The Audit

New Material ...and a great new writer!This book is about a young accountant who discovers fraud on a scale which developes into fast paced drama, fraud, intrigue and murder. (I have a graduate degree in taxation and the last thing I ever wanted to read was a book about an accountant!) But, when my wife (an ardent Grisham and mystery reader) finished this book in two days, I decided (with her persistent urging of course) to read it. I couldn't put it down either. I'm a Clancy fan; and although this is not Clancy (it's much easier and faster reading) it boasts of a great plot and sufficient detail; to coin a review I once read, "McMillan spins a great yarn!". Everything in the novel is totally believable (from my experience, I've seen similar things); it grabs you from the beginning and keeps you hooked until the very end (which is set-up for a sequel). This is good stuff! If there was one weakness, its the first few chapters. Although the story line is superb, the writing style in the beginning is borderline "beginning-novelist". However, after the first chapters, the writing style increasingly advances to that of a mature and experienced novel writer. I cannot believe that a major publishing house has not picked up this excellent piece of work. I read about a dozen non-technical books a year ... my wife reads about three times that number. This is truly excellent; four and-a-half stars!When I finished this, I passed it on to a friend; since then I understand four more people have read it. I don't know where it is now. Is there somewhere I can invest in the movie rights? If the author reads this, call me, I'm serious!Ken Peters, Reisterstown, MD

I really enjoyed reading The Audit. Once I started reading the book I could not put it down. Won't take you long to read and holds your attention.

I'm somewhat biased, being a CPA myself and someone who lives in the Baltimore/Washington region, but I found Ed's book to be a pretty good read. True, some of the dialogue was a bit wooden, but that's forgivable. (Some would say that's how accountants talk, anyway.) What's good here is the plot, and the accounting/detective techniques that are used to keep it spinning. Readers will get a fairly realistic insight into what it is that we CPAs really do (although no, we don't generally get involved with murder and intrigue). Readers in Baltimore and Washington will love the real landmarks and references that sprinkled throughout the book.

A novel written by an accountant? Come on! How interesting can this be? My attitude in approaching this book was somewhat less than enthusiastic. But, after two weeks of moving the book around on my bedside table, I opened it. I read a few pages before going to bed. Hmmm. Has promise. Seems a little stilted. I picked the book up again a couple of days later and read until I could no longer hold my head up. The next night I went to bed early in anticipation of a good night of reading. I couldn't put the book down. Each chapter pulled me into the next. I was captivated!Wait a minute! This is a mystery written by an accountant. Ah! That lends even more credibility to the impressive facts in this highly-believable tale. The details drew me in even further than the plot alone, which kept me reading anxiously. Delicious drama.I'm reluctant to tell you very much about the book. This is one of those stories I don't want to ruin for you. Our hero is Pat McGuire, a young accountant who uncovers an intricate plot that was considered foolproof by the instigators. The characters are very well built and the suspense is surprising. When the word gets out on this book, it will be very popular. Everything Grisham does with attorneys, McMillan does with accountants. Embezzlement. Murder. International intrigue. A little stilted in a few places, but I'll forgive a first-time novelist for a bit of this. I'm ready for his second novel!Oh, yes. I finished the book-on the treadmill. It's been a long time since I read a book on the treadmill, but I wanted to keep reading! No, you can't borrow my copy. I've already promised to send it to my brother, and he'll send it to my mother. Got the picture? Get the book, but allow for the disruption in your schedule when you become enthralled by The Audit. A solid 5 stars for this one!

If you'd have bet me that a fictional story about a CPA would grab my interest and keep it, I'd have taken that bet and would have lost! Ed McMillan has crafted a great story. Everyone that likes a good mystery will find this book worth a rainy Sunday afternoon while the wife is out shopping. The characters are well developed, the setting is comfortably familiar to those of us who live in the Chesapeake region and the plot is both believable and clever. I am quite surprised that this is Ed's first novel and look forward to his next work. BUY THIS BOOK for a Christmas present and you'll be giving a used book to someone this December.