How much do you really know about finesses? A finesse is one of the most common techniques in bridge and yet one of the most abused. The term “finesseaholic” describes a player who never met a finesse he/she didn’t want to take. So often the finesse is really a last resort, only when other more promising lines of play are not available or have failed. As a common technique, so much is often taken for granted. Often there are questions that need be resolved. Is it a two-way guess? Which suit should be finessed first? Who is it safe to finesse into? Which card should be led may make the difference between success and failure. Are there clues in the bidding or lack of bidding? One definition of “experience” is what we get when we don’t get what we want. After you play bridge for a while, you will learn that the finesses you desperately need to work are the ones that fail. Profit from experience. Avoid an unnecessary finesse that may lead to disaster if it loses.

Everyone knows that Rennie Taylor is a lady-killer. In his case, is that more than just an expression? No one has seen his wife in months. He says she’s out of town, but not everyone is convinced. When down-on-his luck accountant Nick Rohmer is approached to find her, he turns the job down—at first. But the match of the client’s cash with his unpaid bills is too much temptation to resist. So, he takes the job and follows the money. His inept investigation leads him into the strange and dangerous world of ex-marine, sculptor, presumed gold digger, and possible wife-killer, Rennie Taylor. Is his wife out of town, or did her husband kill her and artfully dispose of her body? And who is the mysterious woman who wants her found? And why is a fat man with a dog following Nick all over South Florida? By the time Nick realizes he’s in over his head, there’s nowhere for him to go but forward, and no one to blame but himself.

“A first rate thriller packed with marvelous insider knowledge and richly drawn characters. I couldn’t put down this electrifying, authentic, and well-crafted novel.” —Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author “Verisimilitude means the appearance of being true or real’ and Karna Small Bodman’s new novel has it in abundance. You will endure a good deal of nail-biting before you get to the end of this, not to mention the heart-stopping action surrounding the countdown. With this book and its predecessors, author Bodman has successfully created a new subgenre: The Washington high-tech thriller.” —The Washington Times “Karna Small Bodman gives us an insider’s view of a frightening situation that seems all too real. Fast-paced and suspenseful, romantic and ultimately hopeful, Final Finesse is up-all-night reading at its best.” —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of Just Breathe “Final Finesse is a political thrill ride with unpredictable, hair-raising roller-coaster turns, made even more spellbinding by the authentic White House details provided by Karna Small Bodman. A White House insider’s look at terrorism that will keep you up all night!” —Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of A Stranger’s Game Samantha Reid, the White House Deputy Director for Homeland Security, deals with national security threats on a daily basis. When a natural-gas pipeline explodes in America’s heartland, she senses pending disaster and tries to convince reluctant officials to take action. After several more explosions, Samantha teams up with Tripp Adams, Vice President of GeoGlobal Oil & Gas, owner of the pipelines, to investigate. As they race to solve the mystery of the explosions and determine the motives of the shadowy group behind the havoc, Samantha and Tripp spend days . . . and nights . . . together, growing ever closer. Then Tripp is sent on a business trip to South America---and disappears. Now Samantha must deal with political intrigue at the highest levels, finesse international plots, and break all the White House rules as she races to find Tripp and stop the team of foreign agents before they carry out their final deadly scheme.

Renee is packed and ready for her Christmas couples’ retreat. There’s only one problem – her boyfriend chose not to buy her a ticket. Embarrassed, low on money, and stranded in another state, Renee calls the only person able to assist her – Finesse, a friend and professional comedian. He offers to drive her back home after his show. In addition to the ride, he takes her to dinner and decides to teach her things men do for women they want. Renee comes to rely on his candor and consideration...and uses this information to date other men. Will she give him the chance he desires, or will she use his tips to bypass him to find love in someone else?

In the global corridors of power, a group of faceless men is positioning to usurp control of one of the world's primary energy resources: uranium. Climate change looms large. Luke Sinclair is a young, Australian-born professor of mineralogy and an expert in the nuclear-fuel cycle. Up to now, he's led a carefree, hedonistic lifestyle. But things change: renegade North Korea is about to transfer its illicitly acquired nuclear-weapons technology to Myanmar. The CIA wants to block the development. It enlists the aid of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. ASIS commandeers Luke, who quickly discovers there are wheels within wheels. Who has the real power? Who are his real friends? Is the attempt to corner the nuclear market 'The last finesse' of the faceless men who are so fixated on their personal goals they'll risk a planetary cataclysm? Has ethical behaviour become merely an anachronism in the 21st Century gladiatorial arena? The Last Finesse is Brian's second factional novel. Both were written for the simultaneous entertainment and invigoration of the thinking element of society. It is a prequel to Beyond Neanderthal, which takes a visionary view of humanity's future, provided we can sublimate our Neanderthal drive to entrench pecking orders in society. The Last Finesse is more "now" oriented. Together, these two books reflect a holistic, right brain/left brain view of the challenges faced by humanity; and how we might meet them. All our problems - including the mountain of debt that casts its shadow over the world's wallowing economy - are soluble.