Monday, February 20, 2012

Review of "The Silent Oligarch" by Chris Morgan Jones


Chris Morgan Jones clearly understands the disparate worlds that make up the universe of his debut novel, "The Silent Oligarch." He has worked in business intelligence, and has served as an adviser to governments in the Middle East, Russian oligarchs, New York banks and London hedge funds. He draws on his insider's knowledge of all of these realms to craft a well-told saga of the efforts to take down a Russian oligarch who sits as a minister in the Kremlin and is skimming billions into his own off-shore coffers. The complex dance that takes place between the oligarch and his minions and the investigative team that seek to take expose and ruin him is a beautifully choreographed bloody ballet worth of the Kirov or Bolshoi. The oligarch, a rival business tycoon who is suing him, a London lawyer and a cynical investigative journalist serve as the four cornerstones of the plot that careens from Russia to Monte Carlo to London.

The plot is complex and very plausible; the major elements could be found in the headlines of any of today's best newspapers. The writing is crisp, the characters are well drawn and nicely developed. I thoroughly enjoy this novel and look forward to more from the pen of this talented writer.

Enjoy!

Al

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