Original Sin

'A dangerous heist and unscrupulous thieves: an art thriller is born ' Thomas WaughWhen Alan Cleverden foils the theft of a Manet painting from the Mus e des Beaux-Arts in Rouen, he is convinced Nikos Ioannidis masterminded the attempt.Nikos, the maverick son of Konstantinos Ioannidis, a powerful Greek shipping magnate, is incensed by Cleverden s all-too-frequent interference in his art-theft activities. He is also fiercely jealous of Alan s past relationship with his partner, Sofia Linardki.Things come to a head when Ioannidis unwittingly purchases one of Cleverden s copies of a Gustav Klimt painting. Too much to endure, Ioannidis assumes the role of assassin.But revenge can be a double-edged sword. Ioannidis dies in the encounter.His father is enraged by the crime. Blood calls for blood. With all the forces at his command, Cleverden is about to become his hapless victim. . .unless Alan is prepared to gamble all on the one option he has left to avert a father s vengeance.Recommended for fans of Jo Nesbo and Mark Dawson.Patrick Gooch has enjoyed an interesting and varied career. He studied History of Art, and went on to lecture at the Central School of Art and Design in London. Patrick worked in marketing, travelling throughout Europe and Central and South America. It was while travelling that he began writing. Married with two sons, he lives close to the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.