Jesters' Dance

by R. Bruce Walker

C all it corporate intrigue. Call it black comedy. Think Tom Wolfe meets John Grisham with the same du monde noir as   TV's Mad Men. Advertising Manager Allan Corbett wants to fire his agency. On the eve of the most important product introduction in the history of pharmaceutical giant Carlton & Paxton -- the launch of a miraculous new anti-obesity drug -- he's decided for a variety of personal and professional reasons to put the billion-dollar assignment up for grabs. However, once he's asked the clowns to dance, his impulsive decision yields disastrous results. The story unfolds over twenty-eight days, propelled forward by the ridiculously tight timetable that the deeply troubled client has imposed on the process. Exploiting the experience of his twenty-five years in the industry, R. Bruce Walker treats his readers to a riveting insider's view as the colorful characters that inhabit the three competing agencies pull out all stops in pursuit of the coveted prize. As the novel's indelible characters and numerous cross currents surge together, the plot takes a series of unanticipated twists and turns -- all of which conspire to derail the promise of the amazing wonder drug and reshape the fates of everyone involved. Humorous, sexy and ghoulishly dark, JESTERS' DANCE is a playful study of the strong personalities, greedy impulses and cynical self-interest that drive the ad world. The themes explored are taken directly from headlines surrounding current problems with obesity in America and the perils of our society's obsession with weight control, dieting and body image.

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2011

About the author

Author R. Bruce Walker studied English Literature at Glendon College of York University in Toronto, Canada. He is a former advertising copywriter, creative director and senior agency executive. He has worked for several leading global agencies earning numerous awards and accolades for his creative work.

Having fled the advertising business after nearly twenty-five years, he currently resides near Savannah, Georgia with his wife, Lynne, and two irrepressible Labrador Retrievers. He divides his time between his writing desk, his Thermador® cook top, and the golf course outside his back door.

HANGING LIES is his third novel. It follows the successful release of his debut work, JESTERS’ DANCE, which earned a brief albeit satisfying turn on the Amazon Kindle Top 100 and fast on the heels of an extremely topical tale about fracking, politics, and America’s energy future entitled, THE LAST CANARY, that was published in June, 2012.

Reviews

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book became a page-turner after I got over two things:
1. the crude language and actions of some of the characters, and
2. the need to keep a scoreboard as so many characters were introduced at the outset.

I thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue that developed with unsavory characters whose demise you await. Sort of a "Bonfire of the Vanities" for the advertising industry.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Interesting characters that are intertwined perfectly.