Easy Squeezy by Paul D’Ambrosio 

By Austin Camacho

If you like your thrillers overflowing with twists and turns, you’ll want to check out EASY SQUEEZY, the new novel from Paul D’Ambrosio.  The story tracks a boy’s plot to get revenge on the federal government for killing his father 40 years ago.  All that stands between our nation and total economic meltdown is a pair of unlikely heroes – mercenary soldiers who have long been rivals.  D’Ambrosio describes his plot as more dynamic than complex, with a theme running along two parallel stories: one happening during the three days before a presidential election, with the other picking up the day after the election.

“Both involve two sets of characters that finally intersect in surprising ways at the climax on Election Day,” D’Ambrosio says.  “The undercurrent of the story focuses on unbridled greed and vengeance.”

There’s plenty of psychological tension and mystery, but the story doesn’t skimp on the action either.  And this well-researched tale gets into the guts of the Federal Reserve, showing just how vulnerable our economy is to a well-staged attack.   But like any good story, this one depends on well-developed characters.  In this case, a young nun is the glue that holds the story together, even though a pair of mercenary soldiers appears to drive the action: a disgraced former special ops soldier forced to team with a beautiful former Russian officer who lost the use of her right arm in the Chechen wars.

“They are pretty amoral, violent and relentless in tracking down their antagonist,” D’Ambrosio says, “but the singular figure key to the plot is psychologist Sister Maris Stella. She is a 20-something Jersey girl-turned-nun who has none of the religious characteristics you would conjure up from traditional Hollywood stereotypes. She is direct, smart and clever, which she has to be to unravel the secrets held by Deputy U.S. Marshal Tnias, a woman who holds the key to everything.”

Maris skillfully unwinds the knots in Tnias’ mind to let us see the driving force within the president. As much as the mercenaries use their weapons and brute force to get what they want, Sister Maris uses her mind and skills to become the only one who can fully uncover the real mastermind behind the economic doomsday plot.

But wait.  Wasn’t there a mention of the President being involved?  That’s the other branch of this strong plot line – the mystery of Barton Oliver.  We learn that he is in the witness protection program, and there are people who would kill him to find the $100 million his father stole from the mob.

According to D’ambrosio, “Oliver is an enigma, even to those who know him. He is a Nobel-winning economics genius who is named secretary of the treasury as a last ditch effort to stop the economic collapse of the United States. He is thrust into the presidency through a cataclysmic event that kills the current president and his immediate successors. What is known is that Oliver is very close to the agent who took him into the witness protection program as a child.”

The secrets hidden in Oliver’s past are related to both his quest to avenge his father’s death and the location of the hidden treasure.

Paul D’Ambrosio is a nationally renowned investigative reporter who has written on everything from nuclear weapon storage to political corruption. He says that one thing he has learned as a journalist is that anything, no matter how outrageous, is possible. After covering several scandals he is still amazed at the creativity of the bad guys.  He poured his deep background knowledge into EASY SQUEEZY.

“I made sure that all the technology presented in the book is accurate and true to life,” D’Ambrosio says, “so readers won’t see space lasers, aliens or ancient curses coming alive. I asked a former desert special ops NCO to read the battle scenes and point out errors. So, yes, I believe everything in EASY SQUEEZY could happen, which would be a great promo for the book – but not so great for everyone else!”

The entire book is a series of mysteries, even the title.  What the heck does that mean?

“I have to admit to stealing a technique from Elmore Leonard here,” D’Ambrosio says, “which saves the title’s surprise meaning until the end.”

So, if you’ve always wanted to see what would happen if Clive Cussler or Brad Thor wrote a story they got from Robert Ludlum, find a copy of EASY SQUEEZY and prepare for a great ride.

*****

Paul D’Ambrosio is a nationally renowned investigative reporter and editor who was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. He has traveled the world and has written on topics ranging from nuclear weapon storage to political corruption. His debut novel, COLD ROLLED DEAD, was a best seller on Amazon’s technothriller list. He lives in southern New Jersey.

To learn more about Paul, please visit his website.