Review by Booklist Review
Despite its similarities to Christopher Reich's 1997 novel, Numbered Account (intrigue at a Swiss bank, conspiracy, a young banker risking his life to get to the truth), this stand-alone from the author of the Jack Swyteck series is a timely and solid plot-driven read. Wall Street is still reeling from the discovery that financial wizard Abe Cushman was running a massive Ponzi scheme echoes of the Bernard Madoff scandal are presumably not coincidental and Patrick Lloyd, a financial advisor at a prestigious Swiss bank, is shocked to learn that his ex-girlfriend could have been a major player in Cushman's fraud. The book is full of surprising revelations, which it would be a shame to reveal in a review (hint: they involve false identities, covert intelligence-gathering operations, and family connections). The characters may be a tad on the thin side they never quite leap off the page but the story more than carries the day. Another Grippando gripper. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Grippando's sales record and continuing status as an A-list thriller writer ensures an audience.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff proportions drives this winning financial thriller from bestseller Grippando (Money to Burn). Abe Cushman, "a former chairman of the NASDAQ stock market and a force on Wall Street trading for nearly fifty years," commits suicide just hours before he's supposed to report to federal authorities on charges of massive securities fraud. Upwards of $60 billion has disappeared, and some very dangerous investors are extremely upset. Dragged into the hunt for the missing money is Patrick Lloyd, "the junior member on a team of high-net-worth specialists" at the Manhattan office of the International Bank of Switzerland, along with his fellow BOS employee and former girlfriend, Lilly Scanlon. Grippando slowly reveals the twists and turns of his intricate plot while fueling the proceedings with a steady supply of action. A solid ending will leave readers wondering if the author has come up with a solution to the real-life Madoff mysteries that still remain. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Swiss banks, which have always retained a cachet of confidentiality and mystery, have proved excellent fodder for many a thriller's plot, and Grippando's latest is no exception. In the wake of the suicide of Ponzi-scheme mastermind Abe Cushman (think Bernie Madoff), Patrick Lloyd, a Wall Street adviser for the Bank of Switzerland, is sent to its Singapore branch to discover what Lilly Scanlon may know about her client's scheme. When Patrick and Lilly quickly fall in love, they are imperiled as Cushman's most dangerous investors seek to recover their money. VERDICT Grippando's growing legion of fans will be delighted that recurring character FBI agent Andie Henning (Afraid of the Dark) makes an appearance here. Readers who enjoy a good thriller with a constantly twisting plot will appreciate this timely novel. [See Prepub Alert, 7/25/11; Grippando is also a lawyer who works at the firm that filed one of the first lawsuits to recover the money of Madoff's victims.-Ed.]-Vicki L. Gregory, Univ. of South Florida Sch. of Information, Tampa (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
