4 stars — After receiving a complimentary copy of "Paper Targets: When Art Turns Deadly" by Steve Saroff from the publisher, I was afraid I was going to absolutely hate it. The book in a word is “strange” from beginning to end, but the more I read the more I was entranced by the plot and characters of a book that is unlike any other I’ve ever read. "Paper Targets: When Art Turns Deadly" starts off slow, and Saroff writes in very short, concise sentences. At times, the dialogue is painful (especi...

In Paper Targets: When Art Turns Deadly, Enzi, the enigmatic narrator, says, "Every lie is a bent wheel, something that wobbles no matter how many attempts to straighten it and then keeps wobbling right up to its last hard turn." He’s foreshadowing the wrongs he’ll soon try to undo. Wrongs for love. Wrongs for money. And this doing and undoing makes for quite the story.The novel reads like a true confession from someone doubly cursed: he has skills that make anonymous fortunes and the ability to...

4.5 stars! "Secrets that are shared but still not understood remain secret."Enzi, the child of accomplished immigrant parents, experiences a tragic turning point when he loses his mother, and his father’s alcoholism ultimately lands him in the system. Dyslexic, alone, and without any support, he runs away at fourteen, drifting from place to place and job to job. Taught by his mother to study patterns instead of individual letters and numbers, he hones his analytical and mathematical abilities. H...

*4.5 stars*Enzi, a dyslexic loner and drifter, bails a young artist, Kaori, out of jail, but he barely knows her, and their relationship (if you can call it that) quickly becomes extremely strange and unfathomable, not to mention dangerous. Kaori is a damaged and disturbed personality whose behavior can change at the slightest provocation. Originally from Tokyo, she mainly speaks via her art. Everything she feels or does is expressed in drawings on paper. But Enzi’s kindness in securing Kaori’s ...

Enzi is a refreshingly unique narrator. He seems to honestly assess his situation and actions. Even knowing that an act may have adverse consequences, Enzi seems to choose with his heart, rather than his head. Which isn’t to say he’s a whimsical romantic, but rather a person who sincerely wants to help, whoever and whenever the opportunity presents. The coder had already stepped onto a slippery slope when he found himself bailing out a compelling Japanese artist that he’d recently met. In spite ...

A fast and furious lesson in what tangled webs we weave when we first practice to deceive.
"...almost anything is legal if you have a fishing license..." Steve S. Saroff's *Paper Targets: When Art Turns Deadly* delivers a masterclass in suspense. If you're looking for thrilling crime fiction, look no further!

WOW!! Incredibly riveting, fast-paced thriller that I highly recommend!Steve S. Saroff does a terrific job with character development, particularly with Enzi, the protagonist. There are very unique individuals in this story, including a girl he barely knows that he helps get released from jail. I was on the edge of my seat constantly as the action moved between Montana, Seattle, and New York. Saroff's ability to ratchet up the drama and tension in "Paper Targets: When Art Turns Deadly" is master...

When you're not feeling holyYour loneliness says that you've sinned.Leonard CohenWhen I was hospitalized for my bipolar reaction to overwork in 1976 – as I describe in my review of *Psycho-Cybernetics* – my leering fellows there unveiled the truth of my suspicions.They were like the character Tsai in this novel, *Paper Targets: When Art Turns Deadly* by Steve S. Saroff. You got it. He plays the Heavy to Enzie. A Heavy who is an Agnostic Pharisee – the very Worst kind – like Pontius Pilate was.He...

Enzi was born to academic parents but struggled with reading, and as a young boy, he also developed a stammer. Not exactly a recipe for an easy childhood. But he discovered he had a knack for numbers, just loved unraveling the mysteries of mathematics. This became his lifeline, his escape. Later on, life dealt him another cruel blow, and everything spiraled into chaos. Eventually, this enigmatic loner skipped town – no looking back. The majority of this story unfolds in Montana, and the stunnin...

Enzi meets an enigmatic artist at a party. When he drives her home, she gives him a mysterious and damaged painting. Later, when she leaves a message that she has been arrested and is in jail, Enzi makes a mistake that has fatal consequences. *Paper Targets: When Art Turns Deadly* is a wild ride of a story about gifted and flawed misfits. Both riveting and heartbreaking, with memorable characters encountered along the way, the novel by Steve S. Saroff is based on the true events of one of the w...