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The Cyprus Papers

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A consortium of people determined to keep a secret safe. A woman hell-bent on exposing the truth. A relentless assassin hunting her down.

The odds are heavily stacked against Emily. Armed with fortitude and determination, she does everything she can while the world around her crumbles.

Back Cover:
Emily, a consultant specializing in financial forensics, discovers an unspeakable plot of ambition and greed. Her investigation uncovers a paper trail of obscure evidence that her client, a congressman and hopeful presidential candidate, is part of a corrupt consortium of individuals with links to international tax havens.

As she learns more about her client and the consortium, a deadly cover-up quickly reaches her colleagues and inner circle of friends. Unsure of whom to trust and where to go, Emily is forced into hiding.

With her life in the balance, she searches for the internal fortitude to battle and expose the consortium. Hindering her investigation is a ruthless assassin with his sights trained directly on her. While the people around her continue to perish, Emily stands up for what she believes is right, trying to preserve her moral compass amidst the chaos.

379 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2017

9 people are currently reading
839 people want to read

About the author

C.W. Bordener

1 book15 followers
C.W. Bordener is the debut author of The Cyprus Papers, a thriller set in the nation’s capital. His career focused on business valuation and litigation consulting at top-tier consulting firms in Washington, DC and Chicago. He holds an MBA from Indiana University. His exciting novel transcends his work experience as a financial consultant into a world of financial intrigue involving a rising presidential candidate. He resides in Washington, DC with his wife and two daughters, and is currently working on his second novel.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Mackey.
1,268 reviews357 followers
June 16, 2018
The Cyprus Papers is a fast paced thriller that you will not want to put down until you know the ending....

Author C.W. Bordener is originally from Chicago, studied in my home state of Indiana and now resides in D.C. where he is a financial consultant. His financial expertise is very apparent in his writing which is interesting and intriguing. Bordener is to financial espionage what Grisham was to legal thrillers in his early days.

In The Cyprus Papers, financial consultant Emily is tasked with the financial forensics of a political rising star - a Congressman who is prepping for a run for the White House. However, in doing due diligence, Emily soon discovers a paper trail with deadly results. Every where she turns, she is one step behind a mastermind killer. With her life in tatters, she has two choices - give up and give in or follow the trail to its ultimate, and deadly, conclusion. 

This was a quick read for me since I refused to put it down until I was finished. There is a lot of political drama and references to world events that contained a lot of information but Bordener writes this in such a way to make it fascinating rather than overwhelming. There were details revolving around DC were spot on, something that writers who do not live in the beltway have a difficult time mastering. These details helped, not only to flesh out Emily's character, but to bring the book to life in a very real, salient manner. This topic is very current - from the Panama Papers to the Cypriot international money laundering schemes - The Cyprus Papers very much mirrors today's reality. If you enjoy espionage, political intrigue or well written, fast paced thriller, then you definitely will enjoy The Cyprus Papers. 

Many thanks to Netgalley and C.W. Bordener for my copy of The Cyprus Papers. I cannot wait for the next Bordener thriller to be published!
Profile Image for Dianne.
6,817 reviews634 followers
April 14, 2018
It’s her job to dig deep and find the answers, no matter what they reveal. Emily has an analytical mind, but as a forensic financial consultant, her excitement usually comes at the end of a spreadsheet. This time out, when Emily is tasked with investigating the finances of a charming Congressman with eyes on the White House, she finds herself caught up in a deadly conspiracy, unsure who she can trust. Armed with incriminating evidence and a handful of people she can trust, her life is on the line in this rapid-fire read by C.W. Bordener.

THE CYPRUS PAPERS proves that one woman on a mission, with a keen mind and a whole lot of luck is more than a match for financial powerhouses with a lot to hide and that money just may be the root of all kinds of evil.

Let go of reality, because yes, Emily is like a fish out of water, but she is also a brilliantly quick study when it comes to saving her own bacon while exposing some very dark truths. C.W. Bordener has created a tale and an unwitting heroine who has a wry sense of humor and a desperate need to survive. I can’t say I always liked her, she could be abrasive one minute and almost too timid the next, but who can’t? Interesting relationships, an assassin on a mission and one hard-to-stop woman-on-a-mission who seemed to have more than nine lives.

Publication Date: November 10, 2017
Publisher: C.W. Bordener
Genre: Thriller | Suspense
Print Length: 379 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News: http://tometender.blogspot.com


6,263 reviews80 followers
May 30, 2022
A turgid conspiracy thriller.

A consultant is assigned to look into the financials of a politician, and finds discrepancies. A strange man follows her, and there's a weird meeting, then assassins start their work. At some point, the consultant becomes a female Rambo.

A meandering book, that doesn't quite seem to know where it's going.
Profile Image for E.
169 reviews4 followers
April 5, 2018
There are mysteries and then there are great mystery stories. “The Cyprus Papers” is the latter. A financial forensics consultant Emily finds herself involved in an investigation of a Congressman who has aspirations on being the next President. The Congressman’s backers as well as he want assurances that there is nothing in his background that would jeopardize his bid. To complicate matters, Emily’s boyfriend is the Congressman’s right hand man. Emily is an expert at what she does and will not let anything stop her from finding the truth. She knows she is being followed, but doesn’t know by whom. As she delves into the Congressman’s financial records, she uncovers what could land the Congressman and a few other high government officials behind bars. Emily knows that she is well over her head on this investigation and seeks help from her friends and coworkers. As incriminating evidence is uncovered, one by one her coworker and friends are mysteriously murdered, including her boyfriend. Emity knows she is next. She doesn’t know who to trust anymore and finds that even her close friend and her boss have betrayed her. This is a well written and captivating story, full of twists and turns, intrigue, and delicious characters. The ending is a great surprise.
315 reviews11 followers
October 26, 2018
One of the best books I've read this year. Begins with a bang & keeps going til the end. Didn't want to put it down!
1,061 reviews15 followers
March 25, 2018
Good thriller

I found this book very thrilling and entertaining. The heroine is an interesting character quite different from what you usually find. The book grabs you from the beginning and keeps building your interest as it races towards the conclusion.
Profile Image for Carol Keen.
Author 9 books122 followers
October 7, 2018
This author nailed it. This book didn't let up, didn't let me down and made me want to read more. On a topic I wasn't sure I'd totally like, this book pulled it off with flair. Emily was intriguing and this story wasn't predictable. Yeah!

I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Net Galley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and this review is left of my own free will.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
1 review
December 4, 2017
Great read! Hooks you in early. Keeps you wondering what is Emily going to do next, and what will happen to her? Emily's character evolution is fascinating.
Profile Image for Wanda.
1,675 reviews17 followers
April 17, 2018
Received this as a Goodreads Giveaway. Really enjoyed it. Fast paced thriller. The story is about a young woman, Emily, who works for a consulting firm in Washington, D. C. The case she is working on is looking into the past of a Congressman who her boyfriend works for. She finds some irregularities and this leads to people following her and trying to stop the information she has found from becoming public. Many people get killed along the way and she is running for her life.
Emily had been just a normal young woman at the start and she quickly finds she can do a lot of things she never thought about before such as trying to hide her identity and kill some one. She calls lots of friends to help and they end up dead and those she had trusted betray her.
Story contains a conspiracy trying to get a person elected to the Presidency for their own power and greed. It has to do with money transfers in two foreign countries and tracking down the owners of the accounts.
1,235 reviews31 followers
May 27, 2018
Working for a consulting firm, Emily is assigned the task of reviewing the accounts of a rising politician. It is supposed to be a quick review with no unexpected surprises, but there are some questionable transactions. As she turns to friends and associates to find answers, they become targets of an assassin. With her life in jeopardy, she goes on the run and discovers that there is no one she can trust.

As Emily begins her investigation the pace of the story picks up and continues at a breakneck speed to the end. She is a character that is resourceful and determined to survive as she witnesses the deaths of her friends. This is a quick read that will often have you on the edge of your seat.
Profile Image for Jud Hanson.
316 reviews6 followers
April 3, 2018
The Cyprus Papers by C. W. Bordener is an interesting book that starts out rather good but then the plot sort of fizzles out. The plot revolves around Emily, who works for a firm that performs deep background checks for clients. Her latest assignment is to carry out such a check on a rising political figure who plans to run for President. When she discovers more than she should have, she is forced to go on the run from an organization who will stop at nothing to keep what Emily discovered a secret. The problem with the plot is that you are never really told what this secret organization’s end goal is. There is just a piece missing from this novel that would make it one I could justify recommending. In good conscience, I can only give this novel 2/5 stars.

* A copy of this ebook was the only consideration given in exchange for this review.*
39 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2018
I was lucky enough to win a Goodreads giveaway for this fast action mystery. The badass female lead was likable and I was definitely rooting for her. It was refreshing for her to have knowledge about a variety of topics that allowed her to progress toward solving the case. She did get in a few tight spots but at some points it seemed like everything came together a bit too easily. Overall it was a fun story. Thanks Goodreads!
Profile Image for Viccy.
2,247 reviews4 followers
July 19, 2018
Emily Hendricks works at a boutique consulting firm in DC, doing financial analyses for high-tier clients. But she gets more than she bargains for when her firm is asked to vet the financial affairs of Owen Templeton, congressman and soon-to-be-elected president, things begin to go wrong almost immediately. Two of Emily's friends are murdered and then her boyfriend, Scott, is kidnapped. Things go from bad to worse. A few too many too-stupid-to-live moments really soured me on the book.
Profile Image for Rachel.
901 reviews14 followers
April 12, 2018
I received this book from the Goodreads First Reads program.

The more I read the more I was sucked in. The pace getting faster and faster until I ran out of pages. I am still trying to decide if I liked the ending or not.
Profile Image for Meghan.
196 reviews13 followers
August 6, 2018
I texted this book free via Goodreads giveaways.

I was really surprised at how this book turned out. In the beginning it feels like there are so many details that it's confusing but stick with it! It's a great roller coaster read!!
2,044 reviews22 followers
November 7, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. This is a fast-paced, exiting, action-packed thriller. Seems like it might be the beginning of a new series. Hard to put down once you start reading it.
1 review
April 17, 2018
Loved the pacing and character development. Twists and turns kept me engaged. A must read!
Profile Image for Sandra Hernandez.
717 reviews4 followers
February 2, 2019
This book wasn’t horrible but wasn’t a surprise either. I felt the summary was decent and kinda told what the story is about more deaths than expected but no explanation.
12 reviews
February 18, 2018
Nancy Drew with swear words and shootings

I read it. It’s just too much to believe that this young woman can find the bad guys, solve the crime, and get everyone of her friends killed. I found the banter, with the casual f-bomb annoying. It looks like there’s a setup for a sequel.
Profile Image for Tracy.
53 reviews
December 24, 2019
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion or this review.

It wasn't very far into beginning The Cyprus Papers before I was caught in the I Do Not want to PUT IT DOWN struggle. If you have a choice wait until you have a couple of days fairly open to read this one.

There was excitement, mystery, greed, power, chivalry and emotional upheaval. Bordener creates some fascinating characters that just pull you in. The main character Emily starts out as someone who has become complacent with her life and morphs into an incredibly strong, intelligent, resourceful and bad-ass leading lady type. I love that she can ask for help and fights go see it through even in the face of adversity and obstacles that would have made anyone throw in the towel.

The relationships between characters in the book are so believable, I found myself on an emotional journey with them. Just enough sizzle and details, especially with violence, to keep you devouring the pages but not so much that it feels wrong and disturbing.

I am hoping that there may be another book or two following Emily in her next adventure.
Profile Image for Sandi.
41 reviews
May 20, 2018
Fast paced book with a strong female lead character. An interesting look at political consulting work. I would definitely read this author again, hopefully in a follow up book.
Profile Image for Tracy.
53 reviews
April 29, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion or this review.

It wasn't very far into beginning The Cyprus Papers before I was caught in the I Do Not want to PUT IT DOWN struggle. If you have a choice wait until you have a couple of days fairly open to read this one.

There was excitement, mystery, greed, power, chivalry and emotional upheaval. Bordener creates some fascinating characters that just pull you in. The main character Emily starts out as someone who has become complacent with her life and morphs into an incredibly strong, intelligent, resourceful and bad-ass leading lady type. I love that she can ask for help and fights go see it through even in the face of adversity and obstacles that would have made anyone throw in the towel.

The relationships between characters in the book are so believable, I found myself on an emotional journey with them. Just enough sizzle and details, especially with violence, to keep you devouring the pages but not so much that it feels wrong and disturbing.

I am hoping that there may be another book or two following Emily in her next adventure.
Profile Image for Cindy Lauren.
205 reviews3 followers
May 2, 2018
There are some good things and some not so good things about this book. The premise is a little John Grisham, the polished, rocket to the top analyst is given a top secret and rushed project to review background stuff for a political candidate.
Its gets a little incestuous when the fiancee of the analyst works for the candidate yet that does not appear to be a problem. The idea was to have the analysis be done to show there was nothing to hide, and lo and behold, she finds something. Her commitment to the truth exceeds her common sense as almost from the get go bad things happen and keep happening.
The simultaneous stupidity and prescience of the bad guys is troubling. They can find anyone and everyone who may be involved ,their lurking skills are awesome, yet they asked the smartest girl in the room to either not notice obvious red flags about money and countries who could be suspect.

The other problem is how quickly our girl goes from review machine to skilled shooter. Amazing. Her capacity for violence and skill at avoiding being caught is shocking for a finance person.

There is some good stuff here and had it been reworked to allow more credibility to the characters, would have been much better story.
453 reviews6 followers
July 23, 2018
A Timely Political Thriller

Emily is a financial forensics consultant with a consulting firm in Washington DC. Emily avoids the limelight. She’s happier with a spreadsheet, but her boyfriend works for a congressman with his eye on the White House. Emily reluctantly accompanies him to political events, but she’s uncomfortable with his boss.

When her firm gets a contract to review the congressman’s finances she draws the assignment. At first nothing looks out of line, but there are disturbing indicators. When the associate who was helping with the analysis is killed, Emily wonders whether the indicators suggest a serious problem revealed by the financial documents. She knows she’s being followed, and finally, she has no choice but to hide to keep from being the next victim.

This is a well done political thriller. The setting in DC and the consulting firm where Emily works are accurately portrayed. Having worked in Washington, I could see that the story could actually happen. I liked Emily she was determined to do the right thing. Her boyfriend was totally wrapped up in the congressman’s campaign, but Emily didn’t let herself get drawn in.

The story is well written. As Emily goes into hiding, she shows that she has real grit and a desire to survive. If you enjoy political thrillers, this is a good one and quite realistic.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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