JAY MacLARTY

The second in the Simon Leonidovich series.

BAGMAN begins in the Galápagos Islands with the abduction of Kyra Rynerson, daughter and heir to one of the world’s richest men, Big Jake Rynerson, a good ol’ Texas boy who has just built the latest and greatest resort in the capitol of sin – Las Vegas.

Professional courier, Simon Leonidovich, is called upon to deliver the ransom, but quickly finds that playing bagman to a billionaire is not so simple – not when so many people stand to gain by Kyra’s disappearance, and not when someone close to Big Jake is playing for the wrong team. To complicate matters, Simon finds himself falling for Big Jake’s clever and beautiful assistant, Caitlin Wells, though she may be the very one scheming to control the Rynerson empire.

From the flashy lights of Las Vegas to the dark jungles of Colombia, Simon pits his wits against a ruthless and unseen enemy who seems to know his every move. With rapid-fire action and devious plot twists, BAGMAN will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final drop is made.

AWARDS
Finalist for a BARRY AWARD as the
Best Thriller in 2005.

Nominated for a QUILL AWARD in 2005.

Finalist for a BARRY AWARD as the
Best Paperback Original in 2004.



REVIEWS
Publishers Weekly gives BAGMAN starred review. June 7,2004

The second book in MacLarty’s thriller series featuring globetrotting, ask-no-questions delivery man Simon Leonidovich succeeds in all the areas that its predecessor didn’t and establishes Simon as a character worth following. Fresh from his previous case, where he helped expose a diet pill that was about to cause a medical holocaust, Simon is approached by Big Jake Rynerson, a wealthy hotel magnate (think Donald Trump). Rynerson's daughter, an eco-activist has just been kidnapped in South America, and he wants Simon to deliver the ransom. Simon is aided by a small staff of Rynerson's confidants, including a world-renowned expert on kidnap recovery. It doesn’t take long for the crew to realize that the kidnappers have every intention of killing the daughter, money or not, and a simple delivery will no longer suffice. While the first book in the series, The Courier, was heavy on the chase and thin on the science driving it, this entry is well-rounded and compelling. It has all the elements of a great thriller – a chase, a vicious villain, a healthy dose of red herrings, and, most importantly. a likable hero – and MacLarty balances these components expertly.
FORECAST . . . MacLarty is well on his way to making a name for himself.
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Brad Thor
Bestselling author of State of the Union.

Jay MacLarty has done it again!

With a razor-sharp writing style that is equal parts Dashiell Hammett and James Patterson, MacLarty rightly hijacks the "master of international intrigue" title, leaving everyone else in the genre to eat his dust.

BAGMAN is yet another unmatchable, edge-of-your-seat thriller from a writer destined to be a household name.

Fascinating characters, spectacular international locals and a heart- pounding, brilliantly paced plot that kept me turning the pages until well into the early morning hours - MacLarty is not only at the top of his game, but the top of my list of must read authors.

When the chips are down, the jig is up and you're forced to operate outside the law, you want the Bagman on your side every time.
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From bookreporter.com
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

If you sometimes overlook the paperback racks at your local bookstore, drugstore or supermarket, then you're missing some very good, even excellent, reading.

One of these excellent reads would be BAGMAN by Jay MacLarty. MacLarty is an extremely interesting guy, with an affable personality matched point for point by his literary talent. BAGMAN is his second novel, and MacLarty, going with what worked so well in THE COURIER, returns to the world of professional courier Simon Leonidovich and ups the ante just a bit, resulting in another four-star winner.

MacLarty has an uncanny ability to create instantly memorable characters. Though he has several swirling in and out of the plot of BAGMAN, there is no danger of forgetting any of them or of confusing one for another. First on the list, of course, is Leonidovich, courier to the rich and famous. Priceless objects, millions of dollars in cash, important documents...if you need something moved safely from Point A to Point B, Leonidovich is your go-to guy; he's the best at what he does.

Leonidovich is in the midst of his birthday celebration when he gets tapped by Big Jake Rynerson for a job that is a bit out of Leonidovich's bailiwick. Rynerson is a self-made billionaire, an affable and congenial owner of the best resort hotel in Las Vegas. He can by turns be a great friend and a powerful enemy. When Kyra Rynerson-Saladino, Big Jake's estranged daughter, is kidnapped in the jungles of South America and held for ransom, Big Jake pulls out all the stops. Leonidovich feels under-qualified for this type of job, but reluctantly agrees to take it. He soon finds himself in South America, with little to rely on but his wits and his considerable and varied contacts stateside.

Even before he leaves the comfortable environs of Big Jake's hotel, however, it is frighteningly clear that there is someone in Big Jake's circle of family and friends who does not want Kyra back, and accordingly does not want Leonidovich to succeed. Leonidovich thus finds himself caught between the kidnapper, who is a brutal, mysterious figure --- known only as El Pato --- and someone who is in Big Jake's own camp. Kyra, meanwhile, is aware that her captor has no intention of releasing her, whether he receives the ransom money or not. So she begins taking her own steps to effect her rescue --- even as her time is quickly running out.

No one other than MacLarty is writing books quite like BAGMAN right now. His grasp of information on many topics, and his ability to make it understandable – and readable – to his audience, is first-rate. Combine that with a brilliant plot, where time is short and getting shorter, and you have BAGMAN, an at-the-top addition to this year's must-read shortlist. Very highly recommended.
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Colin Harrison
Bestselling author of The Havana Room.

What's a few million dollars between enemies? Read BAGMAN and find out. It's a frantic, can't-stop-flipping-the-pages thriller. You finish the book wanting MacLarty’s next one as soon as possible!
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Carsten Stroud,
Bestselling author of Cobraville.

Audacious, twisted, and ultimately unstoppable. If you see the Bagman coming, brace yourself.
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