Review: The Color of Greed by Jack Thompson

The Color of Greed by Jack Thompson

Description: When the young husband of a wealthy heiress is found dead on his yacht floating off the California coastline, his death is ruled an accident and the case is closed. The grieving widow, certain her husband was murdered but getting no help from the police, turns to Raja Williams, a wealthy Oxford-educated private investigator, who has dedicated his resources to help those in need of justice. When Raja arrives in Los Angeles and more bodies begin to pile up, he suspects a coverup that may go as high up as the governor. With the help of his partner Vinny, a highly skilled hacker, Raja must unravel the case before everyone involved, including the two of them, winds up dead.

A colorful cast of characters, great dialogue and a suspenseful twisting plot make The Color of Greed an entertaining read. The Color of Greed is the first book in the Raja Williams series.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Review: The Color of Greed is a solid murder mystery set in LA. Raja Williams, the private investigator, is one of those charismatic heroes who make this sort of story fun to read. Vinny is also cool, though she’s the typical mega hacker, pretty much able to accomplish whatever she wants as long as it’s connected to a computer.

The plot is well-designed and, though I couldn’t figure out who the culprit was, I did have fun trying. There’s a lot going on in this story: conspiracy, corruption, infidelity, and betrayal. It’s not a very long book, but to me it felt just right. There’s no romance, just mystery and sleuthing.

One thing I thought a little odd is that this appears to be the very first book featuring Raja and Vinny, but the story has prompts and cues about their history as if this is just another in a series. Past jobs hinted at, allies presented as if already developed in another story, relationships already there. It really felt like there should be some other earlier book to reference, but this is the first. It isn’t bad, just a different approach.

I won’t say this is the best mystery/thriller I’ve ever read, but it’s a really good one. I liked it and would recommend it to those who enjoy contemporary mysteries with a touch of humor and an interesting cast of characters.


View all my reviews

Check out Jack Thompson's Amazon Page where you can follow him and get notifications of new releases.

Here are Jack's four books in the Raja Williams series. Let me know what you think.





I read Hangtime a while back, too. That one was really fun. Superpowers, unexpected romance, a geeky scientist, turned hero. Good stuff. :-)



Anyway, all that being said, I've read two of his books now and he's one of my new favorite authors. I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy anything he writes.