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.
Kirkus Review
Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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
Library Journal Review
Popular suspense author Grippando has written a timely novel that recalls the recent Bernie Madoff scandal. Patrick Lloyd, a young employee of an international Swiss-based bank, is drawn into the search for funds that were hidden by a man behind a Ponzi scheme. As the fraud was revealed, the director of the scheme committed suicide, and his closest colleague was murdered. A few years have passed, and the money is still missing. Patrick and his former girlfriend Lilly, who was also a bank employee, are not the only people hot on the trail of the missing millions. VERDICT Veteran narrator Jonathan Davis deftly handles the multiple characters and a somewhat overstuffed plot. Recommended for fans of financial suspense. ["Readers who enjoy a good thriller with a constantly twisting plot will appreciate this timely novel," read the review of the HarperCollins hc, LJ 12/11.-Ed.]-Mary Knapp, Madison P.L., WI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
