The Poppy Broker

A beautiful French actress, a violent Mafia kidnapping and a lover's courageous attempt to rescue her . . .From the pink cliffs of Brittany to the painted wagons of Sicily, from the slums of Paris to the medieval estates of Europe, this romantic adventure moves at breakneck speed through a land of crime, love and deception. The kidnapping of beautiful French actress, Chantal Armand, forms the hub of a wheel around which art and science, sacrifice and arrogance, love and hate spin at a dizzying pace. The Poppy Broker leads us into the world of Tommaso Scalzone, a man as brilliant as he is glacial; a man who has masterminded a plot to associate Isis with the Mafia. His hunger for Chantal spawns an unforgettable cast of characters ─ Nadja, a sexy teenage runaway; Don Greco, a Mafia boss with a neck like a stack of tires; and Jean-Fran ois, an art collector whose love for Chantal leads him on a relentless but seemingly doomed quest to rescue her ...EDITORIAL REVIEWS (The Critics on Kirkwood's Writing) "Solid tension, sudden danger, fierce action . . . catches fire." - Kirkus Reviews "A moving love story as well as a novel filled with action and suspense ... strong sympathetic characters ... Thomas Kirkwood is a writer to get excited about." - Rocky Mountain News"Nail-biting . . . Perfect " - Norfolk Virginian Pilot"Powerful ... Truly riveting " - Chattanooga News-Free Press"A bubbling thriller . . . The tension builds." - Cleveland Plain Dealer"Suspense and intrigue ... A classic adventure." - Mobile Press Register"Wryly drawn characters...absorbing."- Kirkus Reviews "Tense drama...spectacular."- St. Louis Post Dispatch "Riveting and fascinating."- Lerner Newspapers "An absorbing tale...the stuff of which movies are made."- Rocky Mountain News "Crackles ... a rousing good job." - Akron Beacon-JournalWHAT READERS ARE SAYING: "Finally an author who knows how to write with passion ""A terrific thriller that I couldn't put down, I'll have to read more by this author. The research was amazing.""This is an excellent page turner with good characterizations and more than ample detail. A good suspense story with tension right up to the end.""Well written, moving story. I wasn't able to put it down.""Riveting is a great word for this 5 star book ""The author did a great job at building up the characters of the book, as well as keeping me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I personally loved this story and will look forward to reading more by this author.""I really enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to those who want edge of their seat excitement. This story makes me wonder what life would be like to live it as two different people. Definitely five out of five stars."