Directors and executives of public corporations are dying in mysterious circumstances..Their only connection is irregular share dealings that took place in their companies before their deaths.When young auditor, Todd Hansen, runs up a huge gambling debt with illegal bookies, he finds himself in serious trouble. The only way he can pay them is by providing confidential information about his firm’s … information about his firm’s corporate clients.
Caught, and sentenced to nine years in New York’s toughest prison, Todd is given a way out BUT it’s dangerous. There are those who think they’d be safer if he was dead.
Will a chance meeting with a Mafia boss in prison save Todd?
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I loved this book. each book Peter Ralph write, in my opinion, is better then the previous book. I never wanted to put it down. I was always curious about what was next. This is another fantastic book.
Have you ever heard the fact that there is a much higher percentage of psychopaths in high powered executives, CEOs etc. than there is in the general population? If Peter Ralph’s novel is anything to go by, the percentage of psychopaths may be a tough higher in the world of high finance. They don’t just deal in money, but in information too, which becomes useful to protagonist, Todd Hansen when he finds himself in debt to some dangerous people. I don’t want to give too much more of the plot away, as you should be as surprised as I was by the new developments. Just be prepared for betrayal, brutality and bad, bad men.
A gripping read for an awesome thriller writer. Crime fiction at its finest.
Oh my goodness! This book surely got me reading like the “keeps going and going bunny” it was thaaat good! I mean, I seldom read novels of this caliber as I always pass them by but this book was given to me to review and wow! I could not put it down during the time I was reading it. It involves a group of white collar criminals who meet twice a month to discuss their illegal ways of acquiring money by way of blackmailing corporations and/or individuals who just happen to stumble upon bad luck and/or unfortunate activities in life. These criminals included a former accountant, an engineer, a female former actuary, and a very dangerous gangster who liked to kill off his victims if he or she does not keep his or her promises. I don’t know if these doings are fictional or real but the thought of these type of people doing this to innocent, unsuspecting U.S. citizens makes me wish they are just make believe and not actually for real.
Todd Hansen is the main character here who likes to take taxis to Chinatown to place bets on horse races. Eventually, he goes under the radar of those criminals I’ve mentioned above and ends up working for them. When his doings are caught he gets prison time but not without help from the FBI and his co-worker after he reveals to them who he has been working for. The FBI and his friend/co-worker assure him that he will be protected by a mafia boss already serving time in jail. When Todd is released he continues to work with the FBI to nail the bad men who work for the group of elite criminals that prey on people like him. I felt a soft-spot for Todd throughout the novel because he is innocent to the core and plus he had an obsession that got him in trouble in the first place. I do feel compassion for him and his friends Doug Lechte and Vanessa Hodge who all were targeted and hated by powerful colleagues and criminals alike who want to see them demoted or killed. It’s a great book and Ralph did an amazing job with it by filling it with a great and vast knowledge of the worlds of white collar crime, blackmail, and the FBI. I mean, I am impressed with his writing style and the first-hand experience he has in those mentioned I don’t think I can do the same if I am to write a similar-themed novel. It shows he has done his research very well. Kudos to him!
I would definitely recommend this novel to old-school Sidney Sheldon fans like myself. I also would recommend this book to those who are looking for excitement in this month of May, where if you are planning to spend some time at the beach, at the pool, or in the comfort of your home, the characters and the plot of this book will surely entertain you and have you turning the pages over and over, eager to find out the outcome of all the shenanigans that this book embodies. From an avid reader to you, take my advice and order this book for yourself or your spouse now. The both of you will appreciate me for the recommendation. Good evening!