Mystery Book Reviews

Book Review: Top Producer

By Sandy Amazeen Sep 14, 2009, 2:26 GMT

In a world that moves as fast as finance does, top producers have to think three steps ahead and make snap decisions. Theirs is a blurred version of reality, one that conceals moves as much as it rewards the bold ones. All too easily, scams can be disguised as success; plotting can be mistaken for killer instincts. And as Grove O\'Rourke finds out, "Nothing obscures vulnerability like success. Nothing that ...more

Before a rather memorable party, Grove O’Rourke’s life as a stockbroker in the private investment group with a famous Wall Street investment firm revolved around money management and profit margins. All that began taking a back seat after his best friend was publicly murdered at a birthday party, supposedly leaving the widow penniless. Determined to find out what happened to his friend’s finances and who was behind the murder, O’Rourke quickly finds himself a person of interest in the police investigation while defending himself against a conniving coworker. Getting answers almost takes a back seat as O’Rourke attempts to juggle his career in a dog eat dog financial market, maintain the trust of his clients and hold his position at the firm despite considerable opposition.

As perceptive readers can figure out the murderer’s identity within the first half of the story, this is not much of a thriller. While the endless machinations of the financial markets are understandably complex, there appears to be a certain amount of dumbing down for the purposes of this book. At the same time, the police investigation fails to take notice of minor details such as fingerprints, surveillance cameras or eyewitnesses. All of this adds up to a disappointingly flat read with limited appeal.