Synopsis

When Kannada Khan, an investment banker turned homeless man, saves the life of Robert Prosperi, a struggling hedgie, he is repaid with a unique yet risky job offer that could change his fortune forever.

With plans for a theft on Wall Street, Robert aims to undermine his rival, the head of the New York Stock Exchange, and Kannada seeks to return to a life of normalcy. They recruit a motley crew from Main Street—a bartender, a stockbroker, an attorney, a computer hacker, a pilot, a boxer, a confidence man, and an upscale luxury companion—to carry out their scheme.

Three weeks is all they have to infiltrate the heart of American financial power and steal the proceeds from the biggest Initial Public Offering in recent history. However, money isn’t the only motive driving Kannada. Chasing his past flame is his game. Now she’s working for and dating the very Wall Street titan they’re trying to rob.

Excerpt

Yawn. In an old, broken-down, graffiti-laden subway train, Kannada Khan, a bearded, homeless Indian man in his mid-thirties, woke from his much-needed slumber, as his head and spine never quite acclimated to the pile of tomatoes he kept for a pillow, nor the hard, merciless floor. He stretched his arms toward the ceiling and smiled as he took in the scenery; colorful markings and initials, photographs displayed in lightboxes, and poetry in unused advertisement fixtures slots. He appreciated the moment; this moment was his life.

Kannada adjusted his dark gray beanie and slowly circled his head around his possessions. The tin can, used for begging, red plastic milk crate, employed as a chair, and three bags, filled with clothes and papers, were still there, and so was his breakfast, lunch, and dinner—nut bars. A few business books he had checked out from the Science, Industry and Business Library lay near his head. I need to return those.

Review

I worked in the financial industry years ago so the setting and intricacy of the stock market and related activity were all too familiar. The author does a bang-up job of bringing Wall Street and the floor of the NYSE to life. I was lucky enough to go on the floor of the exchange (all prior to 9/11 of course) and it is amazing.

The characters in this book are diverse and have different skill sets that allow Kannada’s written novel to come to life. It isn’t what Kannada had intended, but when he saves Rob’s life, it is an opportunity that cannot be cast aside. Kannada wants to move past his past because being tied to a company that was taken down as part of a Ponzi scheme is nothing to be proud of. I think he also wanted to get his fiancee back but it may be too late for that…or is it?

Rob’s plan to take down his adversary with Kannada’s help via his book is genius. A lot of effort goes into recruiting the right players, mapping out the plan, and executing said plan. The book moves at a fairly fast pace but really picks up steam near the end when everything is set in motion. I devoured the last 25% and was on the edge wondering if everything would work out, would someone be found out, would it all collapse? I won’t spoil the book for you because the ending was a bit of a surprise to me, but maybe it shouldn’t have been.

This was a great read and would make an excellent movie. In a way, it is like Oceans 11 (or 12 or 13) but different. But if made into a movie it would be action packed with colorful characters.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

SAMEER GARACH was born in Houston in 1986 and earned a BA in Mathematics with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. During graduate studies in quantitative finance, he developed a passion for writing and subsequently wrote his first novel, The Bull Option, a unique and cunning financial thriller that moves at a breakneck pace. He later went on to write Dakota and the American Dream, a charming and hilarious contemporary satire that entertains adults as well as children.

Sameer enjoys meditation, yoga, nature, long walks, travel, photography, and music.

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