Good Grape Wine Company

Dr. Ryan Duffy finds millions of dollars in his attic and Amy Parkens receives $200,000 in cash in the mail. Duffy comes to realize that his father, Frank, who recently died of cancer, acquired the money by blackmailing a very wealthy person over a period of many years. Should Ryan forget the past and just split the money among his family members or should he look into his father's dark secrets? Should Ryan immediately contact the authorities or should he try to keep the matter in the family?

Amy Parkens also has a dilemma. She is a single mother who is very short on cash. The money would go a long way to solving her immediate financial crunch. Amy's grandmother urges her to keep the money and to ask no questions.

Both Amy and Ryan, who had never met until this situation arose, decide to investigate this mystery. Their search leads to heartbreak, scandal, upheaval and even death in their lives and in the lives of their families.

"Found Money" is very exciting and engrossing until the end. When the mystery is at last solved, the solution is so convoluted and implausible that it weakens the fabric of the book considerably. I recommend this novel for its interesting premise but I caution readers not to expect a satisfying ending.


Good, Bad and Indifferent   August 15, 2001
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book is a real enigma. I do not agree with the other reviews, although I did feel at times that I was reading a real winner. This starts out with a gripping first chapter, then slows to a snail's pace, and you may actually find yourself putting it down for days at a time. If you persevere, you will find it becomes more and more intriguing, and the tension builds to a very acceptable level. Unfortunately, all the gimmicks Grippando uses deflates the plot substance and makes the ending seem trite and unfulfilling.

Grippando's primary gimmick is to stack ridiculous odds against the protagonists. Of maybe 20 characters in the book, 18 are making it their life's ambition to derail their objectives or kill them. This makes you feel more of a need to see the secondary characters get their just desserts than creating a more fulfilling balance of give and take which makes the antagonists sympathetic and the protagonists more 3-dimensional. Unfortunately when it comes time for these characters to get theirs, in almost every case there is no irony, imagination or real passion to the way they meet their maker.

Amy Parkens is a reasonably well-fleshed character who would make a great character in a better written book. Duffy is just a typical Grisham like character, out to right a wrong. The antagonists are poorly written with the exception of Duffy's ex-wife's Lawyer, although he too falls into the "make his life hell" category. All in all, if disappointing endings really bother you, avoid this book. If you can enjoy a bang-bang mid section, go for it but be warned, you may feel cheated at the end.


Legal thriller weaves intrigue and greed into plot   July 30, 2001
 0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I am a big fan of legal thrillers. I have found another author who I can turn to who I know I will enjoy any of his books. FOUND MONEY does not disappoint! Just when you think you have gotten the plot figured out, the author suddenly takes you in a direction you never expected. This one kept me on the edge of my seat.


LOVED IT!   May 2, 2001
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

How does a young man inherit millions in cash from his dying 'penniless' father? How does a young, struggling, single mum receive $200,000 in the post? How are these two events and people related? And how does this make for a sensational book? Well, it just does!

For a suspense novel, it has got to be one of the most interesting ones out there, if not, just for a great premise for the entire book, very original!

Amy Parkens receives $200,00 cash from a donor, who has decided to keep themselves hidden. Ryan Duffy's father leaves him millions in cash, but Ryan has always known his father to be a hardworking electrician, hardly a millionaire. How did his Dad get the money? Extortion? Mafia? Drug runner? As Ryan uncovers his father's life, Amy is trying to figure out who sent her the money and for what reason.

Amy & Ryan's lives come hurtling together and this makes for interesting reading as you try and figure out what happened. Even when you think you know, you don't!

This is an excellent suspense novel, definately recommended!!!