Paper Money

by Ken Follett

A politician wakes with a beautiful girl; a criminal briefs his team; a tycoon breakfasts with a Bank official. Then three stories break: an attempted suicide, a hijack, and a takeover bid. They seem unrelated – until Evening Post reporters ask questions. Why is a Jamaican bank in trouble? Who drove the Rolls-Royce seen near the raid? Who was the man with gunshot wounds? As the day wears on, new questions arise – about paper money.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Historical Fiction, Ebooks

261 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Ken Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.

Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.

He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.

Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.

In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.

Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.

Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.

Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.

Reviews

[Jay Schutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this early Ken Follett (before he became KEN FOLLETT) caper novel in a Little Free Library box while on vacation. (I love those boxes.)
There are three seemingly unrelated storylines that gradually come together.
The ending was anticlimactic, and the book could have gone on longer (only 253 pages) to better explain what happened to all involved.
I felt let down after reading such a good story.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing to the point of depression with a terrible end. 0 of 10 stars

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Money Servers


London in the Seventies:
Politicians, Call Girls, Bankers, Crooks, Cops ...:
Slaves in different masks:
All servers of the same Masters:
Money, Money and more Money…
Paper Money!!!

Another Good One from KF👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What do I get out of my work?”

PAPER MONEY was my first experience reading Ken Follett. I enjoyed it! Published a couple of years before I was born this text is a taut, tightly written book with fully realized characters, coming in at a quick 221 pages. It is not a bit overwritten. There are few, if any, superfluous words.

There is not a central protagonist in this slim novel. It is a true ensemble piece. The point of view shifts by chapter, and there are quite a few very different voices and storylines explored in this book. In PAPER MONEY Mr. Follett demonstrates a clever interlocking of several plot threads, all told over the period of one day, starting at 6 AM and ending at 4 PM.

Quotes:
• “Everything in business is courage.”
• “What had he done with his life, to be left with no one who would love him right or wrong?”
• “A reputation for honesty was made slowly and lost quickly in the City.”

Unfortunately, I disliked the final chapter of this book, a lot. However, everything that came before it was great!
I have been aware of Mr. Follett for a while. PAPER MONEY guarantees that I will read more of his work.

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Londres, Anos 70


Polícias, vigaristas, banqueiros, prostitutas, repórteres e políticos confluem numa trama que se propõe retratar fielmente uma Londres dos anos 70, onde a alta-finança, o crime e o jornalismo interagem de forma corrupta.

Como habitualmente, Ken Follet combina verdade e ficção, proporcionando conhecimento e entretenimento! 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better book than I've expected and somehow different from other ones from Mr. Follett: more rhythm and action, less descriptive passages and unnecessary little talk.
The plot is interesting, things are going fast, it's a real pleasure to enjoy up to the last pages.
All the people involved seem to escape unharmed, till the grotesque murder of Tony's mother. That breaks the spell, somehow sadly brings us to the reality and decreases the number of stars...

[Fátima Linhares · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ken Follett nunca desilude apesar de este livro ser um bocadinho fraquinho, o mais fraquinho que li dele até agora. Tem o cunho do autor e conseguiu agarrar-me em algumas partes mas não foi nada de especial. Entretém e isso às vezes chega.

[Elisa Santos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ken Follett é para mim aqueles autores auto-buy - nem me incomodo a ler sinopses, porque normalmente gosto. Neste, a classificação de 2 estrelas traduz exatamente o que senti no fim da leitura - foi ok.

Tenho que confessar que a história, embora muito bem tecida e de passo rápido - como é habito neste autor - não me satisfez, mas manteve-me agarrada ás paginas para ver como acabava. Penso que também a premissa do livro seria conduzente a esta insatisfação.

O livro é passado desde as 7 da manhã de determinado dia até ás 16h oras do mesmo e centra-se numa imensidão de personagens, ás quais vai acontecer uma cadeia de eventos que, no fim desse dia podem dar um escândalo a nível nacional ou não. As decisões são ao segundo e tanto podem pender para a vitoria como para a desgraça.

Não achei nenhum personagem relevante o suficiente para eu me preocupar com ele mas o autor consegue em poucas paginas e poucas palavras dar-nos um conhecimento mais ou menos profundo desse personagem. Simplesmente não me revi em situação nenhuma e nenhum personagem - porque não há protagonista - me despertou sentimentos nenhuns. Este livro tem uma componente forte de intriga politica e financeira que está bem descrita, mas sem ser maçuda.

Não me encantou.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only book I have not enjoyed by an otherwise brilliant writer.

[Book Concierge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audible audio read by Jonathan Keeble
2.5**

Before he rocketed to fame with Eye of the Needle , Ken Follett published a couple of crime novels under a pseudonym: Zachary Stone. In this one he explores how crime, high finance and journalism are connected through corruption, with the action taking place in a single day.

The relatively small volume is tightly packed, with a dozen (or more) characters and a complex plot. Follett structure the book by telling us the time of day, and then giving us several vignettes taking place simultaneously during that hour: a scene at the newspaper, contrasted with two or three scenes depicting the stories the newspaper is covering (or should be). It’s full of politics and scandal, and characters range from high-powered men to street criminals, and taking the reader on a tour of mid-1970s London from its tony neighborhoods to its slums.

Jonathan Keeble does a good job of reading the audiobook, but the many characters and some complicated financial elements taxed my ability to focus while listening. I might have rated it higher if I had read the text, but I’m not sure the story has really stood the test of time.

[Leyendo con Gatos (Nico) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Papel moneda es una novela corta de uno de los mejores autores de novelas historicas. Eso sí, este libro no es una novela histórica, tampoco es como sus otros libros como el mismo autor lo menciona al principio de la novela. No hay uno o dos protagonistas, hay alrededor de 5 y sus capítulos son cortos y casi no se pueden identificar como protagonistas o antagonistas, es más una novela corta con un final agridulce. Una sátira de como funcionaba la política y el periodismo en aquellos años. Me reí bastante y logro mantenerme interesado pese a lo diferente que es, si me hubiese gustado que fuese un poco más larga pues siento que quedaron algunas cosas sin resolver. Recomiendo este libro al 100%.

[Mihaela Abrudan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pentru unii banii nu sunt decât hârtii. Pe parcursul unei zile mai multe persoane sunt piese într-un joc al afacerilor murdare, iar sigura persoană care ar putea să-i demaște află că vor mai fii ocazii. Corupție, șantaj, jaf, iar presa deși are dovezi este cu mâinile legate.

[Carole]

DNF for Paper Money by Ken Follett. I read 37% of this one and could not force myself to go further. If I had to use one word to describe this, it would be uninteresting. There are too many story lines and they had not come together after one third of the book. Mr. Follett has gone on to write many well received novels which made him a respected author. I will make an excuse for this one as it was written at the beginning of his writing career. This is only my opinion. I am not rating or reviewing this book and I am sure that many would enjoy it. On to the next one.

[Apokripos · Rating 3 out of 5]

You Win Some, You Lose Some
(A Book Review of Paper Money by Ken Follett)

What links the lives of a ruthless gangster, a sneaky businessman, an adulterous minister, and a young journalist, each a stranger to another, together?

Power…

Ambition…

Paper money…

Formerly published under the pseudonym Zachary Stone, Paper Money, one of Ken Follett ’s early caper reissued to quench the curiosity of hard-core fans interested about his earlier works prior his rise to fame, tells an intriguing plot concerning seemingly unrelated incidents about the conferring of an oil drilling license, a blackmailed politician, and a bank car heist. Yet what appears to be an ordinary day begins to turn odd as suspicious circumstances tie the events at once when a London evening news reporter fills and fits the pieces of a puzzle: a conspiracy that will rock Threadneedle Street.

In the reprinted book’s Introduction, Follett said outright that this is “one of his best unsuccessful books” and reading it quite makes it plain at first sight. The novel lacks a central or primary character and — as was Follett’s wont during this time when he’s just learning the ropes of writing — they’re sketchy at best. I think one of the trump cards of this “interesting little thriller” is its plot and structure (one of the cleverest the author has devised as he professed). Indeed, the chapter designed in an hour to hour fashion calls for brisk action but leaves the reader in a tumble of confusion as the character’s lives begin to overlap coupled by the fact that so much is happening right under the reader’s nose, lost in the story’s comings and goings that one tends to easily forget what transpired during the previous sections.

Paper Money’s premise, I admit, is a tad promising only if the author could’ve had the time to elaborate it plot and character-wise. Really, it’s not as bad as it sounds. As someone who has his share of reading Follett’s books, I can see here his budding ability to build and mount suspense in particular scenes quite delighting. For what it’s worth those edge-of-your-seat moments are pretty much thrilling though it only lasts up quick as blink.

I, along with others, agree that the ending is a little anti-climactic; nonetheless, for me it’s a good poetic justice of sorts for the book’s villains who smugly thought victory is close at hand when in the end it caught them unawares and cost them dearly.

Hold in the same regard with his other early caper, The Modigliani Scandal , Paper Money is still one nice read despite it being dated, will grab your interest if only for a foothold, and gives a fleeting glimpse of London during the 70s as well as the writing of a young Ken Follett.


_________________________
Book Details: Book #20 for 2011
Published by Signet Books
(Mass Market Paperback, 1987 First Printing)
253 pages
Started: June 2, 2011
Finished: June 5, 2011
My Rating:★★★

[See this review on my book blog Dark Chest of Wonders and for many others.]

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

“To him, money was like the toy bank notes in Monopoly: he wanted it, not for what it could buy, but because it was needed to play the game.”

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 sterren- Nederlandse hardcover

Geleend van de bibliotheek.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more, this being a Ken Follett and all. The premise sounded interesting enough but the way the story evolved was not. We are promised a scandal, but nothing really scandalous happens, so it’s all a bit disappointing.

I kept reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen to all the characters involved. Again, the end left a lot to be desired.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ken Follett began his successful rise as a best-selling author with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. However, that was not his first novel. Paper Money was written just before, in 1976, and is described by the author in the introduction as “the best of my unsuccessful books.”

Maybe, but it still didn’t work too well for me. This caper novel lacked a central character but instead told the story from a number of different characters’ point-of-view. We have bankers, newspaper reporters, legislators, crooks and more. Each chapter is devoted to a single hour of the day, and the whole thing is told in chronological order. (Yes…long before the TV series “24” did this). For me though, dividing everything into the various characters’ viewpoints made the plot very choppy and unconnected. Some of the chapters were quite enjoyable while others were not, depending on the character involved. I’ve read other novels that employ this method and they have worked well but this one lost its cohesion early on. Follett shows signs of excellent story telling here and there but to me, it seemed obvious this is an early effort.

Recommended for Follett completests but others will be taking a risk.

[Denisa Arsene · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book. I've read it with skepticism, but in the end I can really say that I loved this one. Following the life of some characters, the story develops really well and we can link each one the others and find the entire story of an amazing day. Blackmail, crime, deceit, even a love story - these are some of the ingredients.
It is not a dozen book, it is not one of those which hurries you up in order to give you the result - but you walk slowly and deep to understand what happend in the end.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ken Follett knows how to turn in a good book, and often has a writing style and pace that puts other authors to shame. However, with his first book here, Ken Follett completely messes up the formula and turns in a quite bland and disappointing story. And based on the introduction in the book, I think Ken Follett realizes it as well.

My first issue is that this book has way too many POVs, especially for the length of the book. The book is only 252 pages (only about 54,000 words), and has about a dozen POVs. Had Follett narrowed it to 3 or 4 total (while still keeping the rest of the cast in minor roles) I think it might have been significantly better.

The story is about high finance and white collar crime. Brian Lee Durfee has said (regarding this book) that "High Finance never makes for an interesting read". I disagree, as I think there are a lot of opportunities with this type of story, and I think this book in particular had enormous potential, but Follett largely abandons the structure this story should have followed, and the ending therefore feels hollow and unsatisfying. The story didn't quite need the bad guys to lose and good guys to win...it just needed a lot more resolution.

The book also continues Ken Follett's streak of focusing way too much on sex with his characters and not focusing nearly enough on the rest of the story. He could have had the same type story and still kept it PG-13.

My favorite chapter in the book, however, was the final chapter featuring Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. That was as close to a solid resolution as the story got.

Overall, a very disappointing book from Follett, especially since I know how well he can write and several of his books are all time favorites. I'll give this one a 4 out of 10.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-paced, but quite dated financial crime novel. Easy, entertaining, but superficial.

[Richa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fast paced, cut-to-cut novel by Ken Follett. It is not the better known works by the author; infact 'the new introduction' by him, seemed a little apologetic to me. I don't see any reason to do that, if that was the intention.
He calls this book "the best of his unsuccessful books". Well well well!
This was my first Ken Follett book, so I do not know why it was 'unsuccessful'... Maybe, that his other works were better, or racier... As a stand-alone work, I found this book pretty decent.
The entire book covers just one day. The action is spread evenly in multiple locations. The language is crisp and clear. Follett maintains his pace throughout the length of the story. The principal setting is different from any that I have come across (newspaper newsroom).
All in all, a good book.

[Elisabete · Rating 1 out of 5]

Provavelmente o pior livro de Ken Follett mas ainda não li todos do autor. Sendo um dos seus primeiros livros percebe-se bem a diferença na escrita. Também não ajudou eu já ter lido alguns dos melhores dele, não os calhamaços (ainda por ler) mas os centrados na Segunda Grande Guerra. Este peca e muito em comparação.
Achei aborrecido, com personagens com as quais não senti qualquer preocupação nem interesse no rumo da trama. Acabei porque é curtinho...

[Sílvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comparativamente com muitos outros livros do autor, este fica muito aquém. Lê-se muito bem (tal como todos os outros), o enredo é bastante detalhado mas a história não me prendeu e o final foi um pouco abrupto e não fiquei satisfeita. Penso que o autor poderia ter feito mais e bem melhor. Se pudesse, dar-lhe-ia 2,5 estrelas.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book

This was really entertaining. A lot went on in this book that kept your interest right from the start. Can't wait to see what other interesting book this author has written.

[Dee Eaton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ending was a bit disappointing. Follett’s storytelling gift and readability are evident even in this early work.

[⚔️Kelanth⚔️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alta finanza, in originale "Paper Money" è un romanzo di Ken Follett del 1977, uno dei primi lavori dell'autore, nonché il secondo ed ultimo accreditato sotto lo pseudonimo di Zachary Stone, dopo "Lo scandalo Modigliani", scritto l'anno precedente. Quest'opera, che precede di un solo anno La cruna dell'ago, primo importante successo di pubblico di Follett (e prima opera pubblicata col suo vero nome), è solitamente inclusa nel catalogo dei suoi lavori minori, anche se la complessità della struttura narrativa, il numero e la caratterizzazione dei personaggi e la riuscita rappresentazione del macroambiente (la swingin' London degli anni '70) e dei microambienti correlati (la City, la malavita, la stampa) sono tipici delle sue opere più mature.

La descrizione della trama: Siamo a Londra negli anni Settanta. Felix Laski, proprietario di una grande azienda le cui fondamenta poggiano su traffici illegali, tenta con una manovra spregiudicata di entrare nel vorticoso mercato azionario. In questa difficile scalata gli sarà di grande aiuto l'amicizia di Tony Cox, un criminale di professione impegnato in una lotta senza quartiere alla conquista del mondo della finanza e disposto a usare la violenza come arma e splendide donne come pedine per carpire informazioni top secret a ingenui personaggi come Tim Fitzpeterson, sottosegretario al ministero per l'Energia.

Tutta la vicenda si svolge in una sola giornata e ad ogni capitolo corrisponde ad un’ora precisa: una trama leggera, inizialmente disconnessa, dove si fa fatica a tenere a mente tutti i personaggi che all'inizio del romanzo si palesano ad ogni ora. Poi man mano che la giornata entra nel vivo i collegamenti fra i vari personaggi, di diverso ceto sociale e appartenenti a contesti diversi, sembrano convergere tutti. Ci si trova quindi nel bel mezzo di intrighi finanziari ed amorosi che si sviluppano nell'arco di un solo giorno. Una trama poco incalzante piatta e assolutamente senza alcun tipo di colpi di scena, neanche nel finale.

Lo considero uno dei peggiore romanzi di Follett insieme a "Lo scandalo Modigliani" e "Il pianeta dei bruchi". Concludendo, una lettura che si scorda alla svelta e che non lascia nulla.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a Ken Follett book. This is one of his early ones and it is apparent in the lack of character development. However, he comes up with great story lines and this one doesn't disappoint.

I will caution you to have time to read a good section before putting it down. I only read a few chapters before going to bed and didn't get back to it for a few days. This lead to having to look back to what I had already read since this book involves a day in the life of many characters. You will read about one and that character won't appear again for 6-7 chapters. All the characters get tied together in the end.

The London newspaper is what ties every character together in the end. A young reporter spends a day putting together various stories and later finds out that they are tied together.

I love books with a twist and this book has a few little ones.

Good read but before you start it give yourself time to read a big chunk of it.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complex and interwoven plot of improbabilities. Lasky a swindler and crooked banker, Cox a bank robber, a disgraced British MP, an ulcered businessman who sells his company + his philandering wife (who must choose between husband and lover), and a bereaved wife (who takes revenge on Cox) whose crooked husband- shot in the face- will never see again. They all intertwine in Follett's rollicking plot.

This was an audiobook and kept my interest throughout but I did not care for the ending. It was not satisfying at all. I don't enjoy a story in which the bad guys win (sort of). It had lots of irony in the ending so it had that going for it- which was nice. I left this audiobook feeling deflated and a little angry. I guess some books will have evil triumph in the end- but I usually try to avoid them. I will probably hold a grudge and avoid this author in the near future. There's enough evil winning in the world today- I don't need any more of it in my recreational reading.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just fine and dandy Ken Follett suspense. There was nothing particularly spectacular about it, but the plot moves nicely and all the pieces fall together well.

I was especially moved by the puns; literally there are well used notes that are to be destroyed (paper money), but the story is also about the newspapers and how they make their money ("Laski is your new boss" might have been my favorite line in the book).

Of course the whole thing is rather silly and convenient: the bet between Tony and Laski is cute, but what are the odds that they'd both have info on the same day and the romance between Laski and Ellen is completely unnecessary (and the fact that she chooses Derek in a moment of profound English-ness is just ridiculous).

But, it was a decent, short, page turner of a book.