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Blown
Bryan LeBlanc worked his way up into a plum position on Wall Street as the boy genius of the foreign exchange desk. Surrounded by acolytes of the free market, the true believers, the U.S. Marines of capitalism?the few, the proud, the completely full of themselves?Bryan soon realizes that being honest at a dishonest job is not the path to success. He decides to give Wall Street a taste of its own medicine and hatches an intricate plan to disappear permanently with just enough misappropriated money?and sailing classes?to spend his golden years cruising the Caribbean. Bryan quickly learns that being a criminal, even a really smart one, is more complicated than he thought. He finds himself on the run in the Cayman Islands, wanted for murder. On his trail is an irresponsible team of investigators sent by his Wall Street firm, hellbent on reclaiming the millions before their clients notice its missing: his boss, Seo-yun Kim, who's committed to not only clearing her name but escaping her suffocating fianc� and their pending nuptials; the investment bank's collections agent, Neal Nathanson, depressed over a recent break-up with his boyfriend; and an ex-cop from Cura�ao, Piet Room, who has traded in his badge for spouse spying as a private investigator.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2018
22 people are currently reading
1117 people want to read
About the author
Mark Haskell Smith
21 books195 followersMark Haskell Smith is the author of seven novels with one word titles, most recently Blown and Memoires, and three nonfiction books including Rude Talk in Athens and Naked at Lunch.
He lives in Los Angeles. He likes Mexican food.
He lives in Los Angeles. He likes Mexican food.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
June 21, 2018
3.5 STARS
A very unique read with some very interesting characters who are anything but normal!
I was shocked so many times while reading this novel that I decided to put plausibility aside and "just go with it". It is a high seas chase to see who will get the money. A Wall Street trader heist that sets this adventure in motion.
This one is full of satire, wild scenarios (including the sexual graphic kind), and a Wall Street trader heist that sets the adventure in motion. It has a comical side to all the crazy shenanigans. This had me both laughing out loud and raising my eyebrows or just plain bewildered.
Greed drives most of these wacko characters and the chase that entailed was quite entertaining with the Cayman Island setting and the expensive sailboats.
I loved the ending and was totally surprised by how it all wrapped up.
Thanks to Grove Press and NG for my ARC.
A very unique read with some very interesting characters who are anything but normal!
I was shocked so many times while reading this novel that I decided to put plausibility aside and "just go with it". It is a high seas chase to see who will get the money. A Wall Street trader heist that sets this adventure in motion.
This one is full of satire, wild scenarios (including the sexual graphic kind), and a Wall Street trader heist that sets the adventure in motion. It has a comical side to all the crazy shenanigans. This had me both laughing out loud and raising my eyebrows or just plain bewildered.
Greed drives most of these wacko characters and the chase that entailed was quite entertaining with the Cayman Island setting and the expensive sailboats.
I loved the ending and was totally surprised by how it all wrapped up.
Thanks to Grove Press and NG for my ARC.
June 2, 2018
Whoa! What on heaven’s name did I just read?
Bryan is a Wall Street trader that rips off his company for $17 million. He justifies it by thinking “they never hesitated to exploit the weaknesses of others, so why shouldn’t others exploit them right back?”
All the characters are truly, well characters. His boss, Seo-yun, is engaged, but not happy about it, she’s supposedly somewhere on the spectrum (although I didn’t really see that) and happiest when working. Until she gets to take an adventure...
There’s a kind of bonkers quality to this tale. What starts off fairly standard quickly morphs into craziness. Don’t look for believability here. But I have to admit to getting sucked in. I wanted to know how this would play out. Imagine something the Coen Brothers would direct and you get an idea. Just flat out twisted.
This is pure fun; escapist literature. It’ll make a great beach read. Enjoy!
My thanks to netgalley and Grove Press for an advance copy of this book.
October 30, 2019
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.
First of all, fuck this book and everything it stands for. Secondly, fuck this book sideways and everything it stands for. Thirdly, I fucking loved it.
Most importantly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blown is a "satire" that covers the greed, sexual desire and crimes in Wall Street.
I honestly don't know how to react to this book except to say
The book follows Bryan, a 2D man who embezzled $17 million from his clients; Seo-Yun Kim, an aspergey Korean American woman who was as heartbreakingly straightforward as she was occasionally funny; Neal a lonely gay investigative accountant type person who the author seems to have a grudge against; Chloe, the most hateful career adventurer who is more bitter than a cracked capsule and frankly the absolute vilest of these people and; Piet a 4 ft 7 in man with a condition that made his dick extra large, is a bonafide ass whisperer and also single-handedly responsible for my favourite part of the entire "satire".
Piet had a unique relationship to women's bottoms. Not only was he a connoisseur of culo, an aficionado of ass, but he felt that women's asses communicated to him, through signs and sephamores. They sent him messages, gave him instructions, told him how they wanted to be caressed or if they preferred to be roughed up a bit. They teased, they invited, they told him stories of heartache and pain, triumph and ecstasy. His ability to read an ass wasn't a superpower; it was a skill he'd developed by paying close attention.
After Bryan steals the money and runs off to the Caribbean, Seo-yun takes the opportunity to escape her smothering fiance and accompanies Neal to apprehend Bryan and get their money back. Piet- a resident of the Caymans or wherever the fuck they were- was some kind of investigator who was to provide them with additional "muscle".
Things get complicated when a clammy-handed banker who had assisted Bryan to launder the money ends up dead.
It's worth it to note that this author went to the Game of Thrones school of killing off characters unexpectedly. Thankfully, this story has no likeable characters. They all range from the bizarre to the hilarious. And Neal was somewhat pitiable. But with how much misery the poor guy endures, and the ending the writer gave to him- you wonder if he has something against gay accountants just doing their jobs. The story itself was as far removed from my life as utterly possible. Like reading a page out of the devil's diary.
It reminded me of how I felt when I attended my first air show when I was 9. Planes! Cheers! Excitement! But I had no idea what the agenda of the event was or even who won at the end of the day.
I was just along for the ride.
So should you read it? Sure.
First of all, fuck this book and everything it stands for. Secondly, fuck this book sideways and everything it stands for. Thirdly, I fucking loved it.
Most importantly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blown is a "satire" that covers the greed, sexual desire and crimes in Wall Street.
I honestly don't know how to react to this book except to say
The book follows Bryan, a 2D man who embezzled $17 million from his clients; Seo-Yun Kim, an aspergey Korean American woman who was as heartbreakingly straightforward as she was occasionally funny; Neal a lonely gay investigative accountant type person who the author seems to have a grudge against; Chloe, the most hateful career adventurer who is more bitter than a cracked capsule and frankly the absolute vilest of these people and; Piet a 4 ft 7 in man with a condition that made his dick extra large, is a bonafide ass whisperer and also single-handedly responsible for my favourite part of the entire "satire".
Piet had a unique relationship to women's bottoms. Not only was he a connoisseur of culo, an aficionado of ass, but he felt that women's asses communicated to him, through signs and sephamores. They sent him messages, gave him instructions, told him how they wanted to be caressed or if they preferred to be roughed up a bit. They teased, they invited, they told him stories of heartache and pain, triumph and ecstasy. His ability to read an ass wasn't a superpower; it was a skill he'd developed by paying close attention.
After Bryan steals the money and runs off to the Caribbean, Seo-yun takes the opportunity to escape her smothering fiance and accompanies Neal to apprehend Bryan and get their money back. Piet- a resident of the Caymans or wherever the fuck they were- was some kind of investigator who was to provide them with additional "muscle".
Things get complicated when a clammy-handed banker who had assisted Bryan to launder the money ends up dead.
It's worth it to note that this author went to the Game of Thrones school of killing off characters unexpectedly. Thankfully, this story has no likeable characters. They all range from the bizarre to the hilarious. And Neal was somewhat pitiable. But with how much misery the poor guy endures, and the ending the writer gave to him- you wonder if he has something against gay accountants just doing their jobs. The story itself was as far removed from my life as utterly possible. Like reading a page out of the devil's diary.
It reminded me of how I felt when I attended my first air show when I was 9. Planes! Cheers! Excitement! But I had no idea what the agenda of the event was or even who won at the end of the day.
I was just along for the ride.
So should you read it? Sure.
January 28, 2018
Blown has some classic thriller plot lines including a money manager who skedaddled to the Caribbean with duffel bags full of cold hard cash, an investigative team from the brokerage house chasing him across the islands in a bid to catch the money before the Press gets wind of the loss, and there are, of course, the islands, the sailboats, and the betrayals. It could have been the plot from any number of fifties paperback writers. It may be that I am difficult to please, but very little about this novel worked for me including the believability, the random sex scenes thrown about, or the character development.
February 6, 2018
Really fun and sexy, with just enough under the surface to feel substantial. If you like Elmore Leonard, I'd think this is right up your alley.
June 18, 2018
I loved “Blown” and was much relief from my usual fare of dark mystery/thrillers.
Inspired by Wall Street modern day robbers, the main character, a Wall Street trader rips off $17 million of his brokerage firm’s cash which begins a chase to hunt him down across the Caribbean.
With a motley crew of characters, this is a superbly crafted tale. The writer weaves this story with so many twists and turns and comic relief. Reading this was like being on a never ending roller coaster ride. I loved it!
Inspired by Wall Street modern day robbers, the main character, a Wall Street trader rips off $17 million of his brokerage firm’s cash which begins a chase to hunt him down across the Caribbean.
With a motley crew of characters, this is a superbly crafted tale. The writer weaves this story with so many twists and turns and comic relief. Reading this was like being on a never ending roller coaster ride. I loved it!
December 9, 2018
Not a very good book in my opinion. Wall Street trader embezzles millions of dollars from his company sending it through wires around the world for him to eventually claim in the Cayman Islands. Company sends their investigator to get the money back before the loss goes public and ruins them. Many times throughout the novel I thought I was reading a skin book as not a chapter would pass where the author was describing explicit sex scenes to include every detail. Sex in books doesn't bother me at all as I'm a grown man and it doesn't offend me, but it reads as a sex novel with a little mystery or suspense sprinkled in here or there instead of a mystery novel with a steamy scene every now and then. A lot of noir authors in the '40's got their start by writing skin books, i.e. Charles Williford, this author has a long ways to go if that's his goal. GoodReads list this book as being some 300 pages in length where the garbage book I read was only 223 pages if anyone cares to correct that.
August 6, 2018
A quick fun book in the style of Carl Hiaasen.
January 30, 2018
Bryan LeBlanc decided to trade a life as a lackey to a Wall Street bank for sailing, beautiful women, great food and a somewhat-endless paradise. However, he decides the best way to do that is to embezzle money from some of the bank's clients (~ $15 million). All he has to do is get away with it. Knowing the ins and out of how banks should make this easy, right?
This book was a quick, fun read if you don't mind lots of sex and... lots of mentioning of sex. Many may think this book is nonsensical but entertainment is entertainment and I was definitely entertained!
I did appreciate how the story was presented by different characters and how diverse they were - a Korean-American woman, a gay man, a Black man from Curaçao. Even despite the chase to catch Bryan and/or the money, it was surprisingly an interesting commentary on the lengths people would go to for money.
There's no real way to explain my experience with this book but it was a refreshing change of pace and content that I didn't realize I needed. It was a matter-of-fact situation with characters making impromptu decisions for their own happiness which seems fine by me. Money, crime, betrayal, sex positivity (surprisingly), no drugs (also surprisingly) and a common quest to find something greater in life than just the mundane.
This book was a quick, fun read if you don't mind lots of sex and... lots of mentioning of sex. Many may think this book is nonsensical but entertainment is entertainment and I was definitely entertained!
I did appreciate how the story was presented by different characters and how diverse they were - a Korean-American woman, a gay man, a Black man from Curaçao. Even despite the chase to catch Bryan and/or the money, it was surprisingly an interesting commentary on the lengths people would go to for money.
There's no real way to explain my experience with this book but it was a refreshing change of pace and content that I didn't realize I needed. It was a matter-of-fact situation with characters making impromptu decisions for their own happiness which seems fine by me. Money, crime, betrayal, sex positivity (surprisingly), no drugs (also surprisingly) and a common quest to find something greater in life than just the mundane.
June 2, 2021
I really loved this satirical book which was a commentary on the greed of Wall Street. It was funny, fresh, vulgar, and vibrant. A fairly quick read, it can be enjoyed over the course of a few days. My only criticism is I was not completely satisfied with the manner in which how a few side plots were dealt with during the final chapters but since I do not want to provide any spoilers, I'll let future readers experience the novel blindly and make their own decisions. The dialogue was particularly enjoyable as I thought author Smith did an excellent job capturing the vernacular of authentic conversations and slang which I particularly enjoyed and was usually the source of much humor. Those readers who get easily offended by profanity or depictions of sexual acts might want to avoid this novel but to all other readers, enjoy the ride.
September 3, 2018
Manages to be very entertaining, precisely written, and a social commentary. Brilliant!
June 27, 2019
Un polar qui sort de l'ordinaire, par son humour cru et déjanté, ses personnages plus noirs les uns que les autres et cette chute qui nous laisse avec une impression que l'on vient de lire un ovni et qu'on ne sait pas trop où se positionner sur cette lecture !
L'auteur choisit de nous parler d'un vol de millions de dollars dans une banque de Wall Street. Le voleur s'enfuit et on le suit lui, ainsi que des enquêteurs chargés de le retrouver et de ramener l'argent. Mais rien ne se passe comme prévu et à part Neal, tous les personnages sont des anti-héros qui n'ont pas besoin de grand chose pour passer du côté obscur et tout laisser tomber à tout instant.
Ce roman est spécial et je pense qu'il ne plaira pas à tout le monde, car on ne s'attache pas aux personnages, mais plus à cette histoire complètement loufoque qui nous trimballe de droite à gauche et on se demande vraiment comment tout cela va se terminer. Une lecture spéciale, qui reste plaisante et qui se lit relativement vite. Je le conseille pour les curieux !
L'auteur choisit de nous parler d'un vol de millions de dollars dans une banque de Wall Street. Le voleur s'enfuit et on le suit lui, ainsi que des enquêteurs chargés de le retrouver et de ramener l'argent. Mais rien ne se passe comme prévu et à part Neal, tous les personnages sont des anti-héros qui n'ont pas besoin de grand chose pour passer du côté obscur et tout laisser tomber à tout instant.
Ce roman est spécial et je pense qu'il ne plaira pas à tout le monde, car on ne s'attache pas aux personnages, mais plus à cette histoire complètement loufoque qui nous trimballe de droite à gauche et on se demande vraiment comment tout cela va se terminer. Une lecture spéciale, qui reste plaisante et qui se lit relativement vite. Je le conseille pour les curieux !
August 17, 2019
Another fantastic book by this author.
Bryan decides to embezzle some money from the Wall Street bank he works at and then sail around the world.
Unfortunately the bank wants there money back
The banker in Grand Cayman who helped him wants the money
The the people the bank sent to find him want the money including his Asian female boss, who also wants sex and a vacation the detective from Curaçao wants the Asian boss and the money, the banks own detective wants Bryan and the money and a new boyfriend, the locals want to be rig of all of these crazy Americans, and well, if you can’t laugh and enjoy this book or any of the other books by this author, you are probably not breathing.
Bryan decides to embezzle some money from the Wall Street bank he works at and then sail around the world.
Unfortunately the bank wants there money back
The banker in Grand Cayman who helped him wants the money
The the people the bank sent to find him want the money including his Asian female boss, who also wants sex and a vacation the detective from Curaçao wants the Asian boss and the money, the banks own detective wants Bryan and the money and a new boyfriend, the locals want to be rig of all of these crazy Americans, and well, if you can’t laugh and enjoy this book or any of the other books by this author, you are probably not breathing.
January 13, 2019
This was a quick adventure of a book. I listened to the audio version of the book. It was quite enjoyable.
I enjoyed the charactersa lot. The moment when Seo-Yun asks Neal if he likes giving blow jobs and she clapped in delight at his answer when he said yes replying “oh good, so do I, we have something in common!” Turned the entire book around for me. I thought it was going to be a regular old who-donit, but no, it is a hilarious catch me if you can novel. There are exotic locations, incredible lucky scenarios and fun scenes where everyone enjoys a lovely civilized glass or two of wine before chaos ensues. If you don’t mind well hung men who have telepathic converations with women’s derrieres, the occasional pop up sex scene and a fun afternoon read/listen, then this book is for you.
I tried hard not to spoil anything for you, fellow readers. I am off to read more of this author!
I enjoyed the charactersa lot. The moment when Seo-Yun asks Neal if he likes giving blow jobs and she clapped in delight at his answer when he said yes replying “oh good, so do I, we have something in common!” Turned the entire book around for me. I thought it was going to be a regular old who-donit, but no, it is a hilarious catch me if you can novel. There are exotic locations, incredible lucky scenarios and fun scenes where everyone enjoys a lovely civilized glass or two of wine before chaos ensues. If you don’t mind well hung men who have telepathic converations with women’s derrieres, the occasional pop up sex scene and a fun afternoon read/listen, then this book is for you.
I tried hard not to spoil anything for you, fellow readers. I am off to read more of this author!
September 5, 2019
L’auteur nous propose ici une fable des temps modernes dressant le portrait d’un homme, ni ange ni démon, qui dans une sorte de vendetta personnelle, a sacrifié un avenir prometteur, mais vide de sens, pour s’opposer à un système financier fou et hors de contrôle. Avec un cynisme à toute épreuve, l’auteur nous transporte dans une valse ininterrompue et rythmée d’événements entre courses-poursuites sur terre et mer. Endiablé et cynique à souhait, voici un roman que vous n’êtes pas prêts de lâcher !
Chronique complète sur le blog : https://lightandsmell.wordpress.com/2...
Chronique complète sur le blog : https://lightandsmell.wordpress.com/2...
August 1, 2018
I really really liked this novel so many thanks for the ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this book and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. But seriously, wow, what a wild ride. Really creative and unique storyline, I don’t want to say too much because that’s part of the fun. I loved seeing how all of the very different pieces of the puzzle came together. The characters were fantastic, hilarious, lost, and heart breaking depending on who you’re talking about. The dominant theme that money really isn’t everything really resonates, at least with me it did. I was also a huge fan of the ending but I do wonder what happened to a certain unlikely pair.
Great quick read. I would highly recommend.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this book and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. But seriously, wow, what a wild ride. Really creative and unique storyline, I don’t want to say too much because that’s part of the fun. I loved seeing how all of the very different pieces of the puzzle came together. The characters were fantastic, hilarious, lost, and heart breaking depending on who you’re talking about. The dominant theme that money really isn’t everything really resonates, at least with me it did. I was also a huge fan of the ending but I do wonder what happened to a certain unlikely pair.
Great quick read. I would highly recommend.
November 12, 2018
Have loved this author's other books and loved this one just as much. His stories are always an adventure, (a very cool one) to exotic locales with quirky, fun, devious characters. Extra added value? I learn so much about whatever he writes about (in this case Wall Street, off-shore banking, Carribean living/lifestyle, and sailing the high seas).
June 30, 2018
A thrilling adventure wrapped up in biting dark humor and satirical musings. The story revolves around a young man who steals 17 million from his Wall Street company and then tries to escape, while weighing the regrets of his actions and the possibilities of his future. All the while, an oddly matched and thoroughly entertaining group try to track him down. I haven’t laughed this hard while reading a book in a while. Mark Haskell Smith has a new fan and I can’t wait to read the rest of his books.
July 26, 2018
Loved the ending
November 3, 2018
This is a fun and wild ride. Smith paces beautifully, and his images are certainly vivid. I had a good time with this one.
December 27, 2018
Who would have thought I could empathize with an embezzler and murderer? And yet, that's just what I did. This book was riveting, had interesting characters and even had some humorous moments. "Everything is shit and everything is beautiful" - sums up life in a nutshell.
January 27, 2018
Welp, it turns out the title was not related to the book. It's actually an accurate description of your mind when you're done reading it. I mean... I just... wow. You know how...? ...yeah. And then... like, ok... Look, just read it.
May 16, 2018
A witty and thought provoking voyage from Wall Street across oceans with a crew of scoundrels and an awful lot of money
September 9, 2018
Enjoyable despite gratuitous ejaculation detail throughout. Good light summer reading and doesn't follow your typical Elmore Leonard formula for these types of books, but has some similar qualities.
April 8, 2019
What a crazy, fun read. Crazy characters and fun adventure. Get it; read it!
June 14, 2018
Fantastic read. Check it out!
September 8, 2018
Amazing and thoroughly enjoyable with a transcendent ending.
September 21, 2018
Delightful read, this books takes you for a great, funny adventure under the guise of a white-collar crime novel. You will "blow" right through it as it is a very fun book.
September 25, 2018
Quick fun read! Hoping there is another book to expand on the ending. Liked the characters... i could actually picture all of them as i read the book. Will look for more books by this aùthor.
December 30, 2018
Mark Haskell Smith is just the best.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews