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readymadereader's review
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ja_hopkins's review
4.0
Nick Elliot is trying to finish his PhD in Russian literature, but money is tight so he allows his friend to get him a job at Dekker Ward, working for Ricardo Ross, aka The Marketmaker. Ross is a master in the Latin American bond market, and riches beckon for Elliot.
Dekkar has a good reputation, but while Nick is learning about the Bond industry, he begins to worry about the culture within the company. Whilst The Marketmaker ostensibly has clean hands, can the same be said for everyone? A trader is killed on a business trip during a robbery, and another is fired. Whilst on a business trip, Elliot is attacked, then he and a colleague are the targets of a kidnap attempt in Brazil. Perhaps Dekkar has dark secrets...
Michael Ridpath takes us into the nineties world of bond trading, investment banking and excess. This is a good story, and despite being almost three decades old, it does not feel particularly dated - sure, there are no mobiles and the internet is not the ubiquitous presence it is today, but overall the story moves along in London and Brazil at a decent pace, with just the right amount of technical financial talk and intrigue. I'll be looking for some of Ridpath's other novels on Kindle.
Dekkar has a good reputation, but while Nick is learning about the Bond industry, he begins to worry about the culture within the company. Whilst The Marketmaker ostensibly has clean hands, can the same be said for everyone? A trader is killed on a business trip during a robbery, and another is fired. Whilst on a business trip, Elliot is attacked, then he and a colleague are the targets of a kidnap attempt in Brazil. Perhaps Dekkar has dark secrets...
Michael Ridpath takes us into the nineties world of bond trading, investment banking and excess. This is a good story, and despite being almost three decades old, it does not feel particularly dated - sure, there are no mobiles and the internet is not the ubiquitous presence it is today, but overall the story moves along in London and Brazil at a decent pace, with just the right amount of technical financial talk and intrigue. I'll be looking for some of Ridpath's other novels on Kindle.
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