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Il ne peut vivre dans le mensonge. Mais survivra-t-il à la vérité ? Le monde des banques suisses et de la haute finance internationale ne fait pas de sentiments. Tout a un prix, tout s'achète. Et derrière cette façade de glace, se cachent bien d'autres secrets que le secret bancaire. Nicholas Neumann va l'apprendre, au péril de sa vie. Ex-marine, diplômé de la Harvard Business School, le héros de ce thriller a tout pour plaire : un avenir prometteur, un job et une fiancée de rêve. Pourtant, il est prêt à tout sacrifier pour savoir qui a tué son père. Christopher Reich, un initié qui a lui-même travaillé pour une grande banque de Genève, nous fait pénétrer les arcanes de cet univers de l'ombre. Les labyrinthes où se jouent tant de transactions confidentielles ont-ils été témoins du meurtre du père de Nicholas ? Attention ! Premier roman explosif. Un suspense financier digne des meilleurs Grisham dont l'angoissante authenticité a déjà passionné des millions de lecteurs aux Etats-Unis où il est un best-seller.
592 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 1998
299 people are currently reading
1502 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Reich
27 books727 followersChristopher Reich was born in Tokyo. In 1965 his family moved to Los Angeles. He attended Georgetown University and the University of Texas and worked in Switzerland before returning to the United States to become an author. His novel The Patriots Club won the International Thriller Writers award for Best Novel in 2006. He lives in Encinitas, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
June 11, 2018
For one thing, I disliked the overuse of speaking names. How did the two rivaling top bankers get to be called Konig ('king') and Kaiser ('caesar'). Really? Cheesy, are there no other German family names? Also, the Adler ('eagle') Bank? Neumann 'new man'?
This plot at many points is based on ridiculous stuff.
The whole thing with a clerk (really, Alex is a clerk) managing to hide a transaction from the review? Unlikely.
The battlefield promotion? What for did it happen?
The girl issues? Felt too neatly tucked to be true. Nasty business, at any angle.
The purchase of one bank by the other by you know who? What for? The guy could have had 2 separate banks in his pocket at the same price, from what I gather.
PS. As soon as big data advent happens all the way and is used proactively for AML procedure, the matrix thing is likely to get pointless, since after a certain amount of repetitions the operations will be sticking out from the general noise. Basically, it should be possible to map the payments without the info from the sending link (in our case, the USB).
Q:
You’re in, Nick told himself in the admonishing tone that had belonged to his father. Keep your mouth closed and your ears open. Become one of them....
Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut, his father’s stern voice reminded him. Become one of them. ...
Nick looked his interrogator in the eye.
Don’t waver. Show them you’re a true believer. Become one of them. (c)
Q:
He was trying hard to sit more casually—drop a shoulder, maybe slouch a little. It wasn’t easy. (c)
Q:
“Here’s the drill: A client will call, give you his account number, probably want to know his cash balance or the value of the stocks in his portfolio. Before you give out any information, confirm his or her identity. All our clients have code words to identify themselves. Ask for it. Maybe ask their birthday on top of that. Makes them feel secure. But that’s as far as your curiosity runs. If a client wants to transfer fifty thousand deutsche marks a week to an account in Palermo, you say,“Prego, Signore. Con gusto.’ If he insists on sending monthly cash wires to a dozen John Does at a dozen different banks in Washington, D.C., you say, “Of course, sir. It’s my pleasure.’ Where our clients’ money comes from and what they choose to do with it are entirely their own business.” (c)
Q:
Her stern voice made him want to square his shoulders, fire off a salute, and bark out his name, rank, and serial number. That would make her jump... (c)
Q:
He jogged several yards, shaking off the bank’s behavioral corset, then slowed to gulp down a lungful of the pure Swiss air. (c)
Q:
He had been gung ho from the day he arrived at Officer Candidate School until the day he got out. Loyalty to the Corps went beyond politics and beyond mission. It sat in your gut forever like an unexploded grenade, and even now three years since he last wore a uniform, just hearing another’s call of Semper fi triggered an unwanted flood of memories. (c)
Q:
Dull? Nick asked himself. Today I shielded the assets of a suspect wanted by the international authorities. I was followed through the streets by a guy dressed like Sherlock Holmes, and I was threatened by a rabid drug enforcement agent. Where else can you sign up for those kind of thrills? (c)
Q:
“You do not question,” he said. “You do not explain. You close your eyes and count the money. You perform your duties in a professional manner, you take your handsome fee, and you sleep soundly each and every night. Once or twice a year you jump on a plane and fly to a beach where the sun shines more than in this miserable hole and sip a piña colada. Peter Sprecher’s recipe for long life, brilliant success, and unsurpassed happiness. A thick billfold and two tickets to St.-Tropez, first class.”
“I’m glad you can live with it.” (c)
Q:
No, he swears, the rocks won’t kill me. The mountains won’t kill me. No one will.
…
I have to go on, he tells himself. I can’t stay here. And like a divine gift, the thought forms inside him that he must make it to the summit—that this time he doesn’t have a choice. And he tells himself, “I will reach the top of this mountain. Yes, I will.” (c)
Q:
Normally, he was thankful for the unerring efficiency of the Swiss. No other country oversaw the execution of a client’s instructions with such exactitude. The French were arrogant. The Chinese imprecise. The Cayman Islanders—who could trust that colony of self-serving financial leeches? The Swiss were polite, deferential, and exact. They followed orders to the letter. And so his escape, when analyzed, grew more storied. For it was the disobeying of a clearly defined order that had permitted him to flee the grasp of the international authorities. (c)
Q:
He wondered what sea they were floating on tonight. (c)
Q:
Kaiser had embarked on a lecture decrying the loss of the well-rounded banker. “Today it’s all specialization,” he said disparagingly, flicking up the horns of his mustache. “Take Bauer in risk arbitrage. Try asking him about the current mortgage rate and the man will look at you as if you had asked directions to the moon. Or Leuenberger in derivatives. The man’s brilliant. He can talk until Christ’s second coming about index options, interest rate swaps, the like. But if I had to ask him whether we should loan two hundred million to Asea Brown Boveri, he would panic. Probably shrivel up and die. The United Swiss Bank requires managers who can grasp the finer points of all our bank’s activities and fashion a coherent strategic vision from them. Men not afraid to make the difficult decision.” (c)
Q:
Nick was hardly a seasoned expert on banking practice. He didn’t need to be to realize that if one client had made transfers and deposits totaling more than two billion dollars over a seven-year period, a lot more than three people were going to know about it.
…
Finally, just the act of depositing one million dollars in banknotes every month would beg the attention, if not inspire the conversation, of the b (cank’s sharp-eyed logistical staff. The same portfolio manager arriving at the cash window two, three, maybe four times each month with an armful of greenbacks, always on behalf of the same client, year after year, would be as conspicuous to any and all members of the bank as a woman walking stark naked into its lobby and asking directions to the Basel Zoo. (c)
Q:
“Sorry for not following your precious decorum. In America we are taught to take the bull by the horns, or as my daddy used to say, to grab the goat by the balls.”
“How charming. Please take a seat. Or would you prefer the floor?”
Thorne sat on the couch. (c)
Q:
Happiness, he said, equaled reality divided by expectation. If you don’t hope for much, then reality will almost surely beat your expectations, therefore you’ll be happy. If you expect the world, you’ll always be disappointed. The problem is for folks who always want to be happy, the dreamers who put a big ten on the bottom of that equation. (c)
Q:
The boy was a wizard. Nothing less. Hambros committing this morning; and yesterday afternoon, Banker’s Trust—the cagiest outfit on the street. Neumann had argued to the rocket scientists in Manhattan that USB shares—given current management, of course—were an effective hedge against Banker’s Trust’s own volatile earnings. They’d swallowed his argument hook, line, and sinker. It was nothing short of miraculous. One of Konig’s fire-spewing brethren, disciples of the “lose a hand, double the next” school of trading, and they had committed to the boring old farts at USB. Kaiser whooped. A fucking miracle! (c)
Q:
“Mr. Sprecher,” answered Faris over the continuous buzz, “you are sitting in the center of the trading floor of a bank that derives its entire income from buying and selling financial instruments. If you have a problem hearing, I’ll be happy to order you a headset. Until then, mind your own fucking business. Okay?” (c)
Q:
They were fearless supporters of other men’s battles. (c)
Q:
“We had a personal disagreement,” said Nick, checking his anger. “He wanted to kill me. I didn’t think it was such a great idea. He had a gun. I had a knife. It was almost a fair fight.” (c)
Q:
Once we choose our paths, we are committed. You, me, your father. We’re all the same. We’re true to ourselves, victims of our character. (c)
Q:
He stared straight ahead of him. He thought the lake was very beautiful. He was alive. (c)
This plot at many points is based on ridiculous stuff.
The whole thing with a clerk (really, Alex is a clerk) managing to hide a transaction from the review? Unlikely.
The battlefield promotion? What for did it happen?
The girl issues? Felt too neatly tucked to be true. Nasty business, at any angle.
The purchase of one bank by the other by you know who? What for? The guy could have had 2 separate banks in his pocket at the same price, from what I gather.
PS. As soon as big data advent happens all the way and is used proactively for AML procedure, the matrix thing is likely to get pointless, since after a certain amount of repetitions the operations will be sticking out from the general noise. Basically, it should be possible to map the payments without the info from the sending link (in our case, the USB).
Q:
You’re in, Nick told himself in the admonishing tone that had belonged to his father. Keep your mouth closed and your ears open. Become one of them....
Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut, his father’s stern voice reminded him. Become one of them. ...
Nick looked his interrogator in the eye.
Don’t waver. Show them you’re a true believer. Become one of them. (c)
Q:
He was trying hard to sit more casually—drop a shoulder, maybe slouch a little. It wasn’t easy. (c)
Q:
“Here’s the drill: A client will call, give you his account number, probably want to know his cash balance or the value of the stocks in his portfolio. Before you give out any information, confirm his or her identity. All our clients have code words to identify themselves. Ask for it. Maybe ask their birthday on top of that. Makes them feel secure. But that’s as far as your curiosity runs. If a client wants to transfer fifty thousand deutsche marks a week to an account in Palermo, you say,“Prego, Signore. Con gusto.’ If he insists on sending monthly cash wires to a dozen John Does at a dozen different banks in Washington, D.C., you say, “Of course, sir. It’s my pleasure.’ Where our clients’ money comes from and what they choose to do with it are entirely their own business.” (c)
Q:
Her stern voice made him want to square his shoulders, fire off a salute, and bark out his name, rank, and serial number. That would make her jump... (c)
Q:
He jogged several yards, shaking off the bank’s behavioral corset, then slowed to gulp down a lungful of the pure Swiss air. (c)
Q:
He had been gung ho from the day he arrived at Officer Candidate School until the day he got out. Loyalty to the Corps went beyond politics and beyond mission. It sat in your gut forever like an unexploded grenade, and even now three years since he last wore a uniform, just hearing another’s call of Semper fi triggered an unwanted flood of memories. (c)
Q:
Dull? Nick asked himself. Today I shielded the assets of a suspect wanted by the international authorities. I was followed through the streets by a guy dressed like Sherlock Holmes, and I was threatened by a rabid drug enforcement agent. Where else can you sign up for those kind of thrills? (c)
Q:
“You do not question,” he said. “You do not explain. You close your eyes and count the money. You perform your duties in a professional manner, you take your handsome fee, and you sleep soundly each and every night. Once or twice a year you jump on a plane and fly to a beach where the sun shines more than in this miserable hole and sip a piña colada. Peter Sprecher’s recipe for long life, brilliant success, and unsurpassed happiness. A thick billfold and two tickets to St.-Tropez, first class.”
“I’m glad you can live with it.” (c)
Q:
No, he swears, the rocks won’t kill me. The mountains won’t kill me. No one will.
…
I have to go on, he tells himself. I can’t stay here. And like a divine gift, the thought forms inside him that he must make it to the summit—that this time he doesn’t have a choice. And he tells himself, “I will reach the top of this mountain. Yes, I will.” (c)
Q:
Normally, he was thankful for the unerring efficiency of the Swiss. No other country oversaw the execution of a client’s instructions with such exactitude. The French were arrogant. The Chinese imprecise. The Cayman Islanders—who could trust that colony of self-serving financial leeches? The Swiss were polite, deferential, and exact. They followed orders to the letter. And so his escape, when analyzed, grew more storied. For it was the disobeying of a clearly defined order that had permitted him to flee the grasp of the international authorities. (c)
Q:
He wondered what sea they were floating on tonight. (c)
Q:
Kaiser had embarked on a lecture decrying the loss of the well-rounded banker. “Today it’s all specialization,” he said disparagingly, flicking up the horns of his mustache. “Take Bauer in risk arbitrage. Try asking him about the current mortgage rate and the man will look at you as if you had asked directions to the moon. Or Leuenberger in derivatives. The man’s brilliant. He can talk until Christ’s second coming about index options, interest rate swaps, the like. But if I had to ask him whether we should loan two hundred million to Asea Brown Boveri, he would panic. Probably shrivel up and die. The United Swiss Bank requires managers who can grasp the finer points of all our bank’s activities and fashion a coherent strategic vision from them. Men not afraid to make the difficult decision.” (c)
Q:
Nick was hardly a seasoned expert on banking practice. He didn’t need to be to realize that if one client had made transfers and deposits totaling more than two billion dollars over a seven-year period, a lot more than three people were going to know about it.
…
Finally, just the act of depositing one million dollars in banknotes every month would beg the attention, if not inspire the conversation, of the b (cank’s sharp-eyed logistical staff. The same portfolio manager arriving at the cash window two, three, maybe four times each month with an armful of greenbacks, always on behalf of the same client, year after year, would be as conspicuous to any and all members of the bank as a woman walking stark naked into its lobby and asking directions to the Basel Zoo. (c)
Q:
“Sorry for not following your precious decorum. In America we are taught to take the bull by the horns, or as my daddy used to say, to grab the goat by the balls.”
“How charming. Please take a seat. Or would you prefer the floor?”
Thorne sat on the couch. (c)
Q:
Happiness, he said, equaled reality divided by expectation. If you don’t hope for much, then reality will almost surely beat your expectations, therefore you’ll be happy. If you expect the world, you’ll always be disappointed. The problem is for folks who always want to be happy, the dreamers who put a big ten on the bottom of that equation. (c)
Q:
The boy was a wizard. Nothing less. Hambros committing this morning; and yesterday afternoon, Banker’s Trust—the cagiest outfit on the street. Neumann had argued to the rocket scientists in Manhattan that USB shares—given current management, of course—were an effective hedge against Banker’s Trust’s own volatile earnings. They’d swallowed his argument hook, line, and sinker. It was nothing short of miraculous. One of Konig’s fire-spewing brethren, disciples of the “lose a hand, double the next” school of trading, and they had committed to the boring old farts at USB. Kaiser whooped. A fucking miracle! (c)
Q:
“Mr. Sprecher,” answered Faris over the continuous buzz, “you are sitting in the center of the trading floor of a bank that derives its entire income from buying and selling financial instruments. If you have a problem hearing, I’ll be happy to order you a headset. Until then, mind your own fucking business. Okay?” (c)
Q:
They were fearless supporters of other men’s battles. (c)
Q:
“We had a personal disagreement,” said Nick, checking his anger. “He wanted to kill me. I didn’t think it was such a great idea. He had a gun. I had a knife. It was almost a fair fight.” (c)
Q:
Once we choose our paths, we are committed. You, me, your father. We’re all the same. We’re true to ourselves, victims of our character. (c)
Q:
He stared straight ahead of him. He thought the lake was very beautiful. He was alive. (c)
June 29, 2023
This was a long one.
I enjoyed this as well as the author.
I enjoyed this as well as the author.
April 16, 2011
This novel has been around for awhile and a friend gave it to me to read and I'm glad he did. Mr. Reich has done a great job of plotting this novel with a strong emphasis on the military and the Swiss Bank. Don't let the banking theme turn you off, because this story is more than the boring debits and credits on a financial statement and Mr. Reich ensures that the reader becomes intrigued with the Swiss banking system.
The reader will find in the story Nicholas Neumann, a 28-year-old Harvard MBA graduate accepting a position with a Swiss bank for the sole purpose of trying to find out who murdered his father 17 years earlier.
Mr. Reich delivers a tightly controlled plot and pace, and the story comes together with no loose ends. Overall, I found Numbered Account a terrific novel and I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading another Christopher Reich novel. I would also like to add that Mr. Reich held his own with the likes of Clancy, Patterson and other well-known authors.
The reader will find in the story Nicholas Neumann, a 28-year-old Harvard MBA graduate accepting a position with a Swiss bank for the sole purpose of trying to find out who murdered his father 17 years earlier.
Mr. Reich delivers a tightly controlled plot and pace, and the story comes together with no loose ends. Overall, I found Numbered Account a terrific novel and I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading another Christopher Reich novel. I would also like to add that Mr. Reich held his own with the likes of Clancy, Patterson and other well-known authors.
July 30, 2018
“Numbered account” is Christopher Reich’s inaugural book. Nick Neumann is a new employee of United Swiss Bank. His job?
Nick had his own agenda as well. His father had worked for United Swiss Bank before being brutally murdered. Nick was determined to find out who killed his father and why, no matter how long it took or what secrets he unearthed. On the resulting journey, he encountered drug smuggling, international terrorism, weapons deals, financial improprieties, and astonishing secrets from the present and the past. Oh yes, and murder.
The story is mostly written from Nick’s point of view, his thoughts, fears, plans, and regrets, his search for answers and plans for revenge. Readers come to know him well, very well. Bank personnel and outside characters are introduced one by one, as they interact with Nick, and several are featured in alternating chapters as the plot progresses.
Reich pays exacting attention to details in the banking world including financial transactions, complex banking laws, and volatile international dealings. The overall pace is slow but steady, and the action is compelling. The book is long, but the length enhances the depth of the plot and illustrates the complexity of banking.
I met Christopher Reich at a signing event for his newest book, “The Take.” (Previously reviewed) He mentioned his background working for a Swiss bank and his book “Numbered Account.” This was good for a first book, and certainly met my expectations. I am glad I went back to see how he started.
“Most of our clients are individuals who have numbered accounts with the bank…Now more than ever we have to keep our mouths shut and do as we are told.”Politics could not and did not factor into his business decisions.
Nick had his own agenda as well. His father had worked for United Swiss Bank before being brutally murdered. Nick was determined to find out who killed his father and why, no matter how long it took or what secrets he unearthed. On the resulting journey, he encountered drug smuggling, international terrorism, weapons deals, financial improprieties, and astonishing secrets from the present and the past. Oh yes, and murder.
The story is mostly written from Nick’s point of view, his thoughts, fears, plans, and regrets, his search for answers and plans for revenge. Readers come to know him well, very well. Bank personnel and outside characters are introduced one by one, as they interact with Nick, and several are featured in alternating chapters as the plot progresses.
Reich pays exacting attention to details in the banking world including financial transactions, complex banking laws, and volatile international dealings. The overall pace is slow but steady, and the action is compelling. The book is long, but the length enhances the depth of the plot and illustrates the complexity of banking.
I met Christopher Reich at a signing event for his newest book, “The Take.” (Previously reviewed) He mentioned his background working for a Swiss bank and his book “Numbered Account.” This was good for a first book, and certainly met my expectations. I am glad I went back to see how he started.
April 27, 2021
I enjoyed Christopher Reich's novel, Numbered Account. Despite having many moving parts, the novel held the main story together tightly.
The plot revolves around an ex US Marine - Nick - now a banker in staid Swiss private bank. Nick has a personal agenda of investigating the unsolved murder of his father who also worked for the same bank.
Nick happens to be there at the time Swiss banking is being shaken up by aggressive investors. Oh and he also gets handed some dicey private client accounts to manage!
Yup, it all sounds unreal and floating in the realms of fantasy. However, the reader is led down this path gently such that she doesn't question the chain of events. Additionally, the author does a good job in keeping the excitement level high so it's a page turner.
To be sure, my background in private banking meant the novel resonated with me possibly more than with the average reader. Nonetheless, despite its length of 750+ pages the novel deserves four stars.
The plot revolves around an ex US Marine - Nick - now a banker in staid Swiss private bank. Nick has a personal agenda of investigating the unsolved murder of his father who also worked for the same bank.
Nick happens to be there at the time Swiss banking is being shaken up by aggressive investors. Oh and he also gets handed some dicey private client accounts to manage!
Yup, it all sounds unreal and floating in the realms of fantasy. However, the reader is led down this path gently such that she doesn't question the chain of events. Additionally, the author does a good job in keeping the excitement level high so it's a page turner.
To be sure, my background in private banking meant the novel resonated with me possibly more than with the average reader. Nonetheless, despite its length of 750+ pages the novel deserves four stars.
October 27, 2011
Some people whine about the book being long, but that gives the story more depth. The setting is, for the most part, inside a Swiss Bank, United Swiss Bank, a soulless tomb where everyone is fake and consumed with greed and ambition. A tale of false promises for those willing to sell their soul for a job promotion. A tale of whores, drug smugglers, junkies and arms dealers with one guy, Nick Neumann, that follows in his Father's footsteps and does the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing. Unlike his Father, Nick the Marine, has no problem with fighting back against the same scum that murdered his Father.
Numbered Account is a story of soul or lack thereof. It is a morality tale of our choice to do the right thing at a high personal cost or do the wrong thing for immediate personal gain, but with a much higher personal cost in the end.
The villain, Ali Mevlivi, or the Pasha, is a carefully constructed portrait of the Devil in this world. The devil incarnate. The story explains how the Pasha corrupts his weak marks and then "owns" them.
Let us hope that Swiss banks and others are not so involved in financing terrorism and international organized crime rings such as in the story. However, it certainly has a ring of truth and the author, Christopher Reich, has experience working in the Swiss banking industry. Perhaps he quit banking to write books in order to save his soul.
Numbered Account is a story of soul or lack thereof. It is a morality tale of our choice to do the right thing at a high personal cost or do the wrong thing for immediate personal gain, but with a much higher personal cost in the end.
The villain, Ali Mevlivi, or the Pasha, is a carefully constructed portrait of the Devil in this world. The devil incarnate. The story explains how the Pasha corrupts his weak marks and then "owns" them.
Let us hope that Swiss banks and others are not so involved in financing terrorism and international organized crime rings such as in the story. However, it certainly has a ring of truth and the author, Christopher Reich, has experience working in the Swiss banking industry. Perhaps he quit banking to write books in order to save his soul.
August 31, 2010
The cabin is always a good source for paperbacks long forgotten but fully enjoyed. Last year, I picked up an Asimov. This summer it was "Numbered Account" by Christopher Reich. The fun of the book -- and many of Reich's works -- lies in the oxymoronic world of high finance and international intrigue.
Though this was written in 1998, it feels very contemporary when set against the evil and avarice we have seen exposed in our financial markets. How much further afield would it be for Goldman Sachs or Merrill to be accused of fronting for a drug lord / terrorist? In fact, that almost sounds like reining it in from the much broader selfishness of zero down - no income- credit default swaps of the lax-regulation-no-holds barred mid-2000's
Reich is fun and knowledgeable. His characters as broad and fairly unrealistic. What could be a better combination from an old paperback on the cabin's shelf.
Though this was written in 1998, it feels very contemporary when set against the evil and avarice we have seen exposed in our financial markets. How much further afield would it be for Goldman Sachs or Merrill to be accused of fronting for a drug lord / terrorist? In fact, that almost sounds like reining it in from the much broader selfishness of zero down - no income- credit default swaps of the lax-regulation-no-holds barred mid-2000's
Reich is fun and knowledgeable. His characters as broad and fairly unrealistic. What could be a better combination from an old paperback on the cabin's shelf.
June 28, 2020
I bought this book for a quarter at a charity used book sale last year having never heard of the author and thinking it might be ok for a summer read. When I read the reviews on here I wasn't sure if i was going to like it or not but, it turned out to be a well spent quarter!
You can read the plot summary in the multiple reviews on here but basically, this book reminded me of an early John Grisham book except instead of lawyers, it's bankers. There's lots of intrigue, suspense and twists and turns. Who knew banking could be so dangerous! There is some rather gory violence in parts of the story, which I don't really have the stomach for but I just kind of blipped over those. It was a good summer read if you like thrillers and mysteries and clocks in at over 750 pages so it will keep you busy for a few days at the cabin or the beach or while camping.
You can read the plot summary in the multiple reviews on here but basically, this book reminded me of an early John Grisham book except instead of lawyers, it's bankers. There's lots of intrigue, suspense and twists and turns. Who knew banking could be so dangerous! There is some rather gory violence in parts of the story, which I don't really have the stomach for but I just kind of blipped over those. It was a good summer read if you like thrillers and mysteries and clocks in at over 750 pages so it will keep you busy for a few days at the cabin or the beach or while camping.
January 22, 2023
Too long
…and for the most part boring. There were no surprises. I made it to the end only to learn what I had known all along, but was really hoping for something of an “oh wow” ending.
…and for the most part boring. There were no surprises. I made it to the end only to learn what I had known all along, but was really hoping for something of an “oh wow” ending.
June 18, 2015
Fantastic journey into the world of Swiss banking in the 90s. Chris has a unique ability to bring the reader into a parallel universe we mere mortals will never inhabit.
September 2, 2025
This book hooked me early. The first two-thirds of the book are a slow-burn done well, with layers of tension and a constant sense of uncertainty about who could be trusted. Uncertainty in slow-burn is a must. Those chapters had me invested in both the mystery and the characters.
The last third lost steam. The tension sagged as the story seemed to stretch itself too far, which feels like it caught the 1990s “more is always more” vibe. In the final chapters, the story switched gears into action-thriller mode, rushing events to build excitement. That gamble didn’t pay off fully. The ending is neat enough, but is too neat, making this less impactful than the careful buildup deserved.
The characters are strong and well-suited to the Swiss banking setting. I believe Reich lived in Europe for a while, and you get the sense he’s writing a world he knows. What I appreciated most was how the book tied the protagonist’s personal history to contemporary financial and political intrigue, keeping true to the mystery until moments revealed the truth in surprising and satisfying ways.
This is a serviceable and solid financial thriller with clever plotting and strong characters that kept me reading. I can see the value in financial thrillers, even if they are not a natural go to for me and I’m curious to read more books by this author.
The last third lost steam. The tension sagged as the story seemed to stretch itself too far, which feels like it caught the 1990s “more is always more” vibe. In the final chapters, the story switched gears into action-thriller mode, rushing events to build excitement. That gamble didn’t pay off fully. The ending is neat enough, but is too neat, making this less impactful than the careful buildup deserved.
The characters are strong and well-suited to the Swiss banking setting. I believe Reich lived in Europe for a while, and you get the sense he’s writing a world he knows. What I appreciated most was how the book tied the protagonist’s personal history to contemporary financial and political intrigue, keeping true to the mystery until moments revealed the truth in surprising and satisfying ways.
This is a serviceable and solid financial thriller with clever plotting and strong characters that kept me reading. I can see the value in financial thrillers, even if they are not a natural go to for me and I’m curious to read more books by this author.
August 18, 2018
This book really kept me on the edge of my seat (so to speak). At the same time I felt impatient with the length of time it took to get to the end - though I certainly didn't know of anything that should be cut. I just felt anxious for the dilemmas involved to be resolved and for the really evil villain to be defeated or dead. I really wondered if this was going to be one of those books where evil prevails. The writing is really good with interesting characters and dialogue that is interesting, fleshes out the characters and moves the story along.
May 18, 2019
This was the first book I've read by Reich and I must say I'm impressed. It was all very fast action and fast paced. I learned a lot about Swiss banking, the good and the bad. What more can you ask? It is an entertaining read. I'm on to the next one.
July 25, 2020
I found this on a street in Lübeck. In fine condition and I was in the mood to read a thriller again. And still, at first, I did not want to take it because there was "advance praise" on the back cover by James Patterson. How can a book be any good that is praised by him? In the end, I did take it because of the tiny Swiss flag on the cover. Since Paul Erdman is my favorite thriller writer and most of his novels deal with Switzerland.
A good decision. Not really brilliant but very satisfying. The plot could have been made up by AI and I mean this as a compliment. Father killed, son wants to learn the truth. Hot shot banker and a former marine. The stuff heroes are made of. I liked it that one knew in the middle of the book that our hero would return to his abandoned fiancé. It is overlong, and not really a page-turner at least not until the last 50 pages or so. Mission accomplished.
A good decision. Not really brilliant but very satisfying. The plot could have been made up by AI and I mean this as a compliment. Father killed, son wants to learn the truth. Hot shot banker and a former marine. The stuff heroes are made of. I liked it that one knew in the middle of the book that our hero would return to his abandoned fiancé. It is overlong, and not really a page-turner at least not until the last 50 pages or so. Mission accomplished.
July 26, 2023
A 750-page book about banking intrigue and conspiratorial plotting — banking! — and Swiss banking at that, shouldn’t have been as enthralling as it was, but my brain was properly titillated by Christopher Reich’s 1998 book, Numbered Account. I’m not much of a finance guy on a personal level by any means, and on an intellectual level, I’m interested in economics, but not so much finance. Some of the banking and finance lexicon and maneuverings in Reich’s book went over my head for that reason, especially because he authentically worked in a Swiss bank, but that only gave the book even more legitimately, and there’s a direct relationship between an increase in legitimacy and an increase in my titillation at the unfolding plot and bank intrigue. I don’t like to look into a book until I’ve written my review (I’m adding this addendum after having done so), but today I learned, a “numbered account” is primarily a Swiss bank feature, where an account holder’s account is known through their number rather than their specific identity.
In Reich’s novel, our protagonist, Nick Neumann, departs for Switzerland to work at the United Swiss Bank, leaving behind not only a glitzy fast-tracked career on Wall Street, but his fiancée, breaking off the engagement, obviously. (She rightly didn’t want to upend their life and future to go half-way across the world!) Nick is adamant about getting to the bottom of his father’s murder 20 years prior, though. His father, Alex Neumann, not only worked at United Swiss Bank, but Nick strongly suspects the bank had something to do with his murder. Therefore, if Nick can secure a job at the bank, then he can sleuth around and find out the mystery behind the murder, so his thinking goes.
Unfortunately for Nick, a lot of forces he doesn’t even know about yet are working against him, primarily a Turkish drug lord and terrorist, Ali Mevlevi, who made his fortunes in heroin trafficking across Europe — and does business with the United Swiss Bank, the caricature of the seedy types laundering their money to the Swiss to avoid the law — but whose main goal, as an Islamist now, is to set off a tactical nuclear weapon on a settlement in Israel, forecasted to kill 15,000 men, women, and children instantly. In other words, he’s using his heroin money to buy up weapons of mass destruction, and to control bankers to continue doing his seedy business. To that point, he “owns” Wolfgang Kaiser, the longtime chairman of United Swiss Bank, and once longtime childhood friend of Alex Neumann.
However, and I suppose this owes to the time period in which it was written, if I’m being charitable, what Mevlevi has on Kaiser is that Mevlevi is bribing him with compromising photos of Kaiser with a “transvestite.” Even aside from the issues of that term and the cliché story element of being “tricked” by a trans person, I don’t think it’s enough of a blackmail pressure point! But maybe that’s just my moral sensibility. Certainly, I don’t see it as enough of a blackmail pressure point for Kaiser to be under the thumb of Mevlevi for 20 years doing all kinds of awful things, including killing one of his own underlings. I also didn’t think that murder made much sense. Kaiser is the respected chairman of a powerful and well-known Swiss bank. He’s not going to get his own hands dirty! Nonetheless …
Nick eventually figures all of this out, although there was a stumbling block along the way. That being the personnel vice president at the bank, Sylvia Schon. Maybe a third of the way into the book, Kaiser makes an off-handed remark to Sylvia that she should keep a particularly close eye or whatever the phrasing was on Nick. I took that as an directive-through-insinuation to have sex with Nick to stay close to what he was up to. Then, suddenly, Nick and Sylvia are on an item after Nick makes a move on her and Sylvia acquiesces. Nah! My brain went right back to Kaiser’s line, and I figured Sylvia was dirty all along because she was way too loyal to the “bank” and thus, Kaiser. I was right. She was in league with Kaiser and was feeding all the dirt about what Nick was up to right back to Kaiser.
Surprisingly early on in the book (relatively speaking, with a couple hundred pages still left), Nick confronts Mevlevi about his suspicions after Mevlevi kills a henchman in front of Nick and then Nick out of instinct catches the murder weapon, a gun, in his hands, making himself culpable. What I didn’t believe next was that Nick, a former United States Marine (and the story behind his dishonorable discharge from the Marines was an interesting subplot itself, where basically Nick beat the crap out of a CIA military contractor who left his unit out to dry in the Philippines, resulting in one dead and others injured, including Nick himself), holding the gun in his hand, wouldn’t realize it wasn’t loaded. Instead, he shoots Mevlevi, but there were no more bullets. Empty. Come on, Nick! Or even if he couldn’t tell the weight difference since it wasn’t his gun and he wouldn’t necessarily be familiar with it, I feel like a Marine would check if the gun was loaded before attempting to fire on someone.
Those issues — the flimsy blackmail backstory, Kaiser himself killing one of his underlings, and Nick shooting a gun a Marine should know better to not fire without checking if it’s loaded — aside, again, I found Reich’s book a quintessential page-turner. I was intrigued by the bank shenanigans, the subplot of attacking Israel, and of course, Nick’s characterization, both his Marine background and his quest to uncover what happened to his dad. I found it poignant that Nick, even once he realized who was responsible for his dad’s death (Mevlevi and Kaiser), he didn’t feel the sense of … competition he perhaps expected to experience. Vengeance and revenge aren’t as fulfilling as they appear to be from the outset. I also appreciated that a character early on in the book, who was originally handling Mevlevi’s “numbered account,” Peter Sprecher, who then left to work a the bank that was attempting to buy out the United Swiss Bank, went from a curmudgeonly arrogant bloke to Nick’s one true friend he could count on. So much so that Peter was instrumental in bringing down Mevlevi at the climax of the novel. That little arc for a minor character was nice, as was the vindication for Sterling Thorne, the Drug Enforcement Administration agent in-country with the cooperation of the Swiss to bring Mevlevi down, who was pushed off the case and rebuked initially by Nick. He was also instrumental in not only thwarting Mevlevi’s drug operations, but through his connections at the CIA, stopping the two-pronged attack on Israel (a front-facing infantry-like attack, and then the tactical nuclear weapon attack).
So, yeah, if you’re into banking and finance, you’ll definitely get a kick out of this book with the fun fictional accoutrements thrown in. As someone who isn’t normally into banking and finance, I sure as heck still was, which I think, again, owes a lot to the legitimacy Reich brought to the table with his background in banking and finance. That was particularly pronounced in the dialogue between characters. I found it, for the most part, believable and thus, captivating to read (I only hedge because some of the romantic dialogue did make me cringe!). Overall, well-done, Mr. Reich.
In Reich’s novel, our protagonist, Nick Neumann, departs for Switzerland to work at the United Swiss Bank, leaving behind not only a glitzy fast-tracked career on Wall Street, but his fiancée, breaking off the engagement, obviously. (She rightly didn’t want to upend their life and future to go half-way across the world!) Nick is adamant about getting to the bottom of his father’s murder 20 years prior, though. His father, Alex Neumann, not only worked at United Swiss Bank, but Nick strongly suspects the bank had something to do with his murder. Therefore, if Nick can secure a job at the bank, then he can sleuth around and find out the mystery behind the murder, so his thinking goes.
Unfortunately for Nick, a lot of forces he doesn’t even know about yet are working against him, primarily a Turkish drug lord and terrorist, Ali Mevlevi, who made his fortunes in heroin trafficking across Europe — and does business with the United Swiss Bank, the caricature of the seedy types laundering their money to the Swiss to avoid the law — but whose main goal, as an Islamist now, is to set off a tactical nuclear weapon on a settlement in Israel, forecasted to kill 15,000 men, women, and children instantly. In other words, he’s using his heroin money to buy up weapons of mass destruction, and to control bankers to continue doing his seedy business. To that point, he “owns” Wolfgang Kaiser, the longtime chairman of United Swiss Bank, and once longtime childhood friend of Alex Neumann.
However, and I suppose this owes to the time period in which it was written, if I’m being charitable, what Mevlevi has on Kaiser is that Mevlevi is bribing him with compromising photos of Kaiser with a “transvestite.” Even aside from the issues of that term and the cliché story element of being “tricked” by a trans person, I don’t think it’s enough of a blackmail pressure point! But maybe that’s just my moral sensibility. Certainly, I don’t see it as enough of a blackmail pressure point for Kaiser to be under the thumb of Mevlevi for 20 years doing all kinds of awful things, including killing one of his own underlings. I also didn’t think that murder made much sense. Kaiser is the respected chairman of a powerful and well-known Swiss bank. He’s not going to get his own hands dirty! Nonetheless …
Nick eventually figures all of this out, although there was a stumbling block along the way. That being the personnel vice president at the bank, Sylvia Schon. Maybe a third of the way into the book, Kaiser makes an off-handed remark to Sylvia that she should keep a particularly close eye or whatever the phrasing was on Nick. I took that as an directive-through-insinuation to have sex with Nick to stay close to what he was up to. Then, suddenly, Nick and Sylvia are on an item after Nick makes a move on her and Sylvia acquiesces. Nah! My brain went right back to Kaiser’s line, and I figured Sylvia was dirty all along because she was way too loyal to the “bank” and thus, Kaiser. I was right. She was in league with Kaiser and was feeding all the dirt about what Nick was up to right back to Kaiser.
Surprisingly early on in the book (relatively speaking, with a couple hundred pages still left), Nick confronts Mevlevi about his suspicions after Mevlevi kills a henchman in front of Nick and then Nick out of instinct catches the murder weapon, a gun, in his hands, making himself culpable. What I didn’t believe next was that Nick, a former United States Marine (and the story behind his dishonorable discharge from the Marines was an interesting subplot itself, where basically Nick beat the crap out of a CIA military contractor who left his unit out to dry in the Philippines, resulting in one dead and others injured, including Nick himself), holding the gun in his hand, wouldn’t realize it wasn’t loaded. Instead, he shoots Mevlevi, but there were no more bullets. Empty. Come on, Nick! Or even if he couldn’t tell the weight difference since it wasn’t his gun and he wouldn’t necessarily be familiar with it, I feel like a Marine would check if the gun was loaded before attempting to fire on someone.
Those issues — the flimsy blackmail backstory, Kaiser himself killing one of his underlings, and Nick shooting a gun a Marine should know better to not fire without checking if it’s loaded — aside, again, I found Reich’s book a quintessential page-turner. I was intrigued by the bank shenanigans, the subplot of attacking Israel, and of course, Nick’s characterization, both his Marine background and his quest to uncover what happened to his dad. I found it poignant that Nick, even once he realized who was responsible for his dad’s death (Mevlevi and Kaiser), he didn’t feel the sense of … competition he perhaps expected to experience. Vengeance and revenge aren’t as fulfilling as they appear to be from the outset. I also appreciated that a character early on in the book, who was originally handling Mevlevi’s “numbered account,” Peter Sprecher, who then left to work a the bank that was attempting to buy out the United Swiss Bank, went from a curmudgeonly arrogant bloke to Nick’s one true friend he could count on. So much so that Peter was instrumental in bringing down Mevlevi at the climax of the novel. That little arc for a minor character was nice, as was the vindication for Sterling Thorne, the Drug Enforcement Administration agent in-country with the cooperation of the Swiss to bring Mevlevi down, who was pushed off the case and rebuked initially by Nick. He was also instrumental in not only thwarting Mevlevi’s drug operations, but through his connections at the CIA, stopping the two-pronged attack on Israel (a front-facing infantry-like attack, and then the tactical nuclear weapon attack).
So, yeah, if you’re into banking and finance, you’ll definitely get a kick out of this book with the fun fictional accoutrements thrown in. As someone who isn’t normally into banking and finance, I sure as heck still was, which I think, again, owes a lot to the legitimacy Reich brought to the table with his background in banking and finance. That was particularly pronounced in the dialogue between characters. I found it, for the most part, believable and thus, captivating to read (I only hedge because some of the romantic dialogue did make me cringe!). Overall, well-done, Mr. Reich.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2014
This is one of those books that, if I had only gone by the cover blurb (or cover art) or even the plot summary here on Goodreads, I probably would have passed on by. It sounds like a million other thriller books out there and unless you are really into financial thrillers or have read Christopher Reich books before, you may have chosen to pass it by too.
But I'm so glad I took a chance! It wasn't without some reservation though, as this is not a small book; my paperback copy runs 753 pages. But this is much more than "just" a financial thriller. I wouldn't worry about getting bogged down with too much financial transaction and bank operations plot although you can't help but come away with an increased knowledge of Swiss banking practices, especially when it comes to depositor identifications. There are quite a few characters here and we, along with the protagonist, aren't always certain where their loyalties lie or what their intentions are. That alone kept me on my toes but then adding several layers of intrigue surrounding a take-over bid, an unsolved cold case murder, a nice romance, and even international terrorists make for a pretty complex and yet nicely interwoven plot.
It's really difficult to believe this is the author's first published novel. But the detail of Zurich, Switzerland, as well as the inner workings of a large Swiss bank makes it evident that the author knows a lot about what he is writing about.
If I have any criticism at all it would be that there may be too much going on here. A couple of the plot elements seemed to be kind of stuck in there but that is really being nitpicky on my part. It was definitely a page turner, and that's really the goal with a good thriller.
So now I've got to add another must-read author to my way too lengthy list. Life could be worse.
But I'm so glad I took a chance! It wasn't without some reservation though, as this is not a small book; my paperback copy runs 753 pages. But this is much more than "just" a financial thriller. I wouldn't worry about getting bogged down with too much financial transaction and bank operations plot although you can't help but come away with an increased knowledge of Swiss banking practices, especially when it comes to depositor identifications. There are quite a few characters here and we, along with the protagonist, aren't always certain where their loyalties lie or what their intentions are. That alone kept me on my toes but then adding several layers of intrigue surrounding a take-over bid, an unsolved cold case murder, a nice romance, and even international terrorists make for a pretty complex and yet nicely interwoven plot.
It's really difficult to believe this is the author's first published novel. But the detail of Zurich, Switzerland, as well as the inner workings of a large Swiss bank makes it evident that the author knows a lot about what he is writing about.
If I have any criticism at all it would be that there may be too much going on here. A couple of the plot elements seemed to be kind of stuck in there but that is really being nitpicky on my part. It was definitely a page turner, and that's really the goal with a good thriller.
So now I've got to add another must-read author to my way too lengthy list. Life could be worse.
January 15, 2016
“A job he shouldn't have taken... A woman he shouldn't have loved... A secret he shouldn't expose...if he wants to live.”
Nick Neumann, an ex-Marine, is as stubborn and driven as an ox when it comes to his father. Years before, his banker father was assassinated on the steps of his home for no apparent reason and Nick spent seventeen years trying to figure out the who and the why, and now he has a lead. Nick is asked by an associate of his father’s to come out to Switzerland and become a banker in the bank that his father worked with until his death. Nick has found some clues related to his father’s death and he leaves everything behind; a girlfriend, a great job on wall street and a life, to uncover the truth.
The truth about a bank is not always clear as glass, more like as translucent as a brick wall, and as Nick finds more about his father, he learns more about the bank and its employees, but more importantly its customers, especially the one they call “The Pasha”.
I absolutely loved every minute of this book because it excites and lives up to the excitement. As a mediocrely hard read, Numbered Account was written fantastically, always making sure that the reader is understanding what is happening in the story. There is a whole mound of information about banking, bonds, shares, etc. You name it, Numbered Account has it! To read this book you have to have a very basic understanding of what banks do, how they make their money, and what they offer. An amazing read that I couldn’t put down; one of Christopher Reich’s best works.
I would recommend this book to mature readers because of some graphic and crude content, but it doesn't take away the thrill of crime, drama, and mystery!
Nick Neumann, an ex-Marine, is as stubborn and driven as an ox when it comes to his father. Years before, his banker father was assassinated on the steps of his home for no apparent reason and Nick spent seventeen years trying to figure out the who and the why, and now he has a lead. Nick is asked by an associate of his father’s to come out to Switzerland and become a banker in the bank that his father worked with until his death. Nick has found some clues related to his father’s death and he leaves everything behind; a girlfriend, a great job on wall street and a life, to uncover the truth.
The truth about a bank is not always clear as glass, more like as translucent as a brick wall, and as Nick finds more about his father, he learns more about the bank and its employees, but more importantly its customers, especially the one they call “The Pasha”.
I absolutely loved every minute of this book because it excites and lives up to the excitement. As a mediocrely hard read, Numbered Account was written fantastically, always making sure that the reader is understanding what is happening in the story. There is a whole mound of information about banking, bonds, shares, etc. You name it, Numbered Account has it! To read this book you have to have a very basic understanding of what banks do, how they make their money, and what they offer. An amazing read that I couldn’t put down; one of Christopher Reich’s best works.
I would recommend this book to mature readers because of some graphic and crude content, but it doesn't take away the thrill of crime, drama, and mystery!
August 7, 2015
First off, I would have rated 3 and a half, but without the option of a half I rated 4 because I thought it better than 3.
Second, I read because I wanted to know what had happened to bring the characters to where they are for the period of the book. So that I wanted to know what had happened, and what was going to subsequently happen, says a lot.
However, third, the trusty old cliché of terrorism and a pending-terrorist attack, and Middle East organised crime is used as background plot. Considering that the main story is what is going on in the Swiss financial world, terrorism and Middle East crime seems out of place alongside it.
I also feel that there are other clichés regarding the plot regarding the main character, Neumann: he was engaged, they were on the verge of getting married and because of what he was pursuing in Switzerland (I won't give too much away) they break up, so he has regrets about it; his ex-fiancée is then getting married again, so he wants her back; he had a difficult relationship with his father. Despite these easily being realities, the times they have been used in books, TV shows and films!
Then there's the cliché of an arrogant, unlikeable American law enforcement officer, Sterling Thorne, who is making it his life's sole aim to bring the criminal to justice, to hell with the cost and consequences, don't you know!
As I said, I read it wanting to know what it was all about. I wouldn't recommend reading it, but wouldn't recommend steering clear either. If you read it, don't expect originality or brilliance.
Second, I read because I wanted to know what had happened to bring the characters to where they are for the period of the book. So that I wanted to know what had happened, and what was going to subsequently happen, says a lot.
However, third, the trusty old cliché of terrorism and a pending-terrorist attack, and Middle East organised crime is used as background plot. Considering that the main story is what is going on in the Swiss financial world, terrorism and Middle East crime seems out of place alongside it.
I also feel that there are other clichés regarding the plot regarding the main character, Neumann: he was engaged, they were on the verge of getting married and because of what he was pursuing in Switzerland (I won't give too much away) they break up, so he has regrets about it; his ex-fiancée is then getting married again, so he wants her back; he had a difficult relationship with his father. Despite these easily being realities, the times they have been used in books, TV shows and films!
Then there's the cliché of an arrogant, unlikeable American law enforcement officer, Sterling Thorne, who is making it his life's sole aim to bring the criminal to justice, to hell with the cost and consequences, don't you know!
As I said, I read it wanting to know what it was all about. I wouldn't recommend reading it, but wouldn't recommend steering clear either. If you read it, don't expect originality or brilliance.
May 27, 2015
I wasn’t paying attention to the author’s chronology and read some of his latter novels before this one, which is his first. There is not much here. Stereotypical characters molded to implausible roles. Brightest of the bright are hired by the best of the best. A powerful (never homely) woman is made the lover. Firm's president is oblivious to the heros actions. US government needs his help. (Sound familiar?) Plot moves at times slow, other times slower. Writing is mediocre at best. Clichés abound. Character development is weak. Dialog seems forced, and almost like the author has never actually heard people talk. One example has the protagonist kissing a women lamenting how long it has been since he has felt the touch of a women. Yet, on the very next page we are reminded of his fiancé last seen only two months ago. Give us a break! One more reason I lament to passing of all publishing house editors. I cannot find any redeeming values to this book. I finished hack writing hoping against hope for a smashing ending. Sigh. No such luck. Since the fall of the communist regimes in Eastern European countries, we have had to have new bad guys in thrillers. Nowadays it is Arab terrorists. I got so bored with this book that I put it down a little over half way through and read two other books before picking it up again. Don't waste your time on this—Reichs later novels are MUCH better.
March 22, 2018
Laboured
Not a bad story line, if a little laboured. Good characters, the bad guy gets his, You suspect the good guy get his too.
Not a bad story line, if a little laboured. Good characters, the bad guy gets his, You suspect the good guy get his too.
May 21, 2012
As an ex-banker Reich took heed of that well worn aphorism 'write what you know'. Swiss banking is, in its essence, as boring as an accounting lecture. Set against this droll backdrop Reich is right up against it in terms of delivering an entertaining book for we the readers, let alone crafting a thriller that glues us to the slippery edge of our seats. And he almost delivers.
At times this book is entertaining. The pace and the intrigue, the theme, character and motivations all work in synch for stretches and draw us into the story. It does stumble in the middle though. I found myself lamenting that this middle third quagmire was sans fetus. It needed an adrenaline shot to get going again, and if I wasn't reading it for research purposes (to identify these very issues), I may have put it down. Perhaps Reich used one layer too many in completing the novel. Some plot points actually distract us from the central themes rather than help drive them home.
All in all a good first effort. If I were the author I'd be pleased with it. And why not? He did get published after all. Good for him.
At times this book is entertaining. The pace and the intrigue, the theme, character and motivations all work in synch for stretches and draw us into the story. It does stumble in the middle though. I found myself lamenting that this middle third quagmire was sans fetus. It needed an adrenaline shot to get going again, and if I wasn't reading it for research purposes (to identify these very issues), I may have put it down. Perhaps Reich used one layer too many in completing the novel. Some plot points actually distract us from the central themes rather than help drive them home.
All in all a good first effort. If I were the author I'd be pleased with it. And why not? He did get published after all. Good for him.
February 22, 2016
So happy to discover Christopher Reich and heading out to find more of his books! A banking thriller, a genre not so common on my shelves, this is a super good read. The writing itself is a great pleasure: the 2nd sentence: "... Christmas lights, strands of yellow bulbs falling from the sky like warm, electric rain." Nick works his new job in a Swiss bank, having come from the U.S. to find out who killed his father. Layer on layer of power games, betrayals, love complications, car chases and fear keep the pages turning. I could see it as a movie, the descriptions and scenes and people were so alive. Power and greed drive a lot of the world, as we know, and this secret banking sector is a place I learned a lot about. There are wise reflections on people, rather philosophical, that I loved. I learned a lot, which I love to do in mystery/thrillers and cannot wait to get another Reich book!
One more of his great descriptions, near the end: "Beneath her cosmopolitan fringe, Zurich kept hidden a mantle of brooding solitude and introspection that was, in fact, her true self."
To re-read, for sure!
One more of his great descriptions, near the end: "Beneath her cosmopolitan fringe, Zurich kept hidden a mantle of brooding solitude and introspection that was, in fact, her true self."
To re-read, for sure!
December 6, 2010
American banker joins swiss private bank to uncover the murderer of his father and very quickly finds himself in a morass of greedy bankers, criminal clients and general hi jinks.
I would give this book 3.5 stars based on my personal enjoyment of it as a private banker living in Switzerland. There are some really spot on observations about zurich with my favourite being when the protaganist wondered if there was some kind of curfew no-one had told him about. The author clearly used his past banking experience to infuse the story with an accurate feel, at least initially, for what can go on. However the clunky writing, the increasingly contrived plot and the fact that my personal circumstances are unlikely to be widely shared led to this being a pretty boring read and deserving of an ok for most people.
I would give this book 3.5 stars based on my personal enjoyment of it as a private banker living in Switzerland. There are some really spot on observations about zurich with my favourite being when the protaganist wondered if there was some kind of curfew no-one had told him about. The author clearly used his past banking experience to infuse the story with an accurate feel, at least initially, for what can go on. However the clunky writing, the increasingly contrived plot and the fact that my personal circumstances are unlikely to be widely shared led to this being a pretty boring read and deserving of an ok for most people.
February 21, 2018
Might have been 3.5 stars if such an option had been offered to me ... In some ways, this book is just another novel of international intrigue salted with murder and larceny. I never really "clicked" with the main character, and there were a lot of characters to keep straight. However, the book is well written. And I enjoyed the many pictures the author paints of Zurich and the Alps; they prompted many fond memories of my trip there 16 years ago. It is truly a beautiful city, especially at night. The use of private banking as a setting also piqued my interest. As another Goodreads reviewer has mentioned, it is rather timely despite having been written a couple of decades ago.
December 3, 2017
Numbered Accounts have you ever wondered about numbered accounts. This book by Christopher Reich tells you a little about it. I found this book very good reading. it is more than just about numbered accounts, but about the people who use them and those that work in the banks. It is about greed on the part of some of the depositors and some of the people who work in the banks. It is fiction, but one where some of it could be true.
March 4, 2018
This is Christopher Reich's first novel and was the first book I have read by him. I really enjoyed it. Nothing formulaic about it like his later books. Nothing too over-the-top, except maybe the protagonist's rise to the top in such a short period of time in the banking industry. But the pace was not too fast nor too slow, which made it feel real. Excellent writing and a good story.
February 28, 2013
Grade: F
When I realized, at page 236, that I gotten this far along and could care less about what happened to the main character, I quit reading and moved on to the next book!
When I realized, at page 236, that I gotten this far along and could care less about what happened to the main character, I quit reading and moved on to the next book!
March 13, 2014
Can only give this book 3 stars because it's sooooo slow. Cut out 400 pages and the book would be excellent. Storyline is exciting once it got going but there's just too much waffle.
October 1, 2015
A better than average financial saga that predates 911, but helps explain some of the implications of its aftermath around banking. 6 of 10 stars
January 19, 2018
Good book with complicated financials to add to the story. Found it very interesting. Ended rushed!
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