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Fifteen Digits
A GRITTY THRILLER SET IN THE WORLD OF POWERFUL NEW YORK LAW FIRMS, FROM NICK SANTORA, WRITER OF THE HIT CRIME DRAMAS THE SOPRANOS, LAW & ORDER, PRISON BREAK and BREAKOUT KINGS AND THE NATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SLIP & FALL.
Is it really insider trading if you’ve been an outsider your entire life?
Five men. Five walks of life. Every day they come together at the white shoe law firm Olmstead & Taft. But they’re not lawyers. They’re “Printers”: blue-collar guys consigned to the dark basement of the firm charged with copying, collating and delivering the mountains of paperwork that document millions of dollars of sensitive legal secrets.
Until the five are approached by an ambitious young attorney who teaches them what they have: insider information. Together they make a plan: take the classified documents that pass through their hands every day and use them to get rich. They create a joint account to deposit the spoils. An account with a safeguard-each one only knows one section of the access code.
Which means that for all five conspirators, there’s no way out. But as too much money piles up to go unnoticed, the Printers will discover there’s one thing even worse than being an outsider: being in too deep.
“FIFTEEN DIGITS is a taut, gripping thrill-ride that appeals to the white collar criminal in all of us. I couldn’t put it down.”–Terence Winter, Creator and Executive Producer of Boardwalk Empire, Executive Producer and Writer of The Sopranos
“FIFTEEN DIGITS reads like John Grisham and Martin Scorsese’s nasty love child. Brimming with unique, indelible characters, it’s a cautionary tale of greed, jealousy and vice.”–Shawn Ryan, Creator and Executive Producer of The Shield
Is it really insider trading if you’ve been an outsider your entire life?
Five men. Five walks of life. Every day they come together at the white shoe law firm Olmstead & Taft. But they’re not lawyers. They’re “Printers”: blue-collar guys consigned to the dark basement of the firm charged with copying, collating and delivering the mountains of paperwork that document millions of dollars of sensitive legal secrets.
Until the five are approached by an ambitious young attorney who teaches them what they have: insider information. Together they make a plan: take the classified documents that pass through their hands every day and use them to get rich. They create a joint account to deposit the spoils. An account with a safeguard-each one only knows one section of the access code.
Which means that for all five conspirators, there’s no way out. But as too much money piles up to go unnoticed, the Printers will discover there’s one thing even worse than being an outsider: being in too deep.
“FIFTEEN DIGITS is a taut, gripping thrill-ride that appeals to the white collar criminal in all of us. I couldn’t put it down.”–Terence Winter, Creator and Executive Producer of Boardwalk Empire, Executive Producer and Writer of The Sopranos
“FIFTEEN DIGITS reads like John Grisham and Martin Scorsese’s nasty love child. Brimming with unique, indelible characters, it’s a cautionary tale of greed, jealousy and vice.”–Shawn Ryan, Creator and Executive Producer of The Shield
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
July 26, 2012
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the writing a lot, I really liked a lot of the characters, however I was frustrated because about a fourth of the way through (if not sooner) it became very obvious where the book was heading. Shortly after that, the author started telling us what was going to happen before it happened such as, "that was the last time they ever spoke" & things like that. I hate when authors do that. How about letting us get to the part when one of them dies before we find out that one of them is going to die? So, it had promise, it was interesting, but it was extremely frustrating & not very surprising in the end since he'd already given it all away.
February 17, 2017
It was ok. I hated the overuse of foreshadowing. It killed the suspense that I enjoy most in mysteries/thrillers. It was pretty depressing throughout, however I did enjoy the camaraderie built by 4 men from such different walks of life.
May 18, 2012
2.5 stars. An ok thriller too much foreshadowing. I kept reading to know how it ended. Then I was sad.
March 6, 2013
A group of young men working blue collar low paying jobs in the basement of prominent law firm Olmstead & Taft conspire to get rich quick by partaking in insider trading. As the Blazers, working in the printing department of the law firm, the group are entrusted with big corporation secrets which have the power to make or break share prices. When approached by a disgruntled lawyer to actually read the documents they handle on a daily basis and use that knowledge the swindle the share market, the colourful group of characters finally sees a way out of bordering poverty and a means to secure financial security for themselves and family. Little did they know that a seemingly innocent crime would lead to a very violent and bloody end.
I liked how Nick Santora consistently ingrained a sense of dread throughout the course of the novel. When something goes right for one of the main characters, Santora is quick to point out that the cards weren’t to always fall in their favour. The approach kept me reading and wanting to get to those sections where the character’s lives fall apart – and when they did it was nothing short of top tier reading. Santora’s vivid imagery and graphic depiction of violence is a thing to behold. I’ve never cringed at touter scenes to the extent of those on display in FIFTEEN DIGITS. What also appeals to the darker reader in me, is the threat of violence more so than the act itself. It was interesting to see how these five distinct characters with completely different background coped when faced with life and death situations.
At the core of FIFTEEN DIGITS lies a story of struggle, triumph, relationships, and failed opportunities. I hyped the violence and darker angles of the fiction but it’s these other aspects that really take FIFTEEN DIGITS to that extra level. I wont spoil the key plot outcomes or conflict/friendships other than to say many readers will enjoy the tightly plotted and surprisingly twisted story.
Much like SLIP AND FALL, Nick Santora has written an engaging and entertaining novel. I cant wait to see what he writes next.
I liked how Nick Santora consistently ingrained a sense of dread throughout the course of the novel. When something goes right for one of the main characters, Santora is quick to point out that the cards weren’t to always fall in their favour. The approach kept me reading and wanting to get to those sections where the character’s lives fall apart – and when they did it was nothing short of top tier reading. Santora’s vivid imagery and graphic depiction of violence is a thing to behold. I’ve never cringed at touter scenes to the extent of those on display in FIFTEEN DIGITS. What also appeals to the darker reader in me, is the threat of violence more so than the act itself. It was interesting to see how these five distinct characters with completely different background coped when faced with life and death situations.
At the core of FIFTEEN DIGITS lies a story of struggle, triumph, relationships, and failed opportunities. I hyped the violence and darker angles of the fiction but it’s these other aspects that really take FIFTEEN DIGITS to that extra level. I wont spoil the key plot outcomes or conflict/friendships other than to say many readers will enjoy the tightly plotted and surprisingly twisted story.
Much like SLIP AND FALL, Nick Santora has written an engaging and entertaining novel. I cant wait to see what he writes next.
February 11, 2013
I really wanted to like this - I wanted to enjoy it. Alas, I regretted having read the last third of the book. The problem? I couldn't sleep not knowing how it would all resolve! 19 chapters all ended with cliffhangers. 19 cliffhangers read before trying to sleep. 19 times! I shoulda known it would be cheap since the cliffhangers were... Lousy book!
May 7, 2012
Exciting read about the world of high finance. Santora paints a vivid portrait of the main characters and about the dilemma each faces. Hoping this one gets turned into a screenplay and movie.
June 23, 2012
GRAET, FANTASTIC....BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A WHILE....AND SURPRISE ENDING!!!!!!
CAN'T WAIT 'TIL NICK SANTORA WRITES ANOTHER
CAN'T WAIT 'TIL NICK SANTORA WRITES ANOTHER
August 4, 2012
Really liked this book, but liked the characters so much that I was pissed at the ending.
August 4, 2012
Surprised by the plot twist at the end, love when that happens!
May 6, 2017
Good but not great
June 14, 2017
Not bad but just couldn't get into this one. The plot was alright but not exactly engrossing. Overall, a solid read.
August 24, 2024
The beginning of the book was interesting - telling you people were going to die. A variety of characters, some you cheer for, well others could die.
July 14, 2014
“An okay novel; an entertaining read”
Nick Santora experienced incredible good luck advancing in the world of screenwriting having done so for an episode of “The Sopranos” followed by a stint at CBS writing for “The Guardian” where he was promoted to co producer. From there, Santora went on to write and produce a season of “Law and Order” and write and co-executive produce four seasons of ‘Prison Break”. Nick Santora’s career took an interesting turn when he published his first novel “Slip and Slide” which became a national best seller.
Nick Santora’s new novel “Fifteen Digits” takes a similar stride into the underworld of law and order as his experience in screenwriting has previously provided. The story in short is about five young men who scam the high stakes arena of Wall Street to make millions of dollars; only to be pursued by an underworld thug who lays claim to their fortune and seals their fate
.
The writing style mirrors the screenwriting background of Nick Santora. Situational development is sparse as is character development, not unlike writing with a time limit. This creates a thin reading experience although probably would make good TV. The beginning of the novel spends way too much time trying to convince the reader that one of the main characters, Rich Mauro, was indeed deeply in love with his girl, Elyse Crane. After a couple of chapters of it, one could easily move on to other things. However, if persistent, the action picks up toward the end of the novel and provides some relief from the mundane. There is a sardonic twist at the end of the novel that seems almost comical in view of the circumstances; here you will be the judge of whether you like it or not.
All in all the novel came across as just okay – beach chair reading, nothing particularly memorable.
I would rate this novel a light pleasurable read and if you are relaxing on some remote beach I recommend you add it to your reading list.
Nick Santora experienced incredible good luck advancing in the world of screenwriting having done so for an episode of “The Sopranos” followed by a stint at CBS writing for “The Guardian” where he was promoted to co producer. From there, Santora went on to write and produce a season of “Law and Order” and write and co-executive produce four seasons of ‘Prison Break”. Nick Santora’s career took an interesting turn when he published his first novel “Slip and Slide” which became a national best seller.
Nick Santora’s new novel “Fifteen Digits” takes a similar stride into the underworld of law and order as his experience in screenwriting has previously provided. The story in short is about five young men who scam the high stakes arena of Wall Street to make millions of dollars; only to be pursued by an underworld thug who lays claim to their fortune and seals their fate
.
The writing style mirrors the screenwriting background of Nick Santora. Situational development is sparse as is character development, not unlike writing with a time limit. This creates a thin reading experience although probably would make good TV. The beginning of the novel spends way too much time trying to convince the reader that one of the main characters, Rich Mauro, was indeed deeply in love with his girl, Elyse Crane. After a couple of chapters of it, one could easily move on to other things. However, if persistent, the action picks up toward the end of the novel and provides some relief from the mundane. There is a sardonic twist at the end of the novel that seems almost comical in view of the circumstances; here you will be the judge of whether you like it or not.
All in all the novel came across as just okay – beach chair reading, nothing particularly memorable.
I would rate this novel a light pleasurable read and if you are relaxing on some remote beach I recommend you add it to your reading list.
September 7, 2012
Strange that sometimes it takes less to please.
I found this book predictable, the writing rough, and the characters wooden. Funny thing is: I enjoyed it. The story, as told by Nick Santora-a veteran TV writer, revolves around Nick Mauro, a young man with a painful past. His parents drowned off Long Island when he was ten and his uncle Jim, a blue collar stand up fellow, raised him as best he could. Nick has a benefactor at a prestigious law firm which he parlays into a job in the printing department. The plan is to stay there through law school and take the 50% tuition reimbursement, marry his sweetheart, and live happily ever after.
Of course plans being the stuff that makes God laugh, Nick's plan goes astray when he is tempted into an insider trading scheme that brings down Nick and his band of merry print department buddies.
Nothing really remarkable about the plot. I have read similar tales before. Characters are a bit hollow. The pacing is also off the mark. As the author gives each major character's back story, he ends the chapter with a line like: "and then his life was never the same...".
So what gives it a 3 out of 5? Not sure. Whenever I pick up a book and the action starts right in, it is a plus. The story bumps along pretty consistently and heads exactly where you figure it will. But it is still interesting right until the end.
Maybe it's a matter of lowered expectations. Maybe Santora is a better writer than I give him credit for. I don't know, but it was an enjoyable read.
I found this book predictable, the writing rough, and the characters wooden. Funny thing is: I enjoyed it. The story, as told by Nick Santora-a veteran TV writer, revolves around Nick Mauro, a young man with a painful past. His parents drowned off Long Island when he was ten and his uncle Jim, a blue collar stand up fellow, raised him as best he could. Nick has a benefactor at a prestigious law firm which he parlays into a job in the printing department. The plan is to stay there through law school and take the 50% tuition reimbursement, marry his sweetheart, and live happily ever after.
Of course plans being the stuff that makes God laugh, Nick's plan goes astray when he is tempted into an insider trading scheme that brings down Nick and his band of merry print department buddies.
Nothing really remarkable about the plot. I have read similar tales before. Characters are a bit hollow. The pacing is also off the mark. As the author gives each major character's back story, he ends the chapter with a line like: "and then his life was never the same...".
So what gives it a 3 out of 5? Not sure. Whenever I pick up a book and the action starts right in, it is a plus. The story bumps along pretty consistently and heads exactly where you figure it will. But it is still interesting right until the end.
Maybe it's a matter of lowered expectations. Maybe Santora is a better writer than I give him credit for. I don't know, but it was an enjoyable read.
December 5, 2012
Fifteen Digits
Nick Santora
Poor but deserving young man is willing to work hard for a better life.
Cue Horatio Alger.
Not so fast.
Rich Mauro, that deserving young man, has just landed a job in the print/mailroom of a high-toned law firm. The job comes courtesy of a partner in the firm, a lawyer who botched one and only one case. The case involved the deaths of Mauro’s parents. Mauro is going to night school planning to get into law school. Then on to a white-shoe firm and happily ever after.
Mauro has a lovely fiancée, but her striving parents aren’t happy about their girl falling for him. It is going to take forever (Mauro thinks) to get to where he wants.
Until another lawyer in the firm shows Mauro and the others in his department how to make a small fortune, fast. It involves the confidential information that passes through the department every day. Using that information is completely and totally illegal.
What will Mauro do? What will the consequences be for Mauro and his friends?
Santora has written a fast-paced thriller that focuses attention on the people we tend to ignore. It is not a political screed, and Santora makes a few characters a little too good to be true. But it is a good read, and one that people looking for the next Grisham will want to pick up.
Nick Santora
Poor but deserving young man is willing to work hard for a better life.
Cue Horatio Alger.
Not so fast.
Rich Mauro, that deserving young man, has just landed a job in the print/mailroom of a high-toned law firm. The job comes courtesy of a partner in the firm, a lawyer who botched one and only one case. The case involved the deaths of Mauro’s parents. Mauro is going to night school planning to get into law school. Then on to a white-shoe firm and happily ever after.
Mauro has a lovely fiancée, but her striving parents aren’t happy about their girl falling for him. It is going to take forever (Mauro thinks) to get to where he wants.
Until another lawyer in the firm shows Mauro and the others in his department how to make a small fortune, fast. It involves the confidential information that passes through the department every day. Using that information is completely and totally illegal.
What will Mauro do? What will the consequences be for Mauro and his friends?
Santora has written a fast-paced thriller that focuses attention on the people we tend to ignore. It is not a political screed, and Santora makes a few characters a little too good to be true. But it is a good read, and one that people looking for the next Grisham will want to pick up.
May 29, 2012
Santora, a big firm attorney turned writer/TV producer, returns to his big firm days with this thriller, premised on the idea that while law firms have strict rules governing the conduct of white collar workers (attorneys and their assistants), there are fewer rules -- or perhaps fewer reasons to follow the rules -- with respect to support staff. Being older than Santora, and recalling the days of hard-copy "vacation memos," occasionally used by firm "mail people" who wanted to supplement their incomes with a little breaking and entering, I know that Santora's ideas are not all that far-fetched.
Santora turns this premise into a decent, but not inspired, book. He relies too much on "bad guy with heart of gold" cliches to try (somewhat unsuccessfully) to make us care about the characters. SMALL SPOILER: He certainly never explains why a family that turned down a million dollar-plus settlement, on the advice of counsel, and got nothing, would love and adore that attorney, and that really stretched credulity for me.
Writing style is utilitarian, but pretty much as expected from this genre.
Santora turns this premise into a decent, but not inspired, book. He relies too much on "bad guy with heart of gold" cliches to try (somewhat unsuccessfully) to make us care about the characters. SMALL SPOILER: He certainly never explains why a family that turned down a million dollar-plus settlement, on the advice of counsel, and got nothing, would love and adore that attorney, and that really stretched credulity for me.
Writing style is utilitarian, but pretty much as expected from this genre.
March 9, 2013
This is, quite possibly the most entertaining book I have read all year. It is not exactly what I would call top shelf Literature, but who cares?! Great buildup to an explosive finale, somewhat cliched but very likable characters(even the douchebag young attorney/villain was engaging), and definitly written with a movie in mind. I was casting it as I read it. I have no idea why and I am not suggesting he is a good actor, and most DEFINITLY NOT a male lead in a Hollywood film I kept picturing Jerry Ferrara(Turtle from Entourage) as the Protagonist.Can someone suggest a good alternate so I don't picture Turtle as the hero next time I read this?!
Oh and the ending is worth the price of addmission by itself(a little twist you will not see coming). Highly reccomended, had a "Boiler Room" with some graphic violence vibe to it. You should be able to enjoy it in two sittings easily and unlike most of these types of books it is actually memorable and will stay with you.
Oh and the ending is worth the price of addmission by itself(a little twist you will not see coming). Highly reccomended, had a "Boiler Room" with some graphic violence vibe to it. You should be able to enjoy it in two sittings easily and unlike most of these types of books it is actually memorable and will stay with you.
February 12, 2016
This is pulp fiction. I read it because I am reading legal-themed books and this was written by a lawyer. The type of book that is bad enough that I ask myself whether I should be reading it, good enough that I can't quite decide. Describes a law firm in Manhattan that has a printer's department (what I would call a copy center), the workers being at the bottom of the class scale. Very stereotypical characters. A young associate (spoiled rich kid whose parents keep him out of trouble), blue-collar Italian white guy, former gang member Puerto Rican, black guy with 8 siblings, retarded department manager. At the end they all die except one. The plot: associate suggests plan to copy center to let him use inside information to make trades and get lots of money, he cuts them in on the deal. They get caught by gang members and slaughter ensues.
December 2, 2014
Reading this book made me think anything is possible, my name is Richard and every time that I heard "Rich" I started to think about myself. I love rap and that's what i'm good at i'm not the best because nobody is I have a lot of people that I look up to that started from nothing and grew up with a lot. Now I didn't start of with nothing i'm a middle class 16 year old with money waiting for me once I turn 18. These five guys started of low i'm starting off recording in my room but one day i'm going to be recording in studios with a lot of famous people I just have to work hard and be dedicated to my work on the mic and work in school at the same time, that's my ticket out of the "hood".
May 20, 2012
I really enjoyed reading the story of Rich Mauro and the group of guys he becomes involed with to take on the financial world. The jokes throughout the book keep it light, but it's still a pretty gritty world that the characters put themselves in. The ending took me by surprise, but it was a great way to end the book. I really like the details Santora uses to describe the scenes. It gives the reader such an imagery of what is going on around the characters, which in turn makes me the story even more interesting.
April 3, 2012
I got an ARC a couple weeks ago and finally got a chance to read it. Damn, I really wasn't expecting much but was thoroughly surprised by the story lines and concept. The writing isn't too complex but quite descriptive and funny at times. Perfect book for traveling or at home on the couch. Now to try his other book! His about me says he writes on Breakout Kings... I'm gonna have to check that too, I wonder if they're similar.
August 7, 2012
I had never read works by this author, but was a huge fan of Breakout Kings. I was surprised that, even though he writes for TV, this book was not formulaic at all. the characters were rich and developed. None were either wholly likable or un-likable. The ending did leave me wanting a little more, but overall a more truthful portrayal of a life of crime than usually depicted in novels of this genre.
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September 20, 2012This was entertaining. The guy is a screenwriter (a good one) and it reads like that, like a tv show or movie reverse engineered into a novel. I found the inevitable "moral judgement" of such forms tiresome toward the end. Not everyone who steals 50 million dollars dies in a blaze of gunfire. Much to the contrary, there are a bunch of guys walking around now that did it and didn't go to jail for a day.
December 9, 2016
I do not like spoilers, so I disliked the very beginning of this book because the author explained how this all was going to end. It was not going to be a happy ending. He also repeated this several times at various points. It was hard to keep reading after all those depressing messages, especially when most of the characters were nice, or relatively nice people. I did not wish things to end badly for them!
April 20, 2017
Fun, gripping story. Writing style wasn't my favorite. For example, the back stories for the co-conspirators seemed to drag. I liked the surprise ending though; it was really clever. I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review, which will post on The Christian Manifesto.com.
November 16, 2024
The story follows five men who work for in a NYC law firms duplicating department. This is a well written book and the author does a great job of keeping the story interesting while developing the characters and their motivations.
I could see this being made into a movie. 4.5 stars out of 5.
I could see this being made into a movie. 4.5 stars out of 5.
September 8, 2012
Maybe I shouldn't give this book such a high rating since it had WAY too many swear words. But, I loved the story and the characters. Even though they were bad guys, I was kind of rooting for them anyway. Some of the book is a little too gritty and yucky. Even so, I really liked it and the end was a great twist.
January 26, 2013
this was really good, one of the few books i read that the main person dies in the end!
the young rich bad lawyer (son of one of the other lawyers) got the boys in the basement in a scheme and got millions of dollars but he was involved with a bunch of bad guys that ended up killing all but the retarded guy who ended up with all the money and was going to Disney world at the end of the book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2013
After reading Slip and Fall I had to get this one. Couldn't get enough of Nick Santora I have to admit I thought it was going to be similar to the first. Lawyer, bad choices, gets caught situation but boy was there a twist and turn in this one. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Love how he writes and draws you into each character.
January 26, 2013
Good plot ruined by a novel written like a screenplay. The foreshadowing felt made-for-TV. The characters were too stereotypical and the author put little effort into research or simply gave up on believability. Santora should stick to TV shows where his oversights are better suited.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews