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The Billionaire's Funeral
"Billionaire investor Chad Cohen is at a London restaurant when all his credit cards are declined. Before he can make sense of any of it, he receives a disturbing message on his phone. And now he s being accused of travelling on a stolen passport and put in jail. Who s out to get him? His reputation in shreds, the company he so painstakingly built comes under threat. The stocks plummet and the board of directors decides to fire Chad. Frantic, he calls the one person he can trust the most his friend and business partner Michael Cole. The two try to figure out just how much of Chad s life has been digitally erased by a hacker. Hitting one dead end after another, Chad begins to doubt Mike s loyalty. Was this all just a vicious plan to take over everything Chad had built with him? Helpless and locked up in jail, can he count on Mike for his freedom? Has he been served the ultimate betrayal or is this a cosmic intervention to right his past wrongs? "
264 pages, Paperback
Published March 5, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 14, 2019
Full review on my blog:
https://medium.com/kiranmayi-g/book-r...
Chad Cohen, the billionaire investor from the United States is in London finalizing deals with potential clients when his credit cards stop working, all of them are denied. Soon he finds his shares being traded in bulk by an anonymous user, and before he could find the cause and work to stop further damage, he is detained by the UK police on charges of forgery of his own passport, followed by a Interpol red corner notice for smuggling drugs into some remote African countries. Life turns upside down for Chad withing few hours, the empire that he built over decades is being crushed mercilessly.
Before he can figure out if it is a personal vendetta or a business game by his competitors, he starts suspecting everyone — his close aides, his ex-wife, his business partners, governments, organizations, the list is endless. In the process Chad slowly starts realizing the values he kind of gave up to reach these heights. Will Chad be successful in finding the person/force behind this mess and where will life take him ultimately forms the rest of the story.
As the blurb suggests, a very successful and smart guy suddenly finds himself at the receiving end of someone’s tricks as his life goes upside down with unexpected trouble squeezing him from all sides. The story goes back and forth in time, introducing the different people in Chad’s life, his family, employees, colleagues, business partners and his backstory before he reached his current position.
The story is a racy thriller which pulls the reader into Chad’s world from page one. As with every thriller, loopholes and illogical sequences can be found if reader tries to put a keen eye to some of the details. But if the story can be treated as fiction, this book is sure to give complete satisfaction and guaranteed entertainment. Of course there is an added humane angle and message, as the author summarizes at one point that life can be very unfair for few irrespective of their past behavior. Also while some people struggle for daily survival others keep making money and regain success even after hitting rock-bottom.
For those with background of stock markets, investors, and hackers are sure to love the authenticity of the details mentioned by the author. Pick this one for a very entertaining thriller which I would personally love to see adapted to screen.
https://medium.com/kiranmayi-g/book-r...
Chad Cohen, the billionaire investor from the United States is in London finalizing deals with potential clients when his credit cards stop working, all of them are denied. Soon he finds his shares being traded in bulk by an anonymous user, and before he could find the cause and work to stop further damage, he is detained by the UK police on charges of forgery of his own passport, followed by a Interpol red corner notice for smuggling drugs into some remote African countries. Life turns upside down for Chad withing few hours, the empire that he built over decades is being crushed mercilessly.
Before he can figure out if it is a personal vendetta or a business game by his competitors, he starts suspecting everyone — his close aides, his ex-wife, his business partners, governments, organizations, the list is endless. In the process Chad slowly starts realizing the values he kind of gave up to reach these heights. Will Chad be successful in finding the person/force behind this mess and where will life take him ultimately forms the rest of the story.
As the blurb suggests, a very successful and smart guy suddenly finds himself at the receiving end of someone’s tricks as his life goes upside down with unexpected trouble squeezing him from all sides. The story goes back and forth in time, introducing the different people in Chad’s life, his family, employees, colleagues, business partners and his backstory before he reached his current position.
The story is a racy thriller which pulls the reader into Chad’s world from page one. As with every thriller, loopholes and illogical sequences can be found if reader tries to put a keen eye to some of the details. But if the story can be treated as fiction, this book is sure to give complete satisfaction and guaranteed entertainment. Of course there is an added humane angle and message, as the author summarizes at one point that life can be very unfair for few irrespective of their past behavior. Also while some people struggle for daily survival others keep making money and regain success even after hitting rock-bottom.
For those with background of stock markets, investors, and hackers are sure to love the authenticity of the details mentioned by the author. Pick this one for a very entertaining thriller which I would personally love to see adapted to screen.
June 20, 2019
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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Everyone is drunk. Some are drunk on power, others on wealth. Some are drunk on wisdom and some on ignorance. Who isn't drunk?"
The Billionaire's Funeral by Elijah Brahms is about the billionaire, Chad Cohen and how he ended up being stuck in such a situation so as to witness his own funeral. The book had me excited right from the beginning. It was so much like one of those mysteries I have grown up reading. I mean, here is a billionaire who lost almost everything right in the beginning. How did it happen? Why did it happen? Who would hold such a huge grudge against him to do such a huge thing to him as well as his company? Lastly, why him and not his business partner? What is going on?
These are some of the questions that Chad wanted the answers of as he found himself in jail. A jail—can you believe it? He had never been in a jail before. Not for trying to fake his own identity, at least! And why would he fake his own identity? How can he possibly fake his own identity?
Answers to all of these questions and so much more were uncovered in The Billionaire's Funeral as Chad helped us relive everything that happened in the past.
One of the best things about this book was the characterization. Every character was unique in its own sense and each one had a special way of speaking or thinking. Even if Chad and Mike were fairly familiar, they were easily distinguishable (despite their similar activities, too, mind you). And, you know, you don't see such a trait in many debut novels. So seeing it in this one easily made it one of my favourites right away!
Moving further, Cohen's character development throughout the course of the novel was also beautiful. It was evident and anyone who was with him from the start could see why he would do all the things he ended up doing by the end of it.
Brahms' writing style kept me hooked to the novel throughout my day. I ended up finishing it in two sittings (provided, of course that I couldn't have read all of it in one go—I was reading throughout the night, actually). The narration was also rather beautiful. I liked the way flashbacks worked here. They synced up in a perfect manner to provide the reader (me) an amazing story. By this I mean that the past and present were shown at all the right places for it to make sense.
Not in one place did I find the book lacking in any way. In fact, the suspense of it was rather lively and entertaining. Right until the end, where the hacker reveals how he/she did his/her work, we continue to guess how all of this could have happened. After all, we need so much more information to hack ALL the bank accounts, right? What kind of information that is? How did the character do it?
I was so mesmerized by all of it, though, that the ending kind of disappointed me. Not the stunt that showed how everything was done, but the part where Rachel's situation was revealed. I felt so sorry for her. I had hoped she would get her happily ever after with the man she had oh-so-obviously fallen in love with, but maybe that wasn't meant to be. *sits in a corner and cries*
Nonetheless, are you excited enough to give this book a try? Read on to find out!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Everyone is drunk. Some are drunk on power, others on wealth. Some are drunk on wisdom and some on ignorance. Who isn't drunk?"
The Billionaire's Funeral by Elijah Brahms is about the billionaire, Chad Cohen and how he ended up being stuck in such a situation so as to witness his own funeral. The book had me excited right from the beginning. It was so much like one of those mysteries I have grown up reading. I mean, here is a billionaire who lost almost everything right in the beginning. How did it happen? Why did it happen? Who would hold such a huge grudge against him to do such a huge thing to him as well as his company? Lastly, why him and not his business partner? What is going on?
These are some of the questions that Chad wanted the answers of as he found himself in jail. A jail—can you believe it? He had never been in a jail before. Not for trying to fake his own identity, at least! And why would he fake his own identity? How can he possibly fake his own identity?
Answers to all of these questions and so much more were uncovered in The Billionaire's Funeral as Chad helped us relive everything that happened in the past.
One of the best things about this book was the characterization. Every character was unique in its own sense and each one had a special way of speaking or thinking. Even if Chad and Mike were fairly familiar, they were easily distinguishable (despite their similar activities, too, mind you). And, you know, you don't see such a trait in many debut novels. So seeing it in this one easily made it one of my favourites right away!
Moving further, Cohen's character development throughout the course of the novel was also beautiful. It was evident and anyone who was with him from the start could see why he would do all the things he ended up doing by the end of it.
Brahms' writing style kept me hooked to the novel throughout my day. I ended up finishing it in two sittings (provided, of course that I couldn't have read all of it in one go—I was reading throughout the night, actually). The narration was also rather beautiful. I liked the way flashbacks worked here. They synced up in a perfect manner to provide the reader (me) an amazing story. By this I mean that the past and present were shown at all the right places for it to make sense.
Not in one place did I find the book lacking in any way. In fact, the suspense of it was rather lively and entertaining. Right until the end, where the hacker reveals how he/she did his/her work, we continue to guess how all of this could have happened. After all, we need so much more information to hack ALL the bank accounts, right? What kind of information that is? How did the character do it?
I was so mesmerized by all of it, though, that the ending kind of disappointed me. Not the stunt that showed how everything was done, but the part where Rachel's situation was revealed. I felt so sorry for her. I had hoped she would get her happily ever after with the man she had oh-so-obviously fallen in love with, but maybe that wasn't meant to be. *sits in a corner and cries*
Nonetheless, are you excited enough to give this book a try? Read on to find out!
May 30, 2019
Everyone is drunk. Some are drunk on power, others on wealth. Some are drunk on wisdom and some on ignorance. Who isn't drunk?
Chad Cohen is a Jew billionaire who lives in London. While on a formal dinner, his card declines which leaves him embarrassed in front of the investors. Furious, he gives another card which gets declined too. He makes some calls, talks to a few people but all in vain. A familiar one settles the bill but, a billionaire who couldn't pay for his meal left him fuming in rage.
Soon after, he receives a strange message mocking him about the fiasco and dinner. Minutes later, another message leaves him in shock- someone sold his shares worth $92 million for just $92. A series of mis-happenings, one after the other scares him. While leaving for New York, he is stopped by the officers and arrested for traveling on a fake passport. The identity of Chad Cohen, of his own is STOLEN.
He seeks the help of an amateur hacker to look into it, forced to step down from the CEO position from the company he built on his own and has INTERPOL behind him on a case of trafficking arms and ammunition in a country he hasn't heard the name of. He starts doubting on the people close to him, his own best friend Mike, with whom he built his company, Redrock Investments.
Elijah Brahms writing kept me hooked to the book and I finished it in flat 3 hours. The story goes back in forth, starting from the present to how Chad, now a billionaire was fired from the company, had a broken marriage and was almost killed in a road accident. Even though there is no vivid description about the characters, the lair writing created a vision in front of my mind and as the story unfolds, we see how clever the mastermind was all this while.
The crisp writing makes the story a page turner and with every chapter, we try to guess who the man/woman is behind the downfall of Chad. The falling of stocks, the way Chad's account are hacked and how the whole fiasco is planned is not only clever but, the author's intensive knowledge on this is very clear. Even if you are not aware of ethical hacking and stock-investment, you will get a very clear idea of how all this is done.
The end, however, made a connect with me on a certain religious level. I won't spill the beans, pick this to know what happened.
A highly clever and intriguing thriller, this should be on your shelf.
May 31, 2019
When I first looked at the title of the book, I expected it to be a lot like The Great Gatsby. Guess what? It was nothing like that, nothing at all! And for all the good reasons.
What I like most about the book is how well it was structured. The mystery wasn't unfolded in stages, but the author did give up important hints throughout the book. And the way the past incidents led up to the present was something that could keep you glued to the book: I myself read it in one day!
The story did build up gradually. Not very slow, not extremely fast either. And that actually worked for me. The pace was just right to finish the book in one sitting.
Now the characters! They were really good. There was a realness to them, and the protagonists were good enough for the book. But, oh my gosh! I loved that Zacca boy. So, he ain't one of the main characters. But his blabbering and brilliance just got to me. And I'm gonna give half a star extra for this boy!
The storyline proceeded with various business and technology terminologies which an average reader may know nothing about. But what is commendable is how simply all these were explained to the reader who knows absolutely nothing about them.
Small twists and turns took place constantly. And not just that, the story became more real to me with every chapter I read. While reading the latter part of the book, I was almost certain that this is happening for real.
So, the book will keep you on edge for most of the part. There are but few mundane moments in the whole book.
And the final twist will leave you satisfied like anything. I mean, I wouldn't say that I didn't see it coming at all. But how the complete unveiling of the mystery happened will still leave a lot for you to awe at even if you can anticipate the end.
Pick it up, people. Those who are looking for a fast-paced easy read with a brilliant ending will be blown.
What I like most about the book is how well it was structured. The mystery wasn't unfolded in stages, but the author did give up important hints throughout the book. And the way the past incidents led up to the present was something that could keep you glued to the book: I myself read it in one day!
The story did build up gradually. Not very slow, not extremely fast either. And that actually worked for me. The pace was just right to finish the book in one sitting.
Now the characters! They were really good. There was a realness to them, and the protagonists were good enough for the book. But, oh my gosh! I loved that Zacca boy. So, he ain't one of the main characters. But his blabbering and brilliance just got to me. And I'm gonna give half a star extra for this boy!
The storyline proceeded with various business and technology terminologies which an average reader may know nothing about. But what is commendable is how simply all these were explained to the reader who knows absolutely nothing about them.
Small twists and turns took place constantly. And not just that, the story became more real to me with every chapter I read. While reading the latter part of the book, I was almost certain that this is happening for real.
So, the book will keep you on edge for most of the part. There are but few mundane moments in the whole book.
And the final twist will leave you satisfied like anything. I mean, I wouldn't say that I didn't see it coming at all. But how the complete unveiling of the mystery happened will still leave a lot for you to awe at even if you can anticipate the end.
Pick it up, people. Those who are looking for a fast-paced easy read with a brilliant ending will be blown.
June 13, 2019
With the world going digital, have we ever tried to stop and look back what can go wrong? Plastic money is now taken for granted, digital transactions are taking place faster than ever. With a physical life, we now have a digital life, a digital identity of sorts. Imagine what if one day you wake up and the internet is dead for good?
The Billionaire’s Funeral by Elijah Brahms is a story of Chad C. Cohen, a billionaire investor, who becomes a victim of digital crimes and it wreaks havoc on his life. The story begins with his card being declined at a posh restaurant in London. Not that worrying, right? Except that is the beginning. All his cards get declined subsequently, his stock holdings of his company suddenly start come on the market, his company loses value overnight and he is fired from his own board. If this was not enough, he is arrested at the airport for travelling on a forged passport with a red-corner notice issued against him and a charge of drug trafficking and human trafficking. He then calls the one person he trusts-Michael “Mike” Cole, his friend and business partner. As the story unfolds, we are first taken into the past and introduced to the characters of the story, their lives, their connections and possible motives now start simmering in the pot. Moving on, Chad begins to suspect Mike as the only person benefitting from the incidents seems to be him. Is Mike the real culprit? Has he stabbed Chad in the back for Redrock Investments? All this is answered in the last part of the book.
“The Billionaire’s Funeral” is a brilliantly executed project. All major characters are properly defined with an individual story arc. Be it Mike, Chad, Chad’s ex-wife and so on. Each of them are given their due time in the story so that no one can be discounted. The arcs seem pointless in the beginning bit in the end, everything is tied up neatly in a bow. The technology described is quite simple, though it sounds complicated but it gives authenticity to the plot.
Apart from being a thriller based on digital crimes, it shows transformation of a human being as it endures new experiences. The character of Chad is a wonderful case in how situations can alter a person.
And the climax of the book is amazingly done.
It was an unputdownable read, worthy of a 4.5/5.
The Billionaire’s Funeral by Elijah Brahms is a story of Chad C. Cohen, a billionaire investor, who becomes a victim of digital crimes and it wreaks havoc on his life. The story begins with his card being declined at a posh restaurant in London. Not that worrying, right? Except that is the beginning. All his cards get declined subsequently, his stock holdings of his company suddenly start come on the market, his company loses value overnight and he is fired from his own board. If this was not enough, he is arrested at the airport for travelling on a forged passport with a red-corner notice issued against him and a charge of drug trafficking and human trafficking. He then calls the one person he trusts-Michael “Mike” Cole, his friend and business partner. As the story unfolds, we are first taken into the past and introduced to the characters of the story, their lives, their connections and possible motives now start simmering in the pot. Moving on, Chad begins to suspect Mike as the only person benefitting from the incidents seems to be him. Is Mike the real culprit? Has he stabbed Chad in the back for Redrock Investments? All this is answered in the last part of the book.
“The Billionaire’s Funeral” is a brilliantly executed project. All major characters are properly defined with an individual story arc. Be it Mike, Chad, Chad’s ex-wife and so on. Each of them are given their due time in the story so that no one can be discounted. The arcs seem pointless in the beginning bit in the end, everything is tied up neatly in a bow. The technology described is quite simple, though it sounds complicated but it gives authenticity to the plot.
Apart from being a thriller based on digital crimes, it shows transformation of a human being as it endures new experiences. The character of Chad is a wonderful case in how situations can alter a person.
And the climax of the book is amazingly done.
It was an unputdownable read, worthy of a 4.5/5.
June 3, 2019
Chadwick C.Cohen, a billionaire and founder of Red rock Investments finds himself in a maze of conspiracy when all his credit cards decline suddenly one unlucky day. He at first whiffs it off as a fault in the credit card machine, but when all his stocks come crashing down he falls in a dilemma not knowing what or who is causing such chaos in his life. He decides to turn to the only one person in his life he trusts, his best-friend and business partner Mike. But, is he sure Mike is not the one pulling the strings of his misfortune? Or are there other secrets that need to be uncovered to know who the mastermind is.
The Billionaire's Funeral starts off really strong and is told between two time frames : Chad's present and a brief introduction to his past. The story picks up a decent speed till the middle of the book after which it becomes a tad slow with all the business connotations and talkings and all. The story definetly keeps you on the edge and the author does his fair share to provide us with a list of suspects who might be involved in the tragedy that shakes Chad. Although I liked the inclusion of such characters in the book, that lead us to suspect one after another, I felt that the persons of interest lacked adequate depth, including Zacca's character that seemed to impress Chad at their first meet. And how Chad blindly trusted him without any reason whatsoever. Zacca however proves his worth later and was quite an enjoyable character I still didn't get to know what made Chad blindly leave his fate to him.
There is a flair in the author's writing that makes you turn pages one after another and you won't know when you reach the end of the book. Though I could guess who the mastermind was at around 100 pages or so, the climax of the book was a masterstroke. The title of the book is justified and I was left in awe with the author's way of offering it to us.
The Billionaire's Funeral starts off really strong and is told between two time frames : Chad's present and a brief introduction to his past. The story picks up a decent speed till the middle of the book after which it becomes a tad slow with all the business connotations and talkings and all. The story definetly keeps you on the edge and the author does his fair share to provide us with a list of suspects who might be involved in the tragedy that shakes Chad. Although I liked the inclusion of such characters in the book, that lead us to suspect one after another, I felt that the persons of interest lacked adequate depth, including Zacca's character that seemed to impress Chad at their first meet. And how Chad blindly trusted him without any reason whatsoever. Zacca however proves his worth later and was quite an enjoyable character I still didn't get to know what made Chad blindly leave his fate to him.
There is a flair in the author's writing that makes you turn pages one after another and you won't know when you reach the end of the book. Though I could guess who the mastermind was at around 100 pages or so, the climax of the book was a masterstroke. The title of the book is justified and I was left in awe with the author's way of offering it to us.
June 9, 2019
This book is quite fast paced and it steadily jolts you right into the story. Just as the title suggests, it indeed is the funeral of a billionaire Chad Cohen as he becomes the victim of identity theft. Accused of forging his own passport and wanted in countries more than one, he is fired from his company and imprisoned. The premise is extremely well built and well written. There could be an improvement on the part of narration though which could have added more angles and edges to the plot.
I absolutely enjoyed the almost impossible pursuit of this elusive hacker and the shady character of Michael Cole, Chad's best friend which led open more possibilities for scrutiny and the guessing game. Also, I really loved the occasional stock market references as this market as forever fascinated me. Would rate this 3.75 🌟 and recommend it to thriller junkies! ❤️
I absolutely enjoyed the almost impossible pursuit of this elusive hacker and the shady character of Michael Cole, Chad's best friend which led open more possibilities for scrutiny and the guessing game. Also, I really loved the occasional stock market references as this market as forever fascinated me. Would rate this 3.75 🌟 and recommend it to thriller junkies! ❤️
August 21, 2019
The author has written this book under a pseudonym Elijah Brahms who has previously written 10 other books but wanted to write this book quietly.
.
A billionaire realizes that all his cards are declined and his email is hacked. And is faced with the identity theft. Also a very small African country has issued an interpol notice against him.
With all this going on to him he is confused whom to trust and whom to doubt.
Whether his long standing business partner and a best friend is behind all this? Or is it the ex-wife or some long standing rival?
.
The story starts from the first page itself and not once you will feel bored while reading this.
I completed it in few hours that itself proves how fast paced this book was. Great story and well written twist.
.
It's a well written short thriller and it deserves to be recognized more.
.
A billionaire realizes that all his cards are declined and his email is hacked. And is faced with the identity theft. Also a very small African country has issued an interpol notice against him.
With all this going on to him he is confused whom to trust and whom to doubt.
Whether his long standing business partner and a best friend is behind all this? Or is it the ex-wife or some long standing rival?
.
The story starts from the first page itself and not once you will feel bored while reading this.
I completed it in few hours that itself proves how fast paced this book was. Great story and well written twist.
.
It's a well written short thriller and it deserves to be recognized more.
October 7, 2019
Amazing financial thriller. Couldn’t put the book down. Finished in 2 days. Writing may not be the best but the story line is really good and gripping. Chad mike and the candy floss hacker all characters are amazing
June 13, 2019
It’s a good thriller. Will hold you till the end.
Towards the ending it gets into some religious thing and it’s like Karma ..
Towards the ending it gets into some religious thing and it’s like Karma ..
June 25, 2019
The Billionaire's Funeral is a story of cybercrime and identity theft. Chad Cohen, our protagonist is smart, witty and of course a billionaire. On one, not so fine, day he suddenly finds himself in the middle of a crisis. All his cards get declined, his stocks are sold without his knowledge and his company crashes down. While he is trying to understand and investigate what happened, he is detailed by police for identity theft (travelling on a forged passport) and soon he is also accused of smuggling drugs. In a matter of few hours, his life turns upside down. He doesn’t know what happened, whom to trust and what to do. To seek help, he turns to his friend and business partner, Mike. But should he trust him? Or for that matter, anyone? He is suspicious of everyone and tries to find out who did this to him.
The Billionaire’s funeral is mostly a fast paced thriller. It has a strong and fast paced start which doesn’t reach the second half of the book as latter is filled with stocks and business details, which was real slow and sometimes boring. The story goes back and forth in time to show Chad’s past and present. These brief chapters on his past tell us about his broken marriage, family, job and his life.
I liked how the story is wonderfully written to keep the suspense until the very end, almost! It will keep you engrossed till last chapters. If you read carefully, you can also find some loopholes. What I didn’t like much was the lack of character buildup and depth. I felt it was pushed and rushed at times. However, I liked the character growth of Chad.
Overall, it’s a gripping thriller which can be finished in one extended siting of 3-4 hours, like I did.
The Billionaire’s funeral is mostly a fast paced thriller. It has a strong and fast paced start which doesn’t reach the second half of the book as latter is filled with stocks and business details, which was real slow and sometimes boring. The story goes back and forth in time to show Chad’s past and present. These brief chapters on his past tell us about his broken marriage, family, job and his life.
I liked how the story is wonderfully written to keep the suspense until the very end, almost! It will keep you engrossed till last chapters. If you read carefully, you can also find some loopholes. What I didn’t like much was the lack of character buildup and depth. I felt it was pushed and rushed at times. However, I liked the character growth of Chad.
Overall, it’s a gripping thriller which can be finished in one extended siting of 3-4 hours, like I did.
June 24, 2019
Before I proceed, I would convey my heartfelt gratitude to Harper Collins India for giving me an opportunity to read such an amazing work of thriller fiction.
The Billionaire's Funeral is that thriller book which will pull you like a magnet throughout the vicissitudes of panic and anxiety, till the momentous revelation in the last few pages. Indeed, this book had me at the edge of my couch!
The reader doesn't know the real identity of the author. Nor do you or me. And when you are done reading it, you will be desperate to know the person who could weave out such a brilliant mystery thriller, that too in his debut work of fiction! The first thing that I admire about The Billionaire's Funeral is how patiently the narrative is written. Most newbie authors have this tendency of rushing through details and dialogues, which does make the story quite haphazard. The Billionaire's Funeral provides a lot of space to the reader to get acquainted with all the characters he/she encounters en route to the final chapter. The plot is well structured, given the fact that it begins in medias res/in between a certain event, and draws the story from that moment onward. Also, the story keeps apace with the reader by bringing forth surprises at the perfect moments, with accurate plot directions. Indeed, the course of the plot meanders very smoothly, but the story it carries is not that simple. The actions keep escalating to a climactic point right at the middle of the plot, and just when we are about to witness the untying of all knots of confusion and enigma, the writer drops the revelation-bomb which ticks off with a loud *BANG*, leaving an awe-struck reader incapable of imagining such a phenomenal conclusion.
You might be thinking that I have been swayed so much by the brilliance of the plot, that my tone might sound pretty much biased to you. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Two indelible stains on this almost-perfect story were the only sources of dissatisfaction to me. First, the characterisation. The writer failed to develop some pivotal individuals, hence leaving them as flat characters in the plot. While the two protagonists in the story, Chad and Mike, surprisingly turn out to be well-devised characters, the rest could've been a lot better. Second, a major turning point in the story was left unjustified. No, I won't give spoilers in here, but there is a moment in the plot where Chad is contacted by an individual, and this was one of the biggest page-turners of The Billionaire's Funeral. However, the writer never went back to how that individual was set up by the antagonists of the story. I believe, a bit more attention to minute details such as these would have made this book a more amazing thriller.
The Billionaire's Funeral talks briefly about important issues regarding work-life, like harassment at work. In fact, the story is almost entirely based upon this topic. It is indeed significant to address such issues, whether in the form of fiction or nonfiction or any other form of writing. I feel that insecurities in the workplace are rarely taken care of, which is why many are compelled to shut their voices of protest and endure the agony they feel every single day. Most importantly, this book clearly talks about harrassment faced by both the sexes. Of course, we in the twenty-first century cannot deny the justice to the others. Harassment is a heinous crime, and these perpetrators should be made accountable for their actions, no matter how powerful and influential they are. I convey my best wishes to the author for his future endeavours.
Lady Bookamore rates this book 💙💙💙💙/5
The Billionaire's Funeral is that thriller book which will pull you like a magnet throughout the vicissitudes of panic and anxiety, till the momentous revelation in the last few pages. Indeed, this book had me at the edge of my couch!
The reader doesn't know the real identity of the author. Nor do you or me. And when you are done reading it, you will be desperate to know the person who could weave out such a brilliant mystery thriller, that too in his debut work of fiction! The first thing that I admire about The Billionaire's Funeral is how patiently the narrative is written. Most newbie authors have this tendency of rushing through details and dialogues, which does make the story quite haphazard. The Billionaire's Funeral provides a lot of space to the reader to get acquainted with all the characters he/she encounters en route to the final chapter. The plot is well structured, given the fact that it begins in medias res/in between a certain event, and draws the story from that moment onward. Also, the story keeps apace with the reader by bringing forth surprises at the perfect moments, with accurate plot directions. Indeed, the course of the plot meanders very smoothly, but the story it carries is not that simple. The actions keep escalating to a climactic point right at the middle of the plot, and just when we are about to witness the untying of all knots of confusion and enigma, the writer drops the revelation-bomb which ticks off with a loud *BANG*, leaving an awe-struck reader incapable of imagining such a phenomenal conclusion.
You might be thinking that I have been swayed so much by the brilliance of the plot, that my tone might sound pretty much biased to you. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Two indelible stains on this almost-perfect story were the only sources of dissatisfaction to me. First, the characterisation. The writer failed to develop some pivotal individuals, hence leaving them as flat characters in the plot. While the two protagonists in the story, Chad and Mike, surprisingly turn out to be well-devised characters, the rest could've been a lot better. Second, a major turning point in the story was left unjustified. No, I won't give spoilers in here, but there is a moment in the plot where Chad is contacted by an individual, and this was one of the biggest page-turners of The Billionaire's Funeral. However, the writer never went back to how that individual was set up by the antagonists of the story. I believe, a bit more attention to minute details such as these would have made this book a more amazing thriller.
The Billionaire's Funeral talks briefly about important issues regarding work-life, like harassment at work. In fact, the story is almost entirely based upon this topic. It is indeed significant to address such issues, whether in the form of fiction or nonfiction or any other form of writing. I feel that insecurities in the workplace are rarely taken care of, which is why many are compelled to shut their voices of protest and endure the agony they feel every single day. Most importantly, this book clearly talks about harrassment faced by both the sexes. Of course, we in the twenty-first century cannot deny the justice to the others. Harassment is a heinous crime, and these perpetrators should be made accountable for their actions, no matter how powerful and influential they are. I convey my best wishes to the author for his future endeavours.
Lady Bookamore rates this book 💙💙💙💙/5
June 24, 2019
A nameless and faceless stalker out to get at you can spell more trouble than a foe you know. While you know the motive of the known one, and can plan your strategy to take on the same, you find yourself helpless before the nameless/ faceless one. Identifying him/ her and understanding the motive is like searching in murky waters. Billionaire investor Chad Cohen our protagonist, suddenly one day finds himself confronted with one such foe. With all except one credit card being declined, his personal stocks being sold without his knowledge, and the Company he painstakingly built suddenly take a thorough thrashing at the stock markets, Chad who has always complimented himself for being in control of any situation, finds himself at his wits end. Added to this he suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the law without any reason or rhyme. More shock awaits him in the form of a red corner Interpol look out notice and the realization that his passport is forged. His sanity and reputation at stake, Chad turns to the one man who can salvage him from the mess, his friend and business partner Michael Cole. But then is Mike trustworthy? Doesn’t he have a motive to drive Chad out of business? Well to know more about this, and the trials and tribulations that Chad faces in a matter of around a week, you will have to pick up this intense, racy thriller by Elijah Brahms.
Gripping to the core, The Billionaire’s Funeral is a warning of sorts to all out there of the dangers lurking in the dark corners of the digital world. With the world swiftly moving over to a paperless regime and plastic money replacing more and more transactions, just a click by the one out to destroy you, can make you sweat as never before. More than losing your money what else can worry you-an identity crisis, right? Well that’s what The Billionaire’s Funeral is all about. Just one genius is needed to ‘wipe’ you off the face of the earth and make life hell for you.
Laced with some insights into Chad Cohen’s early life in the form of short chapters interspersed here and there, The Billionaire’s Funeral also sees a transformation of sorts taking place, it sees how life’s vagaries can bring upon self- realization, open eyes knowingly kept closed/ diverted and bring the prodigal son home to reality.
Wonderfully narrated and with characters deeply etched giving no room for complaint, The Billionaire’s Funeral is a thriller-par-excellence that did not allow me to put it off even for a second, till the last word was read.
Gripping to the core, The Billionaire’s Funeral is a warning of sorts to all out there of the dangers lurking in the dark corners of the digital world. With the world swiftly moving over to a paperless regime and plastic money replacing more and more transactions, just a click by the one out to destroy you, can make you sweat as never before. More than losing your money what else can worry you-an identity crisis, right? Well that’s what The Billionaire’s Funeral is all about. Just one genius is needed to ‘wipe’ you off the face of the earth and make life hell for you.
Laced with some insights into Chad Cohen’s early life in the form of short chapters interspersed here and there, The Billionaire’s Funeral also sees a transformation of sorts taking place, it sees how life’s vagaries can bring upon self- realization, open eyes knowingly kept closed/ diverted and bring the prodigal son home to reality.
Wonderfully narrated and with characters deeply etched giving no room for complaint, The Billionaire’s Funeral is a thriller-par-excellence that did not allow me to put it off even for a second, till the last word was read.
June 18, 2019
As I have previously mentioned in my posts, I am a sucker for mystery, crime and thriller novels. So no doubt, I picked this one to read.
‘The Billionaire’s Funeral’ is the story of a billionaire investor and founder of Red Rock Investments, Chadwick C.Cohen, who finds his life turn upside down when all his credit cards get declined in a restaurant. He first thinks that it’s the fault of the machine and that everything is fine, but, later when all of his stocks come crashing down, that’s when he starts to worry. He is stunned to see this sudden fall in his stocks and hence turns to the one person he trusts- his best friend and business partner- Michael Cole (Mike). But is Mike really working for him? Or is he the one behind these unfortunate turn of events? Read to find out!
Elijah Brahms has written the novel in such a way that it kept me engrossed right till the end. The author’s flair in writing clearly shows in the novel as it seems impossible to keep down the book once you start reading it. The book is written in two time frames- Chad’s present and a bit of his past where the author talks about he was fired from the company, had a broken marriage and was almost killed in a road accident. The whole story was planned extremely cleverly and the book also shows that the author has a clear knowledge of what he is writing. Even the ones who have no idea about stocks and hacking, can understand this clearly and read it without doubts. You will keep guessing who the real culprit is and the climax was a pure masterstroke.
Overall, the book is a brilliantly written thriller and seems like the work of a genius. I would recommend this book to all thriller lovers. It is worth it.
Overall rating: 4/5
‘The Billionaire’s Funeral’ is the story of a billionaire investor and founder of Red Rock Investments, Chadwick C.Cohen, who finds his life turn upside down when all his credit cards get declined in a restaurant. He first thinks that it’s the fault of the machine and that everything is fine, but, later when all of his stocks come crashing down, that’s when he starts to worry. He is stunned to see this sudden fall in his stocks and hence turns to the one person he trusts- his best friend and business partner- Michael Cole (Mike). But is Mike really working for him? Or is he the one behind these unfortunate turn of events? Read to find out!
Elijah Brahms has written the novel in such a way that it kept me engrossed right till the end. The author’s flair in writing clearly shows in the novel as it seems impossible to keep down the book once you start reading it. The book is written in two time frames- Chad’s present and a bit of his past where the author talks about he was fired from the company, had a broken marriage and was almost killed in a road accident. The whole story was planned extremely cleverly and the book also shows that the author has a clear knowledge of what he is writing. Even the ones who have no idea about stocks and hacking, can understand this clearly and read it without doubts. You will keep guessing who the real culprit is and the climax was a pure masterstroke.
Overall, the book is a brilliantly written thriller and seems like the work of a genius. I would recommend this book to all thriller lovers. It is worth it.
Overall rating: 4/5
May 25, 2019

What a nail biting thriller!
The Billionaire's Funeral
Publisher:Harper Collins India
Pages:258
Money,wealth,investor,market,Equity and Hacking are the center of book.
It was like wooohh,the story is fast paced and gripping that i couldn't stop reading it.it keep me hooked till the end,the twists and turn in the book just blew my mind.i came across a lot of new terminologies which is quite impressive.
The story takes you through so many emotions at the same time,love ,hate pity and anger for the main protagonist Chad Cohen.
Content:Chadwick C.Cohen is a Billionaire investor of NewYork, one day at a buisness dinner in UK his all credit cards are declined,before he can make sense of it he receives a disturbing message on his phone,and with in some time someone sold all his shares.
He got arrested by crime agency for forge his own passport and nobody beleive that he is a billionare.
His reputation and his company all goes in loss.he appoint a hacker Zacca to found out who is behind all this.
His friend and partner Mike wants to help him but he also doubt Mike loyality.
Characters is so well written and described there is no confusion between names and characters,this made the book so much interesting.
I was not expecting the end in such a way ,so hats off to author what a well written end and till the last page you can not guess who is the mastermind.
Narration of the story is perfect and in flow language is not very tough except some word related market.
I truly loved it, a well written Book.
Book cover is bit dull could be much better.
My Rating:⭐️4.5/5⭐️
What a nail biting thriller!
The Billionaire's Funeral
Publisher:Harper Collins India
Pages:258
Money,wealth,investor,market,Equity and Hacking are the center of book.
It was like wooohh,the story is fast paced and gripping that i couldn't stop reading it.it keep me hooked till the end,the twists and turn in the book just blew my mind.i came across a lot of new terminologies which is quite impressive.
The story takes you through so many emotions at the same time,love ,hate pity and anger for the main protagonist Chad Cohen.
Content:Chadwick C.Cohen is a Billionaire investor of NewYork, one day at a buisness dinner in UK his all credit cards are declined,before he can make sense of it he receives a disturbing message on his phone,and with in some time someone sold all his shares.
He got arrested by crime agency for forge his own passport and nobody beleive that he is a billionare.
His reputation and his company all goes in loss.he appoint a hacker Zacca to found out who is behind all this.
His friend and partner Mike wants to help him but he also doubt Mike loyality.
Characters is so well written and described there is no confusion between names and characters,this made the book so much interesting.
I was not expecting the end in such a way ,so hats off to author what a well written end and till the last page you can not guess who is the mastermind.
Narration of the story is perfect and in flow language is not very tough except some word related market.
I truly loved it, a well written Book.
Book cover is bit dull could be much better.
My Rating:⭐️4.5/5⭐️
June 6, 2019
This was an utterly nail biting trailer!! I was on the edge of the seat the entire time I read it. The author has done a brilliant job and I loved the pace she moved with leaving no dull moment here!
Chad Cohen is a self made Billionaire who has ruthlessly reached the top. However such successes come with a price. One fine day, all his cards were declined. He was arrested because he was accused of forging his own passport. He was fired from the very company he had built. What is going on? Who is out to get him? Will Chad ever get out from this mess?
For those who enjoy crime Thrillers, I say, this is a must read! The story and the narration is flawless, the story is fast paced and very tight. The title is very apt, however the cover could have been a little more attractive. The best thing I liked about the book is even though it mainly revolves around stocks and hacking, it makes you feel. You can't help but feel angry at Chad, yet pity him; you can't help but smile at what the annoying Zacca has to say & you can't help but doubt Mike, Chad's partner and best friend.
The details regarding the stocks and hacking that have been added to the story makes the reading fun even for those who don't have knowledge about both these subjects.
Overall, it was a great experience reading this one.
.
Chad Cohen is a self made Billionaire who has ruthlessly reached the top. However such successes come with a price. One fine day, all his cards were declined. He was arrested because he was accused of forging his own passport. He was fired from the very company he had built. What is going on? Who is out to get him? Will Chad ever get out from this mess?
For those who enjoy crime Thrillers, I say, this is a must read! The story and the narration is flawless, the story is fast paced and very tight. The title is very apt, however the cover could have been a little more attractive. The best thing I liked about the book is even though it mainly revolves around stocks and hacking, it makes you feel. You can't help but feel angry at Chad, yet pity him; you can't help but smile at what the annoying Zacca has to say & you can't help but doubt Mike, Chad's partner and best friend.
The details regarding the stocks and hacking that have been added to the story makes the reading fun even for those who don't have knowledge about both these subjects.
Overall, it was a great experience reading this one.
.
June 13, 2019
At first sight, this book seems to be another book giving a moral story about wealthy people.
Front cover made by stock image and a common book to pass your time.
Welcome to the review! If the latest book by Harper Collins: The Billionaire's Funeral
A book with fascinating core and if you have read the blurb I guess you might be little confused by the perplexing story.
The cover of the book and book quality is okayish. Like the one you commonly see in Harper Collins books.
The story takes off with a very interesting start...but the narration style is not something which I admire so you might have guessed what!
I felt a little boring. the core story is good and suspenseful but if you read it by in between the line method then you may figure out the hints and then won't feel amazed at the climax.
The story's ending and the middle part were nice. But at the start like, about 150 pages, it was filled with a story which I was merely reading without any indulgence.
Overall my answer to "Is it a good book ?" Is yes it is one. But is tye the only one? Nope. There are still many awesome options but it is unique, with a different story background and different feeling.
So if you read it you won't feel that you wasted your time but you'll remember it that I can't say with that audacity.
Front cover made by stock image and a common book to pass your time.
Welcome to the review! If the latest book by Harper Collins: The Billionaire's Funeral
A book with fascinating core and if you have read the blurb I guess you might be little confused by the perplexing story.
The cover of the book and book quality is okayish. Like the one you commonly see in Harper Collins books.
The story takes off with a very interesting start...but the narration style is not something which I admire so you might have guessed what!
I felt a little boring. the core story is good and suspenseful but if you read it by in between the line method then you may figure out the hints and then won't feel amazed at the climax.
The story's ending and the middle part were nice. But at the start like, about 150 pages, it was filled with a story which I was merely reading without any indulgence.
Overall my answer to "Is it a good book ?" Is yes it is one. But is tye the only one? Nope. There are still many awesome options but it is unique, with a different story background and different feeling.
So if you read it you won't feel that you wasted your time but you'll remember it that I can't say with that audacity.
May 26, 2019
The Billionaire's Funeral had a slow start, but it intrigued me right from the get go. A billionaire suddenly losing everything? What could be a better beginning, right?
The story was detailed—detailing various things from investment processes to Jew teachings to hacking/IT processes—but it never felt like a textbook. There was enough lightness to make it readable.
I loved Zacca's character. He was adorably ignorant and yet such a genius. The moment he was introduced in the book, I started looking forward to scenes that included him because he always made me laugh.
I also loved how Chad Cohen's character developed over time. He'd been an arrogant ass at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed, he learned a lot and by the end of the book he was a way better person than the one he'd been.
The Billionaire's Funeral was one hell of a read, and the suspense was amazing. Of course, we always had a hint as to who the hacker was, but it was still a surprise when the truth was revealed.
The story was detailed—detailing various things from investment processes to Jew teachings to hacking/IT processes—but it never felt like a textbook. There was enough lightness to make it readable.
I loved Zacca's character. He was adorably ignorant and yet such a genius. The moment he was introduced in the book, I started looking forward to scenes that included him because he always made me laugh.
I also loved how Chad Cohen's character developed over time. He'd been an arrogant ass at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed, he learned a lot and by the end of the book he was a way better person than the one he'd been.
The Billionaire's Funeral was one hell of a read, and the suspense was amazing. Of course, we always had a hint as to who the hacker was, but it was still a surprise when the truth was revealed.
June 14, 2019
Billionaire Chad Cohen is arrested all of a sudden with heavy charges like identity theft, trafficking and drug dealing and wanted by the Interpol. On the evening before his all credit cards stopped working and he recieved some disturbing as well as alarming message from someone who is potentially threatening Chad Cohen to strip out of his life of luxury and Dignity.
The story is a cyber crime thriller, it keeps you on the edge till the very ending.
Author has done an amazing work on bringing life to the characters.
There are bit of throwback to the past here and there which may all of a sudden what's happening if you don't look for the up corner of the every chapter beginning.
The language is easy to grasp so it's good for any new reader.
So go ahead and read this book.
If you are a thriller fan, it's just 258 pages.
So go ahead what are you waiting for.
The story is a cyber crime thriller, it keeps you on the edge till the very ending.
Author has done an amazing work on bringing life to the characters.
There are bit of throwback to the past here and there which may all of a sudden what's happening if you don't look for the up corner of the every chapter beginning.
The language is easy to grasp so it's good for any new reader.
So go ahead and read this book.
If you are a thriller fan, it's just 258 pages.
So go ahead what are you waiting for.
January 11, 2020
the book is all about Chad Cohen. His life, his work the Redrock investments. What happens when one day, someone hacks the life of a billionaire. What all he must face, who he can trust and more importantly why it happened. This covers the whole book. At first, I thought the book belonged to Ravi Subramanian sir as his book is usually related to banks & finance but the book is all about the hacker .
The positive in the book is, the book is not boring and moves. It is not the kind of book you want to stop reading and take up another one. I liked the way it ended though.
The negative in the book is its predictability. One can easily guess who is behind it and what was the reason. I liked the way it was narrated but when it comes to keep your readers guessing, it failed.
Overall not what I expected from the book
The positive in the book is, the book is not boring and moves. It is not the kind of book you want to stop reading and take up another one. I liked the way it ended though.
The negative in the book is its predictability. One can easily guess who is behind it and what was the reason. I liked the way it was narrated but when it comes to keep your readers guessing, it failed.
Overall not what I expected from the book
April 14, 2021
A masterpiece of recent times
Apt..change of events change a man..
All human beings are having their sunny side..
It takes a lot to relieve your human behavior on the top of everything...I call it , " always keep your sunny side up ..rest , e.g. profit etc will follow..hail the author for showing grace in respecting the human nature above all..money is just a by_product..
Apt..change of events change a man..
All human beings are having their sunny side..
It takes a lot to relieve your human behavior on the top of everything...I call it , " always keep your sunny side up ..rest , e.g. profit etc will follow..hail the author for showing grace in respecting the human nature above all..money is just a by_product..
July 5, 2019
This is one of the brilliant book I have in the genre. Simply loved Zacca - genius brain with honest heart. The author, Ellijah Brahms, does know to keep the reader engrossed.
Must read
Must read
July 25, 2020
The twist was so obvious of this book. What I enjoyed it was the execution part of the story. It was nicely done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2024
Loved it. A rare combination of finance & IT.
June 27, 2022
Breezy Airport read; you could see the plot ending from miles away.
July 15, 2020
Loved the book. It was short, gripping and perfect. How a hacker plans the Billionaire Chad Cohen’s funeral is the gripping plot. Though Chad Cohen is not dead, he identity is in crisis and is proclaimed dead. Entertaining story with good narration and writing. The hacking, Interpol, investigation, detective gives all kinds of movie experience.
It’s a great book for all thriller lovers. The language is easy and understandable. The characters are described well. I especially loved Zacca, who is fun and cool. Chad Cohen’s past and present life’s are depicted well. A author has done a great job in writing the book.
Read the book for a good thrilling experience. Recommended to all.
It’s a great book for all thriller lovers. The language is easy and understandable. The characters are described well. I especially loved Zacca, who is fun and cool. Chad Cohen’s past and present life’s are depicted well. A author has done a great job in writing the book.
Read the book for a good thrilling experience. Recommended to all.
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