The Vig

by John M. Nuckel

Part I of III in the #RectorStseries

“We facilitate financial transactions for a fee. That… is what we call the Vig.”

The most corrupt decade in Wall Street history. A good time to steal a little bit of money from a lot of people. Meet Frank McGinely. He’s got a penchant for vodka and the f!@k word. As an equity options specialist on the American Stock Exchange, he just happened to uncover a money skimming scam in which an algorithm pulls just a little bit from a lot of trader accounts. Forty grand up front & a little slice of greed along the way is what it takes for Frank to look the other way. It’s not long before he realizes he just stepped into the middle of a federal investigation of a Ponzi Schemer with a violent flair.

Glimpse into the seamy side of the financial world, Wall Street crime; the kind that’s rarely seen by the public eye. Whatever is thought to be known about Wall Street is put into perspective upon walking across Broadway & Rector St; series of events stack up against the odds. Enter into the dangerous thrill-ride of financial crime. Chase through the night, in bars & back alleys, try to not get caught up, or like…

…Friedman is dead, Frank. They found his body this morning.”

Frank didn’t know whether to lash out or make a run for it, but decided to sit there and keep his mouth shut, thinking about how his old life was over now. It ended ten minutes ago.
“This is the preliminary coroner’s report on Mr. Friedman. Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head. There was an unusual twist to the killing…”

Meet Carla. Carla Pugliese is the kind of woman that’ll let men’s lusty looks feed into her desire to kill them. “It was a body that made a man stupid.” They always take the bait, & she always toys with them for her own gratification, her release. A femme fatale that men don’t take for an assassin till she’s stuffing them with pieces of themselves. Now she has a new directive.

Will Frank pull through on a deal caught between the crosshairs of the Feds & S.E.C? Will he survive & night of seduction & torture by a twisted, sexy assassin? Can Frank’s wit & vodka-induced tendencies fair against a maniacal criminal mastermind that’s left a body count trail for the past two decades? With bizarre, grisly killings & skin-crawling torture lurking on the page, it’s gonna take guts & grit for Frank to come out alive. Deals in this world on made in a bar, on the back of a barstool, not a boardroom. A handshake seals the deal, but these kind of deals get broken with a fist, or sometimes a gun drawn to the side of a head in a place no one’ll hear.

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2011

About the author

Through his thought-inspiring and provocative trilogy of books, author John Nuckel has not only written a definitive history of New York City from the early 1900s through the 40s, but he has also delivered a series ripe for development. These stories are some of the most thought-provoking periods of American history, and each book features the heroism of the Volunteers Nuckel reveres.

Reviews

[Linda Munro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a different book by this author (Drive) from a goodreads giveaway; the author included this book as well. I loved the first book I had read by this author, so I eagerly set about to read this book.

This book is about Wall Street and the criminal minds that corrupt a system: “We facilitate financial transactions for a fee. That… is what we call the Vig.”

We all know about the most corrupt decade on Wall Street; recall, no one went to jail and the taxpayers paid to clear up a mess caused by greed. What am I saying; it’s still happening, only this time I would rather see another great depression; put the rich and the poor on a level playing field. (But, I digress!)

Anyway, back to the book; it wasn’t that the book was not good; but there was something about it that I just did not like! Could it be due to the reason that smart criminals are rich and never have to pay for their crimes? That is just a fact of life. Could it be the weather, being so hot and humid that I could not take a breath without my chest screaming? That is just a fact of my life! Maybe it’s the fluctuation in temperature and rain that reeks havoc with my RA? Maybe! What ever it was, I found myself getting lost and having to read pages and chapters over and over.

It could have been simply me, bad timing to read this book. I mean it had everything I enjoy in a book.; bad guys, good guys, good-bad guys, murder and mayhem and an ending that you were never quite sure of. I suppose I just had to think too much while reading this book, to concentrate totally which is difficult when you are in pain and can’t breathe.

Now let me give you a quick run down on the book:

The decade after 9/11 was a good time to make money on Wall Street; it was especially a good time to steal a little money from a lot of people. When Frank McCinely stumbles on a scam in which an algorithm pulls a small amount of money from trader accounts; his greed over comes his thirst for justice and he accepts a check to look the other way; but he is not all bad, he never cashes the check. It doesn’t matter, he accepted the check and now he is in the middle of a federal investigation; poor Frank, his troubles are just beginning……

I know someone will love this book, so I suggest reading it, don’t take my word that it wasn’t enjoyable!

[Steven McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve not read anything by John Nuckel before but I was intrigued by the premise and requested the book on Netgalley. Once approved I started reading the book immediately. The story is set against the back drop of 9/11 and tells of how the events of that day change the course of a persons life. One minute a high flyer on Wall Street, but after the harrowing events of that day, he becomes a washed up drunk that nobody will trust with their money. What follows is a slow burn of a book that notches up the tension with each page. This is a well plotted book with well defined characters that build up to an inevitable end. A solid thriller.

[Sharyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This crime/financial thriller is an excellent read by John Nuckel who is able to bring all the players to life through skilful character development. There’s something for everyone in this story - greed, grit, frailty, corruption, double dealing . . . and an assassin. The plot is absorbing and certainly kept my interest throughout, right up to the unexpected surprise ending which I didn’t see coming. I’ll definitely be purchasing the other books in this series. If you’re intrigued by Wall Street and love a unique crime mystery with a twist you’re sure to enjoy The Vig.

[Phillip Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to enjoy this book. It was written by a former colleague at the American Stock Exchange, after all. And it was indeed enjoyable to revisit scenes that I was familiar with. But, in the end, the book was disappointing. The plot was not well-constructed, and skips back and forth in the timeline sometimes made it difficult to follow. Further, too many threads were left hanging at the end. The writing style was uneven. Some sections were quite compelling, but others were painful to read. And the author's lack of understanding of computers and back-office clearing procedures (which are central to the plot) was annoying.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Vig very much -- got completely sucked in and read it over the course of a couple days. I only wish that the formatter for the Kindle version had done another proof, because my eyes were drawn to several typos, but forgetting about that, the characters were complex, interesting, deeply flawed and I was drawn into the darkness the way I am when reading one of the darker thriller writers one sees on the best seller list. Add this one to your list of good escapist reads -- and pick up a few backstage tips about the financial industry's seedy underbelly!

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't love this book. Not much of a resolution at end. Found plot lines a tad confusing.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Financial focus was appealing and the characters deviously. Overall a good read.