Rating: 4 stars (Spotlight Review)
Silas Cade is former military and black ops vet working in the private sector. Hired to right financial industry wrongs, Cade's current gig is to retrieve money from a failing hedge fund manager for a deal gone bad, known as "clawback".
Though his methods may be a bit unorthodox—and potentially painful if there’s resistance—he gets the job done. However, after successfully extracting millions of dollars from the fund manager, Silas is shocked to learn that his client has turned up dead.
Soon after, other top Wall-Streeters are getting picked off one by one. Hired by another wealthy financier, Cade is now tasked with finding out who is doing the killing.
In the course of his investigation, Cade meets a beautiful and razor-sharp financial blogger named Clara Dawson, who has also begun putting the pieces together and smells a big story in the ensuing financial maelstrom.
Now Silas and Clara are caught up in a financial war that is not only threatening the lives of the top dogs on Wall Street, but their own lives as well.
Mike Cooper skillfully renders a high-concept action thriller steeped in the financial world, and hits a home run with his lead character Silas Cade. Cade is part Robin Hood and part Jason Bourne, with a dash of Rambo.
Clara is smart, careful and tenacious without all that annoying stupid-girl-syndrome that usually plagues females in action-thrillers, especially when they're faced with bagging and tagging their own GI Joe action man. Clara commands respect and fosters zero eye-rolling, playing her part as the cautious, yet courageous writer who is willing to risk it all to ensure the public knows the truth.
Silas Cade isn't some low form hit-man, but rather a disciplined, lethal weapon, who prefers to live off the grid and consort with a network of highly skilled friends in low places, and, for the right price, seeks justice for the wronged and makes it right—legally. Mostly.
Mike Cooper's high-action antics aren't a farce to cover up a lacking story line, but instead perfectly enhance an already pulse-pounding plot. With a sequel in the works, there’s no doubt that Silas Cade will be ready to go another round.
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Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult (March 1, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0670023295