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 action-packed romantic thriller moves at breakneck speed through a land of international crime, assassination, murder, deception, conspiracy and heroism. The kidnapping of 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 result is a page-turner of rare intensity.
The Poppy Broker leads us into the world of Tommaso Scalzone, a man as brilliant as he is glacial. Scalzone is a government agent, specifically the interior minister of Italy. He is also a criminal of epic proportion, using the Mafia for protection while he forces kidnapped scientists to create what he wants: a genetically engineered opium poppy that will give him control of the world's heroin trade. Chief among his academics is Professor Armand, Chantal's father. Custody of both father and daughter offer Scalzone every conceivable means of cruelty and psychological manipulation. But Chantal is not helpless. She is not only a gifted actress on stage but also in captivity. Scalzone's obsession with his criminal enterprise is diluted by his growing desire for a women who seems to share his feelings. The complex interplay of goals and emotions spawns an unforgettable cast of characters ─ Nadja, a sexy teenage runaway; Don Greco, a Mafia boss with a neck like a stack of tires; Gianni, a thin-hipped Ferrari-driving Italian hotshot who fancies himself Don Greco's successor and Scalzone's equal; and Louis Pagnol, a hero in waiting.
The French police, having put its best investigators on Chantal's case, come away empty-handed. She is declared dead by the authorities. But Jean-François, an aristocrat and art collector, refuses to abandon his continent-wide search for the love of his life. He comes across a clue that may or may not be significant. What was to this point a nail-biting psychological thriller now becomes a mystery. Can Jean-François solve it? Will his love for Chantal lead him on a relentless but futile quest, or can he prevail against the odds? The Poppy Broker will allow you no rest until you learn the answer.
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-Journal
