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Jason Stafford #1
Black Fridays
Sometimes a man can be redeemed. But not in the way he expects.
Jason Stafford is a former Wall Street hotshot who made some bad moves, paid the price with two years in prison, and is now trying to put his life back together. He’s unemployable, until an investment firm asks him to look into possible problems left by a junior trader who died recently in an accident. What he discovers is big – there are problems, all right, the kind that get you killed.
But it’s not his only concern. Stafford has another quest as well: to reclaim his five-year-old son, “the Kid,” from his unstable ex-wife, and then learn just what it means to make a life with him. The things Stafford discovers about himself in the process are every bit as gripping as his investigation, and when the two threads of his life come together – the results are unforgettable.
Black Fridays marks the arrival of a remarkable new writer.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
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2429 people want to read
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April 13, 2016
Posted to The Literary Lawyer.ca
Not Your Regular Crime Fiction - 4.5 Stars
I'm not sure how I ended up with this book, but suffice to say, I enjoyed it immensely. If you read a lot of crime fiction, you may eventually get bored with the never ending stream of murders and the surprisingly common serial killer. Black Fridays offers the reader a surprising and interesting look at white collar crime.
Plot Summary
Jason Stafford is a former Wall Street manager/trader. He lived a fast paced life with plenty of money. Pressures on the market and on his job led him to engage in creative accounting. His creativity was eventually discovered and did not receive due appreciation. After spending some time in jail, Jason has been released and is trying to pick up the pieces of his life. Soon after his release, a young wall street trader drowns in a boating accident and the SEC comes snooping around his place of business with an interest in his trading history. Given his dishonorable past, Jason is hired by the company to look into the records of the dead man's trades to see if there is going to be a problem. What he finds put his own life in the line of fire.
My Take
The author write a story with a balance between interesting plot and excellent character development. The author clearly has a background in the trade and write with knowledge. If you are like me, and have no knowledge of world of bonds, stocks and securities, don't be scared off by this one. The author writes in such a way that the uninitiated can understand. Personally, I enjoy reading of crime other than murder and it was change to read about criminals in $3000 suits.
I also enjoyed the setup of the novel. I thought that Jason was an engaging and well meaning (ex)criminal. He personal code was not one of strict integrity and it allowed him to investigate with a little more freedom and to work out some more interesting solutions.
There was also an element of story that was not expected. Running parallel to the main plot was a rather intense family drama. The focus of this was Jason and his autistic son. I thought this element made Jason a more interesting and complete character. I also thought this portion ran a bit long and began to take away from the novel as whole. Some readers will not enjoy this parallel storyline.
Final Thoughts
If you are interested in white collar crime, finances or simply mysteries that don't rely on a sadistic killer, I think you will enjoy this one. It is well written, well plotted and has a steady supply of interesting characters.
Not Your Regular Crime Fiction - 4.5 Stars
I'm not sure how I ended up with this book, but suffice to say, I enjoyed it immensely. If you read a lot of crime fiction, you may eventually get bored with the never ending stream of murders and the surprisingly common serial killer. Black Fridays offers the reader a surprising and interesting look at white collar crime.
Plot Summary
Jason Stafford is a former Wall Street manager/trader. He lived a fast paced life with plenty of money. Pressures on the market and on his job led him to engage in creative accounting. His creativity was eventually discovered and did not receive due appreciation. After spending some time in jail, Jason has been released and is trying to pick up the pieces of his life. Soon after his release, a young wall street trader drowns in a boating accident and the SEC comes snooping around his place of business with an interest in his trading history. Given his dishonorable past, Jason is hired by the company to look into the records of the dead man's trades to see if there is going to be a problem. What he finds put his own life in the line of fire.
My Take
The author write a story with a balance between interesting plot and excellent character development. The author clearly has a background in the trade and write with knowledge. If you are like me, and have no knowledge of world of bonds, stocks and securities, don't be scared off by this one. The author writes in such a way that the uninitiated can understand. Personally, I enjoy reading of crime other than murder and it was change to read about criminals in $3000 suits.
I also enjoyed the setup of the novel. I thought that Jason was an engaging and well meaning (ex)criminal. He personal code was not one of strict integrity and it allowed him to investigate with a little more freedom and to work out some more interesting solutions.
There was also an element of story that was not expected. Running parallel to the main plot was a rather intense family drama. The focus of this was Jason and his autistic son. I thought this element made Jason a more interesting and complete character. I also thought this portion ran a bit long and began to take away from the novel as whole. Some readers will not enjoy this parallel storyline.
Final Thoughts
If you are interested in white collar crime, finances or simply mysteries that don't rely on a sadistic killer, I think you will enjoy this one. It is well written, well plotted and has a steady supply of interesting characters.
May 30, 2016
Black Fridays by Michael Sears is a 2012 Putnam publication.
Wall Street and white collar crimes that lead to murder and perhaps a little retribution in the end makes for an interesting combination, and it almost works, but not quite.
After his release from prison, Jason finds a job working for a securities firm, using his unique skills to uncover discrepancies and corruption. Jason’s personal life is also a big part of the story as he reunites with his autistic son, dubbed, ‘the kid.’ Saving the kid from inhumane circumstances, he begins work on understanding his child and is making progress, when suddenly his world is knocked off its delicate axis.
I wanted to like this book and tried hard to focus on the positives, but overall, this was just an okay read. The financial elements are interesting as the reader quickly learns that white collar crime doesn’t pay and is hardly a victimless, like many presume.
But, the plot is too much of a stretch and I could not manage to find a connection, on an emotional level, to Jason. Even though he does the right thing by the kid and shows real grit in that regard, even taking a big risk by making a parole violation to order to rescue him, he still has a lot of growing up to do, in my opinion.
Since I was not especially fond of Jason, I found only one other character in the book I could feel compassion for or cheer on, and that was the kid. The autism threads were well written and felt realistic to me.
Other than that, all the other players remained underdeveloped, and firmly in the background.
The story has potential, but the plot began to spiral out of control around the midway mark and never really recovered. The suspense was flat, with entirely too much going on to be cohesive. If I could pass out an A for effort, I would give it to this novel. It was a nice try, but didn’t quite reach its goal.
Overall, this one gets 3 stars
Wall Street and white collar crimes that lead to murder and perhaps a little retribution in the end makes for an interesting combination, and it almost works, but not quite.
After his release from prison, Jason finds a job working for a securities firm, using his unique skills to uncover discrepancies and corruption. Jason’s personal life is also a big part of the story as he reunites with his autistic son, dubbed, ‘the kid.’ Saving the kid from inhumane circumstances, he begins work on understanding his child and is making progress, when suddenly his world is knocked off its delicate axis.
I wanted to like this book and tried hard to focus on the positives, but overall, this was just an okay read. The financial elements are interesting as the reader quickly learns that white collar crime doesn’t pay and is hardly a victimless, like many presume.
But, the plot is too much of a stretch and I could not manage to find a connection, on an emotional level, to Jason. Even though he does the right thing by the kid and shows real grit in that regard, even taking a big risk by making a parole violation to order to rescue him, he still has a lot of growing up to do, in my opinion.
Since I was not especially fond of Jason, I found only one other character in the book I could feel compassion for or cheer on, and that was the kid. The autism threads were well written and felt realistic to me.
Other than that, all the other players remained underdeveloped, and firmly in the background.
The story has potential, but the plot began to spiral out of control around the midway mark and never really recovered. The suspense was flat, with entirely too much going on to be cohesive. If I could pass out an A for effort, I would give it to this novel. It was a nice try, but didn’t quite reach its goal.
Overall, this one gets 3 stars
October 30, 2013
I'm not one to buy paperbacks at CVS paying full price...I like used bookstores, thrift stores and Friends of the Library book sales to purchase books.
So it was surprising to me that when I got home and began putting things away, I found this book; a book which I picked up, read the blurb on the back saying "Nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the International Thriller Writers' Best First Novel Award..." and remembered, "Oh, that's why I picked this up at full paperback price!"
Call me a sucker for any nomination for those awards, especially the Edgar. And I wasn't disappointed with the nomination committee, the book was such a fun and fast read and I can easily see why it was nominated.
I've found that seldom do people who excel in math also excel in English. I fall in the latter category and Wall St. where stocks and bonds are traded, sold, whatever they do, well, it's in NYC. That's about all I know about that (stealing words from Forrest Gump.)
Being the risky sort...everyone knows that, I chose to overlook the blurb further down on the back of the book, right below the word Edgar, where it states "high-finance thriller" and "Wall Street executive" and "fudging figures." What a chancy person I am to tip-toe into "high-finance."
At the beginning I'm reading and thinking, can I get through these descriptions of Wall St. and what they do? But Sears went easy on me, giving just enough detail to describe the shenanigans and just enough of the language used so that I understood. He did not get bogged down in Wall St. terminology to the point where I wanted to put down the book.
Jason Stafford, super nice guy who is trying to redeem himself after a two year stint in the federal pen for embezzlement of sorts. See, I've already forgotten the terminology of what exactly he did.
However, I won't forget Jason and his five year-old autistic son and the struggles Jason has to right his wrongs, by saving himself and saving his son, both to rise to be best they can possibly be.
Sears' new book Mortal Bonds is already out in hardback. Here's hoping my eyes don't glaze over when I see it in hardback at B&N.
So it was surprising to me that when I got home and began putting things away, I found this book; a book which I picked up, read the blurb on the back saying "Nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the International Thriller Writers' Best First Novel Award..." and remembered, "Oh, that's why I picked this up at full paperback price!"
Call me a sucker for any nomination for those awards, especially the Edgar. And I wasn't disappointed with the nomination committee, the book was such a fun and fast read and I can easily see why it was nominated.
I've found that seldom do people who excel in math also excel in English. I fall in the latter category and Wall St. where stocks and bonds are traded, sold, whatever they do, well, it's in NYC. That's about all I know about that (stealing words from Forrest Gump.)
Being the risky sort...everyone knows that, I chose to overlook the blurb further down on the back of the book, right below the word Edgar, where it states "high-finance thriller" and "Wall Street executive" and "fudging figures." What a chancy person I am to tip-toe into "high-finance."
At the beginning I'm reading and thinking, can I get through these descriptions of Wall St. and what they do? But Sears went easy on me, giving just enough detail to describe the shenanigans and just enough of the language used so that I understood. He did not get bogged down in Wall St. terminology to the point where I wanted to put down the book.
Jason Stafford, super nice guy who is trying to redeem himself after a two year stint in the federal pen for embezzlement of sorts. See, I've already forgotten the terminology of what exactly he did.
However, I won't forget Jason and his five year-old autistic son and the struggles Jason has to right his wrongs, by saving himself and saving his son, both to rise to be best they can possibly be.
Sears' new book Mortal Bonds is already out in hardback. Here's hoping my eyes don't glaze over when I see it in hardback at B&N.
July 17, 2012
Black Fridays grabbed my attention from the first page and held it through to the last. This is a story about being flawed and human. It's a story about redemption. The pace is fast, the story is good. I was never quite sure who the "mastermind" was. You don't have to understand the workings of Wall Street to get into the story. Sears provides all of the information necessary to keep up with the flow. Definitely a great read for anyone who enjoys a thriller.
Beyond the wall street corruption angle, there is a loving story about a father and his autistic son, and their struggle to understand each other. Having lived, for several years, with a young man who has Asperger syndrome, I found the research and accuracy concerning autism to be excellent. I look forward to the next book from Michael Sears!
Thanks to goodreads first reads, Penguin Canada & Michael Sears for the Advance Reading Copy!
Beyond the wall street corruption angle, there is a loving story about a father and his autistic son, and their struggle to understand each other. Having lived, for several years, with a young man who has Asperger syndrome, I found the research and accuracy concerning autism to be excellent. I look forward to the next book from Michael Sears!
Thanks to goodreads first reads, Penguin Canada & Michael Sears for the Advance Reading Copy!
March 29, 2016
If you are interested in fiction books that have characters with autism, check out books by Michael Seers. Start with the first one "Black Fridays." The main character is trying to get custody of his five-year old son with autism. At the same time he is entangled in Wall Street wrong doings, cover-ups, and unexplained deaths.
It provides an interesting picture of a parent of a child with autism as both parent and child learn about each other in the context of a “mainstream” financial thriller.
It provides an interesting picture of a parent of a child with autism as both parent and child learn about each other in the context of a “mainstream” financial thriller.
August 5, 2013
Takes advantage of two current topics - Financial crime and an autistic child - and creates a novel with two nearly separate plots. Stafford, newly released from prison after embezzling funds while a Wall Street trader, arrives home to find his ex-wife and son gone and himself unemployable. He quickly locates his family and amazingly gets a job all in the same week. What luck! He's also lucky his probation officer doesn't find out about his quick trip to Louisiana to liberate his autistic son from an alcoholic mother and loving, but clueless, grandmother.
Stafford and the Kid are the only two characters portrayed with any depth, although there are some other characters who sound interesting. We are left, for example, to puzzle over "Wanda the Wandaful," a PhD. candidate working her way through her degree as a clown's assistant. Stafford meets her in the first week and decides he's in love. Stafford's dad and Heather, the social worker, are shadows who move through the background and let Stafford carry on with his work. Otherwise, characters perpetuated stereotypes, like the abusive new husband, and the Wall Street stock traders.
The story includes some deaths, but Stafford does not actively pursue them, except as part of the financial crime he's been hired to ferret out. Finance is not an area that interests me particularly, so the trading descriptions were lost on me. I really didn't find this to be much of a thriller. The ex-wife was predictable; his reactions to situations were mundane and in some cases foolish. Struck again by luck, Jason Stafford comes out of the investigation unscathed and one may wonder whether he will bother to reform.
December 3, 2012
Great first book by Michael Sears. Totally off topic, but does anybody else out there ever think how weird it is that we are criticizing people for their writing, yet we (well, at least me) are not writers?? In a way, anyone who goes through the torture of writing a book and getting it published deserves the highest kudos!
Anyway, I thought the plot was good. I work in the finance area, so I could follow most of the discussion. I did find myself thinking that the jargon may be a little hard for others to follow, however.
What I really liked about the book was the character development. I like the protagonist for all his flaws and imperfections. He is an unlikely....hmmmm....not really hero, but an unlikely book character, exactly for the reason that he does seem so real. His son was extremely well captured and described.
A great book by anyone, but especially a first time author. Give this one a shot!
Anyway, I thought the plot was good. I work in the finance area, so I could follow most of the discussion. I did find myself thinking that the jargon may be a little hard for others to follow, however.
What I really liked about the book was the character development. I like the protagonist for all his flaws and imperfections. He is an unlikely....hmmmm....not really hero, but an unlikely book character, exactly for the reason that he does seem so real. His son was extremely well captured and described.
A great book by anyone, but especially a first time author. Give this one a shot!
November 25, 2012
Black Fridays begins with Jason Stafford's release from prison. He returns to New York City and hopes to start a new life with his ex-wife and child. Unfortunately Jason's ex has not gone along with the game plan. Jason had patiently explained to Angie that they needed to get a divorce and transfer assets from his name to hers in an effort to protect her and retain money before he was indicted. He thought she understood that the divorce was only a ruse and they would get back together once his legal issues were finalized. Unfortunately Angie is a high-maintenance alcoholic that only thinks of herself and she has left New York and returned to Louisiana and her family. So Jason returns to an empty apartment, initially purchased as an investment. His life is on hold as he is on parole for three years and cannot leave the five boroughs of New York without permission from his parole officer. This doesn't stop Jason from leaving New York and going to Louisiana to get his son, Jason Jr. or the Kid.
The Kid suffers from autism and requires special care. Jason knows that he's facing an uphill struggle in his efforts to provide the best care possible for the Kid. He also knows that the Kid needs a very strict regimented life in order to handle life. Jason quickly gets used to "beige" and "black" days and the food quirks of the Kid. In a few short weeks Jason and the Kid have made a bond and a life that works for them.
Jason is prohibited from returning to trading and he knows that it may be difficult to obtain gainful employment. But Jason's knowledge base and his imprisonment history have made him the perfect man to investigate the history of a deceased junior trader at an investment firm. Little does Jason know that this "investigation" is placing not only his life, but his son's life, in peril. Sometimes accidents are not what they seem and Jason is finding out that there have been too many accidents associated with people at this particular investment firm. Not only does Jason have to contend with co-workers that won't reveal anything useful, but he also has the FBI pushing him into a corner, as well as his ex-wife and her bid to take their son away again.
Black Fridays is a thriller that provides some insight into dealing with autism and behind the scenes looks at the trading world. The title is an obvious play on the historical "black Fridays" seen as a result of Wall Street trading as well as the Kid's required black clothing on Fridays. Jason isn't really an "any man" even though he doesn't come from a privileged background. Prior to his arrest, Jason was living a life that many of us may not be able to comprehend with multiple residences, extravagant and luxurious purchases. Jason struggles to build a new life for himself and for his son, while struggling to understand the bond market and what has been happening at the investment firm. Jason's desire for his ex-wife's return fizzles out quickly after learning about her remarriage and one night of sex with Wanda (a co-worker to a magician friend). All of the characters presented are highly believable (thanks in part to reality TV in presenting the lifestyles of the rich, famous and infamous). I found the parts of the story that dealt with trading and bond discussions to drag just a bit, but the knowledge presented was necessary in order to understand the story. The portions of the story dealing with Jason and the Kid were at times comical and others sad. Black Fridays provides the reader with trading fraud, blackmail, murder, parental kidnapping, battery, family bonding, and a hint of romance. Mr. Sears has provided a story that quickly gripped me and had me rooting for Jason and the Kid until the end. I found Black Fridays to be a relatively fast read and one that I can recommend for thriller readers looking for something just a little bit different.
The Kid suffers from autism and requires special care. Jason knows that he's facing an uphill struggle in his efforts to provide the best care possible for the Kid. He also knows that the Kid needs a very strict regimented life in order to handle life. Jason quickly gets used to "beige" and "black" days and the food quirks of the Kid. In a few short weeks Jason and the Kid have made a bond and a life that works for them.
Jason is prohibited from returning to trading and he knows that it may be difficult to obtain gainful employment. But Jason's knowledge base and his imprisonment history have made him the perfect man to investigate the history of a deceased junior trader at an investment firm. Little does Jason know that this "investigation" is placing not only his life, but his son's life, in peril. Sometimes accidents are not what they seem and Jason is finding out that there have been too many accidents associated with people at this particular investment firm. Not only does Jason have to contend with co-workers that won't reveal anything useful, but he also has the FBI pushing him into a corner, as well as his ex-wife and her bid to take their son away again.
Black Fridays is a thriller that provides some insight into dealing with autism and behind the scenes looks at the trading world. The title is an obvious play on the historical "black Fridays" seen as a result of Wall Street trading as well as the Kid's required black clothing on Fridays. Jason isn't really an "any man" even though he doesn't come from a privileged background. Prior to his arrest, Jason was living a life that many of us may not be able to comprehend with multiple residences, extravagant and luxurious purchases. Jason struggles to build a new life for himself and for his son, while struggling to understand the bond market and what has been happening at the investment firm. Jason's desire for his ex-wife's return fizzles out quickly after learning about her remarriage and one night of sex with Wanda (a co-worker to a magician friend). All of the characters presented are highly believable (thanks in part to reality TV in presenting the lifestyles of the rich, famous and infamous). I found the parts of the story that dealt with trading and bond discussions to drag just a bit, but the knowledge presented was necessary in order to understand the story. The portions of the story dealing with Jason and the Kid were at times comical and others sad. Black Fridays provides the reader with trading fraud, blackmail, murder, parental kidnapping, battery, family bonding, and a hint of romance. Mr. Sears has provided a story that quickly gripped me and had me rooting for Jason and the Kid until the end. I found Black Fridays to be a relatively fast read and one that I can recommend for thriller readers looking for something just a little bit different.
October 10, 2012
This was a fast, light and entertaining read. Jason Stafford is returning to the world after a two year stint in jail for securities fraud. Now he is unemployable on Wall Street, but he is hired as a consultant to go through the books of a firm facing an SEC inquiry, following the murder of a trader. At first, Jason cannot find anything wrong, then patterns begin to emerge. Meanwhile, Jason's ex-wife has taken his autistic son back home to Louisiana and Jason risks violating his parole to fetch Jason, Jr. back to New York. He finds his son locked in an attic room. Once they get back to NYC, Jason has The Kid tested and enrolled in a school with other autistic children and his life begins to change. He meets a woman and they begin to develop a relationship. But the work keeps getting more and more complicated and the bodies begin to pile up. Another trader steps in front of a commuter train on the way home from the office. An department head shoots himself in the head. Like all traders, Jason is addicted to the buzz of Wall Street and finding the patterns in the trades. Then disaster strikes and everything is on the line. Recommended for those who like books about Wall Street shenanigans. I will be giving a copy of this to my brother, the trader, for Christmas.
March 23, 2014
Pretty well written, but I didn't like the main character and I hated the son, who's there for pathos and to manipulate us into liking the main character more, but it had the opposite effect on me. Yes, it's mean of me to hate disabled children, even fictional ones, but the thought that the father took him to restaurants and on planes, where I might be, made me hate him nonetheless. Spew ketchup on me when I'm dressed up to go out on my one night a year I go out to eat, and I'm going to freak out in bad ways. The main character has many faults, not the least of which is his 14 year old's attitude towards women. No strong women in this novel, not even any realistic women. If that reflects the author's worldview, I pity the women in his life. Still, well-enough written, and I finished it, so I can't give it one star. I certainly wouldn't recommend it and won't read another.
May 8, 2016
A lot of interesting elements come together nicely here. High stakes Wall Street trading. White collar crime peppered with a few suspicious dead bodies. Single dad with a special needs kid. A couple of not-so-charming characters from N'awlins. A family run neighborhood dive bar, with warm and quirky regulars.
The pacing of Black Fridays was great for me. The audio narrator was excellent.
There were just a couple of times when I had trouble believing the protagonist's actions, and those moments pulled me out of the story.
The pacing of Black Fridays was great for me. The audio narrator was excellent.
There were just a couple of times when I had trouble believing the protagonist's actions, and those moments pulled me out of the story.
July 5, 2014
3.75 stars. Jason Stafford is paroled from prison, and comes home to find his wife has fled south with their autistic son. Jason is tapped to investigate irregularities at a securities firm, and quickly finds there is a significant fraud. Meanwhile, he brings his son back to NYC, and is then assaulted by his ex-wife's psycho husband. Fast-paced, but over the top at various points.
June 22, 2017
Jason Stafford is released from prison and his father picks him up. Jason returns to his home in New York hoping to reunite with his wife and son. Finding that his wife has packed up and moved back to her hometown with his son, Jason is feeling scorned.
Jason still has his apartment and some money left in his account, so, he moves back to his apartment and manages to grab a job with a securities firm on Wall Street looking into any discrepancies and corruption. Seems to be a big merger in the works.
A couple of murders later and cops following Jason then the FBI sticks their noses in. Jason is trying his best to stay within the law so doesn't have to go back to prison.
Meanwhile, Jason does go to get his son from his mother-in-law and ex-wife. He finds his son in a locked room due to his autism. Unacceptable, irritating. Jason packs his son up and takes him back to New York with him. He finds a person to stay with him during the times that Jason is gone. Enrolls him in a special school too. Things seem to be going well for Jason's son, when the wife and her new husband come to New York, beat Jason to a pulp and take off with the boy.
Now Jason involves the FBI in the manhunt for his child (Amber Alert) to bring him back. But to do this Jason has to give any information he has come up with in his investigation into the Wall Street corruption.
Well, I could go and give you more of the story. But, you must read this book for yourself. It is a page turner and hard to put down. Michael Sears is a pro at writing.
I won this book through the Good Reads Giveaway.
Jason still has his apartment and some money left in his account, so, he moves back to his apartment and manages to grab a job with a securities firm on Wall Street looking into any discrepancies and corruption. Seems to be a big merger in the works.
A couple of murders later and cops following Jason then the FBI sticks their noses in. Jason is trying his best to stay within the law so doesn't have to go back to prison.
Meanwhile, Jason does go to get his son from his mother-in-law and ex-wife. He finds his son in a locked room due to his autism. Unacceptable, irritating. Jason packs his son up and takes him back to New York with him. He finds a person to stay with him during the times that Jason is gone. Enrolls him in a special school too. Things seem to be going well for Jason's son, when the wife and her new husband come to New York, beat Jason to a pulp and take off with the boy.
Now Jason involves the FBI in the manhunt for his child (Amber Alert) to bring him back. But to do this Jason has to give any information he has come up with in his investigation into the Wall Street corruption.
Well, I could go and give you more of the story. But, you must read this book for yourself. It is a page turner and hard to put down. Michael Sears is a pro at writing.
I won this book through the Good Reads Giveaway.
February 13, 2015
Black Friday is the first work by Michael Sears that I have read, but (you know what's coming) it won't be the last. The story revolves around Jason Stafford, a previously very successful Wall Street trader who has just completed two years in prison for trading shenanigans (a technical financial term). He has an autistic son who had been in the care of his singularly immature and irresponsible yet gorgeous and quite fetching wife (sound familiar?). Jason accepts a consulting assignment with a Wall Street other than the one for which he worked earlier in his career and does an almost "too good" job.
I loved the intricacy of the plot and the inside look at a high power Wall Street firm and the people who populate it. Several of the characters were very intriguing and well developed by the author. The pace is fairly quick and the book was a very quick read. Sears introduces a few twists but everything that occurs is plausible, never requiring the reader to set reality aside. This was one of the things that I enjoyed most, as the majority of books that I have read lately stretched credibility to the breaking point. Black Friday was quite realistic and very exciting, at the same time.
BUT, make no mistake that this is a Wall Street thriller - if you do not enjoy reading about the machinations of "the street," you will probably not enjoy this book. You don't have to be an expert on trading but it will serve you well if you know more than a tiny bit. I loved reading everything that Paul Erdman wrote and, while I would not put Sears quite in Erdman's class, if you enjoyed Erdman, you will probably enjoy Sears. Sears tends to deal a bit more with the micro view of finance whereas Erdman usually focused on the macro but, nevertheless, I suspect that if you enjoyed one, you will enjoy the other.
On my 1 to 10 scale of pure enjoyment, as opposed to impure about which I will never write, (1 = didn't enjoy it; 10 = couldn't wait to get back to it each evening), I would rate Black Friday a strong 8, almost achieving the coveted 9.
I loved the intricacy of the plot and the inside look at a high power Wall Street firm and the people who populate it. Several of the characters were very intriguing and well developed by the author. The pace is fairly quick and the book was a very quick read. Sears introduces a few twists but everything that occurs is plausible, never requiring the reader to set reality aside. This was one of the things that I enjoyed most, as the majority of books that I have read lately stretched credibility to the breaking point. Black Friday was quite realistic and very exciting, at the same time.
BUT, make no mistake that this is a Wall Street thriller - if you do not enjoy reading about the machinations of "the street," you will probably not enjoy this book. You don't have to be an expert on trading but it will serve you well if you know more than a tiny bit. I loved reading everything that Paul Erdman wrote and, while I would not put Sears quite in Erdman's class, if you enjoyed Erdman, you will probably enjoy Sears. Sears tends to deal a bit more with the micro view of finance whereas Erdman usually focused on the macro but, nevertheless, I suspect that if you enjoyed one, you will enjoy the other.
On my 1 to 10 scale of pure enjoyment, as opposed to impure about which I will never write, (1 = didn't enjoy it; 10 = couldn't wait to get back to it each evening), I would rate Black Friday a strong 8, almost achieving the coveted 9.
July 8, 2012
I received this pre-publication book through a Goodreads giveaway and was very pleasantly surprised. It is a quick, easy read that kept me engaged from start to finish. The author weaves together a thriller about corruption on Wall Street and the story of a man getting to know his autistic son.
As the brother-in-law of an individual with autism, I found myself nodding along with many of the main character's feelings and observations about the latter.
The Wall Street story was gripping enough to keep me reading late at night. My only criticism is that readers who are not familiar with the world of finance / banking may have some trouble following the finer details of the various transactions (although not enough to really detract from the story).
I look forward to the next one!
As the brother-in-law of an individual with autism, I found myself nodding along with many of the main character's feelings and observations about the latter.
The Wall Street story was gripping enough to keep me reading late at night. My only criticism is that readers who are not familiar with the world of finance / banking may have some trouble following the finer details of the various transactions (although not enough to really detract from the story).
I look forward to the next one!
June 2, 2014
The book started out strong & I enjoyed the Wall Street verbiage & smart ass attitude. However, it went downhill for me with the introduction of the autistic kid (my mind let out a groan as soon as he was brought into the story) and "Wanda". "Wanda" was 1 dimensional at best & her motivations for being around the main character weren't believable. The Kid was tiresome & seemed as a manipulative to project a human face on the main character. Kidnapping the kid back and forth came across as silly and not even plausible. The ex-wife was less than 1 dimensional and poorly written as well as her new husband.
The book should have stuck to the Wall Street intrigue since character development was a major weakness of this author.
The book should have stuck to the Wall Street intrigue since character development was a major weakness of this author.
July 26, 2013
There are some likes and dislikes with this story. The dislikes contribute to frustration and the urge to get on with it from this reader. At least some of the ending provides a measure of redemption. 5 of 10 stars.
March 1, 2019
This was refreshing: a mystery about white collar crime, rather than bloodthirsty killers. Although, there's some of that here too....
Jason Stafford got caught doing some "creative shuffling" working as a trader and just got out of prison for good behavior. He should've been in longer, but two years was enough to ruin his whole life: he lost his wife and son, and he can never work on Wall Street again. So what can you do when you're banned for life from working on The Street, but money is in your very blood and bones? You become a consultant to firms who need their books analyzed when they suspect something is going on.
And something is certainly going on at Weld. Brian Sanders was a grad school rookie, learning the ropes. When he goes from bringing in 2 million to tens of millions trading safe, boring bonds, his bosses notice. And then Brian turns up dead....
Jason Stafford is a great character - yeah he went to prison, but he's not reformed. He continues to indulge his greed when he spots a golden opportunity. Even so, he's not unlikeable: he's a romantic, and he's got a soft spot for his five-year-old son, who is severely autistic. I found his layers intriguing and not so run-of-the-mill. I rooted for him much more than I didn't.
Even though I correctly guessed the criminal mastermind very early on, Black Fridays was still a good read, especially for those interested in the stock market or white collar crime. I'll continue reading this series.
Jason Stafford got caught doing some "creative shuffling" working as a trader and just got out of prison for good behavior. He should've been in longer, but two years was enough to ruin his whole life: he lost his wife and son, and he can never work on Wall Street again. So what can you do when you're banned for life from working on The Street, but money is in your very blood and bones? You become a consultant to firms who need their books analyzed when they suspect something is going on.
And something is certainly going on at Weld. Brian Sanders was a grad school rookie, learning the ropes. When he goes from bringing in 2 million to tens of millions trading safe, boring bonds, his bosses notice. And then Brian turns up dead....
Jason Stafford is a great character - yeah he went to prison, but he's not reformed. He continues to indulge his greed when he spots a golden opportunity. Even so, he's not unlikeable: he's a romantic, and he's got a soft spot for his five-year-old son, who is severely autistic. I found his layers intriguing and not so run-of-the-mill. I rooted for him much more than I didn't.
Even though I correctly guessed the criminal mastermind very early on, Black Fridays was still a good read, especially for those interested in the stock market or white collar crime. I'll continue reading this series.
June 18, 2022
This is the first in the Jason Stanford series. Jason is a former Wall Street hotshot made some mistakes and ended up in prison. He is released and tries to get his life together. First on his list is to reclaim his autistic son from his alcoholic ex wife. He is offered a job working fora Wall Street company researching a dead trader’s records for irregularities. He soon realizes that something is definitely wrong. In addition he is dealing with his son, both learning to cope with “The Kid” autism. Definitely an interesting read and I learned about Wall Street.
November 20, 2021
I'm going to give this one 3.5 stars. It was OK.
I actually liked the back-story of "the Kid" vs. the Wall St. scandal which I didn't really understand and confused on how it ended. There was a lot of characters that weren't developed properly. I'd probably read the next book.
I actually liked the back-story of "the Kid" vs. the Wall St. scandal which I didn't really understand and confused on how it ended. There was a lot of characters that weren't developed properly. I'd probably read the next book.
April 3, 2020
I expected this to be more of a white collar crime thriller, but there was very little suspense. I’m a fan of financial crime stories, but in this case, I actually liked the plot line regarding the Kid better. The writing was good, but at times the dialogue was stilted due to lack of contraction usage.
May 22, 2021
Unbearable. DNF. Quitting at 55%. Lately, I have picked a lot of duds.
September 24, 2012
Black Fridays by Michael Sears is a novel which capitalizes on the author’s Wall Street experience providing interesting insights on financials capers. This is a first book by Mr. Sears and seems to be the first of a series.
Jason Stafford has spent the past two years in jail after being caught running a Wall Street scam. Now the unemployable trader is trying to put his life back together.
A Wall Street firm has hired him to investigate some issues which a junior trader might have had before he accidentally died – but Jason might take on more than he can chew and might risk his life in the process. His only motivation to continue is his only son “The Kid” who is autistic and needs a lot of attention which money can help bring about.
Black Fridays by Michael Sears is a novel about financial schemes, murder and greed but mostly about the meaning of fatherhood. While I couldn’t begin to understand the complexity of the scam which Jason Stafford, the protagonist, pulled over his Wall Street bosses, I liked the other aspects of this book.
Jason has a son which he is fighting for. After spending a couple of years in jail Jason certainly wasn’t up for the “Father of the Year” award, but neither was his white trash ex-wife, her fixation with abusive men and her way of dealing with autism (locking the kid in a room at his grandmother’s house so he won’t hurt himself).
I enjoyed the financial aspect of the book and the motivation of the father to come back into an industry which deplores him (he got caught and took a few people with him on the way down), but I thought that the touching relationship between father and son gave the book unexpected strength which turned the novel from a run of the mill book into a memorable one.
I also liked the way Jason was drawn; he is by no means a good guy and certainly not a moral character. After all, Jason doesn’t hesitate stealing a few hundred thousand dollars here and there and is trying to justify it throughout the book. The protagonist has no remorse, only that he got caught and missed two years with his son.
Black Fridays is an enjoyable thriller, it is fast paced and interesting. Jason might be the only well developed character in the book, but the novel still stands on its own strength. A wonderful debut for Mr. Sears and I’m looking forward to more books about Jason and his son.
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Jason Stafford has spent the past two years in jail after being caught running a Wall Street scam. Now the unemployable trader is trying to put his life back together.
A Wall Street firm has hired him to investigate some issues which a junior trader might have had before he accidentally died – but Jason might take on more than he can chew and might risk his life in the process. His only motivation to continue is his only son “The Kid” who is autistic and needs a lot of attention which money can help bring about.
Black Fridays by Michael Sears is a novel about financial schemes, murder and greed but mostly about the meaning of fatherhood. While I couldn’t begin to understand the complexity of the scam which Jason Stafford, the protagonist, pulled over his Wall Street bosses, I liked the other aspects of this book.
Jason has a son which he is fighting for. After spending a couple of years in jail Jason certainly wasn’t up for the “Father of the Year” award, but neither was his white trash ex-wife, her fixation with abusive men and her way of dealing with autism (locking the kid in a room at his grandmother’s house so he won’t hurt himself).
I enjoyed the financial aspect of the book and the motivation of the father to come back into an industry which deplores him (he got caught and took a few people with him on the way down), but I thought that the touching relationship between father and son gave the book unexpected strength which turned the novel from a run of the mill book into a memorable one.
I also liked the way Jason was drawn; he is by no means a good guy and certainly not a moral character. After all, Jason doesn’t hesitate stealing a few hundred thousand dollars here and there and is trying to justify it throughout the book. The protagonist has no remorse, only that he got caught and missed two years with his son.
Black Fridays is an enjoyable thriller, it is fast paced and interesting. Jason might be the only well developed character in the book, but the novel still stands on its own strength. A wonderful debut for Mr. Sears and I’m looking forward to more books about Jason and his son.
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
April 6, 2014
It says quite a lot for the skills of Michael Sears that I not only got to the end of this book but read late into the night in order to do so, because Wall Street and its activities (and its traders) are really quite alien from my natural interests; I still don't understand the scam that's at the heart of the plot.
If we leave that bit of it aside, the thriller part of the plot works with all the efficiency you could require: an effective page-turner. But what makes the book so very much more captivating is the human part of the plot. Our flawed hero, Jason Stafford, has done two years in the joint for illegal activities on Wall Street (and this scam I did understand!). On release he's hired to investigate the scam noted in the first para. More to the point, he discovers that his ex-model wife has dumped him in favor of an abusive jerk. The newlyweds are significantly not looking after Jason's autistic son Kid, but want to hang on to the boy just because, y'know, they can. Jason's efforts to rescue Kid -- not only from the ghastly pair but also from the universe-next-door that is autism -- are what not so much held my interest as clutched it in a stranglehold, and they're what make the book one that I'm sure I'll remember long after most other thrillers have vanished into the swamp of memory.
The odd thing is that I have no desire to read the sequels. The book's complete and satisfying in itself. Which is exactly as it should be.
If we leave that bit of it aside, the thriller part of the plot works with all the efficiency you could require: an effective page-turner. But what makes the book so very much more captivating is the human part of the plot. Our flawed hero, Jason Stafford, has done two years in the joint for illegal activities on Wall Street (and this scam I did understand!). On release he's hired to investigate the scam noted in the first para. More to the point, he discovers that his ex-model wife has dumped him in favor of an abusive jerk. The newlyweds are significantly not looking after Jason's autistic son Kid, but want to hang on to the boy just because, y'know, they can. Jason's efforts to rescue Kid -- not only from the ghastly pair but also from the universe-next-door that is autism -- are what not so much held my interest as clutched it in a stranglehold, and they're what make the book one that I'm sure I'll remember long after most other thrillers have vanished into the swamp of memory.
The odd thing is that I have no desire to read the sequels. The book's complete and satisfying in itself. Which is exactly as it should be.
April 13, 2015
We were somewhat surprised to learn that “Black Fridays” (referring to bad days on the stock market) was a first novel for author Sears. For us, it was well written and engaging. On the plus side, leading man Jason’s care of his autistic child (the “Kid”), about seven or eight years old, is not just illuminating but very touching, as dad does his best to comprehend and accommodate. On the negative side, much of the mystery, and for that matter, how Jason became an ex-con, is about high falutin financial goings-on in various Wall Street settings – potentially confusing for no doubt many readers – but crucial to the plot. Jason surprisingly gets hired almost right out of prison to “consult” about some potential white collar crimes by a trader who has turned up dead in a boating accident. Through his own skills and persistence, he slowly closes in on some very deep scams at that firm that eventually lead to several more deaths. Meanwhile, Jason’s fight with ex-wife Angie, and her desire to mother the Kid (by keeping him locked in a room) forms an interesting sub-plot – one hampered by Jason’s status as a parolee unable to travel at will.
While the high-finance shenanigans may not appeal to many, we found the novel quite suspenseful and interesting; and found his fathering of the “Kid” quite emotive – making for an enjoyable albeit quite different kind of story. Looks like there are a couple of further entries about father and son – suspect we might go there!
While the high-finance shenanigans may not appeal to many, we found the novel quite suspenseful and interesting; and found his fathering of the “Kid” quite emotive – making for an enjoyable albeit quite different kind of story. Looks like there are a couple of further entries about father and son – suspect we might go there!
October 8, 2012
This novel really has two main threads. The first involves a high-stakes financial murder mystery ala The Pelican Brief or The Firm (except involving Wall Street traders instead of lawyers). The financial intracacies get a little wonky at times, to the point that it does slow the action and can be confusing for those of us who have zero understanding of the various types of stock market trades. The last third of the book makes up for this, however, with a fast-paced, page-turning resolution.
The other aspect of the book is Jason's relationship with his autistic son. This part of the plot was compelling and extremely well written, although at times I thought the bond Jason formed with his son happened too quickly and easily to be realistic. Overall, though, I did enjoy this part of the book more than the financial element, and it carried me through the Wall Street sections that were bogging things down.
The other aspect of the book is Jason's relationship with his autistic son. This part of the plot was compelling and extremely well written, although at times I thought the bond Jason formed with his son happened too quickly and easily to be realistic. Overall, though, I did enjoy this part of the book more than the financial element, and it carried me through the Wall Street sections that were bogging things down.
January 19, 2015
I really liked this book. I did find the Wall Street buying and selling a bit beyond me, but I thought the author did a pretty good job in explaining it. The parts of that I wasn't too clear on, I just let wash over me and paid more attention to the rest of the story. I loved Jason and The Kid. I loved their relationship, such as it was and learned more about autism than I'd known previously. Jason is definitely a flawed character (but aren't we all?), but he's a good person at heart and he shows so much patience with The Kid and is trying so hard. We saw growth and improvement in both of their characters within the span of the book. There were a lot of interesting, well-written secondary characters as well. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series. (I hope the money dealings aren't too difficult for me to follow!).
March 1, 2015
After two years in a federal prison Jason Stafford is no longer
welcome on Wall Street. But because of his financial crime knowledge
one firm wants him to quietly look for irregularities in the book
of one of their junior traders whose body was just pulled from
Long Island Sound. Raising an autistic five year old alone Jason
can't refuse this lucrative offer. This job s supposed to last two
weeks but soon he's facing threats, intimidation and more people
are dying. Now Jason must fight for his life while struggling
to save his son from a different kind of danger. This book is a
little bit dragged out but it's a pretty good story. If you like
books about bonds and trading you will probably like this one. This
is the first book in the Jason Stafford series.
welcome on Wall Street. But because of his financial crime knowledge
one firm wants him to quietly look for irregularities in the book
of one of their junior traders whose body was just pulled from
Long Island Sound. Raising an autistic five year old alone Jason
can't refuse this lucrative offer. This job s supposed to last two
weeks but soon he's facing threats, intimidation and more people
are dying. Now Jason must fight for his life while struggling
to save his son from a different kind of danger. This book is a
little bit dragged out but it's a pretty good story. If you like
books about bonds and trading you will probably like this one. This
is the first book in the Jason Stafford series.
July 20, 2012
Wow! This confident debut accomplishes something that would make many an author seethe with jealousy: flawed, complicated characters who are utterly likable. The financial plot explores a Wall Street that we've come to know well, the one run by self-preservationists. But main character Jason Stafford's views on it all--and on his two years in prison--add the color and heart which make the book a great read, and a page turner.
My affection for this book was not hurt by the comfortable depictions of my old stomping grounds, the Upper West Side.
Fans of heady thrillers by Lee Vance and Susan Hassler will enjoy this book.
My affection for this book was not hurt by the comfortable depictions of my old stomping grounds, the Upper West Side.
Fans of heady thrillers by Lee Vance and Susan Hassler will enjoy this book.
July 28, 2012
This is a free book from Goodreads First reads. I went into this book hoping for insight into why traders take such chanches with our money and futures-for the rush and excitement-egos or whatever. I wanted to forgive the man who ruined so many lives but on page 130 when he says the best I can come up with is I don't want to get caught again, that was it for me. I have family who lost most of their Ira's and had to go back to work after retirement to live. I shoule not have requested this book-I just wanted to understand a little bit better why someone would do this. I couldn't finish this book.
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