The Millionaires

By: Brad Meltzer

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

What would you steal if you couldn't get caught?

It started as the perfect crime. Then it took a turn for the worse.

Charlie and Oliver Caruso are brothers who work at Greene & Greene, a private bank so exclusive you need two million dollars just to be a client. But when the door of success slams in their faces, they're faced with an offer they can't refuse: three million dollars in an abandoned account. No one knows it exists, and even better, it doesn't belong to anyone.

It's a foolproof crime. More important, for Charlie and Oliver, it's a way out of debt and the key to a new life. All they have to do is take the money.

But when they do, they quickly discover they've got a lot more on their hands than the prize. Before they can blink, a friend is dead - and the bank, the Secret Service, and a female private investigator are suddenly closing in.

Trapped in a breakneck race to stay alive, Charlie and Oliver are about to discover a secret that will test their trust and forever change their lives.

©2002 by Forty-Four Steps, Inc., Alll Rights Reserved (P)2002 by Time Warner AudioBooks, a Division of the AOL Time Warner Book Group

Critic Reviews

"A fast-paced, fresh-scrubbed tale of financial adventure." (Publishers Weekly)

Possibly the best Meltzer to date

With "The Millionaires," Meltzer is finally hitting his stride. I like the way that he devises intricate plots within plots; but most of all, I enjoy his insider knowledge. In some of his other novels, like "The Tenth Justice," "The First Counsel," and "The Zero Game," Meltzer displays his (apparently) first-hand knowledge of Beltway politics. That impresses me enough; but, with "The Millionaires," Meltzer shows that he also knows a lot about high-level banking ??? and computers ??? and DisneyWorld! See if you can put those elements together. Never mind: "The Millionaires" has an ingenious plot that you will never guess. I recommend purchasing this audiobook, along with most of Meltzer's other audiobooks, with only two minor caveats: First, you should know that most of Meltzer's characters seem to be running on anger and hysteria, which annoys me a little, since I prefer it when my heros stay cool under pressure. Second, Scott Brick narrates all of Meltzer's audiobooks. Yeah, I know: Everybody else loves Scott Brick's narrations. And, I have to admit, Brick can definitely act. He has lots of accents and enough voices to distinguish the characters. It's just that VOICE. But never mind those minor quibbles. If you like thrillers, you will enjoy "The Millionaires."

22 of 22 people found this review helpful

Top 5 in my book

I have been an audio book reader for 5 years now. I get through about 2-3 unabridged audio books each month. I enjoyed this book so much that I was disappointed as I came to the end of it. The author has a great sense of humour and the reader is simply a GREAT match for the text. Honestly, it was interesting from beginning to end and wasn't easy to guess "whodunnit." Don't forget Meltzer's other book "First Counsel." It is just as good if not better than this one.

26 of 27 people found this review helpful

EASILY as good as Grisham

Okay, so Meltzer is an okay novelist. He's no Tolstoy, no Hemmingway, but he's easily the equal of John Grisham or Scott Turow, his contemporaries in this genre. I found this book to be interesting and adequately written. It certainly held my interest over many miles of highway driving. Scott Brick's reading was an asset, for sure. I recommend this one if you enjoy an easy read/listen while you're driving.

20 of 21 people found this review helpful

Unexpectedly Entertaining

Sometimes a book you initially have mild expectations for ends up being a gem; and that was certainly the case with "The Millionaires". I found the plot far more complex (in a good way) than anticipated, and was constantly entertained with the twists and turns the story took.

I know that Scott Brick inspires a "love him or hate him" response in people; I've always enjoyed his reading style for thrillers. I thought this book was a great fit for his voice.

This book isn't deep, or important, or a statement on our times. It's simply a fun, easy thriller with enjoyable characters, a smart plot, and a decidedly satisfying ending. If that's what you're in the mood for, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

19 of 21 people found this review helpful

Very Ejoyable, better than anticipated

This book moves along at a good pace, has an interesting premise and some turns I didn't see comming. There were a few hard to beleive parts but this didn't change my enjoyment of the book one bit.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Another hit!

Suffice it to say that Scott Brick can put life into the phone book but this was a super combo! Great story with more twists than a slinky. Highly recommend the read.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Boring

It took me many miles and months to get through this book. It was difficult to connect to or even care about the characters. The story line did not hold my interest and I tried to like it. The narrator is among my favorites, however he could not help this story. At different times the relationship between the brothers was too cutesy and lacking of trust. The romance was gratuitous. No meaning. Perhaps this one tried too hard to be a thriller.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I loved it

I have to admit that I could not stop listening to this book. I found the plot unexpectedly entertaining, with many original twists and turns. The characters were very likeable, even if you sometimes wanted to smack them for their naivete.Who cares what they did to begin with? You were rooting for them till the end.

Scott Brick did a great job reading it, like only he can do when he doesn't overdo himself.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

great expectations?

I listen to audiobooks while commuting and waiting in line(s). Most of the time I listen to suspense books. My expectations for this book genre was completely satisfied by this author and the narrator. Sure the plot is weak at points and sometimes the pace is off, but this is entertainment not literature! In particular I really enjoyed the sibling interaction!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Fun Ride... The ending though...?

Fun book and funny diolog, The ending was a bit anticlimactic.. But if you're looking for a light and fun adventure full of nail biting thrills and funny scenes, this book is perfect..

2 of 2 people found this review helpful