Monty Haaviko

Not since Jack Reacher has there been such a quickthinking, hard-edged antihero who readers will root for against all odds All recovering drug addict and reformed thief Montgomery Haaviko wants to do is settle down with his wife and baby in their new home and work on building a straight life, one free of the day-to-day hustle and danger of being a career criminal. But for a man who's never held down a legitimate job it isn't going to be easy. When Monty foils a robbery in his new home, killing the intruders, he soon finds he has both a small-time crime boss and a star police sergeant looking for ways to ruin him, run him out of town, or kill him. It's going to take all of the tricks this streetwise ex-con has up his sleeves to prove his innocence, protect his family, and avoid the temptation of the life he left behind. Montgomery Haaviko's Tricks of the Trade: • Be nice. Nice is good. Nice sets a standard. Then, when you get mean, the shock is strongest. • Armored cars are owned by people with guns. • When burglarizing a house move slowly. Then slow down. Now cut it by half. And you've got it. • A couple of drops of crazy glue on the tips of your fingers will eliminate fingerprints.

The truth frequently hurts and rarely sets you free. Ex-criminal Montgomery "Monty" Haaviko would prefer to be known as the friendly neighborhood daycare provider. Unfortunately, it's his criminal past (and his extensive bag of tricks of the trade) that brings him to the attention of Marie Blue Duck, a Canadian activist who wants Monty to set up a route to smuggle refugees into the US. Monty's skeptical of her offer, but the money is too good to refuse. Even his wife, Claire, who ensures Monty stays on the straight and narrow, thinks he should take the job. Marry the first person who doesn't publicly ask about the knife in your sock and the pistol in your waistband. Monty's carefully laid plans quickly go off the rails when he squares off against local thug Samantha Richot, who tries to seize the route. Their power struggle rapidly escalates into kidnapping, torture, and a daring and highly explosive stand-off. Just when Monty thinks he might just have it all under control, his old jailhouse crony, Hershel "Smiley" Wiebe, shows up on his doorstep. Monty is more than suspicious of Smiley's motives, but figures if you should keep old friends close, you should keep old cons even closer. Smile. If nothing else it makes them nervous. Not since the bestselling novel Beat The Reaper or the TV show Burn Notice has there been such a quick-thinking, smart-talking anti-hero who will keep you pinned to your seat. A gripping and aggressive thriller, Your Friendly Neighborhood Criminal shows just how far a man will go to protect his family, home and neighborhood.

Michael Van Rooy's writing is fast-paced, highly entertaining, and exciting with a mix of quirky humour and dark, dry wit. Spine-tingling moments alternate with edge-of-your-seat action in Van Rooys Monty Haaviko crime thriller novels. This third instalment in the Monty Haaviko series takes a darker tone from the previous two episodes, An Ordinary Decent Criminal (ODC), and Your Friendly Neighbourhood Criminal (YFNC). A sophisticated, multi-layered plot keeps pages turning and readers hooked. This time, Monty is tangled in political intrigue, blackmail, corruption, and a long-standing feud in which he becomes a pawn. At the same time, a serial killer threatens the love of Monty's life-his wife Claire, and soon, escape seems impossible. Monty is approached by a wealthy businessman to run for an elected position on the city's new Police Commission. As an ex-con, this is something Monty finds intensely amusing. However, he soon discovers his backer has a long-standing rivalry with another businessman who is backing his own patsy for the Commission, and who stands to gain a fortune if his man wins. When Claire starts getting mysterious gifts and flowers, Monty learns about a serial killer the police have been tracking unsuccessfully for many years. He is torn between leaving town and giving up the Police Commission, or staying and risking Claire's life. But the killer is one who, once he sets his sights on his victims, will stop at nothing to make them his.