This incisive thriller from Nesbit (author of This Is the Way the World Ends, among other titles) explores the dark side of wealth and politics with rare verisimilitude. Seasoned investigative reporter Seth Thomas, “mentally exhausted” at the state of his profession and the public that has “grown dumber and more easily conned,” is given an intriguing yet potentially dangerous opportunity: a mysterious benefactor has set Seth up as the owner of his own business, SCT Enterprises, complete with a limitless bottom line, an assistant awaiting instructions, and money waiting to be invested. With the help of a few trusted friends, that spunky and resourceful assistant, and his reporting skills, Seth is determined to find out the real story behind what feels to him like a frame-up, and to uncover the secrets of the Billionaires' Club.Nesbit has crafted a fast-paced thriller that pulses with danger and underhanded politics on a world scale, with welcome attention paid to the realities of international financial crimes like the kinds revealed in the Panama Papers. As Seth follows the clues and money trail, breadcrumbs perhaps laid out by his unknown benefactor, he uncovers dealings between the players of the Billionaires' Club and Russian oligarchs. He must keep his wits about him as he attempts to outsmart and expose years worth of lies and secrets, with his life literally and figuratively on the line. He faces a fascinating choice: become a new active member of the wealthy elite and profit from its cover ups and criminality, or follow his reporter’s passion and reveal the story of the century.
Nesbit builds compelling tension throughout the story, tantalizingly revealing just enough of what Seth is stepping into to keep readers hooked until the final act. Faced with doing what is easy and profitable versus doing what is right, The Billionaires' Club cuts to the heart of corruption, dramatizing the temptations of extreme wealth with a classic moral dilemma. Seth’s determination to discover and expose the truth will keep readers invested. Fans of political thrillers and mysteries informed by investigative reporting will be enthralled.
Takeaway: Compelling thriller of a reporter offered access to corrupting wealth.
Comparable Titles: Jeffrey Marshall’s Squeeze Plays, Alan C. Moore’s An American Conspiracy.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
