- so whatever it took to get me to seeing if things would work out for them I could accept.
And then -- because this is a thriller, because Parks is good at torturing his readers (that's why we keep coming back), and because no one is as lucky as Tommy seemed to be -- everything got nearly impossible. On a dime, the momentum changes and suddenly thing look incredibly grim for Tommy, Amanda, Dupree and several other characters. Naturally, at the same time the bottom fell out and I was reeling from a pretty significant reveal, my lunch break ended and I had to get back to work with no time to process things. I know it's stupid, but it felt like Parks planned it that way.
The novel alternates between Tommy chapters and chapters with Amanda, one of the cartel's higher-ups and his efforts to find the evidence, Danny and Rick, and Mitch Dupree's wife. I was honestly surprised how much time we got with Amanda and Mrs. Dupree -- both of whom had their own character arcs independent of (although influenced by) Tommy and Mitch. I could've used a little more of both of them -- not that Parks short-changed them in any way, but their stories were so interesting that I would've enjoyed it. Alternatively, by the end of the book (especially in light of The Whistle Blower), I was surprised how little time we got with Mitch Dupree -- again, it's not that he was short-changed, I just would've assumed we'd have more time with him. And what time we do have with him was by and large mediated through Tommy or his wife.
Beyond that, all the characters are well-drawn, well-developed and the kind that you would like to spend more time with. Parks has always displayed a great knack at creating characters that you can easily imagine coming across in real life -- no matter their walk of life. They're not all good people (particularly those who are aligned with the cartel), but they're all believable people.
Before I get back to what Parks did right, I have a couple of problems that I want to talk about -- as always, I'm afraid that the amount of space I spend talking about them is going to give the idea that I had real problems with the book as a whole. I didn't. It's just a couple of issues -- issues that take more space to explain than the bits I like take. Still, they're worth talking about.
I'm not 100% convinced that Parks adequately gets the point across about how dangerous this cartel that Tommy's mixed up in is. Don't get me wrong, it's not like he portrays them as cuddly or anything. But I'm still not sure I got a large sense of threat and doom from them--Tommy and Dupree carry that sense, they're adequately scared (especially Dupree), but I'm not sure that Parks gets the readers to be. I know he's capable of it, I'm just not sure he did it here.
Similarly, I think he could've done a better job depicting life in the minimum security prison, the daily ins and outs -- the lack of privacy, the loneliness, the hardships. I'm struggling for words here -- the deprivations from a life of liberty that make prison a place you want to avoid, even a minimum security prison.. . It honestly felt like Tommy had an easier time getting up to stuff (including out-of-the-building excursions) in the middle of the night than Harry, Ron and Hermione did at Hogwarts. Or to put it in a different light -- Say Nothing's Scott Sampson's pretty sizeable home and nice office, felt far more confining than the prison did. And the small house that Melanie Barrick called home in Closer Than You Know seemed much more restricting and frightening than Tommy's incarceration (as did the county jail she spent time in)
That said -- what Parks was able to convey very strongly was the life-and-death nature of the situation that Tommy, Dupree, and Dupree's wife was in. Also, the questions of identity, the future consequences of everyone's actions loomed large here and dominated their thoughts, motives and actions. Where Scott and Melanie's stories were much more immediate in their focus (yes, with long-range repercussions, but a very intense focus on the immediate future), Tommy's story and his own focus is on the future. He spends very little time thinking about the now of things, most of his eye is on a decade away -- which is likely tied in to his sentence.
As I mentioned earlier, when things started going bad for Tommy, they went really bad -- and the rest of the book didn't lighten up on him. It's almost as if Parks lulled readers into letting their guard down before hitting them hard (actually, it's probably exactly that). The twists and turns start to come fast and relentlessly. The beginning of the book is interesting and winning -- and then once the hook is set, Parks just messes with you and you can't relax until everything is over. In his previous stand-alones, Parks pretty much kept the tension and suspense going from the first chapter theory the end. In this book, he saved almost all of it until the end, so it hits you harder. So it stops being about characters that you'd like to see succeed or find out more about, to characters that you like and have to know if they're going to survive with their wits, health and family intact -- and you have to know it right now.
About the same time that things got intense, I had a realization -- I think I've figured out what makes Parks' novels work so well, how he gets his readers to commit -- in The Last Act -- and everything else he writes -- what matters most is family. Ultimately, all his books are celebrations of family, and what people will go through for the sake of family. It's tucked away in some of the Carter Ross books -- but, without going back to reread any, I'm pretty sure its there. But especially in his stand-alones, this is Parks' recurring theme. It's the way he connects his audience to whatever his protagonist is going through and to the protagonists themselves. There's something instinctive, primal about the way that Parks portrays family and the lengths that individuals will go through for them -- whether the family is just starting or well-established. something that Tommy and Dupree have a conversation about made that click with/for me -- and thinking about it is the only thing that got me to think about putting this book down for a moment.
I've yet to be disappointed by a Parks book, I've enjoyed all of them -- and this is no exception. I do think there's something special about this one, both in Park's construction of the novel and what it's saying about the characters. He takes some risks, and does some things he hadn't done before, and I was pleased to see the results. There's a lot of heart in The Last Act, a lot of tension, and more hope than you might expect. There's also some things said about the drug war and the prison system that are worth reflecting on. I'm not sure what else I can say to convince you to try this, so I'll just call that good.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Dutton Books, which did not influence anything I had to say about it -- it just means I was able to say something about it before the publication date. I do thank them for the opportunity, however.
---
Inspired by the Wachovia Bank scandal from a few years back, Brad Parks' third stand-alone is a departure in a sense from his previous two. Rather than crimes close to home for his protagonists, this is crime on an international scale, with most of the figures involved never laying eyes on each other.
Mitch Dupree was a high-level bank executive who was convicted of aiding a Mexican drug cartel by laundering a lot of money. He's been sentenced to a minimum security prison in West Virginia. If after reading this -- or even while reading it -- you want a few more details about what happened with Dupree before the novel starts (or more specifics about the events leading up to his arrest), check out the prequel short story, The Whistle Blower. He has made it known both far and wide that he has a large amount of evidence against the cartel tucked away safely -- and as long as he and/or his family are alive, that evidence stays hidden.
Naturally, the DEA, FBI and the cartel want to get their hands on it -- and are willing to do some above and beyond work to get it.
Enter Tommy Jump -- he'd risen to fame and prominence (and a Tony nomination) as a child on Broadway, but as he aged into adulthood the parts dried up. He's on the verge of calling it quits -- at least for a couple of decades. He's approached by a childhood friend, Danny Ruiz, flashing a shiny FBI badge and an interesting job offer. Danny and his partner, Rick Gilmartin, want Tommy to go undercover with an assumed identity of a bank robber and serve time in the same prison. He has six months to get close to Dupree, win his trust and get the location of the documents. If the intelligence he gathers leads to indictments, he gets a hefty bonus on top of the pretty nice initial paycheck (all the funds come from civil forfeiture, and the well seems to run pretty deep). Given that his fiancé -- a painter waiting to be discovered -- just told him she was pregnant, any kind of pay-day sounds good to an out-of-work actor, one with a pay-day that could set them up for years? How can he pass that up?
The early stages of the plan go pretty smoothly -- Tommy's given a new identity, develops a cover story and is sentenced to the same prison. He arrives and gets settled -- not really making friends, but getting well acquainted with fellow inmates, who show him the ropes and help him get acclimated. It goes so smoothly, actually, that it bugged me a little. Sure, he's an actor, but this isn't a play, there's no script, and it seems easy. But, Tommy's such a likeable guy, a winning narrator that I just kept shrugging off my skepticism and rolled with it -- I wanted things to work out for Tommy and Amanda, I wanted to see what happened with Dupree -- so whatever it took to get me to seeing if things would work out for them I could accept.
And then -- because this is a thriller, because Parks is good at torturing his readers (that's why we keep coming back), and because no one is as lucky as Tommy seemed to be -- everything got nearly impossible. On a dime, the momentum changes and suddenly thing look incredibly grim for Tommy, Amanda, Dupree and several other characters. Naturally, at the same time the bottom fell out and I was reeling from a pretty significant reveal, my lunch break ended and I had to get back to work with no time to process things. I know it's stupid, but it felt like Parks planned it that way.
The novel alternates between Tommy chapters and chapters with Amanda, one of the cartel's higher-ups and his efforts to find the evidence, Danny and Rick, and Mitch Dupree's wife. I was honestly surprised how much time we got with Amanda and Mrs. Dupree -- both of whom had their own character arcs independent of (although influenced by) Tommy and Mitch. I could've used a little more of both of them -- not that Parks short-changed them in any way, but their stories were so interesting that I would've enjoyed it. Alternatively, by the end of the book (especially in light of The Whistle Blower), I was surprised how little time we got with Mitch Dupree -- again, it's not that he was short-changed, I just would've assumed we'd have more time with him. And what time we do have with him was by and large mediated through Tommy or his wife.
Beyond that, all the characters are well-drawn, well-developed and the kind that you would like to spend more time with. Parks has always displayed a great knack at creating characters that you can easily imagine coming across in real life -- no matter their walk of life. They're not all good people (particularly those who are aligned with the cartel), but they're all believable people.
Before I get back to what Parks did right, I have a couple of problems that I want to talk about -- as always, I'm afraid that the amount of space I spend talking about them is going to give the idea that I had real problems with the book as a whole. I didn't. It's just a couple of issues -- issues that take more space to explain than the bits I like take. Still, they're worth talking about.
I'm not 100% convinced that Parks adequately gets the point across about how dangerous this cartel that Tommy's mixed up in is. Don't get me wrong, it's not like he portrays them as cuddly or anything. But I'm still not sure I got a large sense of threat and doom from them--Tommy and Dupree carry that sense, they're adequately scared (especially Dupree), but I'm not sure that Parks gets the readers to be. I know he's capable of it, I'm just not sure he did it here.
Similarly, I think he could've done a better job depicting life in the minimum security prison, the daily ins and outs -- the lack of privacy, the loneliness, the hardships. I'm struggling for words here -- the deprivations from a life of liberty that make prison a place you want to avoid, even a minimum security prison.. . It honestly felt like Tommy had an easier time getting up to stuff (including out-of-the-building excursions) in the middle of the night than Harry, Ron and Hermione did at Hogwarts. Or to put it in a different light -- Say Nothing's Scott Sampson's pretty sizeable home and nice office, felt far more confining than the prison did. And the small house that Melanie Barrick called home in Closer Than You Know seemed much more restricting and frightening than Tommy's incarceration (as did the county jail she spent time in)
That said -- what Parks was able to convey very strongly was the life-and-death nature of the situation that Tommy, Dupree, and Dupree's wife was in. Also, the questions of identity, the future consequences of everyone's actions loomed large here and dominated their thoughts, motives and actions. Where Scott and Melanie's stories were much more immediate in their focus (yes, with long-range repercussions, but a very intense focus on the immediate future), Tommy's story and his own focus is on the future. He spends very little time thinking about the now of things, most of his eye is on a decade away -- which is likely tied in to his sentence.
As I mentioned earlier, when things started going bad for Tommy, they went really bad -- and the rest of the book didn't lighten up on him. It's almost as if Parks lulled readers into letting their guard down before hitting them hard (actually, it's probably exactly that). The twists and turns start to come fast and relentlessly. The beginning of the book is interesting and winning -- and then once the hook is set, Parks just messes with you and you can't relax until everything is over. In his previous stand-alones, Parks pretty much kept the tension and suspense going from the first chapter theory the end. In this book, he saved almost all of it until the end, so it hits you harder. So it stops being about characters that you'd like to see succeed or find out more about, to characters that you like and have to know if they're going to survive with their wits, health and family intact -- and you have to know it right now.
About the same time that things got intense, I had a realization -- I think I've figured out what makes Parks' novels work so well, how he gets his readers to commit -- in The Last Act -- and everything else he writes -- what matters most is family. Ultimately, all his books are celebrations of family, and what people will go through for the sake of family. It's tucked away in some of the Carter Ross books -- but, without going back to reread any, I'm pretty sure its there. But especially in his stand-alones, this is Parks' recurring theme. It's the way he connects his audience to whatever his protagonist is going through and to the protagonists themselves. There's something instinctive, primal about the way that Parks portrays family and the lengths that individuals will go through for them -- whether the family is just starting or well-established. something that Tommy and Dupree have a conversation about made that click with/for me -- and thinking about it is the only thing that got me to think about putting this book down for a moment.
I've yet to be disappointed by a Parks book, I've enjoyed all of them -- and this is no exception. I do think there's something special about this one, both in Park's construction of the novel and what it's saying about the characters. He takes some risks, and does some things he hadn't done before, and I was pleased to see the results. There's a lot of heart in The Last Act, a lot of tension, and more hope than you might expect. There's also some things said about the drug war and the prison system that are worth reflecting on. I'm not sure what else I can say to convince you to try this, so I'll just call that good.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Dutton Books, which did not influence anything I had to say about it -- it just means I was able to say something about it before the publication date. I do thank them for the opportunity, however.
April 2, 2019
Tommy Jump has just starred in what he thinks is his last big acting gig when he is approached by a childhood friend, Danny, who has an unusual offer for him. Danny works for the FBI and asks Tommy if he'd be interested in going undercover for 6 months in a federal prison. During this time, he will need to try to befriend Mitch, a banker with information that could bring down one of Mexico's biggest crystal meth dealing cartels. Eager to start a family with his fiancee Amanda (an up and coming painter who hasn't quite made it yet), Tommy seriously considers the offer which guarantees him $150,000 with the potential for more if he's successful.
This book was highly entertaining and had some great characters that Tommy encounters while he is "serving time" in prison. It is a fast paced thriller that takes on some topics I haven't read previously such as the Mexican cartel. The only thing preventing me from giving this a full 5 stars is that I never truly liked the characters of Tommy and Amanda, and this was a book where you are expected to root for the main characters. It's a small criticism in an otherwise great book!
This book was highly entertaining and had some great characters that Tommy encounters while he is "serving time" in prison. It is a fast paced thriller that takes on some topics I haven't read previously such as the Mexican cartel. The only thing preventing me from giving this a full 5 stars is that I never truly liked the characters of Tommy and Amanda, and this was a book where you are expected to root for the main characters. It's a small criticism in an otherwise great book!
January 20, 2019
Let me start by saving I haven't read anything by Brad Parks before but I DEFINITELY will now. Secondly, WOW! What a great book and I am a picky reader. The story line was fun, the twists, the turns, I had no idea what was going to happen next.
This was a fun, quick read that will keep you guessing and one I would recommend to a friend.
This was a fun, quick read that will keep you guessing and one I would recommend to a friend.
February 20, 2021
I quite enjoyed the first few chapters of this book and found the premise interesting but as the story went in it became more and more far fetched and unbelievable. Everything became far too convenient and contrived. It actually made me cringe and left me feeling annoyed. Felt really disappointed.
April 7, 2019
3.5 stars.
August 13, 2019
This one has a really great prison librarian character whose life story sounds vaguely familiar.
June 27, 2019
couldn't suspend disbelief; extra star for me finishing.
February 6, 2021
I have just finished this book and absolutely loved it! A kind of cross between 'Prison Break' and 'Snitch', this is not a genre I am well versed in, but the storyline is typical of the kind of films and programmes I watch so was right up my street!
I loved the way the author switched the storytelling between 1st and 3rd person throughout the chapters and it was really easy to keep up with! I also loved the way the main character puts everyone else before himself and that he is effectively willing to put his life on the line for the sake of others!
I have to say, my favourite element to this story was the amazing amount of twists and turns, particularly towards the end of the book, which kept me guessing right up until the last page!
I also love the authors note at the beginning that explains that the story is based on fact rather than fiction - I love the way this bit was written too!
Overall, a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I would happily read again!
I loved the way the author switched the storytelling between 1st and 3rd person throughout the chapters and it was really easy to keep up with! I also loved the way the main character puts everyone else before himself and that he is effectively willing to put his life on the line for the sake of others!
I have to say, my favourite element to this story was the amazing amount of twists and turns, particularly towards the end of the book, which kept me guessing right up until the last page!
I also love the authors note at the beginning that explains that the story is based on fact rather than fiction - I love the way this bit was written too!
Overall, a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I would happily read again!
October 29, 2022
With this novel, I have completed the entire Brad Parks corpus, and I must say, It has been a sweet ride. These are thrillers, but the narratives are compelling and interesting, the characters are likable and relatable, and the acerbic wit is sprinkled throughout like chili flakes in shrimp scampi.
This novel is a prison story with a Broadway bend. A struggling actor willingly goes to prison to earn a reward if he gets another prisoner to reveal the location of mafia related incriminating documents. But he is duped by the supposed FBI agents and must find a way out, not in the 6 months promised by the FBIish agents, but sooner than the 8 years of his sentence for a bank robbery he never committed. His pregnant wife Amanda and aging mother Barb want and need him back! The ending is quite the surprise and you are rooting for the hero all the way.
The 'extras' in this story are wonderful...the gay friend Brock who keeps the wife stable, the outspoken mother Barb of the aspiring actor, the kindergarten friend Randy who is now with the FBI (or is he?), the Mexican cartel boss El Vio with one eye.
Treat yourself to the wonderful author, and I am looking forward to the next installment...maybe Carter will come back!
This novel is a prison story with a Broadway bend. A struggling actor willingly goes to prison to earn a reward if he gets another prisoner to reveal the location of mafia related incriminating documents. But he is duped by the supposed FBI agents and must find a way out, not in the 6 months promised by the FBIish agents, but sooner than the 8 years of his sentence for a bank robbery he never committed. His pregnant wife Amanda and aging mother Barb want and need him back! The ending is quite the surprise and you are rooting for the hero all the way.
The 'extras' in this story are wonderful...the gay friend Brock who keeps the wife stable, the outspoken mother Barb of the aspiring actor, the kindergarten friend Randy who is now with the FBI (or is he?), the Mexican cartel boss El Vio with one eye.
Treat yourself to the wonderful author, and I am looking forward to the next installment...maybe Carter will come back!
January 26, 2020
Crime novel about an out-of-work, small-town character actor who is presented with a money-making scheme by an old friend now in the FBI: pose as a criminal, go to jail for 6 months, and try to cozy up to a convicted money-laundering banker to elicit the secret location of some documents that would take down a huge Mexican drug cartel.
The writing is pretty simplistic, but the plot sizzles. There were a lot of crazy twists I never saw coming (but then again, I never do). I'm sure a lot of it strained credulity but I wasn't really concerned about that because I found it so entertaining. What a great book to read on a plane (which I did).
It had one of those epilogues I dislike, though--where absolutely everything is tied up in a neat little bow. Can you leave a little bit of the rough edges, like real life, authors out there?
The writing is pretty simplistic, but the plot sizzles. There were a lot of crazy twists I never saw coming (but then again, I never do). I'm sure a lot of it strained credulity but I wasn't really concerned about that because I found it so entertaining. What a great book to read on a plane (which I did).
It had one of those epilogues I dislike, though--where absolutely everything is tied up in a neat little bow. Can you leave a little bit of the rough edges, like real life, authors out there?
March 27, 2019
This was fabulous! Kind of reminded me of an early Grisham. Maybe the feel of The Firm but taking place in a prison. A few times I thought I had this figured out and it flipped a bit. I’m anxious to see what will happen in the next in the series with Tommy Jump (what a name)!
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