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Simon Riske
Series · 4 books · 2018-2022

Books in series

The Take book cover
#1

The Take

2018

From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Reich, an international spy thriller featuring Simon Riske: one part James Bond, one part Jack Reacher Riske is a freelance industrial spy who, despite his job title, lives a mostly quiet life above his auto garage in central London. He is hired to perform the odd job for a bank, an insurance company, or the British Secret Service, when he isn't expertly stealing a million-dollar watch off the wrist of a crooked Russian oligarch. Riske has maintained his quiet life by avoiding big, messy jobs; until now. A gangster by the name of Tino Coluzzi has orchestrated the greatest street heist in the history of Paris: a visiting Saudi prince had his pockets lightened of millions in cash, and something else. Hidden within a stolen briefcase is a secret letter that could upend the balance of power in the Western world. The Russians have already killed in an attempt to get it back by the time the CIA comes knocking at Simon's door. Coluzzi was once Riske's brother-in-arms, but their criminal alliance ended with Riske in prison, having narrowly avoided a hit Coluzzi ordered. Now, years later, it is thief against thief, and hot on their trail are a dangerous Parisian cop, a murderous Russian femme fatale, her equally unhinged boss, and perhaps the CIA itself. In the grand tradition of The Day of the Jackal and The Bourne Identity, Christopher Reich's The Take is a stylish, breathtaking ride.
Crown Jewel book cover
#2

Crown Jewel

2019

International spy Simon Riske returns in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Reich's new high-stakes thriller. Monte Carlo's most lavish casinos have become the targets of an efficient, brutal, and highly successful group of criminal gamblers; a casino dealer has been beaten to death; a German heiress' son has been kidnapped. Who better to connect the crimes, and foil the brilliant plot, than Simon Riske, freelance industrial spy? Riske - part Bond, and part Reacher - knows the area it's where as a young man he himself was a thrill-seeking thief, robbing armored trucks through daring car chases, until he was double-crossed, served his time, and graduated as an investment genius from the Sorbonne. Now Riske is a man who solves problems, the bigger and the "riskier" the better. From the baccarat tables of the finest casinos to the yachts in the marina, to the private jet company that somehow ties these criminal enterprises together, Simon Riske will do what he does get in over his head, throw himself into danger, and find some way to out-think and out-maneuver villains of every stripe. One of the most enjoyable, clever, and entertaining new series to come along in years, this sequel to The Take gives readers what they desire a hero we can root for, locales we wish were in, and a plot that never lets up
The Palace book cover
#3

The Palace

2020

In this third installment of a series lauded for its "nonstop action," an international spy must face a ring of ruthless masterminds and foil a plot with global implications as he becomes the world's most wanted man ( Booklist ). Life is good for Rafael de Bourbon. The forty-year-old Spaniard recently married to a wealthy English beauty, and is days away from opening a luxury boutique hotel off the southern coast of Thailand. But when the Royal Thai Police storm the hotel and arrest him for blackmail and extortion, "Rafa" is thrown into Bangkok's most notorious jail. In desperation, he reaches out to the one man who can prove his innocence. Simon Riske, ex-con and now "private spy," owes Rafa his life. Once he and De Bourbon were the closest of friends, until a woman came between them. Riske rushes to Bangkok to secure his friend's release and overnight, finds himself caught up in a web of intrigue larger and more dangerous than he could imagine. In hours, it is Riske who finds himself the wanted man. On the run in a foreign country, pursued by powerful unseen forces who will stop at nothing until he is killed, Riske must stay alive long enough to uncover the truth behind an international conspiracy that threatens to wreak carnage across the glittering capitals of Europe. From Bangkok to Singapore and ultimately to Cannes, Riske enlists the help of a daring investigative reporter, a rogue Mossad agent, and his own band of home-grown specialists, to thwart the cabal behind the plot, only to learn its very origins are frighteningly close to his past. Frighteningly timely, diabolically clever, and ever so stylish, The Palace is Christopher Reich's sharpest and most exciting book yet.
Once a Thief book cover
#4

Once a Thief

2022

With enemies tracking him around every corner, freelance industrial spy Simon Riske is willing to do whatever it takes to complete his mission in this international espionage thriller. In this high-stakes, page-turning thriller, our beloved fearless protagonist Simon Riske must put his life on the line once more when another mission comes knocking. This time it takes him on twisting, gripping ride to the glittering beaches and glamorous architecture of the Mediterranean coast, all the while evading the enemies right on his tail. Told with Reich's signature stylish prose, clever plotting, and pulse-pounding action sequences, Once a Thief is sure to appeal to longtime fans of the series, and newcomers alike.

Author

Christopher Reich
Christopher Reich
Author · 17 books
Christopher Reich was born in Tokyo. In 1965 his family moved to Los Angeles. He attended Georgetown University and the University of Texas and worked in Switzerland before returning to the United States to become an author. His novel The Patriots Club won the International Thriller Writers award for Best Novel in 2006. He lives in Encinitas, California.
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