The Fund

by H.T. Narea

U.S. defense intelligence operative Kate Molares is investigating a suspicious international money trail. Her instincts place her at the center of a plot involving a frightening new kind of terrorism—financial terrorism— perpetrated by a handsome Middle Eastern hedge fund mogul. His goal is to bring the global economy to its knees. Kate’s mission takes her from D.C. to Venezuela, from Cuba to Connecticut. She must race to piece together this global puzzle…or risk the catastrophic destruction of the world’s financial markets.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Finance, Novels, Mystery Thriller

496 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 28, 2011

About the author

H.T. Narea, an international investment banker, has focused his career on global emerging
markets. During his 20+ years of experience, including his positions as a managing director and
principal at JPMorgan Chase in New York, he has advised governments, companies and banks
in countries around the world on debt restructurings, infrastructure projects, M&A, private
equity, debt trading and syndicated finance. He is also the author of various published financial
articles.

He is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he has also taught
a graduate course on international finance. He is the son-in-law of Paul Erdman, the creator
of the financial thriller fiction genre. He holds U.S. and Chilean citizenships, and is fluent in
English, Spanish and Portuguese. His family’s roots are in Spain’s Basque country and he has
lived in Chile, the U.S., Brazil, Venezuela and Thailand. He makes Greenwich, Connecticut, his
home with his wife and two young daughters. THE FUND will be published by Forge/Macmillan
in May 2011.

Reviews

[Angela Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know next to nothing about finance, but reading this book made me start to wonder if haven't already experienced some of this kind of manipulation in the present recession. It's scary.

That said, I have to admit I had a little trouble getting into it. Stuck it out through the first 3 chapters (I always try to get at least that far to give a book a fair chance), and it started to pick up. Finally reached a point where I read till 3 a.m. before I was willing to stop. I found myself enjoying even the "travelogue" part of the book. (I was fascinated by the history of Gibraltar and how that ties into the history of Spain.)

If you like technical suspense stories and have a little patience, you'll probably enjoy this book. Be prepared, though, to want to go take all your money out of the bank and put it in a sock under your mattress when you finish.

[Sir Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fund a political make believe thriller
Starts with a zig zag trail
Detailing the foreign exchange
Of american money
Being turned to peso in Venezuela
Or chink pesos I believe
Then being flipped for Afghan ruples
The money funnels threw italy even
This process was real
I think this curtailed war expenses
It made foreign diplomats
That lived in the green zone
Or who traveled abroad wealthy
This exchange embezzlement
The story dazzles with scenes
Of romance as they live it up
In luxury on this war bond exchange
Many left for Europe to
Live on money that was un accounted for
It was a scandal
Still war makes wealth
Then it shows how
Venazuala was even invested in
By america to keep
People quite about the exchange
The hispanics have a deal with
Italians who have a deal with jews
Who have a deal with arabs
That's how caucasians floated the investment
Then New York is attacked
Nuclear chemical weapons
Which I wasnt aware of
Perhaps chemical attacks
Did accur there
Theres some truth to fiction
Then after al quada invaded america
Then war in tiawan
The american flag in tiawan
As a caucasian my investments
Need held up
What other people do or who they r
Matter less as long as I'm taken care of
Descent political thriller

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I have to be honest this book was given to me as an uncorrected advance reading copy. When I first got it I tried to read it but only got a few chapters into it. It wasn't the kind of book I would normally read and just couldn't get into it. The other day I found it again and thought I would try it again. I will admit its a little hard to get into at first but it gets better. This is a spy/government type of story. It follows a U.S defense intelligence agent by the name of Kate Molares. Kate is following a suspicious international money trail. Her search takes her all over and has her life put in danger. This book finally starts out making you want to put it down but don't give up it is worth it to finish.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fund is a fairly good thriller about another terrorist attack on New York that results (spoiler alert) in the collapse of the US banking system and its aftermath. There’s of course the inevitable romantic interest. Narea is a banker and central to the novel is his description of the vulnerability of the international banking system. His family’s roots are in Latin America and the Basque region of Spain, which he weaves into an improbable alliance of Moslem extremists, Cuba Venezuela and Basque separatists.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good concept. About 200 pages too long. Too much extraneous details

[Jerome Fishkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining with plot twists and a satisfying ending.

[Dennis P Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

5.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review:

Ever wonder what it would be like to be able to transfer millions of dollars into a secret account where you could use the money for your own personal gain? Imagine now those funds being backed the most notorious terrorist groups in the world! Kate Molares, a U.S. Defense Agent has the responsibility of being in charge investigating any possible threats within the South American Financial market. She has been ordered to discover if possible funds backed be terrorists from the Middle East could be routed from Offshore accounts through Southern and Central American Banking Institutions into the united States to be used against the US for terrorist gains. Kate soon discovers that she has uncovered something so important, it could shake not only her life, but the lives of everyone living in America!

Synopsis:
The Fund follows a U.S. Defense Intelligence operative Kate Molares who’s investigating a suspicious international money trail. Her instincts place her at the center of a plot involving a terrifying new kind of terrorism – financial terrorism – perpetuated by a suave, handsome Middle Eastern hedge fund mogul. His goal is to wreck the West by bringing the global economy to its knees.

Kate’s mission takes her from the defense intelligence command center on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. to the oil-fueled economy of Caracas, Venezuela. Kate finds herself in a race against time, to fit together the pieces of this global puzzle… or risk the catastrophic destruction of the world’s financial markets.

About the Author:
H.T. Narea, an international investment banker, has focused his career on global emerging markets. During his 20-plus years of experience, which includes his tenure as a principal at JPMorgan Chase in New York, Narea has advised governments, companies and banks in countries around the world on debt restructurings, infrastructure projects, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, debt trading and syndicated finance. He is also the author of various published financial articles. Narea is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he also teaches international finance.

I received The Fund by H.T. Narea compliments of Planned TV Arts for my honest opinion. It was a little difficult to get through the first few chapters of this book to where I could feel the storyline coming together to make sense. Though I do not follow the Financial news and banking industry, anyone who does would probably like this book. I found this book to be a little difficult to get through and hard to follow the changes of the storyline. There was some graphically violent parts that were hard to get through as well. I would rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars for the story content.

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fadiyah, a Berber Muslim from North Africa, runs after her older brother, Sajid, and he realizes there is no more time. He then proceeds to blow himself up in the middle of Madrid-Barajas Airport. So begins a cycle of planning and implementation of terrorist activities that is all too familiar but is shown in its precise financial planning within this novel that defies the reader's stereotypical predictions!

The central characters are Katerina Molares, part of the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. and Nebibi Hashem a Milanese-born Egyptian Muslim. Nebibi's priority is sharia-based finances that will further the jihad terrorist activities to spread the sword and word of Allah. He is brilliant and ruthless as we see in th opening chapters where a colleague who has stolen a fortune has both his arms severed by a sword. Sharia law believers are serious and intolerant of the slightest deviation. Now he begins to oversee the movement of funds to legitimate but hidden spots that appear as innocent businesses in the Cayman Islands, Venezuela, and Gibraltar, as well as other smaller locations. Those taking part have huge political and financial aspirations but fail to appreciate or know about the larger mission being forged, called Operation Andalus. Courage-enhancing serum drugs, a disease-producing viral shot, and more add to the tension of this mad scheme to destruction!

Kate is about to be unwittingly compromised which may indirectly aid the enemy. She has been assigned to find out the source of some of these moving funds from a Zurich bank to a Cuban account to a Swiss account. The DIA suspects it is related to Al Qaeda's terrorist activities but so far the trail is cold. The Madrid bombing gives all the senses that the time to find the source is rapidly losing ground. The reader will be gripped by pages and pages of international intelligence, counterintelligence, and journeys spanning the globe to race toward a satisfactory solution to the financial dilemma leading to critical chaos.

From here you must read, so that this review won't be a spoiler. But beware if you think there's a "good guys get bad guys" final scenario. The actual ending chapters of this novel will horrify one and yet draw one to keep reading because of its all too real plausible and devastating events. The Fund is a large novel about the peaceful and violent world of fighting the war on terrorism that one wants to put down but cannot because of its gripping, dominoes-like progression. Gripping, intelligent, fear-filled, courageous, devious and honorable characters push this story to its startling end! Nicely done, H. T. Narea!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fund is complicated and, essentially very simple as well. After all, whoever controls the money controls it all, right? Kate Molares has spent most of her life searching the money angles of the world and she has possibly come upon the biggest angle of all. Financial terrorism.

In her travels, she visits an old friend in Cuba who tells her an unbelievable tale – cats chasing dogs! She ultimately sends Kate a sample of “something” and that “something” is a strain of toxoplasmosis which warps the brain into an ultimate soldier – the only pressing thought remaining is to succeed at a mission. Death doesn’t matter. Which is good, because all who take this substance die.

She also runs into Nebibi Hasehm, old lover, current money market genius, and also Al-Quada in hiding. The flame still burns between them; but Nebibi has set himself on another track – to control the world’s financial status – and he just may succeed. Can Kate bring herself to voice her suspicions before it’s too late? Will Nebibi and Kate find what it takes to get them through this deadly crisis?

H. T. Narea knows whereof he speaks. As an international investment banker he has seen enough to make this book believable and totally horrifying. If you didn’t think much about terrorism before, you certainly will after reading this first novel. I hope it isn’t the last as the writing, characters and plot make you feel as though you are standing on Gibralter waiting for Hell to come down upon you.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not normally a huge fan of the Tom Clancy sort of thriller, mostly because I don't care much about the gear and I like the political point of view even less. The Fund is a sort-of Tom Clancyish thriller except that military gear is replaced by finance and this makes it more fun.

I didn't learn a lot about finance and economics until I went back to school for my MBA. While there I discovered that lots of this money stuff is actually really riveting and knowing more about how it all works and is measured and interrelated really broadened my perspective. That I did all this during a global economic meltdown made it seem more vital.

Mr. Narea takes advantage of the two big bugaboos of our time - global terrorism and collapsing financial markets. He combines these two big scary things into one big scary thing - global terrorism conducted via manipulation of the global financial markets - not nearly so improbable as we might have thought before 2008 and very resonant at the moment.

This is a fun read, although it stands out only because of its mix of finance and terrorism. I didn't find the characters all that interesting and my own politics diverge from this in many respects. Very entertaining, though, and definitely a page-turner. No, it's not great literature, but it sure is fun.

[Kasia Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this on Goodreads. WOW! I was completely gripped from the beginning of this novel until the very last page. Narea certainly presented a very realistic portrait of financial terrorism that could very well happen.

It starts off with Sajid (a minor character and the first casualty) and a terrorist bombing test run. Then you meet Kate Morales(a major character) who works for the DIA ~ Defense Intelligence Agency. And finally, Nebibi Hasehm (the other major character) who is the founder of The Milestones Fund.

Once these key players are introduced, Narea charges full steam ahead, packing each page with a spiders web filled with trails, clues, key players of different nationalities, religious beliefs, important history, surprises, and a gripping hold on the reader that won't let go until the very last page has been read.

I would highly recommend you to pick up this book and read it through. You definitely won't be disappointed. While this may be Narea's first novel, his writing shows that he is a pro.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. The Fund is a story that speaks of today's reality of terrorism, well funded and willing to stop at nothing to achieve their goals. The old adage "follow the money trail" is played out throughout the story line. Two worlds colide between Nebibi, the well educated, wealthy terrorist and Kate who works for the DIA. How easily Nebibi puts his plans to action under the guise of respectability and connections to the rich and powerful, all for what he sees as revenge for his brother. How readily he is courted by the bankers and lawyers looking to amass more and more wealth and power. Yet, in the way is Kate, who Nebibi once loved and still cannot resist. Ultimately, Nebibi saves Kate, and in doing so the important political figures that she is protecting, but shows no mercy for others in still setting off bombs loaded with radioactive material. A book you want to keep reading, but hope there is no truth behind the story.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I graciously received this book for free through first reads giveaway.

I was worried the first couple of chapters because I didn't think I would be able to make it through this over 400 page book not knowing anything about the financial world and getting lost off the bat. However, the book quickly helped me understand what was going on and had no problem getting through the rest of the book.
This book does not wrap up the end in a nice and neat little package that makes you feel like everyone will live happily ever after, so don't read this if you are into that. This book gives an ending that is more real life and shows what can happen if things like this went down.
In all, it was a good book. I think if I was into financial stuff I would have enjoyed it more, so I will pass this along to my father-in-law.

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads and really enjoyed it! This book has action, mystery, drama and well developed characters in a realistic story that could be pulled from today's headlines. It gave me a better understanding of the financial world and a chilling look at what could happen when terrorists attempt to compromise the US economy. I liked reading the story from both the perspective of the heroine trying to prevent disaster and the terrorist who is fighting in the name of religion. Loved the message of hope at the end - that maybe religious conflicts can be settled without violence. That would be nice! I would definitely recommend this book and hope to see more from this author in the future.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book on a Goodreads First-Reads Giveaway. I started reading this book yesterday - and I'm not gonna get very far into it if the swearing continues. I'll give it a few more chapters. OK - I give up. I was starting to get into the story and then wham - the 'f' bomb was dropped. That was it - for my own personal reasons I won't be continuing to the end of this book. Its a shame because it sounded like it was gonna be a really good book. I can't say that I liked it because I wasn't able to finish it. I personally won't read books with gore, foul language, or pornography in them - and this one fell into the foul language category and the prologue was close to the gore category.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I wasn't blown away by this book. The plotting was treacle-like and I really couldn't get my head around the numerous coincidences that the writer used to move the narrative. I know that you have to have a certain number of plot devices or you wouldn't have a story, but still.
I also found the climax to be a little rushed. After all of the build up, everything happened in the space of a couple of chapters like a dam bursting.

I also think that you need to be a financial guru to explain the actual mechanism of the attacks as I found it it to be almost unpenetrable, but then, hey, I'm an engineer....

One thing I did like? The fact that the US were on the losing side, sent back to a financial dark age and having to kow-tow to the Chinese. Now that would be something.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, but somewhat scary and thought provoking, look into the dark and evil minds of people who manipulate the world of high finance for their own or others personal gain. Terrorist plots, counter measures, intertwined sub plots, and nasty characters fill the pages from beginning to end.

Even though the story is about financial maneuvers, both legal and grey area, a minimal knowledge of high finances is all that is needed to be a part of the action.

It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to others for a cause, revenge, or just plain greed. Even though the plot is fiction, it is a clear reflection of the societies in which we live today.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be poorly written with characters who change their minds according to what the author wants rather than what is logical. The constant changes in tense were jarring and the sudden interjections of travelogue and history especially took me out of the story, although some were interesting.
My biggest complaint,however, was the political agenda. Just tell me a story, don't try to convince me to be a different faith. If i want to explore that, I'll find a nonfiction book. I finished it because I hoped the book might redeem itself but the ending was rushed and disappointing. Imho, not a good read.

[J. Ewbank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Book Trib. This book by Narea is well worth the read. It is a very worthy book. As a first book it is excellent and I hope that there are more to come. At first I was a little worried about reading the book because it has to do with finances and big financial matters and I was a little fearful that it might be one of those novels that was over my head in financial problems. It was not. The characters were well sketched in and the plot was clear. End ending was not quite as skillfully done as it could have been and will be done in future novels. I really enjoyed it. Good work.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

[Bob Sipes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book that I enjoyed reading. On one forum, I stated that this was a mix of Paul Erdman and Robert Ludlum. It is close, but not as intricate as Robert Ludlum's books, especially those written during the later years of his life. That said, this book blends terrorism, international finances, and geo-politics into a thrilling story with romance, intrigue, and action.

The ending was quick and somewhat anti-climactic. I will not provide spoilers, but I wish more time had been taken with the aftermath. [An entire book could have been written similar to Directive 51].

Overall a very enjoyable book from somewhat different aspect of the terrorism threat.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is interesting and fast-paced, especially given the world's financial situation. However, this book needed an editor with better grammar skills. The attempts at slang were not consistent with the characters' schooling and positions. The major female character seemed confused and surprised by the power struggles of the male characters. The story spans four continents, and the descriptions of the settings, especially Caracas, New York, and Gibraltar, were very well done.

[Steven Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, great story. Loved the adventure, not so in love with the depiction of Muslims, and terror cells. Also not exactly a "bear" but interesting theory on how financial markets could react, falls in to line with other imaginative depictions of the end of dollar reserve currency status, all of which fail to take in to account how the Government reacts in real world situation. Loved Nebibi from the beginning and was glad to see how he ended up.

[Corey McKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on a Goodreads First-Reads Giveaway. I really enjoyed it. It's similar to a Tom Clancy book, who I also enjoy reading, but deals more with finance than military and spying. The ending was a not what I was expecting and leaves the door open for a sequel. If you enjoy thrillers, you'll probably like this book.

[Kitty Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

H.T. NAREA'S "THE FUND" (REVIEW)

This book was intense. Non-stop action and a thrill to read. I was skeptical at first because this is not my usual genre, but I found this book very entertaining and a definite page-turner. I would definitely recommend this to the ones that enjoy this genre, you should definitely read this book!

-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club

[David Lentz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book too graphically violent to finish. I really don't see the point of reading or writing such graphic violence. I generally take the position both as a reader and a writer that when I take a book into my home to read and essentially invite the writer to join me, s/he shouldn't bleed all over the furniture -- it's just a matter of having good manners.

[Jeremy Beasley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checked it out from library because I love these conspiracy theory books as they're filled with suspense and are fictitious novels based loosely on reality. It's close enough to where it's almost believable.

The book has very intricate and complicated plot that it develops for most of the book. However, the ending is absolutely underwhelming and leaves you feeling annoyed.

[Brenda Klaassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it pulled me in from the beginning and continued to be a pageturner. The characters and plot were true-to-life. It is sad to think about how close to the edge of disaster our country is. We are almost dependent on other countries to loan ours money. This author did a super job making the reader think. I will recommend this book to other readers.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book but think it's about 50 pages too long. I don't truly understand all the financial wheelings and dealings but I was carried along by the story. A bit of a doomsday kind of scenario but worth the read.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did not end the way I thought it would. I have read most of Stephen King's books and none of them scared me as much as this one -- because this could really happen. I hope the terrorists don't use this book as a how-to manual.