Pg. 69: Steve Brewer's "Cutthroat"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: Steve Brewer's Cutthroat.

About the book, from the author's website:

Solomon Gage is a "troubleshooter" for billionaire Dominick Sheffield and his family, handling the shadier aspects of their international business, along with assorted interpersonal problems. When fetching third-generation Sheffield Abby Maynes from an Oakland crackhouse, Solomon is subjected to her drug-fueled mumblings, and hears something he shouldn't have. Always vigilant and fiercely loyal to Dominick, Solomon asks around about the "Africa deal." Turns out the Sheffield sons are involved in some dirty dealings in an effort to gain a stranglehold on the global urnium market.

Solomon's troubles only increase when he can't convince his boss of the boys' scheming, and African mercenaries arrive in San Francisco to protect the interests of the Nigerian government.

Among the advance praise for the novel:

"Steve Brewer delivers a taut geopolitical thriller with sure-handed plotting and muscular prose. Cutthroat grabs you from behind, like a man with a knife who won’t let go until he’s done with you."
—Bill Fitzhugh, author of H 61 Resurfaced

"Solomon Gage, trusted employee of billionaire Dominick Sheffield, has one of those jobs you can't put on a résumé. He's a fixer, an odd-jobber, a go-to guy. Today his assignment is to pull Sheffield's granddaughter out of a crack house, which he does but not before the girl mumbles something that, not too far down the road, will cause Solomon to put his life at risk to save his boss from his own conniving sons. What starts as a fairly standard thriller slowly develops into an intriguing story about personal loyalty, family betrayal, and conspiracy. Brewer, author of the Bubba Mabry and Drew Gavin mysteries, is an experienced genre hand, but the lightly Shakespearean overtones here are something new for him. He makes it work, though, as he does the dark tone, similar to the Parker novels (written by Westlake-as-Stark), but with a more sympathetic lead. The book ends with the promise of a sequel, and that's a good idea: readers will want to continue getting to know Solomon Gage."
—Booklist

Learn more about Steve Brewer and Cutthroat at his website and his blog.

Steve Brewer is the author of the Bubba Mabry mystery series and the Drew Gavin mystery series in addition to a handful of stand alone crime novels.

The Page 69 Test: Cutthroat.

--Marshal Zeringue