A Simple Plan

From Publishers WeeklySmith's remarkably adept debut thriller traces the fates of three people and a wrecked plane with $4.4 million. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library JournalYA-On an afternoon jaunt, Hank, his brother, and a friend accidentally discover a wrecked plane. Inside they find the dead pilot and a sack containing four million dollars. The men know that they should notify the authorities, but instead they devise a foolproof scheme for keeping the money. They will hide it for one year, tell no one, live normally, and then divide the loot into three equal portions. Nothing can go wrong with such a simple plan-or can it? Smith draws his characters deftly, fully exploring the changes that occur in each of the men after their discovery. The plot is clever, gripping, and full of twists. As Hank narrates the story, the tension builds slowly, but is sustained until the surprise ending. YAs will quickly become caught up in this polished suspense novel.Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.