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WORK TITLE: The Extraditionist
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: New York
STATE: NY
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
https://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2017/11/qaa-with-todd-merer-author-of-the-extraditionist
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
EDUCATION:Graduate of New York University Law School (with honors).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Lawyer and writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Todd Merer is an attorney who specializes in defending the heads of drug cartels who are extradited to the United States, and he has put this experience to use in writing novels about an attorney much like himself. “After thirty-five nonstop years of jail visits, courtroom duels, and shuttling around the old Spanish Main, I suddenly found myself with time on my hands—and a heap of memories of wild times,” he said in an online interview at Criminal Element in 2017. He decided to put those memories into his first novel, The Extraditionist. In the interview, he called the novel “my memoir,” albeit with names changed, adding: “I do admit to an occasional embellishment.” Explaining how he could defend such morally questionable people, he said: “I always found ways to see myself in my clients, and Benn feels the same way.”
That is Benn Bluestone, the lawyer protagonist of The Extraditionist. Benn enjoys the luxurious lifestyle that his practice has brought him, but he has grown tired of defending drug lords, and he is seeking a case that will make him wealthy enough to quit the business. He comes across three cases that could potentially accomplish that. He soon finds out they are related as well as dangerous, possibly involving a mysterious cartel boss known as Sombra–the Shadow. Benn’s work takes him around Central and South America, and along the way he crosses the path of many people who would be happy to see him dead. He also encounters an indigenous tribe with a strange leader.
Some critics deemed The Extraditionist intriguing for its insider’s view of the international drug trade and its morally compromised characters, including Benn. Merer “knows his material, which to me, makes it even scarier,” remarked Kristin Centorcelli at Criminal Element. She continued: “Merer is a talented writer, and he knows how to build a scene. He’s got his finger on the pulse of these bad guys and gals, and it shows.” Benn, she noted, “is no hero. … But I like scarred and deeply flawed characters, so that’s not a quibble for me.” New York Journal of Books online reviewer Toni V. Sweeney observed that Benn is greedy and fiercely competitive, but added: “These very traits, designed to alienate, will, as the novel progresses, and the odds become more desperate, generate a turn of viewpoint, until sympathy, if not empathy, prevails.” The novel also “gives a good, if fictional, idea” of how the drug business works, she said. A commentator at the Wild and Wonderful Reads Website reported: “I adored our haughty, sarcastic, corrupt lead.”
A Kirkus Reviews contributor, though, found The Extraditionist marred by “its less-than-compelling or even likable protagonist and not enough thrills to justify its 400-plus pages.” The critic summed up the story as “capably told but lacking in page-turning excitement.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer also considered the book flawed, saying: “Readers looking for heroes won’t find them in this muddled tale of cartels, con men, and corruption.” In Booklist, Don Crinklaw delivered a mixed assessment. “Too much of the narrative is carried by Benn’s introspection, and yet, if one has the patience, these are the best parts,” he related. A Small Press Bookwatch commentator praised the novel highly, calling it “riveting” and marked by “a special note of authenticity” due to Merer’s background. This reviewer further termed The Extraditionist “a deftly crafted and decidedly entertaining read from beginning to end.” Centorcelli dubbed Merer “an author to watch,” while Sweeney predicted that “the reading public will, no doubt, await eagerly” the further adventures of Benn Bluestone. The Wild and Wonderful Reads Website reviewer concluded: “Todd Merer is off to something good with The Extraditionist.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 1, 2017, Don Crinklaw, review of The Extraditionist, p. 31.
Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2017, review of The Extraditionist.
Publishers Weekly, September 11, 2017, review of The Extraditionist, p. 43.
Small Press Bookwatch, January, 2018, review of The Extraditionist.
ONLINE
Criminal Element, https://www.criminalelement.com/ (November 1, 2017), Kristin Centorcelli, review of The Extraditionist; (November 2, 2017), interview with Todd Merer.
New York Journal of Books, https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/ (May 13, 2018), Toni V. Sweeney, review of The Extraditionist.
Todd Merer Website, http://www.toddmererlaw.com (May 13, 2018).
Wild and Wonderful Reads, https://wildandwonderfulreads.com/ (November 2, 2017), review of The Extraditionist.
Quoted in Sidelights: “After 35 nonstop years of jail visits, courtroom duels, and shuttling around the old Spanish Main, I suddenly found myself with time on my hands—and a heap of memories of wild times,” “my memoir,” “I do admit to an occasional embellishment.” “I always found ways to see myself in my clients, and Benn feels the same way.”
Q&A with Todd Merer, Author of The Extraditionist
TODD MERER and JOHN VALERI
Todd Merer is the debut author of The Extraditionist. In his thirty years as a criminal attorney, he specialized in the defense of high-ranking cartel chiefs extradited to the United States. Merer gained acquittals in more than 150 trials, and his high-profile cases have been featured in the New York Times, Time magazine, and on 60 Minutes. A “proud son of Brooklyn,” he divides his time between New York City and ports of call along the old Spanish Main, where he is at work on his second novel.
Recently, the author kindly allowed for a debriefing session in which he discussed embellishing fact for fiction, finding parts of himself in clients and characters, balancing entertainment with education, and bringing the story’s backdrop to life.
What inspired you to write The Extraditionist, and how did you adjust to writing fiction after a career in legal language?
Actually, I wasn’t inspired at all. After 35 nonstop years of jail visits, courtroom duels, and shuttling around the old Spanish Main, I suddenly found myself with time on my hands—and a heap of memories of wild times. I decided to store them in my personal time capsule, in a timeline, with characters I knew, and things I’d seen and done—which ultimately became the book.
I didn’t have to adjust to writing fiction because The Extraditionist reflected the way I thought, spoke, and acted as a drug lawyer.
Read Kristin Centorcelli's review of The Extraditionist!
In what ways did your background as an attorney inform this story? Which aspects were of help and which were a hindrance in terms of balancing authenticity with creative license?
Naming names is equivalent to chiseling your own tombstone. Otherwise, The Extraditionist was pre-created—it’s my memoir. I do admit to an occasional embellishment, but I penned them according to what I know Benn would do in the situation(s).
Benn Bluestone is a complex adrenaline junkie who deals in gray areas rather than concrete rights and wrongs. How do these ambiguities mirror the complexities of the criminals he represents, and in what ways did developing his character allow you to play with commonly held perceptions of defense attorneys?
The short answer is that as a defense attorney, I always found ways to see myself in my clients, and Benn feels the same way. The most successful defense attorneys are the ones that are risk-takers. Or thieves.
What do you see as your responsibilities in terms of both entertaining and educating your audience?
The primary goal of any thriller writer is to captivate and entertain readers, which is what I set out to do. But if readers come away with some new insights into the international drug trade, then I would say I’ve killed two birds with one stone.
You spend a portion of your time living along the old Spanish Main, where this book is set. How does backdrop enhance the narrative, and how important is it for you to know the places that you write about intimately?
The Spanish Main is a rich backdrop of many different things that enrich and enhance the narrative. Sheer beauty. Personal and political extremes. A sense of timelessness. Risk, reward, romance. La vida loca…
Leave us with a teaser: What’s next for you? What are you working on now?
Benn’s on the balls of his ass with no practice when his palm begins itching—a too-familiar harbinger of a new case about to come. Like Michael Corleone, he has mixed emotions…
“Just when I thought I was out of the business, they pull me back in.”
When it comes to the Spanish Main, though, Benn’s been there, done that. His natural proclivities (and my own) lead him down a rabbit hole to an entirely different criminal underworld. Paraphrasing Horace Greely, Go east, young man. Which Benn does. Stay tuned for his next story!
To learn more or order a copy, visit:
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Todd Merer specialized in the defense of high-ranking cartel chiefs extradited to the United States in his thirty years as a criminal attorney. He gained acquittals in more than 150 trials, and his high-profile cases have been featured in the New York Times and Time magazine and on 60 Minutes. A “proud son of Brooklyn,” Merer divides his time between New York City and ports of call along the old Spanish Main. The Extraditionist is his first novel.
Todd Merer is an honors graduate of New York University Law School. In his 30 years as a criminal defense attorney he has gained acquittals in more than 150 trials, and has successfully negotiated nearly 1500 cases to sentences significantly lower than the original accusations.
Included among these are cases in the New York State Courts and Federal Courts throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, including Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the Districts of Columbia, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
He has extensively practiced according to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines since they were adopted in 1987. He is well versed in the Federal Rules of Evidence as they pertain to trials, and in the Federal Guideline provisions allowing downward departures from mandatory minimum sentences.
He employs paralegals and translators who are fluent in Spanish, Chinese, and other languages.
He often travels to consult with clients, both in Europe and Latin America.
In his thirty years as a criminal attorney, Todd Merer specialized in the defense of high-ranking cartel chiefs extradited to the United States. He gained acquittals in more than 150 trials, and his high-profile cases have been featured in the New York Times and Time magazine and on 60 Minutes. A “proud son of Brooklyn,” Merer divides his time between New York City and ports of call along the old Spanish Main. The Extraditionist is his first novel.
Quoted in Sidelights: “its less-than-compelling or even likable protagonist and not enough thrills to justify its 400-plus pages.” “capably told but lacking in page-turning excitement.”
Merer, Todd: THE EXTRADITIONIST
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Merer, Todd THE EXTRADITIONIST Thomas & Mercer (Adult Fiction) $15.95 11, 1 ISBN: 978-1-4778-
0601-2
A private attorney who defends extradited drug cartel bosses, Benn Bluestone angles for "the mother of all
scores" that will enable him to quit the racket.Benn, who wears the double "n" in his name like gaudy
cufflinks, has made a handsome living doing morally compromising work. "A master of the universe of the
white-powder bar," he lives the high life, with ready access to beautiful women and high-priced drugs. But
as much as he loves playing this dangerous game, and the $1 million checks that come his way, he is worn
down by its intense pressures--which 20 years ago led him to shoot two men in a luxury resort in Colombia.
When a case involving the mysterious and notorious Mexican drug king Sombra comes his way, he thinks
his ship has come in. But a series of killings and surprising reveals leave Benn fearing for his future.
Drawing on his own 30-year career as a first-call criminal lawyer for cartel chiefs, Merer knows of what he
writes in his first novel. He tells his story with energy, assurance, and a wealth of insider believability. But
with its less-than-compelling or even likable protagonist and not enough thrills to justify its 400-plus pages,
the book never transforms fact into fiction the way Don Winslow's gut-punching drug novels do. These
pages may prove a solid blueprint for a film or TV series but don't bode well for possible future installments
in the series. A kind of roman a clef set in Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Miami as well as New York,
this tale of a cartel lawyer is capably told but lacking in page-turning excitement.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Merer, Todd: THE EXTRADITIONIST." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A502192406/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=82c39469.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A502192406
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
Quoted in Sidelights: “Too much of the narrative is carried by Benn’s introspection, and yet, if one has the patience, these are the best parts,”
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524525695490 2/4
The Extraditionist
Don Crinklaw
Booklist.
114.3 (Oct. 1, 2017): p31.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The Extraditionist. By Todd Merer. Nov. 2017.400p. Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, paper, $15.95
(978147780612).
Many crime writers claim they're not really interested in crime. They only use it as a motor for the action or,
as here, a chance to explore the world it impacts. Benn Bluestone, narrator of this tangled novel, has been a
Manhattan drug lawyer for too long. He yearns for a rich reprobate client who will buy him "the kind of
nurturing only big bucks could buy," and now he might have found him: a drug lord wants Benn to
"negotiate a surrender" and sends ahead "fifty large just for a meet." What follows is not an actioner, for all
the occasional violence; nor is it easy nightstand reading. It's a microscopic look at one wing of the
criminal-justice system, where "lawyers cheat and lie if they have to." Too much of the narrative is carried
by Benn's introspection, and yet, if one has the patience, these are the best parts. We learn things like the
fact that some women in the novel aren't that unhappy their men are doing time: "They liked knowing
where their males were at night."--Don Crinklaw
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Crinklaw, Don. "The Extraditionist." Booklist, 1 Oct. 2017, p. 31. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A510653763/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4525a7b5.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A510653763
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524525695490 3/4
Quoted in Sidelights: “Readers looking for heroes won’t find them in this muddled tale of cartels, con men, and corruption.”
The Extraditionist
Publishers Weekly.
264.37 (Sept. 11, 2017): p43.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Extraditionist
Todd Merer. Thomas & Mercer, $15.95 trade
paper (422p) ISBN 978-1-4778-0601-2
Immoral New York lawyer Bennjamin T. Bluestone, the extraditionist of Merer's overlong debut, is looking
for what he calls a Biggy--a drug score big enough to let him get out of the lawyering game. Benn comes
across three possible Biggies, one of which might involve Sombra--the Shadow--the biggest drug lord of
them all, whose identity remains hidden. One obstacle to his scheme is Oscar Uvalde, a Colombian general
"who portrays himself as the archenemy of drug traffickers, but is a corrupt pig who feeds at the trough of
their money," according to a hostile blogger. On the behalf of his drug-dealing clients, Benn flies to
Guatemala City, where he dodges bullets, legal traps, and beautiful women. Benn shows a softer side in his
regard for the indigenous Logui people in the Andes; their mysterious leader, Alune, may be in control of
his fate. Readers looking for heroes won't find them in this muddled tale of cartels, con men, and
corruption. Agent: David Hale Smith, Inkwell Management. (Nov.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Extraditionist." Publishers Weekly, 11 Sept. 2017, p. 43. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A505634879/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e3158a35.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A505634879
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524525695490 4/4
Quoted in Sidelights: “riveting” “a special note of authenticity” “a deftly crafted and decidedly entertaining read from beginning to end.”
The Extraditionist
Small Press Bookwatch.
(Jan. 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
The Extraditionist
Todd Merer
Thomas & Mercer
9781477806012, $15.95, PB, 428pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When the world's most notorious cartel bosses get arrested, they call Benn Bluestone. A drug
lawyer sharp enough to exploit loopholes in the system, Bluestone loves the money, the women, the action
that come with his career--but working between the lines of justice and crime has taken its toll, and he
desperately wants out. He's convinced himself that only an insanely rich client can guarantee him a lavish
retirement.
When the New Year begins with three promising cases, Bluestone thinks he's hit pay dirt. But then the cases
link dangerously together--and to his own past. Does the mysterious drug kingpin Sombra hold the key to
Bluestone's ambitions? Or does the key open a door that could bring the entire federal justice system to a
screeching halt and net Bluestone a life in jail without parole?
Critique: It's clear that with his novel "The Extraditionist", author Todd Merer draws upon his thirty years as
a criminal attorney, specializing in the defense of high-ranking cartel chiefs extradited to the United States,
to add a special note of authenticity and judicial accuracy to his riveting work of fiction. A deftly crafted
and decidedly entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Extraditionist" is an especially recommended
addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Extraditionist" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781536690200, $16.99, MP3 CD).
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Extraditionist." Small Press Bookwatch, Jan. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526574078/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2f260f40.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A526574078
Quoted in SidelightsL “knows his material, which to me, makes it even scarier,” “Merer is a talented writer, and he knows how to build a scene. He’s got his finger on the pulse of these bad guys and gals, and it shows.” , “is no hero. … But I like scarred and deeply flawed characters, so that’s not a quibble for me.” “an author to watch,”
Review: The Extraditionist by Todd Merer
BY KRISTIN CENTORCELLI
November 1, 2017
The Extraditionist by Todd Merer is the first book in the Benn Bluestone Thriller series.
Drug lawyer Benn Bluestone is kind of a jerk. He likes the ladies a little too much, he loves money, and the criminals he defends are the worst of the worst: powerful cartel members that don’t think twice about killing anyone that gets in their way. Benn justifies this a bit by explaining that the people he defends help put the bigger cartel fish away, which while sometimes true, still isn’t much of a defense.
He explains thusly:
We settled on a day, and I clicked off. I’d juggle and manage. You learn to in a business that’s totally unpredictable—months without a peep of new work, then two cases in two minutes. The work itself, however, was totally predictable: same old, same old, researching and developing deep-throat information Uncle Sam deemed significant—drugs by the ton and seizures in the multimillion of dollars—then horse trading it for minimal jail time my clients could do standing on their heads.
Being the keeper of such secrets entailed great responsibility—and, if one were careless, a fair amount of risk. I reduced that hazard by maintaining constant vigilance and trusting no one.
Benn narrates, and he lets readers know very quickly that he’s tired of his job. He’s looking for a big score so he can get out for good.
The other day while online, I was required to select my date of birth by scrolling down a numbered wheel. I watched the years pass, thinking how quickly they had gone. My next birthday was a year ending in zero, and I didn’t want to go on working until I ran out of juice. Couldn’t, because sooner or later, the whole rotten-drug-lawyer monopoly game was going to crash, and a lot of players would be drawing cards that said Go to Jail, I planned to be long gone by then.
Because I had a dream…
I’d snag a client named Biggy who would deliver unto me the mother of all scores. I knew that my Biggy existed in the realm of possibility. In fact, he might even be Mondragon’s guy. One never knew—
Mondragon might indeed be his ticket out. In fact, when he flies to Columbia to meet him, he’s greeted with a one-million-dollar offer. That’s huge, but he knows there must be some sort of catch. He’s shocked when he learns his new client is Rigo Ordonez, a man who was involved in the deaths of 200 of a former client’s extended family—a client that Benn counted among his very few friends. They killed the man’s entire family, including women and children. Rigo doesn’t play around.
What follows is a deep dive into labyrinthine cartel politics in Benn’s search for the big one that will get him out for good. These are big fish, alright; but is it worth his life—or what is left of his soul? The legendary Biggy Sombra (aka the Shadow) will test him to the limit and beyond.
Benn isn’t a bad guy. He’s really not. Don’t get me wrong, he and I wouldn’t be friends, but his regret when it comes to his ex-wife (and former paralegal) Mady adds depth to his personality and possibly partially explains his devil-may-care attitude. I get the distinct impression that losing her changed him, and it wasn’t a change for the better. He’s world-weary to the point of not caring, and it’s a dangerous way to be.
Flashback: twenty years ago.
Mady is my new bride. We’re not only joined at the hip; she is also my accomplished paralegal. We are deeply in love and best friends and workmates. Our future is bright and limitless. My professional star is rising. I’m just a couple of years out of law school, not yet thirty, but already I’ve become a hell of a trial lawyer. My ascent begins when I work some courtroom magic, get lucky at the same time, and win a no-win case. For a Columbian. He sends his friends to me. His friends send friends.
One day I receive a call from a man with a hoarse voice. He is extremely polite. Reserved. Would I consider an expense-paid trip to Cali to discuss a case?
“Yes,” I say. “With my paralegal.”
“Of course.”
But I have reservations about bringing Mady.
He should have listened to those reservations because that was the trip that led to the death of so many people and marked the beginning of the end for him and Mady.
Merer—who has 30 years under his belt practicing the exact kind of law that Benn does—knows his material, which to me, makes it even scarier. And this is scary, dirty, low-down business. Benn is no hero, and I’m not sure anti-hero fits either. But I like scarred and deeply flawed characters, so that’s not a quibble for me.
If I had a quibble (or two), it would be that there are so many characters in this book that you may need to make a list. Also, the narrative could have been whittled down a bit. It gets a bit confusing, but don’t let that scare you off—Merer is a talented writer, and he knows how to build a scene. He’s got his finger on the pulse of these bad guys and gals, and it shows.
If you’re fascinated with the illegal drug trade—which I am—and the ins and outs of criminal cartels, this is an author to watch. His addition of a plot thread involving an indigenous people of the Andes and their enigmatic leader makes for an intriguing twist.
Quoted in Sidelights: “These very traits, designed to alienate, will, as the novel progresses, and the odds become more desperate, generate a turn of viewpoint, until sympathy, if not empathy, prevails.” “gives a good, if fictional, idea” “the reading public will, no doubt, await eagerly”
Reviewed by:
Toni V. Sweeney
“If anyone has ever wondered how the drug trade works and what lawyers think as they represent drug dealers in court, this novel gives a good, if fictional, idea.”
In lawyer Benn Bluestone’s world, there’s no right and wrong, only the end result. Benn is good at what he does, which is getting reduced sentences from the Department of Justice for his drug trade clients. He loves the benefits, the women, and the money—especially the money—but he’s rapidly deciding it’s time to get out.
“There was no escaping the truth. As much as I wanted the quit the game, I can’t deny I loved playing it.”
All he needs is one big client with the properly large retainer. He may have found the one, the man called Sombra, the shadow, face unknown but clearly the undisputed head of the Colombian drug trade.
When he finds himself with not one but three clients with the appropriate cash, Benn thinks he’s got it made.
“‘You get a lot of money for my case. Things work out, you’ll get a whole lot more.’
I held the check up to the light and peered at it. It signified the same as a moment ago: made out to me for $1 million.
I pocketed it and left.”
Then things begin falling apart. People start dying, both the faithful and the untrusted. Benn finds himself under investigation, and it seems as if all three clients are bound together . . . that everything has become one big case.
Benn has choices to make, but whatever he chooses, it looks as if he’s going to come out the loser. “Whoever heard of a story with a happy ending that begins with a quadruple-whammy like Christmas, Hannukkah, and Kwanzaa all falling on the very same day that a blizzard just happens to blanket the Big Apple?”
There may be a light at the end of the tunnel, but Benn may not reach it. As Sombra says, “One issue remains unresolved, the lawyer’s fate. Live or die?”
For some readers, the main character of Todd Merer’s novel may be a difficult character to like. By his own admission, Benn Bluestone is mercenary, definitely greedy, and fighting to be the one coming out on top. More a protagonist than a hero, he’s already lost the woman he loves, though he has a foolhardy hope he’ll eventually win her back, but that is probably a dream if not a nightmare. Benn is alone, in more ways than one, haunted by memories he can’t shake, of sights he shouldn’t have witnessed.
These very traits, designed to alienate, will, as the novel progresses, and the odds become more desperate, generate a turn of viewpoint, until sympathy, if not empathy, prevails.
The Extraditionist is a complicated novel, and it’s advised the reader not attempt to fan through the pages or skip a section, for that may lead to a missed point, an important thread, or simply an exciting paragraph. If anyone has ever wondered how the drug trade works and what lawyers think as they represent drug dealers in court, this novel gives a good, if fictional, idea.
Fact or fiction, The Extraditionist is an exciting read, and its ending advises that Sombra has future plans for Benn Bluestone which the reading public will, no doubt, await eagerly.
Toni V. Sweeney is the author of The Adventures of Sinbad and The Kan Ingan Archives series and also writes under the pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone
Quoted in Sidelights: “I adored our haughty, sarcastic, corrupt lead.”
“Todd Merer is off to something good with The Extraditionist.”
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BOOK REVIEW: THE EXTRADITIONIST (BENN BLUESTONE #1) BY TODD MERER
NOVEMBER 2, 2017BY WILDANDWONDERFULREADS
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Extraditionist Cover
Title: The Extraditionist (Benn Bluestone #1)
Author: Todd Merer
Genre: Fiction, Legal Thriller
Publishing: November 1, 2017 (Thomas & Mercer)
Format: Paperback, 428 pages
Source: Little Bird Publicity and Thomas & Mercer
“You need four things to tell a story: a beginning, a middle, an end, and you can’t be dead.”
MY RATING: starstarstarstarhalf
SYNOPSIS:
When the world’s most notorious cartel bosses get arrested, they call Benn Bluestone. A drug lawyer sharp enough to exploit loopholes in the system, Bluestone loves the money, the women, the action that come with his career…but working between the lines of justice and crime has taken its toll, and he desperately wants out. He’s convinced himself that only an insanely rich client can guarantee him a lavish retirement.
When the New Year begins with three promising cases, Bluestone thinks he’s hit pay dirt. But then the cases link dangerously together—and to his own past. Does the mysterious drug kingpin Sombra hold the key to Bluestone’s ambitions? Or does the key open a door that could bring the entire federal justice system to a screeching halt and net Bluestone a life in jail without parole?
The Extraditionist Bookstagrm
MY THOUGHTS:
Sometimes, I need a good old fashioned kick in the butt by a decent book in a genre that I do actually enjoy but don’t pick up nearly enough to make me realize that reading a variety of books is GOOD for me. The Extraditionist was a solid reminder of my love of thrillers.
The Extraditionist is an intense debut novel by Todd Merer, wherein his background as a criminal attorney from Brooklyn who spent a good part of his career defending cartel bosses brings light to our protagonist.
The Extraditionist follows the debaucherous protagonist, Benn Bluestone, a New York City attorney who specializes in extraditions, as he wheels and deals with the world’s most dangerous drug lords. There are twists and turns and his cases spiraling out of control, but the stakes are high, and Benn is motivated by money.
I truly enjoyed Merer’s writing. His style is fluid and descriptive, though, at times, too descriptive for my taste. There is a sound plot at the base of this book, but some of the layers that were added contained an excessive amount of fluff (details, characters, etc.) that didn’t entirely seem necessary, and if you do not pay enough attention, the storyline easily becomes disjointed and muddled.
I was nervous that I could be lost among the unfamiliar drug trafficking lingo and setting in The Extraditionist, but that is partly what Merer takes his time explaining. I did appreciate it, but it also slowed the pace at the beginning of the book. I was hit with a LOT of information in the first quarter to third of the book that could quickly overwhelm a reader. Hang in there, guys…the reading gets much more intense soon!
Candidly, I adored our haughty, sarcastic, corrupt lead. I looked at Benn Bluestone more like an anti-hero and enjoyed him for what he is. He does not have redeeming qualities — sorry, not sorry! If all leads were sugar sweet, I would get bored so simply. Granted, I would not go near Mr. Bluestone with a 20 foot pole in real life, but as a character in a fictional work, I absolutely loved how Merer defined him.
…if only I could keep up with all of the other characters and enjoy their development as much/effortlessly as I did with Mr. Bluestone.
Overall, I believe Todd Merer is off to something good with The Extraditionist. As it appears we will be seeing more of Mr. Bluestone (since this is listed as book #1 in his series), I am looking forward to seeing what is to come. I do recommend this read, but I recommend it to those willing/able to pay close attention because there is a lot going on. Honestly, you have to be a patient reader to enjoy books like this, but if you give it the time it deserves, it is worth it!
Until next time… xo
*Thanks to Little Bird Publicity and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.