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The Carnage Account
Hedge fund manager Rory Cage has almost everything: piles of cash, his own NBA team, and a thrilling new profit center that turns murder into money. He’s investing heavily in so-called “death bonds,” which allow investors to purchase cut-rate life insurance policies from the living, collecting the full amount when they die. Rory, a true entrepreneur, takes matters—and lives—into his own hands, ensuring a faster payout and sending him down a rabbit hole of sociopathic amusements. But even murderous madmen want love, and Rory has his heart set on impressive public-relations expert Dawn Knight. There’s just one problem: Clay Harbor, a Navy SEAL turned doctor who has been carrying a torch for Dawn, is back in town. Clay has chosen to put his energies toward saving lives for the moment, but deep down, he is as skilled and ruthless a killer as Rory.
The acclaimed author of Odd Jobs returns with a twisted romp through the dark side of Wall Street.
The acclaimed author of Odd Jobs returns with a twisted romp through the dark side of Wall Street.
- GenresMystery
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2014
28 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 6, 2016
This was a fun little murder mystery along the lines of Darkly Dreaming Dexter. You fall in love with, and support the efforts of the antagonist, because he is written so well, all the while feeling guilty for thinking this way. (Who cheers for the bad guy?)
This story could have gone on book after book - with Cory being a cross between Dexter and Christian Grey.
Sadly, this is not to be. Mr. Lieberman broke my heart because
This story could have gone on book after book - with Cory being a cross between Dexter and Christian Grey.
Sadly, this is not to be. Mr. Lieberman broke my heart because
October 28, 2014
REVIEW: THE CARNAGE ACCOUNT
First of all, I LOVED this book. Loved it and going to reread it. Why is that so strange? If asked a few days ago if I'd like reading about Wall Street, One-Percenters, and hedge funds? Simple answer: not. Well, that was before Ben Lieberman came along; or rather, prior to my discovery of him (thank you, NETGALLEY!!) I had scarcely finished the first chapter when I flew off to Amazon to purchase his earlier novel, ODD JOBS. Now, that's a compliment!
Rory Cage is some kind of protagonist: Wall Street Young Turk, hedge fun whiz kid, and stone killer. What's to love? Actually--quite a bit. I.found myself really admiring this guy, cold-hearted, cold-blooded Narcissistic, greed-driven creature that he is. What he holds in common with humanity is physiology only. But I admire him. The other characters are finely-tuned character studies, too; the Rapunzelish aloof isolation of Dawn; antihero military physician Clay Harbor, former unwitting bad-boy turned SEAL, combination healer and experienced killer; and Jared Knight, Dawn's father and the real love of her life.
First of all, I LOVED this book. Loved it and going to reread it. Why is that so strange? If asked a few days ago if I'd like reading about Wall Street, One-Percenters, and hedge funds? Simple answer: not. Well, that was before Ben Lieberman came along; or rather, prior to my discovery of him (thank you, NETGALLEY!!) I had scarcely finished the first chapter when I flew off to Amazon to purchase his earlier novel, ODD JOBS. Now, that's a compliment!
Rory Cage is some kind of protagonist: Wall Street Young Turk, hedge fun whiz kid, and stone killer. What's to love? Actually--quite a bit. I.found myself really admiring this guy, cold-hearted, cold-blooded Narcissistic, greed-driven creature that he is. What he holds in common with humanity is physiology only. But I admire him. The other characters are finely-tuned character studies, too; the Rapunzelish aloof isolation of Dawn; antihero military physician Clay Harbor, former unwitting bad-boy turned SEAL, combination healer and experienced killer; and Jared Knight, Dawn's father and the real love of her life.
December 3, 2014
“The Carnage Account” by Ben Lieberman is an explosive and hugely entertaining financial thriller about a truly bad guy: hedge fund manager Rory Cage, whom we witness right at the beginning committing a heartless murder, almost just for fun.
Rich and ruthless his heart however is set on Dawn who works in his firm and whose heart is set in turn on someone else.
Lieberman allows us great insight into the world of the rich and powerful with great descriptions of the life of corporate executives and money dealings. He clearly has excellent background knowledge, while presenting us with three excellent characters in a dynamic and unpredictable triangle. Each has their own background that unfolds with well written dialogue and fast paced action and a good plot.
Very enjoyable.
Rich and ruthless his heart however is set on Dawn who works in his firm and whose heart is set in turn on someone else.
Lieberman allows us great insight into the world of the rich and powerful with great descriptions of the life of corporate executives and money dealings. He clearly has excellent background knowledge, while presenting us with three excellent characters in a dynamic and unpredictable triangle. Each has their own background that unfolds with well written dialogue and fast paced action and a good plot.
Very enjoyable.
November 14, 2014
Strange, fiction thriller, maybe.
Sociological, hedge fund manager and owner of NBA team. Navy seals, private contractors. Hope government isn't paying seals to protect poppy fields. Interesting characters develop slowly, death funds lead to murders.
Sociological, hedge fund manager and owner of NBA team. Navy seals, private contractors. Hope government isn't paying seals to protect poppy fields. Interesting characters develop slowly, death funds lead to murders.
December 3, 2020
Great read!!
I really liked this book, it kept my interest throughout I will be looking for other books by this author
I really liked this book, it kept my interest throughout I will be looking for other books by this author
November 5, 2014
Ben Lieberman hits another home run
When Ben Lieberman produced his first novel ODD JOBS in 2011 this reviewer had the following to say: `Read even the first few pages of this debut novel by New York writer Ben Lieberman and then try to believe that this is his first novel! ODD JOBS is a quirky, entertaining, at times edge of the seat novel that is most impressive in the quality of writing that Lieberman demonstrates. He is always in the moment of the story, has created enough of a history for each of his carefully drawn characters that benefit the credibility of each of them when the asides happen, and most of all he understands architecture of knowing when to begin and end chapters that makes them like the connected cars on a moving train, a train so fast moving that the reader dares not jump off for relief. Yes, he really is that fine a writer.'
Now here we are with outing #2 in a book that for starters has the engaging title of THE CARNAGE ACCOUNT and every thing said about book #1 holds true in this test of tenacity for an author. The ability to make a lethal personality such as main character Rory Cage, whose life's work is despicably gross, a man with whom we feel comfortable following is a giant leap. But given that the story Lieberman weaves is creative, shines a very bright light on the dank dark cave of Wall Street realities, takes the lid of the very au courant scandals of the wealth and the owners of major sports teams, and goes so far as to describe `death bonds' - that is major fodder for thought.
We meet Rory Cage, a hedge fund manager (his Dr Jekyll persona) who among other ways of gathering income encourages men in financial distress to sell their insurance polices for less than their worth, the one who pays the cut-rate amount diminishes the return to his family at the time of his but the buyer who then owns the policy gains the full values (his Mr. Hyde). Rory is a buyer, then murders the seller, and collects the full amount of the policy. To note: he has purchased a 5 million dollar policy from athlete Jay Eichel, then trains himself into perfect physical condition, so that during a Triathlon he is able to compete along side Jay, drown him, and collect the money of the full policy - the completion of a death bond. Mix with this the fact that Rory also happens to own a NBA team and uses that leverage to gain more money, that he is somewhat of a lothario and meets his match when his current paramour Dawn and her ex Navy Seal cum physician get in the way of yet another death and we watch the downfall of Rory Cage.
Ben Lieberman has successfully launched his career as a very fine writer who doesn't need popular crutches to assist his potential as one of the rising American talents in literature. That, and add his personable persona who has first hand experience in the arena in which he writes this book: he worked in institutional sales and trading for some of the most venerable banks in the world, and worked at JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Royal Bank of Canada, and even Lehman Brothers at the very end during the financial meltdown of 2008. Toss in the fact that he is a male model hunk appearing gentleman and what else does he need? Read him. He is addictive.
When Ben Lieberman produced his first novel ODD JOBS in 2011 this reviewer had the following to say: `Read even the first few pages of this debut novel by New York writer Ben Lieberman and then try to believe that this is his first novel! ODD JOBS is a quirky, entertaining, at times edge of the seat novel that is most impressive in the quality of writing that Lieberman demonstrates. He is always in the moment of the story, has created enough of a history for each of his carefully drawn characters that benefit the credibility of each of them when the asides happen, and most of all he understands architecture of knowing when to begin and end chapters that makes them like the connected cars on a moving train, a train so fast moving that the reader dares not jump off for relief. Yes, he really is that fine a writer.'
Now here we are with outing #2 in a book that for starters has the engaging title of THE CARNAGE ACCOUNT and every thing said about book #1 holds true in this test of tenacity for an author. The ability to make a lethal personality such as main character Rory Cage, whose life's work is despicably gross, a man with whom we feel comfortable following is a giant leap. But given that the story Lieberman weaves is creative, shines a very bright light on the dank dark cave of Wall Street realities, takes the lid of the very au courant scandals of the wealth and the owners of major sports teams, and goes so far as to describe `death bonds' - that is major fodder for thought.
We meet Rory Cage, a hedge fund manager (his Dr Jekyll persona) who among other ways of gathering income encourages men in financial distress to sell their insurance polices for less than their worth, the one who pays the cut-rate amount diminishes the return to his family at the time of his but the buyer who then owns the policy gains the full values (his Mr. Hyde). Rory is a buyer, then murders the seller, and collects the full amount of the policy. To note: he has purchased a 5 million dollar policy from athlete Jay Eichel, then trains himself into perfect physical condition, so that during a Triathlon he is able to compete along side Jay, drown him, and collect the money of the full policy - the completion of a death bond. Mix with this the fact that Rory also happens to own a NBA team and uses that leverage to gain more money, that he is somewhat of a lothario and meets his match when his current paramour Dawn and her ex Navy Seal cum physician get in the way of yet another death and we watch the downfall of Rory Cage.
Ben Lieberman has successfully launched his career as a very fine writer who doesn't need popular crutches to assist his potential as one of the rising American talents in literature. That, and add his personable persona who has first hand experience in the arena in which he writes this book: he worked in institutional sales and trading for some of the most venerable banks in the world, and worked at JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Royal Bank of Canada, and even Lehman Brothers at the very end during the financial meltdown of 2008. Toss in the fact that he is a male model hunk appearing gentleman and what else does he need? Read him. He is addictive.
May 27, 2015
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Hedge fund manager Rory Cage has almost everything: piles of cash, his own NBA team, and a thrilling new profit center that turns murder into money. He’s investing heavily in so-called “death bonds,” which allow investors to purchase cut-rate life insurance policies from the living, collecting the full amount when they die. Rory, a true entrepreneur, takes matters—and lives—into his own hands, ensuring a faster payout and sending him down a rabbit hole of sociopathic amusements. But even murderous madmen want love, and Rory has his heart set on impressive public-relations expert Dawn Knight. There’s just one problem: Clay Harbor, a Navy SEAL turned doctor who has been carrying a torch for Dawn, is back in town. Clay has chosen to put his energies toward saving lives for the moment, but deep down, he is as skilled and ruthless a killer as Rory.
Ben Lieberman has written a very entertaining novel. A bad guy right out of the front pages of the daily newspapers: money, fame, a sports team - he has it all. But he wants more. And he goes to almost psychopathic lengths to attain them.
I have to admit that I was truly taken in by the plot outline when I first saw it on Net Galley. Done well, this could be a very cool book - and, as far as the storytelling goes, he hit this one out of the park. Some great characters, settings and and some scenes that keep you turning the pages. A mighty impressive piece of work.
However, the one thing that let me down - and it is a big thing for me - was the dialogue. Such a fundamental part of telling a story, this book just let itself down with such poor dialogue. There were times that the characters were waffling on for no good reason. An example: early on, Rory spends quite some time explaining how the salary cap works in basketball. Who cares? Not important to the story, nor was it very interesting. Wooden delivery - like it was copy/pasted from the NBA Rules pages.
Having said that, if you can get past the dialogue (and a lot of people aren't as picky as I am with it) then I think you can really enjoy this story. Give it a whirl!!
Paul
ARH
Hedge fund manager Rory Cage has almost everything: piles of cash, his own NBA team, and a thrilling new profit center that turns murder into money. He’s investing heavily in so-called “death bonds,” which allow investors to purchase cut-rate life insurance policies from the living, collecting the full amount when they die. Rory, a true entrepreneur, takes matters—and lives—into his own hands, ensuring a faster payout and sending him down a rabbit hole of sociopathic amusements. But even murderous madmen want love, and Rory has his heart set on impressive public-relations expert Dawn Knight. There’s just one problem: Clay Harbor, a Navy SEAL turned doctor who has been carrying a torch for Dawn, is back in town. Clay has chosen to put his energies toward saving lives for the moment, but deep down, he is as skilled and ruthless a killer as Rory.
Ben Lieberman has written a very entertaining novel. A bad guy right out of the front pages of the daily newspapers: money, fame, a sports team - he has it all. But he wants more. And he goes to almost psychopathic lengths to attain them.
I have to admit that I was truly taken in by the plot outline when I first saw it on Net Galley. Done well, this could be a very cool book - and, as far as the storytelling goes, he hit this one out of the park. Some great characters, settings and and some scenes that keep you turning the pages. A mighty impressive piece of work.
However, the one thing that let me down - and it is a big thing for me - was the dialogue. Such a fundamental part of telling a story, this book just let itself down with such poor dialogue. There were times that the characters were waffling on for no good reason. An example: early on, Rory spends quite some time explaining how the salary cap works in basketball. Who cares? Not important to the story, nor was it very interesting. Wooden delivery - like it was copy/pasted from the NBA Rules pages.
Having said that, if you can get past the dialogue (and a lot of people aren't as picky as I am with it) then I think you can really enjoy this story. Give it a whirl!!
Paul
ARH
Want to read
June 27, 2020Thinking of selling your life insurance policy? Read The Carnage Account by Ben Lieberman before you do.
Rory Cage is a very successful Wall Street hedge fund manager with piles of cash and his own NBA team. He also has a secret. He buys up life insurance policies for pennies on the dollar. When his hedge fund needs a boost in earnings, the life insurance policies pay off – whether the insured is ready to die or not.
Greed and the power that being rich offers bring out Cage’s sociopathic tendencies and the bodies pile up. Mix in a love interest (his current PR chief Dawn Knight) and her former boyfriend (former Navy SEAL and now ER doc) Clay Harbor and you have an action-packed novel that will keep you engaged from start to finish. It may also give you second thoughts about selling that life insurance policy you think you no longer need.
The author, drawing on his own experiences working for JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Royal Bank of Canada, and Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial meltdown, weaves enough authenticity into The Carnage Account that you may wonder if you’re reading fiction or a thinly veiled account of what he may have seen in his prior life working for Wall Street. And, if you doubt that Wall Street buys up life insurance policies just like it buys stocks and bonds, at the end of the book Mr. Lieberman kindly offers to send readers to a page on his website with links to a BusinessWeek article on ‘death bonds’ and to other sources that show you just how real The Carnage Account could be.
I am willing to forgive Mr. Lieberman’s tendency to have Cage pay much more than the real life settlement industry would pay for a life insurance policy. After all, Rory Cage wasn’t just investing in life insurance policies; he was also satisfying his need to decide who gets to die so that he can make those quarterly earnings that Wall Street is so keen on.
This review is based on a copy of the book provided by the publisher.
Full review at walterbristow.com
Rory Cage is a very successful Wall Street hedge fund manager with piles of cash and his own NBA team. He also has a secret. He buys up life insurance policies for pennies on the dollar. When his hedge fund needs a boost in earnings, the life insurance policies pay off – whether the insured is ready to die or not.
Greed and the power that being rich offers bring out Cage’s sociopathic tendencies and the bodies pile up. Mix in a love interest (his current PR chief Dawn Knight) and her former boyfriend (former Navy SEAL and now ER doc) Clay Harbor and you have an action-packed novel that will keep you engaged from start to finish. It may also give you second thoughts about selling that life insurance policy you think you no longer need.
The author, drawing on his own experiences working for JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Royal Bank of Canada, and Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial meltdown, weaves enough authenticity into The Carnage Account that you may wonder if you’re reading fiction or a thinly veiled account of what he may have seen in his prior life working for Wall Street. And, if you doubt that Wall Street buys up life insurance policies just like it buys stocks and bonds, at the end of the book Mr. Lieberman kindly offers to send readers to a page on his website with links to a BusinessWeek article on ‘death bonds’ and to other sources that show you just how real The Carnage Account could be.
I am willing to forgive Mr. Lieberman’s tendency to have Cage pay much more than the real life settlement industry would pay for a life insurance policy. After all, Rory Cage wasn’t just investing in life insurance policies; he was also satisfying his need to decide who gets to die so that he can make those quarterly earnings that Wall Street is so keen on.
This review is based on a copy of the book provided by the publisher.
Full review at walterbristow.com
November 4, 2014
Big Bang for the Buck!
I finished this book in two days, the last half in one sitting. The character of Rory was a very compelling one. I was engrossed by the plots and twists that he strived for. You know who commits these murders right away but that's ok because this book keeps compelling you to read on.
The author had his degree in journalism and his research is spot on. The events in this book mirrored real life events in our time. World events.
in giving this book 5 stars because it was an intriguing read, great price and because the author lists his email that you can request a free PDF and see where he culled his idea from in what was actually happening around us.
I finished this book in two days, the last half in one sitting. The character of Rory was a very compelling one. I was engrossed by the plots and twists that he strived for. You know who commits these murders right away but that's ok because this book keeps compelling you to read on.
The author had his degree in journalism and his research is spot on. The events in this book mirrored real life events in our time. World events.
in giving this book 5 stars because it was an intriguing read, great price and because the author lists his email that you can request a free PDF and see where he culled his idea from in what was actually happening around us.
December 18, 2014
Ben Lieberman is a capable writer, his story flows, and his plotting is good. I even like the premise of the book. However, dialog and characters are terrible. To have a former Navy SEAL black operator, who also happens to have an MD is a tremendous stretch, even if the character were in his 40s, but to have one in his early 30s is ridiculous. This is just one example. Even if I could get passed the characters, the dialog was horrible. Far too many cliches I counted the use of "girl" several times in a conversation between two educated women.
I hate to give a bad review, I know how hard it is to write a good book. What I will say is if Mr. Lieberman would pay attention to detail in his characters and dialog, his work would improve tremendously.
I hate to give a bad review, I know how hard it is to write a good book. What I will say is if Mr. Lieberman would pay attention to detail in his characters and dialog, his work would improve tremendously.
November 15, 2014
Liberman has given us an unusual novel. We have seen various books about psychotic or sociopathic personalities. This is one that is a little different in that this personality can function exceptionally well in some circumstances. The characters are human and believable. As the novel rushes to a climax you are hoping that the "good" characters are able to foil the "bad" ones. It is a good read.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
August 27, 2015
I enjoyed this book, although I advise people who don't enjoy reading about truly evil people to avoid this book. The main villain, Rory Cage, along with his henchman, Major Darwin, are two of the most evil and self-absorbed characters I have ever read. They were disturbing and voyeuristically intriguing at the same time.
The book has some pacing issues; it seems to jump forward sometimes and drag out at others in a haphazard way. The story and the characters, though, are interesting and relatable. I would definitely read Ben Lieberman's next novel.
The book has some pacing issues; it seems to jump forward sometimes and drag out at others in a haphazard way. The story and the characters, though, are interesting and relatable. I would definitely read Ben Lieberman's next novel.
January 10, 2015
Thanks to those who read this book before me. Your reviews got me!!
After reading a few review s I knew I had to read this book. This was a quick moving story that kept you turning the page. I love a mystery and this sensational. The characters were strong and complicated. I highly recommend this book. You truly won't want to put it down.
After reading a few review s I knew I had to read this book. This was a quick moving story that kept you turning the page. I love a mystery and this sensational. The characters were strong and complicated. I highly recommend this book. You truly won't want to put it down.
December 28, 2014
Ah! The military way!!
It makes you think about what happens when the mission becomes more important than anything else. Is our military really more ,often than not doing the wrong things for what they think are the right reasons. This book is worth reading. It makes you think.
It makes you think about what happens when the mission becomes more important than anything else. Is our military really more ,often than not doing the wrong things for what they think are the right reasons. This book is worth reading. It makes you think.
August 1, 2015
I received this as a first read. This book is an entertaining read. I really liked how the story flowed. I definitely liked the way the author wrote this mystery. Definitely a page turner. great for those that like fast pace reads and / or mystery's.
July 11, 2015
Not good, relies too much on cliches to describe financial professionals.
December 31, 2014
Hard to stay focused on this one.
how could a guy stuck with a horn continue? How could a guy with scissors in the neck-- live and talk?
how could a guy stuck with a horn continue? How could a guy with scissors in the neck-- live and talk?
February 18, 2015
Waist of time
Thankfully it was not too long. Very banal story, wooden characters, not much action. Might be not bad for beach read but as last resort
Thankfully it was not too long. Very banal story, wooden characters, not much action. Might be not bad for beach read but as last resort
March 14, 2015
Not quite as entertaining as Odd Job. The female heroine was too perfect and too dippy, the bad guy too evil and the good guy not entirely believable
October 14, 2015
Interesting - a bit far fetched.
December 26, 2014
GREAT BOOK..LOVED IT FANTASTIC MYSTERY!!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews