Ring Fenced

by Zach Abrams

Sex. Money. Power. Control. Benjamin wants it all. He is Bennie, a loving husband and father; Benjie, a beloved son. He climbs the ladder as Ben, a corporate banker, and rakes in money as a bestselling author. And when he wants to escape it all, Benjamin styles himself as Jamie - the lover of a beautiful musician. His life, in a word, is perfect. But after years of keeping his separate personae a secret, cracks begin to appear in the façade. When an unexpected series of events topples Benjamin's carefully crafted world, his separate lives collide with dire consequences.

Genres: Fiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 2011

About the author

Having the background of a successful career in commerce and finance, Zach Abrams has spent many years writing reports, letters and presentations and it's only fairly recently he started writing novels. "It's a more honourable type of fiction," he declares.

His first novel 'Ring Fenced' was published in November 2011. This is a crime story with a difference, following one man's obsession with power and control.

After this he collaborated with Elly Grant to produce 'Twists and Turns' a book of short stories.

Zach's next novel, 'Made a Killing', is the first book in the Alex Warren series. It follows the investigation after the killing of a much hated criminal where an elephant tusk was used as the murder weapon was. This has been followed by 'A Measure of Trouble' where Alex's team are seeking the murderer of a CEO killed within the cask room of his whisky distillery. The third was published on 31 March 2015, 'Written to Death,' deals with a mysterious death during a writers' group meeting. - These are fast moving, gripping novels set in the tough crime-ridden streets of Glasgow.

Zach's quirky thriller, 'Source- A Fast Paced Financial Crime Thriller' has three investigative journalists travelling across the UK, Spain and France as they research corruption and sabotage in the banking sector while trying to cope with their own fraught personal lives.

@Offender of teh Faith' is the fourth Alex Warren Mystery and then '133 Hours' - a claustrophobic, psychological thriller is being launched in January 2020.

Alike his central character in 'Ring Fenced,' (Bemjamin Short), Zach Abrams completed his education in Scotland and went on to a career in accountancy, business and finance. He is married with two children. He plays no instruments but has an eclectic taste in music, although not as obsessive as Benjamin. Unlike Benjamin, he does not maintain mistresses, write pornography and (sadly) he does not have ownership of such a company. He is not a sociopath (at least by his own reckoning) and all versions of his life are aware of and freely communicate with each other.

More in keeping with 'Alex Warren', Zach was raised in Glasgow and has spent many years working in Central Scotland.

Reviews

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

When I read the blurb for this one it really intrigued me, I defiantly wanted to give it a try to find out what the story was all about – and I have to say I thought it was a really enjoyable story.

Benjamin is a complex character and the author has done a brilliant job bringing him, and his various personalities to life – I have to congratulate the author in being able to keep them all so separate too – that cannot have been an easy job! I was really surprised that this was the author’s debut as it reads like an author who has written a fair few books and is well settled in their genre. It is very well done.

I liked the writing style and the pace was great – the story had a great flow to it and it allowed for the action in the book to really carry the story though to the ending without dropping speed - It is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon, I thought it was a really enjoyable story – highly recommended!

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ A Tangled Web of Multiple Aliases.


Oh what a tangled web of secrets and multiple personalities one Character takes on. It's Brilliantly executed and very cleverly plotted!

Benjamin is a Man with multiple sides to his character, he literally morphs into each persona to coincide with his secret lives.
He is a hard working and successful banker and has a secret career as an erotic Author, which I really wouldn't expect, but he is also a loving family man.
He works hard to keep each aspect of his life separate from the other by using different aliases.

But how long can Benjamin keep up his façade before his hidden identities collide with each other causing chaos.

I haven't read anything quiet like this before.
It was a Unique and Enthralling read that was cleverly plotted and the complex characters are superbly written as they fitted together seamlessly. Which made getting to grips with the multiple aliases a breeze, allowing me to really connect with the characters.

So if you are looking for an Intriguing, Character Driven Thriller, shrouded in Mystery, Secrets, Multiple Personas and Enthralling Twists then you will want to pick up a copy of Ring Fenced by Zach Abrams.
This is Abrams debut novel and I'm intrigued to read more!


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.




My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ring Fenced is a highly imaginative novel about Benjamin who manages to live five separate lives. He is able to compartmentalize each one, and this author, Zach Abrams, has written each one brilliantly.

This book is cleverly written. I was intrigued from the beginning. I have a ton of respect for Zach Abrams because he manages to keep each identity unique, and as flawed as they all are, I loved each one.

I definitely recommend checking Ring Fenced out. It’s compelling, with awesome characters and a plot I haven’t read before. This is definitely a unique book and I’m glad I had the chance to read it.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*

Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com

[Fred Schäfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a great book. If it were written by an established author I would give it four stars (A minus, you could say), but taking into account that it is Zach Abrams' first novel, I decided that it fully deserves five stars (A plus). It is a complex and imaginative story about Benjamin who compulsively rearranges and controls his five personalities. This is, I thought, a brilliant idea for a novel. It made me inquisitive and I was not disappointed. Sure, the flow of events could have been a bit more streamlined here and there and some characters could have been presented a bit more elaborately, but these minor weaknesses didn't diminish my reading pleasure. Actually, thinking about it, if a famous author had written this book some reviewers might even point out that the author wrote the book deliberately this way to pull the readers in and allow them to use their own imagination a bit more than otherwise would be the case. Maybe, maybe not, it doesn't matter. What matters is the complex, entertaining and at times searching journey of the novel's protagonist. Despite his five personalities, I am sure many readers will be able to identify with many aspects of his life. It is a great first novel and I am looking forward to Zach's next book.

[Coco.V]

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[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benjamin leads several lives under various disguises. By day he is Ben a respectable banker businessman. By night he is a porn author and company owner. To his parents he is Benjie and single, to his wife his parents are Jewish and “wouldn't accept her or the children” and he is Bennie. To his girlfriend he is Jamie and untamed. A life of many facets with clothes and even watches to reflect each persona. When his wife is being blackmailed Ben has the contacts to sort it out for her and make it go away. When his carefully separated lives begin to mingle Ben has to act smart and fast. Oh what a tangled web we weave...This is well described and researched in terms of the businesses and how Ben has acquired them. A very cleverly thought out plot and characterisations. I have just discovered that this is Zac’s first novel. Wow and respect. This comes across as a highly experienced writer with an excellent eclectic music knowledge knowing how to draw you in to the plot and leaving the reader not quite knowing where it is going in a very good way. A very different enjoyable read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickisbookblog

[Ems. (afternoonbookery) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We meet Ben, Benji, Benni & Jamie. He is hard to describe because to different people he is a different person. It does mean he can be completely different people and be exactly who he wants to be at any given time. Benjie is the good family man, single and spends every sunday visiting his family, Ben - the banker and author who rakes in all the money. Bennie is the husband and Jamie, a lover of a musician.



At first i found it hard to get grasps on who was who and when Jamie was introduced it originally threw me for a loop but once i understood - it made sense. It was quite easy to separate the different men because they were all different people. We got to see him in different personas. When a few events mean his worlds start to collide it can an only lead to disaster, as a reader you can eventually see it happening because he obviously cant continue to keep it up, but i did not expect the ending.



This was a great fun read with mystery, tension and a bit of sexual drama for good measure. I enjoyed it and it was a quick read, brightened up my day.

[A.J. Griffiths-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benjamin Shroot, or Short as he likes to be known, has several personas. He lives out his life as Ben, Bennie, Benjie & Jamie, juggling his career, family life & affairs in equal measure. However, threads begin to unravel in quick succession after the loss of his father & those closest to him begin to realise that the man they thought was their brother, best friend, husband & lover, was a total stranger after all. A compelling & fast-paced read I’ve really enjoyed it, although a little less intricate detail into what the characters were eating would have been appreciated.

[Isobel Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ring Fenced is one of those intense, hard to put down novels and it’s always a thrill to come across original and complex storylines. Meet narcissistic protagonist Benjamin Short aka Benjie, Ben, Bennie, Jamie, who inhabits his five compartmentalised lives, boasting three careers, a marriage, children and an affair. He has his various selves balanced and in a sort of precarious harmony of his own making until things all start to unravel and his various lives collide. A good taut plot, punchy writing and great characterisation make for a satisfying read.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual 5 personalities, how does one manage them, created to have the power, succes, family, etc. intense, intriguing plot. Second book I have read by this author and both have been good.

[Monica Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is like a popcorn action movie — it’s got suspense, but the thrills are supported by a raucous sound track and a lot of hot air.

It's about Benjamin, a.k.a. Benjie, Ben, Bennie and Jamie, a Londoner with as many secret lives as you can count on your hand. Wholly unlikable in any persona he inhabits, he’s a flashy banker, a fun-weekends father, an obedient Orthodox Jewish son, a porn writer and a motorcycle-wheeling lover surrounded primarily with beautiful but blind women who know only one side of Benjamin.

As for the hot air, I found the book’s descriptions to be like two-thirds of Americans — flabby. Detailed descriptions of banking deals, highway detours and amusement park attractions did nothing to move the plot forward. With a good editor, this self-published book could easily have been one-third shorter.

While Benjamin was odious and some descriptions superfluous, I wished for more details about his devout mother, his long-suffering wife and his techie American business partner. To me, these were the people whom the story was really about — sorry souls duped by a dissociative sociopath. The scenes with Benjamin’s family of origin rang true, and this American Lutheran found the descriptions of Benjamin’s, aka Benjie’s Jewish faith and practices compelling.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the book is the reader. I don’t like popcorn fiction, and I don’t read for distraction. Give me real people caught in surreal but true circumstances anytime.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh & Cosmopolitan. A Page Turning Book!
*****

Intelligently written cosmopolitan fiction with, I detected a fine underlying hint of the autobiographical. So many aspects make this book great. A book to pack in your bag and read on vacation. I loved the central character. How he thinks and what he does is absolutely jaw-droppingly brilliant. Nothing is as it seems. This is fresh writing and something I have been waiting for. The book has a unique perspective. So many aspects of the modern cosmopolitan life are revealed close-up, in the finest detail. And for good reason! You have to read the book to find out. I loved the "faction" aspect of this fiction. Brilliant characters take part to make this book like a movie. Great books, like great movies have the ability to leave you with images. You find yourself thinking about the characters, plot, story and the scenes, long after you finish reading the book. Each scene unfolds to create a "picture" and the smallest details embellish the mesmerizing plot. This book creates a wealth of detail in the telling of family origins, consumerism, relationships, Jewish food, customs, fast cars, music, sex, work, blackmail, children, and everything in-between. Richly intriguing this is a plot you could never guess. So cleverly masterminded, this book is such a page turning book of the highest merit. I highly recommend this book.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. It kept me going in a fascinated-but-horrified kind of way. I suppose it reminded me a bit of a Bret Easton Ellis novel. (I'm sure you can think of which one specifically, hello sociopath!, but the tone was similar to BEE's style of writing in general. A bit lofty and clinical. Not in a bad way, per se, but different from other books I've read lately. That alone made it interesting.) I'd say that... I guess I'd want more? I kept reading because I wanted to know certain things, and in the end, I don't believe I resoled my desire to know about those certain things (even if I can't pinpoint them specifically). There was a lot of detail, but I didn't think it was superfluous (or if I did, my brain skimmed it automatically and therefore didn't register it as an annoyance), but I still wanted more details about the people in his life. Also, a few loose ends, but given the ending...

The ending was a bit abrupt and felt a little... rushed?, but it was really the only way it could end. (So maybe a little predictable, but what other options were there?)

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and would pursue other books by the author.

[Emily D'eath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! At last something different. This book is so original, complex but not complicated, an easy read that keeps you turning the pages. I love the central character with his various personae. Who amongst us wouldn't want the millionaire lifestyle of Ben or the perfect gentleman's family of Benny? Then there's Jamie - carefree and fun loving. I could tell you more but I won't risk spoiling any of the surprises. As I said, a fantastic read that I couldn't put down. I'm eagerly awaiting Zach's next book.

[Miss Lavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good storyline and enjoyed this book from a very aspiring author. The main character is shown as quite a mixed-up character but once the details of his background unravel, you gain sympathy with the character and then his family, who have no idea who he really is. Plenty of plots and schemes to keep a reader interested in what is happening next. Would love to read more from this author please!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent first novel with a unique approach. It is a fast paced story with a plot that has many twists and turns that will surprise you. The main character has 5 different personalities and it is intriguing to see how the author handles this complexity.

A great read.