Greed

Greed is a powerful motivator that drives people to depths of violence they would otherwise never achieve, and several of the characters of this novel succumb to their greedy natures. Stan Fields, a detective who holds a position of authority over others, is one of the main examples of this theme and there seems to be no limit to how far he is willing to go. As Stan and others resort to violence in their effort to steal a trust fund worth a half million dollars, they inevitably dig themselves into situations from which there is no return.

Stan Fields is a detective who is first involved in Andrea Strickland's case after Andrea's husband, Graham, reports that she has vanished during their climb up Mount Rainier. Stan soon learns that Andrea has a hefty trust fund, and he knows that is a motive for Graham to...