The Oligarch’s Daughter by Joseph Finder-Book

From a Google Image Search – AP News

The Oligarch’s Daughter by Joseph Finder is a thriller that brings Russia to America. Arkady Galkin lives large and seems to be wired into power in two nations that we usually think of as enemies. However, when Paul Brightman falls in love with and marries the oligarch’s daughter, Tatyana, it becomes quite clear that the Russian is somehow connected to powerful people in America and that Paul is at risk. Paul had a job at a hedge fund, a job he liked with people he also liked. Galkin pressures Paul into working for him in his “investment firm”. As Paul learns that Galkin’s business involves illegal financial moves, Paul becomes aware that his new father-in-law will not tolerate any disloyalty. He decides that he needs to run.

The book opens with a man with two names fighting for his life. Grant Anderson/Paul Brightman wins this battle, but it’s just the beginning of a war for his own survival. Paul’s father was a survivalist who lived much of his life in the deepest forests of America. Paul, who lost his mom at sixteen, thinks his father is a nut. He finds him embarrassing. Little does he realize that the survival skills his father taught him are about to come in handy. 

As we switch back and forth from Paul’s past with Tatyana to his present life as Grant Anderson, we find Paul caught up in running from dangers he should have been aware of as he courted Tatyana. Why are the FBI and CIA involved in all this, and why are they not on Paul’s side.

It’s a good thriller, although a bit offbeat from a classic one. We share Paul’s anxieties and his controlled panic. We travel to Moscow and back in the years of Paul’s marriage and then we run with him through the woods chased by people who should not be chasing him in the present. Of course, people die. 

There is a section in the middle of the story which gets a bit bogged down in complexities and details. slowing our fevered dash from danger. It’s complicated. But soon it’s a headlong adventure in survival and Paul learns to take new pride in his father’s lifestyle. Who survives and who doesn’t? What happens to Paul’s wife Tatyana and Grant Anderson’s girlfriend, Sarah? It’s a good read, but not on my best thriller’s list.