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The Icarus Prediction: Betting it all has its price
Some men fight tooth and nail through life, others seem blessed by the Gods. A Rhodes Scholar with an MBA from Harvard, Jarrod Stryker is of the latter variety—and the darling of banking world. Whatever he deigns to touch, obediently turns to gold.
But beneath the fine suit is a man with a history. The ex-CIA operative was dishonourably dismissed after falling on his sword to protect the woman he loved. The memories stay vivid, but the days of daring affairs and desert storms are long behind him. Gulfstreams and caviar are now more his style.
That is until he stumbles upon a conspiracy so great, it threatens to sever the threads of international diplomacy, and plunge the world into a dark age of chaos.
Jarrod Stryker will soon learn that the Gods can be fickle friends.
But beneath the fine suit is a man with a history. The ex-CIA operative was dishonourably dismissed after falling on his sword to protect the woman he loved. The memories stay vivid, but the days of daring affairs and desert storms are long behind him. Gulfstreams and caviar are now more his style.
That is until he stumbles upon a conspiracy so great, it threatens to sever the threads of international diplomacy, and plunge the world into a dark age of chaos.
Jarrod Stryker will soon learn that the Gods can be fickle friends.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2015
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September 7, 2015Copy provided by NetGalley.
As I was reading this, I thought, why haven't I heard about the blockbuster movie it's based on? Because it not only is a template for a summer movie, it reads like a novelization of a film script.
Jason Stryker (a generic name if there ever was one for your typical thriller two-fisted, two-day-stubble handsome hero) was CIA, but after he took a fall for his raven-haired, green-eyed, incredibly beautiful female partner, he became the Golden Boy for a leading Wall Street Company. But because of some high stakes game playing with the company's funds, success is about to turn into devastating failure--at the same moment a massive plot with world-ranging repercussions is being carried out in various hot spots on the world scene.
There are only two people in the world who can solve this world-threatening problem, and we race against time with Stryker and Sarah as they launch into action.
The plot points are cleverly worked out, especially some twists at the very end, but overall this serves as a perfect example of why some stories adapt to the screen and others don't: in a big budget action film, there isn't time for more than fairly simplistic motivations, and also, you see big set piece action sequences, while how they got from point A to point B in a more realistic novel would take half the book. In a film, coincidences that tie character and motivation can be eyebrow-raisers in the more sedate pacing of a book.
The prose is all over the place, sometimes limited third, sometimes omniscient when it serves the plot; the best writing are the Clancy-like info dumps about how Wall Street works for insiders looking to pull billion-dollar scams, and how that intersects with big oil, and the international fallout for same. Some of the action reads like novelization writing, far more simplistic than the fairly sophisticated data on current world economic catastrophes tied in with oil, the environment, and stock prices, especially that of crude.
I'll look out for the sequel (the threads at the end are especially tantalizing) but really, Hollywood needs to wake up and find this book. It would take about three hours to write a tight screenplay from it: the template is all laid out.
As I was reading this, I thought, why haven't I heard about the blockbuster movie it's based on? Because it not only is a template for a summer movie, it reads like a novelization of a film script.
Jason Stryker (a generic name if there ever was one for your typical thriller two-fisted, two-day-stubble handsome hero) was CIA, but after he took a fall for his raven-haired, green-eyed, incredibly beautiful female partner, he became the Golden Boy for a leading Wall Street Company. But because of some high stakes game playing with the company's funds, success is about to turn into devastating failure--at the same moment a massive plot with world-ranging repercussions is being carried out in various hot spots on the world scene.
There are only two people in the world who can solve this world-threatening problem, and we race against time with Stryker and Sarah as they launch into action.
The plot points are cleverly worked out, especially some twists at the very end, but overall this serves as a perfect example of why some stories adapt to the screen and others don't: in a big budget action film, there isn't time for more than fairly simplistic motivations, and also, you see big set piece action sequences, while how they got from point A to point B in a more realistic novel would take half the book. In a film, coincidences that tie character and motivation can be eyebrow-raisers in the more sedate pacing of a book.
The prose is all over the place, sometimes limited third, sometimes omniscient when it serves the plot; the best writing are the Clancy-like info dumps about how Wall Street works for insiders looking to pull billion-dollar scams, and how that intersects with big oil, and the international fallout for same. Some of the action reads like novelization writing, far more simplistic than the fairly sophisticated data on current world economic catastrophes tied in with oil, the environment, and stock prices, especially that of crude.
I'll look out for the sequel (the threads at the end are especially tantalizing) but really, Hollywood needs to wake up and find this book. It would take about three hours to write a tight screenplay from it: the template is all laid out.
October 25, 2015
I’m a big fan of thrillers, and while I can’t say that I’ve read a lot of books in this genre, I’ve seen all possible and impossible thriller movies. My main problem now is that it takes a really unique approach to surprise me. Otherwise, I get bored with the plot and cliché characters too soon.
This book, however, has everything I love in a good thriller. It’s totally unpredictable, gripping, with realistic characters that have their flaws like any human being, and it’s also a mix of different genres. You all know how I love tortured heroes, especially, if they’re intelligent, quick, adventurous, and overall attractive and fleshed-out. So it’s no surprise that I loved the protagonist here.
I have to add one more detail for those who aren’t particularly tech savvy and avoid books with too much tech detail – this one is just fine for anyone. The way author describes it is very easy and smooth, and it won’t distract you from the storyline.
A must read for the James Bond fans!
I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book, however, has everything I love in a good thriller. It’s totally unpredictable, gripping, with realistic characters that have their flaws like any human being, and it’s also a mix of different genres. You all know how I love tortured heroes, especially, if they’re intelligent, quick, adventurous, and overall attractive and fleshed-out. So it’s no surprise that I loved the protagonist here.
I have to add one more detail for those who aren’t particularly tech savvy and avoid books with too much tech detail – this one is just fine for anyone. The way author describes it is very easy and smooth, and it won’t distract you from the storyline.
A must read for the James Bond fans!
I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2015
The Icarus Prediction is one of those rare books that had me absolutely intrigued from beginning to end. The story is very well put together with the perfect amount of mystery, suspense, and thrill that kept me glued as I turned each page. All of the characters are extremely unique and vividly described as you go through this. I actually never read a book by RD Gupta until this and I have to say I've become a fan. Really glad I decided to download this.
August 22, 2015
There is a new action hero in town! The Icarus Prediction hits the ground running and I loved that the main character, Jarrod Stryker, is sharp, confident, and a risk taker. RD Gupta is a gripping storyteller and takes you on a wild, enjoyable ride that is equal parts suspense, mystery, and political thriller. Recommended for anyone that loves a good thriller and particularly fans of Tom Clancy or Jim Grant.
September 1, 2015
I'm a big fan of amazing books, so I read this book …but I'm really glad I finally picked it up and gave it a try. This is in particular totally blew me away. It got to the heart of everything I've always loved about this book. It’s certainly a comprehensive and amazingly exciting book to read more than once. The Author needs to know that he created a masterpiece ! I’m sincerely impressed… Wonderful Read !!! Impeccable Story !!!
January 17, 2016
In my opinion there are two kinds of super spy archetypes in literature. You have the James Bonds with their bikini body cohorts, the super spy gadgets and fast expensive cars. Then you have the Jack Ryans with their accidental spy status, their ever unquestionable honor and super analytical brains dropping the pieces into place in the nick of time. Either are capable of filling your reading hours with international thrill and intrigue. All others will try with more or less success to emulate one or the other. Move over boys, Jarrod Stryker has come into his own.
The Icarus Prediction tells the tale of once disgraced CIA agent, now Wall Street up and comer Jarrod Stryker. He has applied his CIA training to Wall Street investing and is fast rising to the top. When a terrorist attack across the globe puts his world in jeopardy, he must fix it by using all that he knows and bend a few rules along the way. He just has to not put his trust in the wrong people along the way.
I suppose it will be no surprise that I enjoyed this book or that my favorite spy archetype is the nerdy-can-handle-himself-in-a-pinch kind of guy. This story showcases the ultimate in insider trading, still it was a blast a minute to read through. It is a gripping, keep you on your toes kind of book. The story moves fast from the get go with its allusional foreshadowing in Beirut, right through to the twists at the end. It is scary at how believable it is. Jarrod Stryker will stand tall in pantheon of literary super spies.
The book was a gift in exchange for an honest review
The Icarus Prediction tells the tale of once disgraced CIA agent, now Wall Street up and comer Jarrod Stryker. He has applied his CIA training to Wall Street investing and is fast rising to the top. When a terrorist attack across the globe puts his world in jeopardy, he must fix it by using all that he knows and bend a few rules along the way. He just has to not put his trust in the wrong people along the way.
I suppose it will be no surprise that I enjoyed this book or that my favorite spy archetype is the nerdy-can-handle-himself-in-a-pinch kind of guy. This story showcases the ultimate in insider trading, still it was a blast a minute to read through. It is a gripping, keep you on your toes kind of book. The story moves fast from the get go with its allusional foreshadowing in Beirut, right through to the twists at the end. It is scary at how believable it is. Jarrod Stryker will stand tall in pantheon of literary super spies.
The book was a gift in exchange for an honest review
January 12, 2016
An enthralling spy story jumping from the Middle East to the trading floor of an American Trading giant and back again. Lots of action and intrigue, racing to a nail biting climax and a link to the sequel. Loved it!
September 12, 2015
Woah! And I don't mean it lightly! Woah!!
What a brilliant book!
What a brilliant book!
January 30, 2019
Quite an engaging read
From start to finish I was hooked. The middle was A bit slow but the pace overall was fairly good. Clearly the topic of the book was well researched and quite enjoyed the entire thing
From start to finish I was hooked. The middle was A bit slow but the pace overall was fairly good. Clearly the topic of the book was well researched and quite enjoyed the entire thing
October 28, 2015
The Icarus Prediction by RD Gupta
Jarrod Stryker is the golden boy of a small financial investment firm that managed to avoid the Wall Street collapse in 2008.Smart, good looking, and seeming to have the luck of the gods, Jarrod bets it all when his mentor and boss places their company in an untenable situation that could mean the loss of $500 million dollars, the company, and their freedom. Jarrod seems poised to beat the odds and rake in a fortune until world events take over, threatening to put the financial world and global politics in jeopardy. He’s forced to reach deep into his past as a CIA operative if he has any chance of preventing a global catastrophe.
The best thrillers are the ones that make the reader think it could happen and that is exactly what RD Gupta manages to do in The Icarus Prediction. Gupta incorporates many elements of current world conflict to give credence to the idea of a terrorist attempting an attack of this type and the resulting catastrophe. The author takes the time to develop the story and the cast of characters, building the suspense and throwing in a bit of humor in the process. Some points of the story were easy to figure out, but many others left me guessing. I could see how the dominoes were being placed, but was never sure in what direction they would fall when they were finally tipped over. ||A lot of the setup for the main story involves Wall Street and stock trading. I have some familiarity with basic trading practices, but I was a little lost when it came to trading on oil options and I wish the author had taken more time in the book to spell out how it works. It’s a key point of the story line and a major reason why Jarrod goes off to try to defeat the terrorists, so it’s worth noting. I managed to get the gist of what was going on and it didn’t take anything away from the overall plot of the book.
The Icarus Prediction is the first book in a series and the author does a good job of leaving enough questions unanswered to pique the reader’s interest in the next book without leaving a huge cliff hanger. A great read for lovers of thrillers and spy mysteries.
Jarrod Stryker is the golden boy of a small financial investment firm that managed to avoid the Wall Street collapse in 2008.Smart, good looking, and seeming to have the luck of the gods, Jarrod bets it all when his mentor and boss places their company in an untenable situation that could mean the loss of $500 million dollars, the company, and their freedom. Jarrod seems poised to beat the odds and rake in a fortune until world events take over, threatening to put the financial world and global politics in jeopardy. He’s forced to reach deep into his past as a CIA operative if he has any chance of preventing a global catastrophe.
The best thrillers are the ones that make the reader think it could happen and that is exactly what RD Gupta manages to do in The Icarus Prediction. Gupta incorporates many elements of current world conflict to give credence to the idea of a terrorist attempting an attack of this type and the resulting catastrophe. The author takes the time to develop the story and the cast of characters, building the suspense and throwing in a bit of humor in the process. Some points of the story were easy to figure out, but many others left me guessing. I could see how the dominoes were being placed, but was never sure in what direction they would fall when they were finally tipped over. ||A lot of the setup for the main story involves Wall Street and stock trading. I have some familiarity with basic trading practices, but I was a little lost when it came to trading on oil options and I wish the author had taken more time in the book to spell out how it works. It’s a key point of the story line and a major reason why Jarrod goes off to try to defeat the terrorists, so it’s worth noting. I managed to get the gist of what was going on and it didn’t take anything away from the overall plot of the book.
The Icarus Prediction is the first book in a series and the author does a good job of leaving enough questions unanswered to pique the reader’s interest in the next book without leaving a huge cliff hanger. A great read for lovers of thrillers and spy mysteries.
August 31, 2015
R.D. Gupta is yet another reason I'm glad I joined Goodreads! The Icarus Prediction is a fantastic read for anyone interested in political thrillers and suspense. I could barely put the book down once I got started! Gupta is a masterful storyteller and I can't say enough how blown away I was by the pacing and details throughout the novel.
The main character, Jarrod Stryker, is one you'll find yourself rooting for quickly as we learn why he was dishonorably discharged from his duties with the CIA. He's smart, he's got confidence for days and he's interesting. Three vital ingredients you need to keep a story moving and to keep a reader hooked. Consider me the latest, new R.D. Gupta fan! Check this one out, especially for those cold winter nights that are JUST over the horizon! It's intriguing and entertaining amd you won't regret it!
The main character, Jarrod Stryker, is one you'll find yourself rooting for quickly as we learn why he was dishonorably discharged from his duties with the CIA. He's smart, he's got confidence for days and he's interesting. Three vital ingredients you need to keep a story moving and to keep a reader hooked. Consider me the latest, new R.D. Gupta fan! Check this one out, especially for those cold winter nights that are JUST over the horizon! It's intriguing and entertaining amd you won't regret it!
October 3, 2015
Although I usually don’t read thrillers, this novel sounded so interesting that I wanted to give it a try. And I’m glad I did. The exciting story and the fast-paced style of writing makes you forget about time passing by. I think this is one of the novels one can easily finish within few days, as it flows so well, and each time a chapter ends you are keen to know what happens next.
I liked the simplicity and ease in which the novel is written. It has a pure action-driven plot, but the characters and subplots are equally as interesting and well developed. And as the conflicts in the story deepen, the author leaves you with the need to read on. I recommend this novel. It was really good.
I liked the simplicity and ease in which the novel is written. It has a pure action-driven plot, but the characters and subplots are equally as interesting and well developed. And as the conflicts in the story deepen, the author leaves you with the need to read on. I recommend this novel. It was really good.
October 4, 2015
"The Icarus Prediction" is a tense and exciting techno-thriller. While it is definitely a high-tech book, Gupta has written this so well that anyone can enjoy it regardless of the level of their technical knowledge. This is a work of fiction but it the events are chillingly plausible and that heightens the fear factor. The story line keeps moving and doesn't get bogged down with unneeded plot twists or red herrings. I really enjoyed reading this book.
March 2, 2016
The Icarus Prediction
is more of a Wall St./spy thriller than a murder mystery but I was intrigued by the mythical title and its sense of the ominous — Icarus being that character who was able to escape his prison by the use of wings, only to fly to close to the sun and become the first instance of the use of the term "crash and burn". This is RD Gupta's first novel and I received a free ecopy of this book from KadaMedia Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Ex-CIA operative Jarrod Stryker is a hot-shot investment manager on Wall St., jockeying millions of dollars for the firm, Blackenford Capital Management, and its clients using a young, high-energy team with a wide range of skills. The heart of the team was Sergei, a Russian professor who had recently added Icarus, a temperamental computer
The prologue gives us some backstory: Beirut, 2006, Stryker's CIA days — his last mission — teamed up with Sarah Kashvilli, the other Top Gun graduate from "the Farm", both recipients of the CIA Blue Heart medal for valor. They are on a mission to protect a valuable asset, Tariq alFada. Tariq was under deep cover, and, while having gained the confidence of high-level members of al-Qaeda, he was getting nervous. So Jarrod and Sarah were covering his back in a meeting with one of the top players, Ramsa alShehhi, elder brother of one of the 9/11 perpetrators. Jarrod had already wired the warehouse where the meeting was to take place hours earlier. If Tariq came out of the meeting wearing his blue baseball cap, everything was fine; if not, they blow the building up. It was shortly after this assignment that Jarrod left the CIA and joined Blackenford.
Many times in a normal day, Jarrod's CIA-acquired skills automatically kick in. His team gathers it's own information. They subscribe to "a service of 'watchers'", and Jarrod, himself, will take off in the firm's Gulfstream jet to confirm a rumour. One such rumour, and some back channel information from one of his CIA contacts about a food riot in a small village in Saudi Arabia send him off on just such a mission. Within a few days, Jarrod has confirmed the rumour of a new updated fleet of oil tankers, and the opening up of new oil from a massive field sitting waiting to be used. Putting all his intel together, first, there will be a drop in available oil as tankers go "offline" to be switched for the newer, larger tankers, therefore, a rise in price, then there will be a glut of oil on the market, prices will fall, and there's billions to be made if he can buy the oil options before the tankers start to go offline. It's a tight timeline that has to be played just right.
Added into the mix of this, Stryker becomes aware of extreme behaviour on the part of his boss, William Blackenford. His intel gathering switches to getting to the bottom of what's up with the boss. The company cruise on Blackenford's yacht — the Valkyrie — is cancelled, William hasn't been going to his weekly bridge group at the yacht club, and profit bonuses haven't been distributed; Stryker learns that the company fees at the yacht club are in arrears, as is the rent on their offices, and they're about to be evicted. After just gaining $90M in the last month for the firm, Jarrod needs to find out from Blackenford what the problem is. What he learns floors him. He's certain they are all doomed! Then, the glimmer of a plan hits him. It, put succinctly, involves betting the bank on oil without hedging the bet! Against all advice, he does it. Then, terrorists take out a pipeline in Georgia, Europe, with threats to take out another line within a few days. Jarrod has only seven days to prevent this happening before the deal closes out and everything is lost.
This is a fast-paced story with lots of interesting politics thrown in from the Middle East, and the machinations behind trading in the financial marketplace. I like the way the financial tactics and terms were all explained clearly and quickly without taking the reader away from the action. I also really liked the little maps that begin each episode away from New York city. I liked the main characters as well. Stryker has a lot of confidence but without any arrogance. He's quick-thinking, and not easily intimidated. He looks out for the people working for him, and treats people with respect. He's able to assess situations and adjust his attitude to suit. Sarah is an interesting character who comes in and out of his life, sometimes in surprising ways. She has a lot of baggage but is working her way out of it, partly through her CIA missions. And Sergei is a great addition to the mix. Other characters along the way help to flesh out the plot, adding tension and humour.
My only problem with the story (and it may only be in the ebook version), is that there were numerous places where there were parts of sentences missing only to turn up in the middle of a sentence on the next page. It was extremely distracting, and flawed an otherwise terrific story. I will be looking forward to the release of Omen of Icarus in 2017.
Ex-CIA operative Jarrod Stryker is a hot-shot investment manager on Wall St., jockeying millions of dollars for the firm, Blackenford Capital Management, and its clients using a young, high-energy team with a wide range of skills. The heart of the team was Sergei, a Russian professor who had recently added Icarus, a temperamental computer
capable of taking disparate pieces of data like weather forecasts, and blog posts, and churn out creepily accurate financial recommendations analyzing billions of pieces of data per second. [It] even scoured social sources like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to help tailor research and maximize trading recommendations.
The prologue gives us some backstory: Beirut, 2006, Stryker's CIA days — his last mission — teamed up with Sarah Kashvilli, the other Top Gun graduate from "the Farm", both recipients of the CIA Blue Heart medal for valor. They are on a mission to protect a valuable asset, Tariq alFada. Tariq was under deep cover, and, while having gained the confidence of high-level members of al-Qaeda, he was getting nervous. So Jarrod and Sarah were covering his back in a meeting with one of the top players, Ramsa alShehhi, elder brother of one of the 9/11 perpetrators. Jarrod had already wired the warehouse where the meeting was to take place hours earlier. If Tariq came out of the meeting wearing his blue baseball cap, everything was fine; if not, they blow the building up. It was shortly after this assignment that Jarrod left the CIA and joined Blackenford.
Many times in a normal day, Jarrod's CIA-acquired skills automatically kick in. His team gathers it's own information. They subscribe to "a service of 'watchers'", and Jarrod, himself, will take off in the firm's Gulfstream jet to confirm a rumour. One such rumour, and some back channel information from one of his CIA contacts about a food riot in a small village in Saudi Arabia send him off on just such a mission. Within a few days, Jarrod has confirmed the rumour of a new updated fleet of oil tankers, and the opening up of new oil from a massive field sitting waiting to be used. Putting all his intel together, first, there will be a drop in available oil as tankers go "offline" to be switched for the newer, larger tankers, therefore, a rise in price, then there will be a glut of oil on the market, prices will fall, and there's billions to be made if he can buy the oil options before the tankers start to go offline. It's a tight timeline that has to be played just right.
Added into the mix of this, Stryker becomes aware of extreme behaviour on the part of his boss, William Blackenford. His intel gathering switches to getting to the bottom of what's up with the boss. The company cruise on Blackenford's yacht — the Valkyrie — is cancelled, William hasn't been going to his weekly bridge group at the yacht club, and profit bonuses haven't been distributed; Stryker learns that the company fees at the yacht club are in arrears, as is the rent on their offices, and they're about to be evicted. After just gaining $90M in the last month for the firm, Jarrod needs to find out from Blackenford what the problem is. What he learns floors him. He's certain they are all doomed! Then, the glimmer of a plan hits him. It, put succinctly, involves betting the bank on oil without hedging the bet! Against all advice, he does it. Then, terrorists take out a pipeline in Georgia, Europe, with threats to take out another line within a few days. Jarrod has only seven days to prevent this happening before the deal closes out and everything is lost.
This is a fast-paced story with lots of interesting politics thrown in from the Middle East, and the machinations behind trading in the financial marketplace. I like the way the financial tactics and terms were all explained clearly and quickly without taking the reader away from the action. I also really liked the little maps that begin each episode away from New York city. I liked the main characters as well. Stryker has a lot of confidence but without any arrogance. He's quick-thinking, and not easily intimidated. He looks out for the people working for him, and treats people with respect. He's able to assess situations and adjust his attitude to suit. Sarah is an interesting character who comes in and out of his life, sometimes in surprising ways. She has a lot of baggage but is working her way out of it, partly through her CIA missions. And Sergei is a great addition to the mix. Other characters along the way help to flesh out the plot, adding tension and humour.
My only problem with the story (and it may only be in the ebook version), is that there were numerous places where there were parts of sentences missing only to turn up in the middle of a sentence on the next page. It was extremely distracting, and flawed an otherwise terrific story. I will be looking forward to the release of Omen of Icarus in 2017.
November 20, 2015
R.D. Grupa has written a thriller that ought to be read in one or two sittings to do the novel justice. I say this because of the number of plots and characters, two topics which will likely be unfamiliar to most readers—oil pipelines and Wall Street finance, and two settings, Chechnya and Georgia (the country). I had read The Day The Bubble Burst so the material about Wall Street did not flummoxed me as it had for other reviewers. Other than the background information on the topics and settings, The Icarus Prediction is an easy read, if the writing is a bit clichéd. I loved Sergi. To me he was the most believable. That is not to say that Jarrod, Sarah, and William Blackenford are not believable. It is just that Grupa got Sergi’s characterization and manner of speech perfect.
Essentially there are terrorists going after pipelines, some for motives personal to them while others are in the ilk of state-sponsored terrorism, Wall Street trading careers and fortunes hinging on the health of the pipelines, or lack of health in some cases, a revenge-motivated CIA agent, and hints of an on-off-on again romance, all playing out on an international stage.
A few things that bothered me. Most are nits and occurred late enough or they were minor. However, enough such instances can dispel a reader’s suspension of disbelief that is so critical in fiction. One Jarrod, the protagonist is an ex-CIA agent and yet he wears a Rolex on a black ops operation. Besides it being a Rolex which is an attention-getter itself in a setting where concealment is prized, the watch was not essential to the op. Two, New York has some of the toughest smoking laws. Yet there’s a rising plume of smoke in Jarrod’s office (near the end of the book). So was it an incense cloud in the office? Three some of the background information on Chechnya and Russia I thought should have been woven in the chapter where Shamil is introduced. Initially I did not realize he was from Chechnya. Other than that, R.D. Grupa’s start was a good one. I look forward to his expected sequel in 2017, which you can find hints of in the cliff hanger ending of this book.
I received a copy via Netgalley from the publisher for an honest review.
Essentially there are terrorists going after pipelines, some for motives personal to them while others are in the ilk of state-sponsored terrorism, Wall Street trading careers and fortunes hinging on the health of the pipelines, or lack of health in some cases, a revenge-motivated CIA agent, and hints of an on-off-on again romance, all playing out on an international stage.
A few things that bothered me. Most are nits and occurred late enough or they were minor. However, enough such instances can dispel a reader’s suspension of disbelief that is so critical in fiction. One Jarrod, the protagonist is an ex-CIA agent and yet he wears a Rolex on a black ops operation. Besides it being a Rolex which is an attention-getter itself in a setting where concealment is prized, the watch was not essential to the op. Two, New York has some of the toughest smoking laws. Yet there’s a rising plume of smoke in Jarrod’s office (near the end of the book). So was it an incense cloud in the office? Three some of the background information on Chechnya and Russia I thought should have been woven in the chapter where Shamil is introduced. Initially I did not realize he was from Chechnya. Other than that, R.D. Grupa’s start was a good one. I look forward to his expected sequel in 2017, which you can find hints of in the cliff hanger ending of this book.
I received a copy via Netgalley from the publisher for an honest review.
May 26, 2016
"The Icarus Prediction" is an interesting book that mixes Wall Street investment strategy and real-world terrorism. Jarrod Stryker is a disgraced ex-CIA operative turned investment guru. He's moved well past his CIA roots and moved headlong into his role as a mover and shaker in a small financial investment firm run by his boss and mentor. But he suddenly finds out his boss has basically bet the firm and his investors' money -- and lost -- on an ill-advised gamble. Jarrod makes an even bigger set of investment gambles to try to "right the ship" in time. And he's about to somehow escape the financial quicksand ... but he finds out about a global terrorist plot that (among other dire world-economic-catastrophe results) threatens to absolutely destroy his own chances for success.
Jarrod needs to call in a few CIA markers and rely on his previous training to go under cover and somehow find the terrorists and prevent them from carrying out their plan. He also manages to snag his long-lost love interest -- for whom he "fell on his sword" and took the blame for a failed mission, resulting in his departure from the CIA -- to help him save the world.
A lot of the first half of the book is concerned with investment strategies, but the terminology is pretty well explained. (It also helped that I had recently finished "Flash Boys" by Michael Lewis, a great book!) The rest of the book basically turned into a spy thriller, but everything still pretty much works together. Overall: 4 stars.
Jarrod needs to call in a few CIA markers and rely on his previous training to go under cover and somehow find the terrorists and prevent them from carrying out their plan. He also manages to snag his long-lost love interest -- for whom he "fell on his sword" and took the blame for a failed mission, resulting in his departure from the CIA -- to help him save the world.
A lot of the first half of the book is concerned with investment strategies, but the terminology is pretty well explained. (It also helped that I had recently finished "Flash Boys" by Michael Lewis, a great book!) The rest of the book basically turned into a spy thriller, but everything still pretty much works together. Overall: 4 stars.
September 26, 2015
This was sent to me by NetGalley. Overall I like the storyline, however parts of the book were too technical for me. The parts discussing Wall Street and how certain types of trading went down just went over my head but I do appreciate the fact that it was given to explain why certain things happened the way they did. One of the things I appreciated was that there was no excessive use of foul language. I'm so used to reading books that have use it, that it is noticeable when it is absent.
The story mainly centers around Jarrod Stryker, an ex-CIA agent who unknowingly finds himself in the middle of a global scandal involving espionage and innocent lives due to his involvement with Icarus. His former CIA partner Sarah has a one track mind in exacting revenge on the families of the terrorists involved in 9/11. Her type of single mindedness is the type of over zealous attitude that causes the CIA to get the US into more trouble than it should be in. At first some of the characters in Georgia and Turkey were a bit overwhelming because I kept getting them confused. Once I was able to keep them straight, the story became more interesting in trying to see how everything tied together. There were a lot of nice surprises near the end that I was not expecting but it definitely kept my interest in wanting to know what happens next. My main question is who created Icarus and what was it created for. I just hate the fact that I'm going to have to wait a while for the next installment
The story mainly centers around Jarrod Stryker, an ex-CIA agent who unknowingly finds himself in the middle of a global scandal involving espionage and innocent lives due to his involvement with Icarus. His former CIA partner Sarah has a one track mind in exacting revenge on the families of the terrorists involved in 9/11. Her type of single mindedness is the type of over zealous attitude that causes the CIA to get the US into more trouble than it should be in. At first some of the characters in Georgia and Turkey were a bit overwhelming because I kept getting them confused. Once I was able to keep them straight, the story became more interesting in trying to see how everything tied together. There were a lot of nice surprises near the end that I was not expecting but it definitely kept my interest in wanting to know what happens next. My main question is who created Icarus and what was it created for. I just hate the fact that I'm going to have to wait a while for the next installment
May 20, 2016
I have two major problems with this book:
1) it takes more than half the book to set up the problem, i.e. you've read more than 50% of the content before you realize the complication and before the protagonist figures it out for himself. Seriously. I understand that geopolitics and stock trading can be complicated, but I don't want to wait so long for the main problem to be introduced.
2) our "hero" is a Harvard Business School, Rhodes-scholar ex-CIA operative who is poised to become the golden boy of Wall Street after earning his firm $90 million in a single quarter. His efforts are dismissed by his formidable tyrant boss, however, as we discover that said boss is brankrupting the firm thanks to some bad investments. The tyrant boss was not satisfied being worth nine figures, and was trying to become a billionaire. So our "hero" springs into action, uses his millionaire status and former CIA credentials to avert geopolitical disaster and save the company. That's right. We're rooting for the "good guy" to save a billion dollar company. Um...
Setting aside the improbable action and "good guy" gets the beautiful-yet-emotionally-fragile girl schlock, when I realized that we were meant to have something like sympathy or empathy for the poor greedy billionaire and his problems, I kind of began really disliking the book. You want me to cheer on the rich guy so he can become richer?! Nope. Gotta give me something else.
1) it takes more than half the book to set up the problem, i.e. you've read more than 50% of the content before you realize the complication and before the protagonist figures it out for himself. Seriously. I understand that geopolitics and stock trading can be complicated, but I don't want to wait so long for the main problem to be introduced.
2) our "hero" is a Harvard Business School, Rhodes-scholar ex-CIA operative who is poised to become the golden boy of Wall Street after earning his firm $90 million in a single quarter. His efforts are dismissed by his formidable tyrant boss, however, as we discover that said boss is brankrupting the firm thanks to some bad investments. The tyrant boss was not satisfied being worth nine figures, and was trying to become a billionaire. So our "hero" springs into action, uses his millionaire status and former CIA credentials to avert geopolitical disaster and save the company. That's right. We're rooting for the "good guy" to save a billion dollar company. Um...
Setting aside the improbable action and "good guy" gets the beautiful-yet-emotionally-fragile girl schlock, when I realized that we were meant to have something like sympathy or empathy for the poor greedy billionaire and his problems, I kind of began really disliking the book. You want me to cheer on the rich guy so he can become richer?! Nope. Gotta give me something else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2016
Jarrod Stryker is the Golden Boy of Wall Street. A Rhodes Scholar with a Harvard MBA, everything he touches turns to gold. Before coming to Wall Street, though, Jarrod had done a stint in the CIA, joining after 9/11, but when he took the blame for an operation gone wrong to cover for the woman he loved, he was dishonorably discharged from the Agency.
Now, he’s stumbled across a conspiracy that threatens not only his new-found wealth and celebrity, but the economic stability of the world. Jarrod has to call on his old lover and his former Agency comrades to stop a vicious terrorist before the world’s oil supply is severely disrupted, an event that could also bring down his boss and mentor, a man he thinks of as a surrogate father.
The Icarus Prediction by R. D. Gupta is a breathtaking thriller that zooms from the lofty heights of Wall Street to the rugged mountains of Central Asia, as Jarrod and his lover go up against a conspiracy involving the shadowy secret agencies of several countries. This is the kind of story that quickens your pulse with each turn of the page; with more twists and turns than a python with prey in its grasp. Once it gets hold of you, it never lets go until the end.
Now, he’s stumbled across a conspiracy that threatens not only his new-found wealth and celebrity, but the economic stability of the world. Jarrod has to call on his old lover and his former Agency comrades to stop a vicious terrorist before the world’s oil supply is severely disrupted, an event that could also bring down his boss and mentor, a man he thinks of as a surrogate father.
The Icarus Prediction by R. D. Gupta is a breathtaking thriller that zooms from the lofty heights of Wall Street to the rugged mountains of Central Asia, as Jarrod and his lover go up against a conspiracy involving the shadowy secret agencies of several countries. This is the kind of story that quickens your pulse with each turn of the page; with more twists and turns than a python with prey in its grasp. Once it gets hold of you, it never lets go until the end.
March 9, 2016
“The Icarus Prediction” by R.D. Gupta is an intriguing genre mix between financial, spy and geopolitical thriller, effortlessly combining the best elements of all three!
Gupta’s first outing has not as much pages as my usual reads (normally they count at least 300) but I’m glad that I picked it up nonetheless! The smaller size in content doesn’t result in a less compelling plot, quite on the contrary in fact. Mr. Gupta cuts right to the chase and I was hooked from the very beginning!
The Characters – especially Jarrod and Sarah – are superbly fleshed out. The plot is fast paced, has a great variety of characters and places and provides some jaw dropping twists (especially near the end), which you will never see coming!
Gupta’s writing style is quite unique, using a very sophisticated language, which is very pleasant to read. That said, the author did a great job of breaking down the complex mechanics on Wall Street to a point, where even a complete stranger to the financial world like me, could easily understand them!
Overall this a very entertaining read, which deals with interesting and very timely topics. Well done Mr. Gupta, I can’t wait for the sequel!
Gupta’s first outing has not as much pages as my usual reads (normally they count at least 300) but I’m glad that I picked it up nonetheless! The smaller size in content doesn’t result in a less compelling plot, quite on the contrary in fact. Mr. Gupta cuts right to the chase and I was hooked from the very beginning!
The Characters – especially Jarrod and Sarah – are superbly fleshed out. The plot is fast paced, has a great variety of characters and places and provides some jaw dropping twists (especially near the end), which you will never see coming!
Gupta’s writing style is quite unique, using a very sophisticated language, which is very pleasant to read. That said, the author did a great job of breaking down the complex mechanics on Wall Street to a point, where even a complete stranger to the financial world like me, could easily understand them!
Overall this a very entertaining read, which deals with interesting and very timely topics. Well done Mr. Gupta, I can’t wait for the sequel!
July 12, 2016
First off the country is spelled "Colombia", not "Columbia"!
This started off pretty interesting but the financial trades are unrealistically easy in the interest of driving the plot, particularly in creating an arbitrary problem so the story could pivot. Around the 60% mark of the book, you get the big twist and the rest loses the any sense of urgency. The minor characters were pretty stock out of casting, one is described as a "geek" and then it goes off describing what you'd already imagined in your mind as a geek for the next page. Not really necessary.
Workable story but not that great either as financial fodder or action thriller.
This started off pretty interesting but the financial trades are unrealistically easy in the interest of driving the plot, particularly in creating an arbitrary problem so the story could pivot. Around the 60% mark of the book, you get the big twist and the rest loses the any sense of urgency. The minor characters were pretty stock out of casting, one is described as a "geek" and then it goes off describing what you'd already imagined in your mind as a geek for the next page. Not really necessary.
Workable story but not that great either as financial fodder or action thriller.
November 3, 2015
The worlds of Wall Street and black ops collide in this story of revenge, love, terrorism and obscene profit. The story shifts between times and places setting the stage for an ending that is pulse-pounding. The two main characters are definitely larger-than-life, as should be expected in this genre. Several of the minor characters are quite interesting and add to the enjoyment of the book. This is well worth a read, but set aside the time as it is difficult to put down. Definitely highly imaginative and entertaining.
January 7, 2016
Economics And Terror
This shows how terrorism effects the economy. An oil pipeline in Alaska is attacked and the price of oil jumps.
Good for those with stocks in oil companies but not so much for those who don't.
This shows how terrorism effects the economy. An oil pipeline in Alaska is attacked and the price of oil jumps.
Good for those with stocks in oil companies but not so much for those who don't.
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