14 February 2013.
ISBN: 978 0 7553 8177 7(pb)
Six Cambridge
graduates are drawn to the City of London
and the world of finance. Wild and beautiful Bridget and Cityboy Steve Jones,
who tells most of the story, are brokers at the German bank Geldlust, where
dumpy Rachel also once worked but who now, after marriage and children resulted
in her losing her job, is working for the Financial Services Authority (which
polices the banks), a distinct comedown. John, possibly autistic/Aspergers, is
a not very successful fund manager with a sideline in drug dealing while Colum
is an extraordinarily successful hedge fund manager but is also a ‘chubby,
disease-ridden degenerate … who sought out excess in everything especially …
drugs, money and sex.’ Even the idealistic anti-capitalistic Fergus, Bridget’s
lover, is working as a financial
journalist albeit for The Guardian. Then Bridget is sacked and during
the following drunken, drug-soaked weekend falls to her death from the balcony
of her penthouse flat. Her friends are devastated by the tragedy and, blaming
her death on Geldlust, hatch a plan to bring Geldlust down and enrich
themselves at the same time. Set ablaze by adrenalin and fuelled by drink,
drugs, debauchery, dishonesty and dysfunctional personalities, they proceed to
do just that. But it also appears that Bridget was not alone during that
weekend; someone was with her, but who, and was that person responsible for her
death?
This is a
rollicking good read, great fun and excellently written, despite the deplorable
lifestyle not just of the main characters but just about everyone else. But it
is also a cautionary tale. The complete amorality of the City is like a giant
black hole, sucking in and then destroying everyone who becomes involved.
Beware one thing, however: all the characters are phenomenally foul-mouthed: if
you don’t like that sort of thing . . . you have been warned!
------
Reviewer: Radmila May
Other books
by Geraint Anderson: Cityboy, Just Business.
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