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Silas Cade #1
Clawback
Someone is killing off Wall Street’s shadiest financiers, and only Silas Cade can get to the bottom of it
With breakneck pacing, nonstop action, and cutting-edge details of today’s financial intelligence technology, Clawback offers a thrill-a-minute narrative set in the world of Too Big to Fail. Silas Cade, a black-ops vet and gray-zone contractor, is no stranger to gunslinging or shady finance. After coming home from America’s wars abroad, he becomes an “accountant”—the go-to for Wall Street financiers who need jobs done quickly, quietly, and by any means necessary. Hired by a major player to visit a tanking hedge fund manager and extract ten million dollars in clawback—the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that goes bad—Silas instead discovers that someone is killing off bankers all over New York.
With breakneck pacing, nonstop action, and cutting-edge details of today’s financial intelligence technology, Clawback offers a thrill-a-minute narrative set in the world of Too Big to Fail. Silas Cade, a black-ops vet and gray-zone contractor, is no stranger to gunslinging or shady finance. After coming home from America’s wars abroad, he becomes an “accountant”—the go-to for Wall Street financiers who need jobs done quickly, quietly, and by any means necessary. Hired by a major player to visit a tanking hedge fund manager and extract ten million dollars in clawback—the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that goes bad—Silas instead discovers that someone is killing off bankers all over New York.
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2012
11 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Mike Cooper
6 books18 followersIn first grade I wanted to be an astronaut.
In eighth, a police officer. For college applications I said scientist. After graduation, though, it was off to Asia for several years. I did hold down some real jobs, mostly in finance -- for Boston's transit authority, for Japanese companies, eventually for Fidelity Investments.
In between, travel. I've hitchhiked through northeast Asia, taken a freighter to Bora Bora, overlanded to Tibet, backpacked across Tasmania, and climbed Mt. Kinabalu on Borneo. I learned a little Indonesian, a little Mandarin and more than a little Japanese, then pretty much forgot it all. I've eaten bugs and raw horsemeat and too much dubious, brazier-grilled goat. I only got really sick twice.
In my thirties all that ended. I bought my first car, finally met my wife, and went to MBA school. For a while I wore a lot of business casual.
Then our daughter was born, and I've been at home ever since. She has a brother too, and now they're both teenagers. My wife still works, which is great because we need to eat and pay taxes and all that. We live outside Boston and go camping every summer.
Oh, and I've published some novels.
In eighth, a police officer. For college applications I said scientist. After graduation, though, it was off to Asia for several years. I did hold down some real jobs, mostly in finance -- for Boston's transit authority, for Japanese companies, eventually for Fidelity Investments.
In between, travel. I've hitchhiked through northeast Asia, taken a freighter to Bora Bora, overlanded to Tibet, backpacked across Tasmania, and climbed Mt. Kinabalu on Borneo. I learned a little Indonesian, a little Mandarin and more than a little Japanese, then pretty much forgot it all. I've eaten bugs and raw horsemeat and too much dubious, brazier-grilled goat. I only got really sick twice.
In my thirties all that ended. I bought my first car, finally met my wife, and went to MBA school. For a while I wore a lot of business casual.
Then our daughter was born, and I've been at home ever since. She has a brother too, and now they're both teenagers. My wife still works, which is great because we need to eat and pay taxes and all that. We live outside Boston and go camping every summer.
Oh, and I've published some novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
February 17, 2012
I adore this book. Okay, okay, so my brother wrote it :) - - but I like to think that I'm objective enough to know a thrilling read when I see one, and this is one fantastic story!
December 21, 2021
Hyvä pätkä finanssimaailmassa tapahtuvista murhista, joiden selvittelyyn päähenkilö Silas päätyy. Pidin Wall Street -päädyn jutuista ja sijoitusmaailman avaamisesta tavallista syvemmälle. Noin muuten perusdekkari, mutta omaan makuun!
June 18, 2015
It might help to have your MBA in hand before reading this financial world killer-thriller, but maybe not. A good seatbelt would help as well since author “Mike Cooper,” once a financial executive, starts fast and keeps the pedal to the metal all the way to the end. There is one stop—well, at least a pause—for a little sex along the way, but that will be anticipated by most readers on first meeting of the principals, so this is not a spoiler alert. The plot involves the systematic murders of Wall St. bankers, often before ‘Silas Cade’ can get his “claw back” from them. That is the term for getting back money that was invested in a fraudulent deal before it can be buried in the slush that washes around the Street. Eventually, the serial nature of the killings is tracked, the responsible parties identified and it becomes a race to find other targeted bankers before they become victims. Silas Cade, a battle-hardened enforcer of various sorts, a pseudonym and the world’s greatest asset to the cell phone industry, is the chief tracker until he becomes one of the targets. He, along with the comely financial blogger, Clara, find themselves dodging gunfire and even RPG fire as the baddies, led by a guy who has a fantastic scheme of manipulating stock prices by murdering bad hedge fund managers (here’s where the MBA would come in handy). One almost funny scene occurs near the end of the novel as hedge fund managers who might be on the hit list or not, all arm themselves with guns they do not know how to operate, gather in a ballroom and, at the first threat of violence, open fire to “protect” themselves. As one of the participants observes later, when the carnage starts to settle down, everybody had the chance to take shots at people they didn’t like and have the resultant murders covered up in the general carnage! So much for conceal and carry! Cade is a wonderful protagonist, ex-military as he is, trained in martial arts and marital ones as well, changes weapons, phones and identities in a flash, is always just enough behind the bad guys to create more tension, and is a survivor. For a potential series hero, that’s a quality to be desired. For action-lovers, a perfect summer treat. Just open to page 1, take a deep breath and you’re good for a day or two.
January 17, 2012
I won this book from a contest on Goodreads.
This was an exciting, fast paced, action packed thriller that I could not put down from page 1.
Silas Cade, with a military background just back from the Middle East is living as an 'Accountant' who helps high end clients in the 'investment banking industry' who need his help getting things done quickly, quietly and under the grid. His first job with such a client needs him to track down a hedge fund manager who is 'going under' for the return of compensation paid on a deal that has gone south. Once the transaction was completed, Silas returns to his client's only to find he has been murdered. But he's only the first investment banker whose fund have bottomed out to come up dead.
This is a fabulous story full of action and twists that kept me gripping the edge of my seat as I turned each page. I just hope Mike Cooper's Silas Cade will return in a sequel. Although "Clawback' will definately be a hard act ot follow! Five Stars Plus!!!
This was an exciting, fast paced, action packed thriller that I could not put down from page 1.
Silas Cade, with a military background just back from the Middle East is living as an 'Accountant' who helps high end clients in the 'investment banking industry' who need his help getting things done quickly, quietly and under the grid. His first job with such a client needs him to track down a hedge fund manager who is 'going under' for the return of compensation paid on a deal that has gone south. Once the transaction was completed, Silas returns to his client's only to find he has been murdered. But he's only the first investment banker whose fund have bottomed out to come up dead.
This is a fabulous story full of action and twists that kept me gripping the edge of my seat as I turned each page. I just hope Mike Cooper's Silas Cade will return in a sequel. Although "Clawback' will definately be a hard act ot follow! Five Stars Plus!!!
April 20, 2012
Mike Cooper's debut novel "Clawback" is a frenetic, no-holds-barred thriller. CPA Silas Cade is like Rambo in green eyeshades. His clients are high-powered execs, cut-throat American businessmen who "need the problem solved fast and permanent." A Jack Reacher-ish character, Silas lives off the grid, communicating with his clients via disposable cell phones. He's also catnip to young women and impervious to the wiles of all but one, an ambitious blogger who knows the ins and outs of the Internet.
Three managers of spectacularly low-performing funds have turned up dead, and Silas is hired by a powerful investment banker with a fondness for machine guns to stop the murderer. There's a villain, almost as invincible as Silas, but Silas needs to know who he's working for.
With a body count of epic proportions and stunt action that has our hero hanging from a helicopter and zooming around on jet skis, the story verges on parody. The writing is taut and muscular, and like the character of Silas, I hope we'll see more of it.
Three managers of spectacularly low-performing funds have turned up dead, and Silas is hired by a powerful investment banker with a fondness for machine guns to stop the murderer. There's a villain, almost as invincible as Silas, but Silas needs to know who he's working for.
With a body count of epic proportions and stunt action that has our hero hanging from a helicopter and zooming around on jet skis, the story verges on parody. The writing is taut and muscular, and like the character of Silas, I hope we'll see more of it.
February 18, 2012
A witty, clever page-turner with an original hero I could really cheer for! While reading I really felt like I could see this book as a movie. It would be lot of fun to cast the various parts. If you're looking for a smart, exciting thriller, this is the book for you!
November 15, 2019
If you like books that are action packed from cover to cover, this is your book. Overall, I enjoyed the story, though to be honest I think the book would have done better without the romance phase of it. Silas as a character is interesting with his background as both an accountant and special ops type. He definitely takes up an unique groove in the financial world. I would have liked to see the accountant part of him more fleshed out. Good read and worth the time.
July 29, 2025
Early in the book it seems it could be a financial mystery, like a book by Michael Ridpath. A problem solver is tasked to find out who is murdering investors with low skill. That story could be entertaining. Unfortunately though the plot goes into pure action mode. Actually strange as the author is supposed to have some background from Wall Street.
June 3, 2017
Found this in my 'to read' folder, thought I'd check it out. I think I put it there when trying to win a give away, but glad I didn't discard it. This book was great. Definitely a hidden gem. I really enjoyed it.
December 16, 2018
ענייני וול סטריט והרבה אקשן ברחובות ניו יורק
July 9, 2019
Clawback was an amazing book that gave me some insight into the world of hedge funds and wall street.
April 20, 2022
I really like this book! It’s a little crazy over the top, but the characters are fun and for the most part believable. I’m excited for the next in the series.
July 17, 2016
Ett lustigt sammanträffande, att läsa denna bok direkt efter "Ghostman" av Roger Hobbs! Båda har samma grundförutsättningar: en ensam protagonist som lever utanför samhället ska lösa ett brott utan att blanda in rättsväsendet. Men det finns en stor skillnad: Ghostman lämnar efter sig en bismak av psykologisk ohälsa, medan Silas Cade i denna bok är befriande normal. Ghostman vill vara ensam med sina översättningar av klassikerna, medan Cade emellanåt blir frustrerad över de kravet som ett anonymt liv ställer - ibland med humoristisk ton, som när han försöker hålla reda på alla sina anonyma kontantkortstelefoner (och hans idé med att markera dem med färgad tejp inte fungerar...).
Några exempel på denna medvetenhet: "Ibland måste man lita på människor. ... Man kan inte ständigt ljuga och samtidigt upprätthålla någon form av mänskliga kontakter. En relation som har något som helst värde kräver ärlighet, vilket kan vara orsaken till att jag inte har så många." (s. 139-140).
Cade, till skillnad från Ghostman, är också en idealist, vilket är ett trevligt drag: När en kompis undrar vad han blivit inblandad i, svarar Cade: "Korrigerar felaktigheter. Gör världen till en bättre plats. Det jag alltid gör." ... kanske hade de sista resterna av mitt samvete fått nog tiil slut. Hur som helst förvånade det mig att jag blev så förbannad. Det Blacktail hade gjort var helt enkelt ondskefullt. *Och här var jag inhyrd för att få slut på det. Jag fick alltså betalt för att göra det rätta." (s. 145 och 150).
I den här boken försöker han lösa morden på olika finanshöjdare på Wall Street. Historien är tämligen rutinartad, men underhållande, och skildringen av finansvärlden är bra, även om översättningen brister här och var (alla finanstermer är inte helt korrekt översatta, ibland spelar t ex ordens form en roll - man säger t ex "gå långa" i en aktie, inte att "gå långt" (och många termer används på engelska (eller svengelska) så en del termer har faktiskt översatts i onödan. Dessutom blir referenserna till filmen "The Terminator" ganska komiska, när översättaren visserligen (hyfsat) korrekt döper om begreppet till "Förstöraren" (s. 190, 201). (Ska man vara riktigt petig borde Terminator i så fall översättas till "Avslutaren"... ;)
Avslutningsvis, så är det en spännande thriller, om än aningen banal. Och slutet verkar ologiskt: hur kan han söka upp samma tjej igen, om han först måste lämna landet för att gå under jorden? (Kanske han bytt identitet och utseende, men om någon är ute efter honom, är det väl logiskt att de spanar på hans flickvän, och kan ta honom oavsett nya identitetshandlingar? Och han är ju endast borta ett halvår...).
Som sagt, en bra thriller med en sympatisk hjälte, bättre än Ghostman, men knappast oförglömlig eller unik. Lätt sommarunderhållning, helt enkelt.
Några exempel på denna medvetenhet: "Ibland måste man lita på människor. ... Man kan inte ständigt ljuga och samtidigt upprätthålla någon form av mänskliga kontakter. En relation som har något som helst värde kräver ärlighet, vilket kan vara orsaken till att jag inte har så många." (s. 139-140).
Cade, till skillnad från Ghostman, är också en idealist, vilket är ett trevligt drag: När en kompis undrar vad han blivit inblandad i, svarar Cade: "Korrigerar felaktigheter. Gör världen till en bättre plats. Det jag alltid gör." ... kanske hade de sista resterna av mitt samvete fått nog tiil slut. Hur som helst förvånade det mig att jag blev så förbannad. Det Blacktail hade gjort var helt enkelt ondskefullt. *Och här var jag inhyrd för att få slut på det. Jag fick alltså betalt för att göra det rätta." (s. 145 och 150).
I den här boken försöker han lösa morden på olika finanshöjdare på Wall Street. Historien är tämligen rutinartad, men underhållande, och skildringen av finansvärlden är bra, även om översättningen brister här och var (alla finanstermer är inte helt korrekt översatta, ibland spelar t ex ordens form en roll - man säger t ex "gå långa" i en aktie, inte att "gå långt" (och många termer används på engelska (eller svengelska) så en del termer har faktiskt översatts i onödan. Dessutom blir referenserna till filmen "The Terminator" ganska komiska, när översättaren visserligen (hyfsat) korrekt döper om begreppet till "Förstöraren" (s. 190, 201). (Ska man vara riktigt petig borde Terminator i så fall översättas till "Avslutaren"... ;)
Avslutningsvis, så är det en spännande thriller, om än aningen banal. Och slutet verkar ologiskt: hur kan han söka upp samma tjej igen, om han först måste lämna landet för att gå under jorden? (Kanske han bytt identitet och utseende, men om någon är ute efter honom, är det väl logiskt att de spanar på hans flickvän, och kan ta honom oavsett nya identitetshandlingar? Och han är ju endast borta ett halvår...).
Som sagt, en bra thriller med en sympatisk hjälte, bättre än Ghostman, men knappast oförglömlig eller unik. Lätt sommarunderhållning, helt enkelt.
March 23, 2012
Why do we love those bad boys?
Silas Cade is the protagonist (Anti-hero?) of Mike Cooper’s debut novel, Clawback. He’s a forensic accountant, of sorts. Early on, he describes his work like this:
“If I had one, my logo might be a green eyeshade crossed by a 9 mil.
It’s a small niche, though a necessary one, especially in economic times as difficult as these. Straightforward accountancy is all well and good. But sometimes you need someone packing a P226, not an HP-12c—if you know what I mean.”
What he means is that he’s a career criminal, a very successful one. And one of the ways that he stays successful is by living almost entirely off the grid. Silas is a smart, paranoid man, with a complex system of ethics. He’s fascinating.
As the novel opens, Silas is just completing his latest job, but when he drives past his employer’s home later that night, he sees cops everywhere. The man’s been murdered. Strangely, it seems there may be a connection between this and the next job he takes on. A powerful investment banker wants him to investigate rumors that several of the most unsuccessful money managers in NY are being murdered. And that would be business as usual, but incredibly an industrious blogger and would-be journalist has connected him to the case. For a man so far off the grid, this is unprecedented. Now she has leverage over him, so they’re working together towards a mutually beneficial goal.
And guess what? They’re a great team! The dialog and interplay between the two is terrific, without being that fake banter that’s always so hard to believe. Blogger Clara Dawson is an upstanding member of society, but somehow she and Silas have great chemistry together that goes beyond romantic tension. In fact, the two seem to genuinely like and respect each other. It’s rare to see an author handle both male and female characters so well. I found the two equally appealing.
So far, we’re got some intriguing and unusual protagonists, and a slew of quirky (and yet again, believable) supporting characters. We’ve got an interesting and not overdone thriller plot. We’ve got strong dialog and clean clear writing. And, oh yes, some really fantastic action sequences. The book moved so quickly that I finished it easily in a day.
It’s clear to me that this is the first of a series. It’s hard to imagine what’s next for Silas and Clara, but I’ll be back to see. Mike Cooper is a great new discovery!
Silas Cade is the protagonist (Anti-hero?) of Mike Cooper’s debut novel, Clawback. He’s a forensic accountant, of sorts. Early on, he describes his work like this:
“If I had one, my logo might be a green eyeshade crossed by a 9 mil.
It’s a small niche, though a necessary one, especially in economic times as difficult as these. Straightforward accountancy is all well and good. But sometimes you need someone packing a P226, not an HP-12c—if you know what I mean.”
What he means is that he’s a career criminal, a very successful one. And one of the ways that he stays successful is by living almost entirely off the grid. Silas is a smart, paranoid man, with a complex system of ethics. He’s fascinating.
As the novel opens, Silas is just completing his latest job, but when he drives past his employer’s home later that night, he sees cops everywhere. The man’s been murdered. Strangely, it seems there may be a connection between this and the next job he takes on. A powerful investment banker wants him to investigate rumors that several of the most unsuccessful money managers in NY are being murdered. And that would be business as usual, but incredibly an industrious blogger and would-be journalist has connected him to the case. For a man so far off the grid, this is unprecedented. Now she has leverage over him, so they’re working together towards a mutually beneficial goal.
And guess what? They’re a great team! The dialog and interplay between the two is terrific, without being that fake banter that’s always so hard to believe. Blogger Clara Dawson is an upstanding member of society, but somehow she and Silas have great chemistry together that goes beyond romantic tension. In fact, the two seem to genuinely like and respect each other. It’s rare to see an author handle both male and female characters so well. I found the two equally appealing.
So far, we’re got some intriguing and unusual protagonists, and a slew of quirky (and yet again, believable) supporting characters. We’ve got an interesting and not overdone thriller plot. We’ve got strong dialog and clean clear writing. And, oh yes, some really fantastic action sequences. The book moved so quickly that I finished it easily in a day.
It’s clear to me that this is the first of a series. It’s hard to imagine what’s next for Silas and Clara, but I’ll be back to see. Mike Cooper is a great new discovery!
September 7, 2013
Silas Cade works for hire, when someone wants things to be done quickly and quietly, by any means necessary. He was hired by a Wall Street banker to recoup an investment, but the banker winds up dead before Silas can tell him it's been done. He's not the first banker to be killed either - someone's killing low-performing bankers, and Silas is quickly hired by another banker to get to the bottom of it.
There were parts of this novel I really liked, but as a whole, it felt flat to me. The writing was quick-paced, filled with a lot of one-liners. I was intrigued by the storyline, wondering who was behind it all, even though a lot of the banking explanations were confusing, despite the ensuing description of what certain things meant. The supposed "financial intrigue" didn't interest me much and actually didn't seem to do much for the story aside from giving it a backdrop. The action itself was much more interesting, when I could actually see things happen as they unfolded. I'm sure those involved in the financial world would be much more excited than me about the setting, as it would probably speak to them.
The characters didn't feel developed enough for me to truly care about them. Silas had a lot of "friends" he leaned on to make things happen, but few of them had truly multi-faceted personalities, and so I occasionally had trouble remembering who people were or how he knew them/why he relied on them. The main exception to this was Clara, a blogger he befriends who's investigating the murders. Although Clara wasn't developed particularly deeply, I did like her resourcefulness and determination. She played well alongside Silas.
I guess the main problem with this book, for me, is the fact that it didn't feel particularly fresh or different or even that exciting. There's nothing bad about it, per se, but it didn't have that something extra to really wow me. Instead, the plot went point by point, playing out the way you'd expect a thriller to go. People looking for a standard thriller would probably enjoy this, as would the Wall Street set because of its setting. Not bad, but not amazing.
There were parts of this novel I really liked, but as a whole, it felt flat to me. The writing was quick-paced, filled with a lot of one-liners. I was intrigued by the storyline, wondering who was behind it all, even though a lot of the banking explanations were confusing, despite the ensuing description of what certain things meant. The supposed "financial intrigue" didn't interest me much and actually didn't seem to do much for the story aside from giving it a backdrop. The action itself was much more interesting, when I could actually see things happen as they unfolded. I'm sure those involved in the financial world would be much more excited than me about the setting, as it would probably speak to them.
The characters didn't feel developed enough for me to truly care about them. Silas had a lot of "friends" he leaned on to make things happen, but few of them had truly multi-faceted personalities, and so I occasionally had trouble remembering who people were or how he knew them/why he relied on them. The main exception to this was Clara, a blogger he befriends who's investigating the murders. Although Clara wasn't developed particularly deeply, I did like her resourcefulness and determination. She played well alongside Silas.
I guess the main problem with this book, for me, is the fact that it didn't feel particularly fresh or different or even that exciting. There's nothing bad about it, per se, but it didn't have that something extra to really wow me. Instead, the plot went point by point, playing out the way you'd expect a thriller to go. People looking for a standard thriller would probably enjoy this, as would the Wall Street set because of its setting. Not bad, but not amazing.
October 13, 2014
"When you need the problem solved fast and permanent, you call me." 'Me' is special forces veteran Silas Cade, whose muscle, know-how, and knack for numbers ensure him business in the rarified circles of thems with money problems the rest of us only dream about‚ the one-percenters. Cade is hired to find out who is behind the assassinations of the worst-rated Wall Street money managers. One theory is that the Beardstown Lady types can’t take any more losses and are going vigilante. The more likely scenario is that someone is making money‚ lots of it‚ off the positions (stuff like zinc futures) left by the dead brokers. Cade will appeal to ManReaders because he is a fairly normal, sociopathic, quick-witted CPA-ish nerd with plenty of alpha-dog macho for whoopin’ asses. He’s also charmingly obsessive about remaining off the grid/untraceable. Even though there are two $10 words (demimonde and Breguet) in the first few pages and a weird story arc in which Cade learns of an older brother he never knew about, this novel by Cooper‚ a pseudonym for author Michael Wiecek (Exit Strategy)‚ is breezy and smooth. There’s even an intrepid, sexy reporter chick who makes Silas think more about the curve of neck into shoulder than the problems at hand. Heartily recommended.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
March 19, 2012
My girlfriend lent me her copy of "Clawback" by Mike Cooper, after winning this novel through the Goodreads Giveaway, and being so impressed with this novel. Now I understand what she meant.
Clawback is a fast-paced action thriller that is a quick read. The characters are well developed. Clawback delves into the details of financial trades with an ease of explanation that reminded me of Tom Clancy's work.
The title of this engaging thriller is a financial term, "the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that later goes bad." Silas Cade, a former "black ops" soldier now working as a consultant, seeks "clawback" from shady investment managers, and in the book's opening scene, he extracts $10 million on behalf of Tom Marlett, a hedge fund manager. The plot really kicks into gear after Marlett is murdered, and another Wall Street tycoon, Quint Ganderson, hires Cade to look into the suspicious deaths of several money-losing money managers. A financial blogger, Clara Dawson, becomes enmeshed in the case (and in Cade's life), which turns into a thriller as the two search for the people and the motive behind the murders. A disgruntled investor seeking revenge? A fringe group wanting to destroy Wall Street? Or another financial player hungry for profit?
This was an amazing novel! Lots for everyone to enjoy.
Clawback is a fast-paced action thriller that is a quick read. The characters are well developed. Clawback delves into the details of financial trades with an ease of explanation that reminded me of Tom Clancy's work.
The title of this engaging thriller is a financial term, "the mandatory return of compensation paid on a deal that later goes bad." Silas Cade, a former "black ops" soldier now working as a consultant, seeks "clawback" from shady investment managers, and in the book's opening scene, he extracts $10 million on behalf of Tom Marlett, a hedge fund manager. The plot really kicks into gear after Marlett is murdered, and another Wall Street tycoon, Quint Ganderson, hires Cade to look into the suspicious deaths of several money-losing money managers. A financial blogger, Clara Dawson, becomes enmeshed in the case (and in Cade's life), which turns into a thriller as the two search for the people and the motive behind the murders. A disgruntled investor seeking revenge? A fringe group wanting to destroy Wall Street? Or another financial player hungry for profit?
This was an amazing novel! Lots for everyone to enjoy.
April 6, 2012
I haven't received my copy yet, just received notice I had won. 2/27/12
Received my copy and can't wait to start. Have 5 plus current read in front. 3/8/12
Started this yesterday 4/1/12
finished last night, 4/5/12
Silas is an ex-armed forces soldier turned CPA. Not the typical accountant, his work resembles private investigator/body guard more than financial planner, and that suits him just fine. Someone is killing off Stock Brokers and he is hired to find out who and why. Along the journey, he meets a girl that is an investigative reporter which totally clashes with his personal under the radar life. Will he be able to find the killer, the motive and keep her safe?
Okay, love the idea that not all CPAs are as cookie cutter as the ones I work with. yes, I work at a CPA firm and while they each have different personalities and appearances, I don't see any of them as a semi-James Bond. We do have 2 ex armed forces soldiers though. :) This was a fun story, a bit predictable in parts, and I tend to notice the one "little" thing authors write to give the hint of who the bad guy is as if if were in all caps, bold type and highlighted. Yes, I knew the bad guy way too early but it was still a good book.
Received my copy and can't wait to start. Have 5 plus current read in front. 3/8/12
Started this yesterday 4/1/12
finished last night, 4/5/12
Silas is an ex-armed forces soldier turned CPA. Not the typical accountant, his work resembles private investigator/body guard more than financial planner, and that suits him just fine. Someone is killing off Stock Brokers and he is hired to find out who and why. Along the journey, he meets a girl that is an investigative reporter which totally clashes with his personal under the radar life. Will he be able to find the killer, the motive and keep her safe?
Okay, love the idea that not all CPAs are as cookie cutter as the ones I work with. yes, I work at a CPA firm and while they each have different personalities and appearances, I don't see any of them as a semi-James Bond. We do have 2 ex armed forces soldiers though. :) This was a fun story, a bit predictable in parts, and I tend to notice the one "little" thing authors write to give the hint of who the bad guy is as if if were in all caps, bold type and highlighted. Yes, I knew the bad guy way too early but it was still a good book.
January 26, 2015
Financial thrillers aren't exactly my normal genre. (I actually needed to create a new shelf, because none of my existing ones were sufficient for cataloging this book!) I only read it because PB wanted to read something other than YA fantasy or adult romance, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it.
I'll be completely honest, and admit that a lot of the financial stuff was way over my head. I think it could have been explained better for the average reader (or am I just less savvy about the financial sector than the average reader?--hmmm...). However, despite not being clear on some of the financial intricacies going on, I was still able to understand and follow the story.
My major qualm was that the writing was a bit too descriptive for my tastes. There are lots of extraneous details that didn't add anything to the story. The author takes the time to describe things like the different types of tables at a farmer's market - not exactly something relevant to the plot, or even very interesting. I supposed it's intended to help readers feel like they're right there with Silas, but I thought it was too overdone.
I'll be completely honest, and admit that a lot of the financial stuff was way over my head. I think it could have been explained better for the average reader (or am I just less savvy about the financial sector than the average reader?--hmmm...). However, despite not being clear on some of the financial intricacies going on, I was still able to understand and follow the story.
My major qualm was that the writing was a bit too descriptive for my tastes. There are lots of extraneous details that didn't add anything to the story. The author takes the time to describe things like the different types of tables at a farmer's market - not exactly something relevant to the plot, or even very interesting. I supposed it's intended to help readers feel like they're right there with Silas, but I thought it was too overdone.
March 19, 2012
Hedge Funds, Wall Street, bankers; but this is not another story about the world of money. Silas Cade is the man to go to when one want s something quickly and quietly; any means necessary. The banks use him to collect “clawbacK’ money owed to them when a deal goes bad. He lives on the edge, in secret and with various identities. But then Silas’ client is murdered before he could get paid. He is then hired by a woman blogger who wants to make a name for herself and thinks this murder is connected to other murders.
I found the character of Silas Cade to be craftily constructed, living in the shadows and keeping his identity a secret. Yet, this blogger finds him and, hey, a job is a job. There is a lot of action and a lot of dialogue, making for an interesting read. But can one feel for the dead hedge fund managers that made money off clients that didn’t? I would like to read more about Silas Cade in another setting.
I found the character of Silas Cade to be craftily constructed, living in the shadows and keeping his identity a secret. Yet, this blogger finds him and, hey, a job is a job. There is a lot of action and a lot of dialogue, making for an interesting read. But can one feel for the dead hedge fund managers that made money off clients that didn’t? I would like to read more about Silas Cade in another setting.
May 14, 2012
Silas Cade, ex-special ops soldier, does high-end security jobs while staying off the grid. In this case, Wall Street traders (unsuccessful risk-taking ones) are being killed, a fact that becomes clear when the tally reaches four. Cade is hired to intercept the killer(s) and remove him (them) on behalf of a big Wall Street type. He has interesting semi-legit friends, several of whom also have lethal or legally borderline skills (documents, weapons, stock market manipulation). He also is strongly attracted to a blogger and news wannabee whose skills place her in jeopardy. Cooper (who wrote another interesting book under the name Michael Wiecek--"Exit Strategy") keeps the action and snappy dialogue at the boiling point, though spotting the mastermind behind the action doesn't take a lot of skill. It was good enough to look at the next book.
March 14, 2012
*Goodreads first reads ARC*
Claw Back by Mike Cooper is a fast-paced, action thriller that is a quick read. Most of the characters were well developed. The one thing I might have wanted to see more was twists. I found the story line to be quite straight forward. In fact, by the time I was about 2/3rds of the way through, I could guess at the ending. Sure the details were still a bit of a surprise, but I knew who it was and why they were doing all they did.
I also would have liked a bit more explanation as to how the villain in the story ended up being caught by the police. None of that was mentioned. There really was no concrete evidence that appeared in the story.
Still, it was a quite enjoyable read; one that I can definitely recommend to others.
Claw Back by Mike Cooper is a fast-paced, action thriller that is a quick read. Most of the characters were well developed. The one thing I might have wanted to see more was twists. I found the story line to be quite straight forward. In fact, by the time I was about 2/3rds of the way through, I could guess at the ending. Sure the details were still a bit of a surprise, but I knew who it was and why they were doing all they did.
I also would have liked a bit more explanation as to how the villain in the story ended up being caught by the police. None of that was mentioned. There really was no concrete evidence that appeared in the story.
Still, it was a quite enjoyable read; one that I can definitely recommend to others.
March 11, 2012
(I'd rate this book 2 and a half stars to be exact.)
I got this book through a First Reads giveaway.
The plot summary and start of the book were very promising, but the story as a whole didn't quite deliver. The business jargon got me a little bored after a while, and most of the plot and the characterizations of the characters and everything was just so predictable. Everything about this book was on-point and made sense (logically, in terms of solving the case and whatnot), and the protagonist was likable since he was smart and had a chill and honest personality, but in the end, even that seemed cliche. There was nothing really fresh about anything in this book when it comes to an action-packed mystery novel, so I wasn't really able to enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
I got this book through a First Reads giveaway.
The plot summary and start of the book were very promising, but the story as a whole didn't quite deliver. The business jargon got me a little bored after a while, and most of the plot and the characterizations of the characters and everything was just so predictable. Everything about this book was on-point and made sense (logically, in terms of solving the case and whatnot), and the protagonist was likable since he was smart and had a chill and honest personality, but in the end, even that seemed cliche. There was nothing really fresh about anything in this book when it comes to an action-packed mystery novel, so I wasn't really able to enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
March 8, 2012
Loved it! Thrillers are my favorite genre, so hard not to love it. I'm ready for number 2 in the "Silas Cade" series. Really ready. A very quick, easy read that I was eager to return to each time I had to put it down. I thought of Reacher many times during the various escapades. Not a dull moment that I recall.
Silas Cade is EX-military, and still ever ready for that next combat situation. A clandestine, hired gun running in the underbelly of Wall Street, until he meets a little hottie named Clara. She's hot, not only for Silas, but also for that ONE story that will MAKE her blog. She heats his world up, at times way too much, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
To Mike Cooper, I say, "Write on brother!! Write on!"
Silas Cade is EX-military, and still ever ready for that next combat situation. A clandestine, hired gun running in the underbelly of Wall Street, until he meets a little hottie named Clara. She's hot, not only for Silas, but also for that ONE story that will MAKE her blog. She heats his world up, at times way too much, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
To Mike Cooper, I say, "Write on brother!! Write on!"
April 2, 2012
Former black ops vet-turned-"accountant," Silas Cade is hired by a hedge fund manager to recover money on a deal gone bad. He is quickly caught up in a fast paced race to find the person who is killing investment bankers that are at the bottom of the money making game, costing their clients big money. Someone, though, is making millions on their deaths.
I can see Silas Cade making more appearances in the future, whether in the financial world or perhaps another venue. Although I had trouble following the difference between a put and a short sale, the theme of greed and corruption came through loud and clear. I look forward to reading more from Mike Cooper.
This was an advance reading copy, courtesy of the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Thanks!
I can see Silas Cade making more appearances in the future, whether in the financial world or perhaps another venue. Although I had trouble following the difference between a put and a short sale, the theme of greed and corruption came through loud and clear. I look forward to reading more from Mike Cooper.
This was an advance reading copy, courtesy of the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Thanks!
August 24, 2013
This is definitely an interesting book, but it took me what felt like forever to get into it. (I'm going to be honest, I think "financial intrigue" is a little bit smarter than I am. I'm not sure if the problem is that Mike Cooper assumed the average reader is smarter than they actually are or if it's just that I'm dumb about stuff like this. Either way, the first part of this book left me so completely lost.)
Once the book got going, however, WOW. It got amazingly good and suspenseful. It became worth the painful slog it took me to get to that point. (But it wasn't quite as bad as the first 100 pages or so of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.)
If you can be patient (or know more about banking/the financial world than I do), there is a lot to enjoy here.
Once the book got going, however, WOW. It got amazingly good and suspenseful. It became worth the painful slog it took me to get to that point. (But it wasn't quite as bad as the first 100 pages or so of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.)
If you can be patient (or know more about banking/the financial world than I do), there is a lot to enjoy here.
March 13, 2012
This book is just bad. The plot moved along quickly enough, but if you've ever picked up a mystery book you'll have no problem guessing what is going to happen within the first few chapters. I kept reading, thinking surely it couldn't be that obvious, but unfortunately it was. I also struggled with the writers style. The fight scenes were overly descriptive and went on for too many pages, much like reading the stage directions for an action movie or something. Then more intriguing parts like Silas' long lost brother, and time in the foster care system are mentioned briefly and then dropped like they never existed.
March 12, 2012
This book was a fun read. It was well written, fast paced and kept the story line moving throughout. There were lots of plot twists to keep you entertained. The book is mostly dialogue driven, which made for an easy read.
For readers that get bored with financial jargon, beware that there is lots of financial terminology throughout the book, but having been in the industry, I enjoyed it very much. Clawback is a nice escape novel, although some of the plot twists may be a bit 007 "Bondish" and a little unrealistic for the average person.
Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads.
For readers that get bored with financial jargon, beware that there is lots of financial terminology throughout the book, but having been in the industry, I enjoyed it very much. Clawback is a nice escape novel, although some of the plot twists may be a bit 007 "Bondish" and a little unrealistic for the average person.
Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads.
April 27, 2012
Read as a first read's winner.
Although the advance copy had several minute errors, overall the plot was spectacular. Taking place in the must written about Wall Street world of intrigue, the plot quickly took off past my limited knowledge of economic matters, but the book explained well enough to keep me interested and informed.
As a fast paced thriller, Clawback succeeds, with easily built characters and a masterly weaved feel of suspense. There wasn't enough attraction to the characters and plot to jump out and say "This will be an unforgettable book", but the author is on his way to success.
Although the advance copy had several minute errors, overall the plot was spectacular. Taking place in the must written about Wall Street world of intrigue, the plot quickly took off past my limited knowledge of economic matters, but the book explained well enough to keep me interested and informed.
As a fast paced thriller, Clawback succeeds, with easily built characters and a masterly weaved feel of suspense. There wasn't enough attraction to the characters and plot to jump out and say "This will be an unforgettable book", but the author is on his way to success.
March 27, 2012
Some one is killing all the least successful investment bankers.Silas Cade ex military is making his living as an accountant helping high end clients in the investment banking area, who need his help to get things done quickly, quietly and under the grid.When a deal goes bad to get there money back. Silas lives on the edge, in secret and uses various identities. But when his client is murdered before paying him and than a women blogger hires him because she feels all these murders are somehow connected.Is Silas really an accountant? Or is that just his cover?There is plenty of action, and dialogue makes for an interesting read.Look forward to reading more books by Mike Cooper
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