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Incorporated Evil: A Business With One Goal...Absolute Power
Charles Barker-Willet is the world's richest man. He is also the CEO of BW Corporation, the world's largest company.
Sean McManus is a business journalist, bored by his job and failing in his life.
When McManus is asked to write a mundane piece about BW Corp, he decides to dig further and look beyond its obvious success, hoping that it might somehow revive his flagging career. Within days his life is transformed, fear replaces boredom and the will to live takes over from the drive to succeed.
McManus' journey takes him around the globe in a search of the facts behind BW Corporation's success. Along the way he encounters love, death, good and evil, as each discovery takes him closer to the truth and increases his jeopardy.
In an age when Government corruption ruins the lives of billions and corporate greed is a part of everyday existence. Incorporated Evil examines the links between the two.
Sean McManus is a business journalist, bored by his job and failing in his life.
When McManus is asked to write a mundane piece about BW Corp, he decides to dig further and look beyond its obvious success, hoping that it might somehow revive his flagging career. Within days his life is transformed, fear replaces boredom and the will to live takes over from the drive to succeed.
McManus' journey takes him around the globe in a search of the facts behind BW Corporation's success. Along the way he encounters love, death, good and evil, as each discovery takes him closer to the truth and increases his jeopardy.
In an age when Government corruption ruins the lives of billions and corporate greed is a part of everyday existence. Incorporated Evil examines the links between the two.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 16, 2014
1 person is currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Peter Widdows
3 books4 followersBorn and raised in Manchester, UK; Peter spent 5 years as a British soldier, before moving into the corporate world, where he became a CEO for a Fortune 500 FMCG company. Having lived outside the UK for most of his adult life, in Australia, the USA, Germany and New Zealand, Peter now lives in North Cheshire.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 15, 2014
By the end of this book, it kind of felt like the moral was Good Money versus Bad Money.
I say that because both our bad guys and good guys have plenty of money to work against the other. We see what Evil does with the money, and then what Good does with it to fight against it. But the balance of power is where the differences and the tension lies. Sort of like a money-fueled chess match.
This story starts out fast and does keep rolling right along. I found our main characters, Sean and Liz, a little flat at the start. Kind of like static characters created from a template and inserted into a story, yet as the story moves along, they both grow into three dimensions, likable and relatable. (Although I’ll admit that Clive and his boys were probably my favorites, and Praew was great too.)
Sean and Liz fall in together a bit fast and I would have liked to have seen more of that before the he and she became a they, but their relationship shows through well the more the story goes. Like a separate character that matures in dimensions as they do.
It was a very easy read, though sometimes the names and places could take some work to keep up with, and I do have an affinity for people trying to do Right, even if they’re a little naieve about it at times. I also appreciated how Widdows handled certain types of crimes, with the horror and disgust that is due to them. That always wins points with me.
This is the first book from the author, and I will admit that it does read that way in several places, but it’s still an engaging thriller of a read and I think the author shows a lot of promise for future stories. I’ll admit that I’ve wrestled with what to rate this, but I’m falling on the side of positivity because I did enjoy it and particularly for fans of corporate thrillers, I think this will be an good tale. 4 Fireballs.
I say that because both our bad guys and good guys have plenty of money to work against the other. We see what Evil does with the money, and then what Good does with it to fight against it. But the balance of power is where the differences and the tension lies. Sort of like a money-fueled chess match.
This story starts out fast and does keep rolling right along. I found our main characters, Sean and Liz, a little flat at the start. Kind of like static characters created from a template and inserted into a story, yet as the story moves along, they both grow into three dimensions, likable and relatable. (Although I’ll admit that Clive and his boys were probably my favorites, and Praew was great too.)
Sean and Liz fall in together a bit fast and I would have liked to have seen more of that before the he and she became a they, but their relationship shows through well the more the story goes. Like a separate character that matures in dimensions as they do.
It was a very easy read, though sometimes the names and places could take some work to keep up with, and I do have an affinity for people trying to do Right, even if they’re a little naieve about it at times. I also appreciated how Widdows handled certain types of crimes, with the horror and disgust that is due to them. That always wins points with me.
This is the first book from the author, and I will admit that it does read that way in several places, but it’s still an engaging thriller of a read and I think the author shows a lot of promise for future stories. I’ll admit that I’ve wrestled with what to rate this, but I’m falling on the side of positivity because I did enjoy it and particularly for fans of corporate thrillers, I think this will be an good tale. 4 Fireballs.
December 18, 2014
I recieved this book as a Goodreads Giveway so thank you to the author and publisher for the copy. First off I liked the cover photography and it felt as though it fitted with the theme of the book.
The book in essence is a fast paced crime thriller that spans a time period of only a couple of weeks and runs at full throttle throughout the whole story. There is no pause to take your breath and reflect at all. You're on to the next action,next country and next part of the danger before you know it.
The story starts with a journalist for a financial newspaper who decides to put together a character peice on a very successful and very wealthy Chief Executive of an international company. Very little is know of this succesful man and the journalists interest is taken due to this fact. Little does he know that this will quickly accelerate into him running for his life with another employee who had joined him to assist with the research.
As I stated earlier its a very fast paced roller coaster ride of a thriller and the author does this very well, with short snappy writing and dialogue. There is no unecessary descriptive filler, every sentence is needed and it works very well.
The characters develop as the story unfolds and there is excitment all the way through to the last page.
All in all its a very good read and I would highly recomend to anyone who likes crime thrillers. This is one with a unique business twist so well done to the author, I really hope he and the book do well.
Thank You again for the chance to read and review.
The book in essence is a fast paced crime thriller that spans a time period of only a couple of weeks and runs at full throttle throughout the whole story. There is no pause to take your breath and reflect at all. You're on to the next action,next country and next part of the danger before you know it.
The story starts with a journalist for a financial newspaper who decides to put together a character peice on a very successful and very wealthy Chief Executive of an international company. Very little is know of this succesful man and the journalists interest is taken due to this fact. Little does he know that this will quickly accelerate into him running for his life with another employee who had joined him to assist with the research.
As I stated earlier its a very fast paced roller coaster ride of a thriller and the author does this very well, with short snappy writing and dialogue. There is no unecessary descriptive filler, every sentence is needed and it works very well.
The characters develop as the story unfolds and there is excitment all the way through to the last page.
All in all its a very good read and I would highly recomend to anyone who likes crime thrillers. This is one with a unique business twist so well done to the author, I really hope he and the book do well.
Thank You again for the chance to read and review.
November 25, 2014
A top-notch thriller, a stunning debut novel. I won a copy of this through Goodreads First Reads.
I was surprised at just how good this book was. The plot drew me in from the start and kept me guessing right until the end. Alongside the main characters, journalists with a London financial newspaper, we hurtle around the world dodging danger and corruption in a whirlwind of action.
My only criticisms that prevented me from giving this a solid five stars are the occasional flatness in dialogue, the sort of slightly stilted phrasing that reminds us that this is indeed a novel and not real life after all. With regards to the ending, .
On the whole though - a fantastic book, one which will hopefully pave the way for yet more from this author.
I was surprised at just how good this book was. The plot drew me in from the start and kept me guessing right until the end. Alongside the main characters, journalists with a London financial newspaper, we hurtle around the world dodging danger and corruption in a whirlwind of action.
My only criticisms that prevented me from giving this a solid five stars are the occasional flatness in dialogue, the sort of slightly stilted phrasing that reminds us that this is indeed a novel and not real life after all. With regards to the ending, .
On the whole though - a fantastic book, one which will hopefully pave the way for yet more from this author.
November 27, 2014
I really enjoyed this book and, like James, I thought it was an exceptional debut novel.
The plot is engrossing and the pace excellent, without any boring diversions to slow you down. I also enjoyed the characters, they were both believable and likeable; I'd like to see more of them. The locations were great, well described, without drifting off into minutia and really kept the plot going.
I agree with some of the comments about dialogue, but it was rare and didn't detract from the plot for me. As for plausibility, I often get on planes at very short notice, so unsure why somebody would suggest that it is implausible to do so.
For fans of fast paced thrillers, this is a very good read indeed.
The plot is engrossing and the pace excellent, without any boring diversions to slow you down. I also enjoyed the characters, they were both believable and likeable; I'd like to see more of them. The locations were great, well described, without drifting off into minutia and really kept the plot going.
I agree with some of the comments about dialogue, but it was rare and didn't detract from the plot for me. As for plausibility, I often get on planes at very short notice, so unsure why somebody would suggest that it is implausible to do so.
For fans of fast paced thrillers, this is a very good read indeed.
February 2, 2015
"I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads"
A fast paced thriller, that takes you on a journey as you follow Sean and Liz two reports as they dodge danger and corruption in a whirlwind of action on every page, as they try to uncover who Charles Barker-Willet really is and what he has to hide from the world. I found this to be instantly intriguing, from the very beginning and all the way through, very easy to read and can quite quickly get stuck into. An excellent debut novel, well worth a read.
A fast paced thriller, that takes you on a journey as you follow Sean and Liz two reports as they dodge danger and corruption in a whirlwind of action on every page, as they try to uncover who Charles Barker-Willet really is and what he has to hide from the world. I found this to be instantly intriguing, from the very beginning and all the way through, very easy to read and can quite quickly get stuck into. An excellent debut novel, well worth a read.
February 21, 2015
I received this book for free from a goodreads giveaway. This is a very good book, fast paced, exciting, a real page turner. The story is about corruption within big business and a journalists fight to expose it. It is easy to imagine that these events could happen for real, and in that respect it is a very frightening book. This was very nearly rated at five stars, the only thing stopping it was the sometimes excessive use of financial jargon.
May 16, 2015
I received this book free through Goodreads giveaways. what made this a four star book for me was the fact that i genuinely had no clue or ideas about the secrets of the company and could not seem to even make any guesses! It's not usual that a crime book can leave you completely clueless as to the ending. I was a bit confused about the last page of the book that I think was dated May 1st though? who it was or what it meant.
February 25, 2015
Great book, kept me guessing from start to finish.
Some inconsistencies about dates tho, and would recommend they do another proof-read on spelling and grammar...
But definitely enjoyed reading the book and look forward to reading more from this author.
*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.*
Some inconsistencies about dates tho, and would recommend they do another proof-read on spelling and grammar...
But definitely enjoyed reading the book and look forward to reading more from this author.
*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.*
February 4, 2015
Excellent!! This is a great piece of fiction which kept me interesred from start to finish. I could easily imagine the fear felt by Liz and Sean, whilst my heart went out to young Praew and the other girls. will definitely put this author on my list of favorites and hope to see more from him.
February 3, 2015
Fantastic storyline keeps you guessing right to the end.
won a copy of this book from goodreads, initially i found this book a little slow to begin with. After thst though it was fast paced and exciting. Would definately try another of this authors books, please keep them coming
won a copy of this book from goodreads, initially i found this book a little slow to begin with. After thst though it was fast paced and exciting. Would definately try another of this authors books, please keep them coming
February 3, 2015
I received this book as a Goodreads First Reads, and really enjoyed it. It is a fast paced thriller, very easy to read and quick to get into. I haven't read one with a business theme before, so it was interesting to see a different side to this genre.
Well worth a read!
Well worth a read!
April 2, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Unusual plot set within international organisations with lots of twists and red herrings that make you think you know the outcome but then discover that you don't. Kept me guessing until the end. Can't wait to read the next one.
February 3, 2015
this book was a complete change for me,took me out of my comfort zone,as people say.I'm glad i read it and would recommend it to others.
July 29, 2017
Interesting book full of situations which you wonder ... could this actually happen???? Definitely a page turner
June 10, 2015
I received this book from The Publishing Push Team to give an honest review.
There is talk of rape but nothing too graphic in my opinion.
I got into this book but at times it just seem to have to descriptive at times. This is a really a good vs. evil through out the whole book and I did enjoy how we were not given who the person behind BW Corporation really is until towards the end. When we start off with the book we meet Sean and he is journalist, he decides to write a piece on BW Corporation as it is a major corporation that is pulling in tons of cash. It all looks legit but it seems to be a bit too much legit. With the help of his friend Liz who later becomes his lover they get way more than they bargain for in trying to get an interview with the person behind this business. It seems as soon as Sean and Liz start they are hit with someone trying to kill them, they are in a consist battle of trying to stay alive but as well as gather information. It is pretty much non stop action. Now the relationship between Liz and Sean I could see it growing to become something more but it felt way to rush I mean they were jumping into the bed with each other rather quickly and she was soon saying she loved him and they were barely together.
The characters were good and not flat. They were likable the story line was very good full of action and keeps you reading to find out who the bad guy is. I say pick up this book if you are into action packed, escapee situations, trying to stay alive, and bringing the bad guy to justice no matter the cost.
Give it a 3 star rating because of what I mentioned before and because it was a slow read for me. Even though it was good, I just wasn't too invested into the book as I hoped.
There is talk of rape but nothing too graphic in my opinion.
I got into this book but at times it just seem to have to descriptive at times. This is a really a good vs. evil through out the whole book and I did enjoy how we were not given who the person behind BW Corporation really is until towards the end. When we start off with the book we meet Sean and he is journalist, he decides to write a piece on BW Corporation as it is a major corporation that is pulling in tons of cash. It all looks legit but it seems to be a bit too much legit. With the help of his friend Liz who later becomes his lover they get way more than they bargain for in trying to get an interview with the person behind this business. It seems as soon as Sean and Liz start they are hit with someone trying to kill them, they are in a consist battle of trying to stay alive but as well as gather information. It is pretty much non stop action. Now the relationship between Liz and Sean I could see it growing to become something more but it felt way to rush I mean they were jumping into the bed with each other rather quickly and she was soon saying she loved him and they were barely together.
The characters were good and not flat. They were likable the story line was very good full of action and keeps you reading to find out who the bad guy is. I say pick up this book if you are into action packed, escapee situations, trying to stay alive, and bringing the bad guy to justice no matter the cost.
Give it a 3 star rating because of what I mentioned before and because it was a slow read for me. Even though it was good, I just wasn't too invested into the book as I hoped.
April 12, 2015
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Widdows' debut commercial thriller, Incorporated Evil, is built on a solid premise with some excellent narration and much intrigue. However, pacing issues were a large bump in the road in the journey of this globetrotting novel.
Following Sean and Liz in their attempts to find the truth surrounding Charles Barker-Willet, the enigmatic CEO of BW Corporation, is indeed a thrilling ride. As they travel the world in their endeavours, the reader is treated to detailed and emotive descriptions of various countries and locales. It is easy to get lost in Widdows' world, drawn from his experience as a CEO and from his interesting projection of an armed world in conflict.
However, whilst the conflict is intriguing and the intertwining romance a welcome addition to the author's world, the book was soured by a seriously rushed final quarter. When the story looks to come to an explosive end, the content of 100 pages was boiled down to 40. It was easy to forgive Widdows' pace in the early stages, as he perhaps rushed to establish a strong, impulsive romance that aided the story as a whole. Yet the most interesting plot device, with possibly devastating consequences, is played poorly in a move which left me disappointed as I closed the book.
As an experience, Incorporated Evil was fast and punchy. The book was good, and it could have been great; yet, as a debut novel, it provides an interesting view into the mind of Peter Widdows', who will almost certainly be thrilling for years to come.
Widdows' debut commercial thriller, Incorporated Evil, is built on a solid premise with some excellent narration and much intrigue. However, pacing issues were a large bump in the road in the journey of this globetrotting novel.
Following Sean and Liz in their attempts to find the truth surrounding Charles Barker-Willet, the enigmatic CEO of BW Corporation, is indeed a thrilling ride. As they travel the world in their endeavours, the reader is treated to detailed and emotive descriptions of various countries and locales. It is easy to get lost in Widdows' world, drawn from his experience as a CEO and from his interesting projection of an armed world in conflict.
However, whilst the conflict is intriguing and the intertwining romance a welcome addition to the author's world, the book was soured by a seriously rushed final quarter. When the story looks to come to an explosive end, the content of 100 pages was boiled down to 40. It was easy to forgive Widdows' pace in the early stages, as he perhaps rushed to establish a strong, impulsive romance that aided the story as a whole. Yet the most interesting plot device, with possibly devastating consequences, is played poorly in a move which left me disappointed as I closed the book.
As an experience, Incorporated Evil was fast and punchy. The book was good, and it could have been great; yet, as a debut novel, it provides an interesting view into the mind of Peter Widdows', who will almost certainly be thrilling for years to come.
November 24, 2015
(Received a copy from Goodreads giveaway)
This was a brilliant and fast-paced thriller from Peter Widdows.
Sean is a journalist caught up in the scandal of BW corp while writing a piece on it. Together with Liz, his new girlfriend and colleague, they travelled across several different countries over the course of a few weeks. They left some destruction in their trail, some people dead, and more people hunting after them wherever they go.
I really enjoyed this book but must admit it's taken me much longer to read than I would've wanted to (I was prioritising other books at the time - apologies to the author).
I would recommend this to anyone up for an enjoyable and fast-paced thriller story.
This was a brilliant and fast-paced thriller from Peter Widdows.
Sean is a journalist caught up in the scandal of BW corp while writing a piece on it. Together with Liz, his new girlfriend and colleague, they travelled across several different countries over the course of a few weeks. They left some destruction in their trail, some people dead, and more people hunting after them wherever they go.
I really enjoyed this book but must admit it's taken me much longer to read than I would've wanted to (I was prioritising other books at the time - apologies to the author).
I would recommend this to anyone up for an enjoyable and fast-paced thriller story.
December 22, 2014
This review is also available on my tumblr.
I got this book from the first reads scheme. Thank You for giving me this opportunity.
This was an odd read. 3/4 of which are incredible, cinematic stylised fun that you could see becoming a fantastic film. However the last quarter is where this book goes sluggish. Very sluggish, uncomfortably so. It reminded me a lot perhaps unfavourably of Harlan Coben's Miracle Cure however that was a first draft released later not a finished book.
Theres not a lot else I can say really I loved i up and till it started getting ridiculous, the ending quarter was such a shame for what could have been a excellent book
I got this book from the first reads scheme. Thank You for giving me this opportunity.
This was an odd read. 3/4 of which are incredible, cinematic stylised fun that you could see becoming a fantastic film. However the last quarter is where this book goes sluggish. Very sluggish, uncomfortably so. It reminded me a lot perhaps unfavourably of Harlan Coben's Miracle Cure however that was a first draft released later not a finished book.
Theres not a lot else I can say really I loved i up and till it started getting ridiculous, the ending quarter was such a shame for what could have been a excellent book
February 5, 2015
Well researched and well written. This story is certainly action packed, but there are a few details which are absolutely baffling. The editing was rather poor with misspellings (such as "here" in place of "her") and some instances of truly shocking grammatical errors really spoiled this for me.
Okay, I get that this is going as a sexy thriller, but after avoiding an assassination, the protagonists would surely think of something other than getting it on.
Gritty and fast paced, but with a decent edit this would be far better.
Okay, I get that this is going as a sexy thriller, but after avoiding an assassination, the protagonists would surely think of something other than getting it on.
Gritty and fast paced, but with a decent edit this would be far better.
July 22, 2015
Thanks to goodreads I got the opportunity to read this enjoyable thriller that pretty much keeps a breakneck speed the whole way through. The tale of a curious financial journalist, whose uncharacteristic interest in the CEO of BW Corp leads him into a dangerous world. A tale of corruption on a mind bending scale and the extreme measures taken by the CEO to ensure their secrets remain just that mean that there is a fairly sizeable body count. Essentially though it is a thoroughly enjoyable cat and mouse story.
December 16, 2014
The book obviously deals with a system and structure of power that is very flawed. What I found really appealing was that the author focused on the story of an individual, following it in simple yet well-paced steps. By avoiding to do too much (expose an Illuminati conspiracy, describe a heated romance with a passionate femme fatale, etc.), the book also avoided many of the thriller genre cliches. All in all, a very satisfactory and easy read! :)
April 21, 2015
Action Packed, but Clever
This book won’t let you go once you’re into it. I found the first two chapters a bit slow, then wham! The theme, a journalist chasing a corrupt company, isn’t anything new, but the type and scale of the corruption is a complete revelation and kept me guessing how and who right to the end. Got to admit that my favourite character was Clive, not the lead character, Sean. I did like Sean, but Clive was just so much more complete.
This book won’t let you go once you’re into it. I found the first two chapters a bit slow, then wham! The theme, a journalist chasing a corrupt company, isn’t anything new, but the type and scale of the corruption is a complete revelation and kept me guessing how and who right to the end. Got to admit that my favourite character was Clive, not the lead character, Sean. I did like Sean, but Clive was just so much more complete.
November 26, 2014
This is the kind of novel that would make a good holiday read . It's a well paced thriller that flows well and is easy to read. However , I have only given it three stars because I found it so implausible- they just get straight on to planes to get out of tricky situations ; they can use their connections or wealth to get out of trouble. If you are looking for escapism you will enjoy this book .
June 8, 2015
Couldn't put this book down! The plot was great and the characters were very good. Good story. Really enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews