Der Trader

Garrett Reilly #2

by Drew Chapman, Jochen Stremmel (Translator)

Nur knapp konnte der geniale Mathematiker Garrett Reilly die USA vor einer Cyber-Attacke der Chinesen bewahren. Sein Einsatz lässt ihn ins Visier von Terroristen und sogar der eigenen Regierung geraten. Garrett bleibt keine andere Wahl als unterzutauchen. Doch dann entdeckt er bei Aktiengeschäften einen tödlichen Code, eine tickende Cyber-Bombe, die darauf abzielt, das gesamte amerikanische Wirtschaftssystem zu zerstören. Erneut stellt sich Garrett der Gefahr, nimmt gemeinsam mit Agentin Alexis Truffant den Kampf gegen übermächtige Feinde auf – und steht bald selbst in der Schusslinie ...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Thriller Suspense

538 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2015

About the author

Drew Chapman has written on numerous studio movies, including Pocahontas for Walt Disney Pictures and the original Iron Man for 20th Century Fox. He also directed the indie film Standoff. Currently, he creates and writes TV shows for network television, most recently having worked for ABC and Sony. Married with two children, he divides his time between Los Angeles and Seattle.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Garrett Reilly techno thriller, following "The Ascendent". It's not really necessary to have read the previous book because any necessary information is recapped in this book. The Ascendent was a secretive government project created to thwart cyber crimes and financial manipulation committed by the new "information soldiers". Reilly is a numbers genius who has an amazing ability to identify patterns in data. This is useful in his job as a Wall Street trader and even more useful to the Ascendent program, but he quit the team at the end of the first book. In this book, he is brought back into the war against cyber crimes when he is implicated in the murder of the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Reilly has detected a secret pattern of a huge fund buying financial instruments, a fund operated by an enemy whose goal is destabilizing the US economy. Russia is the enemy here and this seems even more relevant now than it did when this book was originally written. Reilly's chief adversary is Ilya, a hacker/con man, whose motives are not always clear.


The plot was a little convoluted, but this was a fast-moving thriller and held my interest throughout. I enjoy books where the protagonists outsmart each other rather than just shooting each other (although there is some of that too). I liked this book as much as I liked the first book in the series. Reilly is somewhat less of a wise ass in this book but he is still not a conventional hero. He and his team members are all interesting characters.

This book was originally divided into 3 parts in a misguided marketing plan by the publisher. Do readers really want to wait for installments? I had been looking forward to the sequel to the first book, but when I discovered that it was divided into three parts I forgot about it until just now when I found the complete book available in my library. If there is to be another book in the series (which I hope there is ) I believe that it would be wise for the publisher to rethink it's marketing strategy.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong follow up to Drew Chapman's outstanding debut thriller "The Ascendant". Garrett Reilly is a bond trader who's unique skill set involves his ability to discern patterns in everything. Still recovering from the events covered in last years "The Ascendant", Garrett spots what he thinks might be an undefined plot to initiate economic terrorism in the United States. He soon becomes a target of the FBI and a mysterious terrorist with similar skills. Very highly recommended.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the whole thing with pattern recognition, and there are interesting things to think about regarding modern society thrown in among the action.

[Kali · Rating 4 out of 5]

from kalireads.com:

When we think terror attack, we think bombs and guns, loud noise and explosions. But in Drew Chapman’s The King of Fear, terror gets a makeover. Something wicked this way comes, and it comes in the form of a single nefarious young man, and he heads directly into the heart of capitalism. His aim isn’t a single tower or certain gathering of people, but our thrumming monetary system and the sense of order it provides.

Garrett Reilly is the sort of genius savant we now expect from our thrillers—a tortured soul, haunted by a heavy history and his brilliant mind. He recognizes patterns in the stock market and in his daily life, and lately he’s seeing strange wisps and echoes of something big brewing. Big money movement that doesn’t make sense is swirling in his periphery vision.

Ilya Markov is the villain to Reilly’s hero–a young chameleon of a conman, a terrorist who may be working for a European country or may be going rogue. He’s a hacker with his eye on the system itself. Markov has big plans for America, and it is up to Reilly to stop them.

The King of Fear is actually a sequel, to The Ascendant, and normally I’m hesitant to pick up sequels without reading the first in the series. But I wasn’t left too out of the loop here. Drew Chapman is not only a novelist, but also a film/TV writer, and this shows in the book’s breezy action and memorable, but likable characters. The King of Fear is a fast, easy read for days lounging by the pool or nights you are looking for an alternative to all the terrorist-fueled TV shows on the air nowadays.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A fun return to all things Garrett Reilly and Chapman's The Ascendancy. This sequel moves just as fast as the original, and all of your favorite characters from the first book return. It's a quick, and intelligent, read, delving once again into the world of IT warfare. It sounds like Chapman will be working on a third book for the series. =

Lines from the book:

"And while Metternich had never been in a firefight, parachuted behind enemy lines, or seen a laser-guided missile explode, he did not believe that the future of warfare depended on any of those things. The future of modern warfare... would hinge on information: who had it, who lacked it, how you acquired it, and what you did with it once you possessed it. Information was not just power; it was a weapon -a razor-sharp weapon that could be used to disarm, confuse and terrorize your enemies."

"Certain ingredients were need [to create mass hysteria]. A period of true danger: war or famine or unemployment or civil unrest. A group of outsiders who had been responsible for problems in the past: foreigners, savages, criminals. A population crowded together in tight spaces where rumor and gossip could freely circulate. Big cities were often the starting point of the hysteria, but sometimes it was teens jammed together in schools, or religious devotees hidden away in monasteries. That last part seemed to be important: populations were most susceptible to panic and delusions when the surrounding culture was strict and controlling, with specific rules about what people could believe. When the society had rigid ideas of what was considered normal, and anything outside of normal was frowned upon - that bred hysteria. It was almost as if mass delusions were a form of rebellion against the existing order."

"Manhattan... was an island that made or grew essentially nothing for itself. If cut off from the rest of the country, it would wither and died, and it would do so quickly."

[Bob Andelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t you just hate when you become totally engrossed in a thriller or mystery novel and then it just ends?

I always wanna scream, “NOOOOOO!” and beg the author to make it go on a little longer.

That’s probably the lure of stories with continuing characters, whether it’s Harry Potter or Harry Bosch. We get to know them, their characteristics good and bad, their inflection points, their weaknesses, and more. Once we inhabit their world—from a safe distance, of course—we never want to leave.

I felt that way about Drew Chapman’s first novel, The Ascendant, which introduced us to a certified genius, Garrett Reilly, a man who sees patterns in places the rest of us simply don’t see anything at all. He puts his talents to work in the financial markets but soon finds himself wrapped up in international intrigue and government conspiracy theories.

When that book was done, I wanted more Reilly.

http://mrmedia.com/2016/02/the-king-o...

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the first novel, you'll enjoy this one (or three). This version is all three books into one.

The "cliffhangers" at the end of each part or book are intriguing in hooking you into wanting to continue to read or pick up the next novel.

It's action packed and I didn't want to put it down, but read slowly to follow the events as they unfold and link together.

I was a bit sore that we followed Congressman Harris in such detail then within the last 2-3 chapters, Chapman lists what happened to him in 2 paragraphs. I would have preferred a chapter on what unfolded. Plus, what did happen to the girl hired by Markov? I'm guessing she moved on to other work...

The biggest "hole" for me is this Hans Metternich character. He had a presence in the previous novel (and flipped the script on the direction of that novel w/ Garrett); showed up in the first chapters when Garrett is hiding out, buys the phones then contact Markov... but what is his actual role - mastermind?

Then there's some unanswered pieces in Russia. Who won the run-off elect? Who is the thin man is the suit? Where did they take/what happened to Ulyanin?

Part of me wonders if there will be another novel (though this was released in 2016 and here I am writing in 2023) or if it just ends. I'd be okay with either.

And P.S: I recommend reading the first novel, but might not necessarily be needed either.

4 out of 5 stars

[William Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Economic hit man (who uses social media, seduction, con artist skills, and hacking to manipulate people, primarily financial and political, and obtain information) wants to shake up the world economic system. Possible relation to Russia which is invading Belarus and wants a distraction. (Similar to Russian social media stuff happening now while it invades Ukraine; misdirection and distractions are typical Russian strategies.) He realizes that Garrett could be a problem so he implicates him in a shooting. Garrett initially goes on the run but then decides to fight and so he secretly reassembles the Ascendant team.

This book is a commentary on the U.S. cultural and economic system and its presumptions and weaknesses.

One line highlights Garrett's basic outlook:
"Garrett reminded himself to stay on task and not be an asshole, which was never easy for him."

[Meranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story about a man who can spot patterns in any situation, puts his skills to take down a Russian financial assassin who plans to bring the U.S stock system to a crippling ruin. However Garrett Reilly begins to see a pattern in himself that relates very similarly to the very man he's trying to take down. Could they be brothers in crime or each others downfall?

[Susan B · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good sequel to the Ascendant Garrett Reilly is back in full swing fighting his addiction to pain meds and seeing a new pattern of destroying the US economy via another hacker. garrett is able to gather the old Ascendant team and eventually getting getting colonel Klein back in the game. Gret reading and a real page turner.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, buy gold!

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half

[Vincent Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the general idea of the book, crashing the American economy and causing a panic.
However I could not relate to or root for our protagonist.
I'm sorry it's not me, its you.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first one, but I still enjoyed. I would love to see more in this series.

[Jason Luther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good.

[Jackson Janes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t think it’d be my cup of tea but I ended up really enjoying it. Interesting plot with interesting characters made it a good read. Solid 4 stars

[Tom Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“An Unlikely Hero”

This book actually contains Books #1, 2 & 3, which follow the premiere novel, THE ASCENDANT. Garrett Reilly is a financial genius. He sees numbers, and recognizes global bonds and money traffic. He was part of a team in The Ascendant stopping an attack that could have resulted in war, and now it appears terrorists are after him, and planning another attack on the West. In Part 1, the President of the Federal Reserve is assassinated, and his killer names Garrett as the man behind the assassination. In Book #2, the team is up against a mysterious terrorist, while Garrett struggles with his own drug addiction. Book #3 brings THE KING OF FEAR to a conclusion, but only after discovering the terrorist attack may have a personal connection.

I came into the series cold; not having read THE ASCENDANT first, and then was given this edition containing the three novels. Although the writing was good, and the characters interesting, it was a real task finding the book itself interesting. I felt that the main character, Garrett Reilly was hard to believe as the hero. An injury in a bar fight had cracked his skull, leaving him with headaches, and on a lot of pain killers; plus, at times he was filled with paranoia and didn’t know who he could trust. The drugs certainly helped in his confusion. Cyber attacks and hidden power money is a good plot, but I felt we needed a better hero than Garrett to save the world. He could have been the go-to man behind the scenes, but not the front line G-I Joe. Still, readers who like a good thriller will find this series a good read. It just wasn’t of interest for me.

[Scott Butki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this

i interviewed the author here:
https://mysterypeople.wordpress.com/2...

excerpt:"Picture this: A thriller featuring highly skilled data hackers. Their leader, Garrett Reilly, is, on the plus side, a genius; he can spot patterns like the main characters in The Big Short. On the negative side, Reilly is wanted by law enforcement for allegedly causing the killing of the head of the New York Federal Reserve.

Hunting Reilly and messing with economic markets for reasons not immediately clear is an equally smart man from Russia who takes on other people’s identities, and gets people to do things they’d be wise not to do, faster than most people change clothes.

Mix, spin and did I mention the author writes for television, so his plot twists are amazing? Drew Chapman is best known for his extensive TV and movie writing career (notably, TNT’s Legends, ABC’s Assets, A House Divided, Standoff); he burst on to the book scene a couple years ago with The Ascendant (20th Century Fox is developing a TV series).

This book is the best thriller I have read in a year and I read at least 25 to 50 mysteries and thrillers a year. Pick up this book and you can thank me later.

[Km · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this sequel better than The Ascendant: better pacing and, by book two in the series, I'm vested in the characters. Can't wait for the next book.

[deep]

PW Starred: An eccentric genius is all that stands between the U.S. and total financial collapse in Chapman’s first-rate sequel to 2014’s The Ascendant. Garrett Reilly, who has a gift for detecting patterns, has put that talent to work in creating the Ascendant project, “an attempt to assemble a team of out-of-the-mainstream thinkers to help America fight the next generation of wars.” Though the program succeeded in thwarting a Chinese cyberattack, Garrett quit after suffering psychological and physical damage. Now his work as an investment analyst alerts him to another alarming problem—evidence of an “enormous pool of money” accumulated in a private equity exchange. Meanwhile, a hit woman murders the head of the New York Federal Reserve; she accuses Garrett of ordering the killing before taking her own life. The allegation puts him on the run and into the path of an elusive Russian crook who may be his intellectual equal. Chapman makes the battle of wits as suspenseful as a standard action thriller. Agent: Markus Hoffmann, Regal Literary. (Feb.)

[Christopher Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - good action, fun characters, pretty decent plot written by someone who mostly understands modern technology. It was much faster than the first book, which I enjoyed because I'm there for the story not the prose (which was good but just isn't why I read thrillers).

I hope Drew Chapman continues this series, but I hope he adds another adviser/reviewer that better understands government. There were a number of areas where he just got some specific facts wrong... probably things most people wouldn't notice but since I pay a lot of attention in this world, it was a little jarring. But frankly, my interest in the plot easily overcame any distraction I had from nuanced errors. Plus, it lets me feel all superior to spot little errors, and who doesn't enjoy that?

Oh, and there is the minor issue of this probably turning out to be even more prophetic than we think it is already given Russian hacking. A solid read.

[Tom Kopff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second so far in a series featuring Garrett Reilly, whose "superpower" is recognizing patterns in the massive amounts of data flowing available to him in this Age of the Internet. This helps him in his job at a b0pkerage house, and also makes him valuable to the US intelligence community.
In this novel, he senses something is up, and concludes that someone is planning to disrupt the US economy and bring the country to his knees. The question is, who? And how does he convince his government contacts that all this is not just a trick of his overactive imagination?
I thought the pace was a little slow at first, but by the end it rips right along. If you are looking for a book to read on your next flight or while you sit in the doctor's office, this could be it.

[Ryan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King of Fear, by Drew Chapman, is a thrilling novel about an economic collapse inAmerica, and one man who has seen it before it happens. I love realistic fiction books like this, as it makes me wonder about what I would if something like this actually happened. The main characters addiction to prescription drugs also helped me immerse myself in the book, because it not only mm add the character seem more realistic, the main character of my Genius Hour project also has an addiction (to alchohol). In conclusion, from the brilliant characters, to the amazing story idea, this is a quality piece of writing.

[Wdmoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The King of Fear is an intelligent, well written fast-paced book. It gets a little squishy here and there but Mr. Chapman writes one helluva good story. It's a nice surprise too because I wasn't overwhelmed with Mr. Chapman's first book The Ascendant, but he more than makes up for it here. This much improvement between books makes Mr. Chapman an author to watch.

Recommended for readers of Michael Sears, Mark Russinovich, Michael Pocalyko, and maybe James Rollins and Patrick Lee.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Color me surprised. This was damn good. Resistant at first, not enticed by some of the story & characters, however it dug in. Then, it didn't let go. Occasionally, some parts could've been trimmed, or cut out. Conversations flowed fairly well and character's felt properly motivated. It's a topical story that rings eerily parallel to current goings-on, especially in the post-Snowden environment. Intelligent thriller that doesn't require you to keep guessing, rather just ride the current and enjoy the ride.

[R Fontaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd in a proposed trilogy. I'm somewhat surprised that while the King of Fear held my attention, it didn't have the same joy of discovery that the Garrett Reilly personality exhibited in book one.
Maybe due to too much introspection, drug addiction, and multiple somewhat (Ah-ha) contrived, closing twists.
It seems that many novels of intrigue have to take the consequences for failure to be world threatening: to the max - too much, too often.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a massive bargain, available as an ebook right now. Move over Lee Child, it rocks the house. Do yourself a favor and carve out a few hours to read the first installment of King Of Fear. You will not be able to put it down. If you were fool enough to miss the first of the series, no worries. They one can be read on its own as well.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads!
Excellent international thriller.
Garrett Reilly is being implicated in the murder of the Federal Reserve president and someone is trying to crash the world economy.
It's up to Reilly and The Ascendant team to find out who and stop them.
It's a race against time. Great characters. Great story.
I want to read the first one. "The Ascendant", now!

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. My opinion is just that...mine...and completely unbiased.

I was hooked from the start and found this very hard to put down. Great character development. Garrett Reilly and the other members of the Ascendant Team held me captive for two days and I went with them willingly. This was my first Chapman novel, but it certainly won't be my last!

[Stephanie Tanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This high tech thriller revolves around Russian interference in the U.S. economy. With today's suspicion of Russian influence on our presidential election, the book's theme is plausible. I enjoyed the first book in the series "The Ascendant" and recommend starting with that book to get the backstory on the characters.

Looking forward to #3