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This gripping and exciting thriller follows the story of BJ Janoff, a private investigator. One day, a man named Oleg Kokov approaches BJ and asks him to deliver an envelope to a luxury hotel reception desk in exchange for a million dollars. BJ accepts in a heartbeat, and Oleg even gives him the money first. Now it is up to BJ to keep his word and accomplish his task. He has three days to do it, or he will face some dire consequences. However, he faces a significant dilemma. He is so curious about the contents of the envelope, wondering what would be worth a million dollars. So, BJ seeks out the help of an old friend, Jay. They are about to unfold this mystery, but then Oleg has Jay killed. From there, BJ embarks on a journey to bring Oleg down and discover the envelope's content.
From the start, Towles dives into BJ's psychological and emotional state of mind regarding his deal with Oleg. The author depicts a protagonist who is completely torn over a seemingly simple and straightforward task. In many ways, BJ's dilemma is one almost everyone faces at least once in their lifetime, which makes the main character a sort of everyman. When BJ's indecision leads to a determination to discover what is in the envelope and ultimately results in the death of his friend, he finds himself in a downward spiral of guilt, a thirst for justice, and an unquenchable desire to solve the envelope's mystery. Paranoia creeps in as BJ keeps wondering if the people he meets along the road are friends or foes. Nothing is as it seems. The readers will appreciate this book because of its many twists and turns.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review