Joseph Finder is the New York Times bestselling author of fifteen previous suspense novels, including JUDGMENT, THE SWITCH, THE FIXER and SUSPICION. He introduced “private spy” Nick Heller in VANISHED, an instant bestseller, and the continuing series includes BURIED SECRETS, GUILTY MINDS and HOUSE ON FIRE.
Q: How did you get the idea for the story?
Joseph Finder: The story started with someone who had disappeared and gone off the grid. I was curious if that can even happen today considering facial recognition, surveillance cameras everywhere, and Google. I had the idea of this guy living in a small town under an assumed name. Why is he on the run and who is he hiding from? Then I thought, what about a Russian oligarch? I kept asking, “What if?”
Q: How would you describe the Russian oligarch, Arkady Galkin?
Joseph: He is a family-loving man, warm, outgoing, but also sinister. He believes he is above the law and that the end justifies the means. Throughout the story, there are questions about his connections and where he got his money.
Q: Can you explain the book quote, “A puppet is free as long as they love their strings”?
Joseph: There are several characters in the book who are puppets. They do not know it and do not realize they are on strings. When they finally realize they have a choice, do they want to continue being on a string?
Q: How would you describe Paul and his new identity, Grant?
Joseph: Paul is a money man while Grant works with his hands. Paul is outgoing, and Grant is introverted. Paul created a persona in which he disappears, that being Grant. He lives in a small town, keeps to himself, and avoids attention. They are both planners.
Q: How would you describe Paul?
Joseph: Someone who is anxious, stressed, and suspicious, having to be on the run. He has learned techniques of surviving in the wilderness from his father. Unfortunately for him, he is a little rusty with these techniques.
Q: What about the Russian oligarch’s daughter, Tatyana, who became Paul’s wife?
Joseph: She can be rebellious. She is artistic, wants to live modestly, and does not want people to know her father is an oligarch. She is hiding, too. She can be impetuous and spontaneous. But there is another side to her—she enjoys the wealth and power, wears designer clothes, and loves being on their yacht.
Q: What is the relationship between Paul and Tatyana?
Joseph: They are opposites who attract. She wants someone she can trust who is dependable and spontaneous. They see in each other aspects they did not expect. They truly love each other. The role of her family both interferes with and augments the relationship. Paul is really drawn to how her family is warm, loving, and boisterous, since he had a cold and lonely childhood. On the other hand, she tells him that she will always be a Galkin—that is her first loyalty.
Q: What was the role of the prenup?
Joseph: She feels bad and is embarrassed, but he looks at it as a way to show her he is not after her money. It is a really important point about the realization of character.
Q: Next book?
Joseph: I am in the process of writing it now. It will be a series and hopefully will come out next year. It is a murder mystery plus thriller.
The Oligarch’s Daughter by Joseph Finder is a suspenseful thriller with a tinge of romance. It has themes of betrayal, forgiveness, loyalty, and trust. This espionage-driven narrative blends financial intrigue and Cold War echoes.
As the plot begins, readers meet Grant Anderson who is living a quiet life building and repairing boats in a small New Hampshire town. But he has a secret. Grant is really Paul Brightman, a man hiding out from dangerous people. Six years ago, Paul was a rising star on Wall Street who fell in love with a beautiful photographer named Tatyana and unaware that her father was a Russian oligarch, Arkady Galkin, who was the object of considerable interest from several U.S. intelligence agencies.
He married Tatyana and agreed to work for Galkin as a manager of stock purchases. Their relationship started with romantic innocence, then quickly escalated into a world of hidden agendas, surveillance, and betrayals. Will she support her father or her husband after he refuses to buy certain questionable stocks? His suspicions seemed to be confirmed after being approached by the FBI about spying on Galkin’s company, looking for ties to the Kremlin.
After several of his colleagues die, Paul realizes his life is threatened and decides to flee, leaving Manhattan, Arkady Galkin, Tatyana and his career behind, eventually becoming boat builder Grant Anderson living in New Hampshire. Now, with Grant/Paul’s location and cover being compromised, he must go on the run once again while trying to unravel a long-standing conspiracy. He is being pursued by the FBI, American intelligence, and the Russian oligarch’s men.
Interestingly, while escaping he flees into the northern New England wilderness. Some chapters include details about surviving in those conditions. Luckily, he was well prepared because his father was a survivalist who taught him to camp, cover his tracks, and hide undetected in the woods. Unlike other authors, the plot does not get lost in these details that only enhance the tension of the story.
This story is a high-stakes adventure. Readers are kept guessing bringing new surprises and a heightened mystery.
