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Taking Stock
TAKING STOCK
C.J. develops his characters brilliantly and makes them easily identifiable with and believable, unlike so many characters who seem to need a cape and cowl to do what they do in suspense novels.
--Frank Cinnella
A chillingly accurate Thriller. Taking Stock is all too real, and downright uncomfortably exciting.
--Carolynn Evans for Curled Up With a Good Book
THE END OF MARKING TIME
... West has brilliantly portrayed a world gone crazy where the rule is there are no rules, or are they. Crime fiction meets science fiction in this awesome thriller."
--Book Bitch
Powerful, thought provoking and massively entertaining... I loved this book and the way it made me root for someone who I knew I shouldn't like.
--CrimeSquad.com
SIN AND VENGEANCE
...the book was spellbinding. The plotting is brilliant, and Randy is an exquisite character, an evil genius for the modern age.
--Debra Hamel
C.J. West delivers, from the highly erotic opening scene to the chilling conclusion. Sin & Vengeance is a provocative page-turner brimming with intrigue and heart-pounding suspense.
--Alynn
ADDICTED TO LOVE
This book had me so hooked. I loved the plot ... unique and creative [with] just the right about of romance, sexuality, thrills, mystery, and just plain crazy ...
--Tiffany Harkleroad, Tiffany's Bookshelf
CJ's latest offering is a blend of the thrillers we come to expect from him and a new touch of romance, actually a little steamier than just any old romance, so I like to call it a "steamy thriller."
--Roxanne
Tiny magnetic dots locked deep in Boston's financial district hold the keys to $44 billion. The massive fortune is spread among seventy-five thousand customers and only the computers know exactly how the shares are divided at any given time. Millions are spent to keep the systems safe in their temperature controlled room and keep Internet-based hackers at bay. No one knows this better than the people assigned to safeguard this fortune. Erica Fletcher is one such guardian, buried by an insurmountable workload, precisely how she likes it. Beautiful, smart, tough, nothing can knock her off course and nothing penetrates her defenses. She's locked her emotions away and poured her life into her career. She's a superstar among her peers and a nightmare to any man who tries to control her. Erica's boss wants her out and their confrontation wakes Erica to a stark reality. She's traded her life for success and security, forever running from her mother's mistakes. Her roommate convinces her to slow down and just as her first real romance blooms, her life is thrown into chaos. Two hundred million has disappeared from the firm and the evidence all points to Erica. She fights for her life as she struggles to hold on to the new woman she's become.
C.J. develops his characters brilliantly and makes them easily identifiable with and believable, unlike so many characters who seem to need a cape and cowl to do what they do in suspense novels.
--Frank Cinnella
A chillingly accurate Thriller. Taking Stock is all too real, and downright uncomfortably exciting.
--Carolynn Evans for Curled Up With a Good Book
THE END OF MARKING TIME
... West has brilliantly portrayed a world gone crazy where the rule is there are no rules, or are they. Crime fiction meets science fiction in this awesome thriller."
--Book Bitch
Powerful, thought provoking and massively entertaining... I loved this book and the way it made me root for someone who I knew I shouldn't like.
--CrimeSquad.com
SIN AND VENGEANCE
...the book was spellbinding. The plotting is brilliant, and Randy is an exquisite character, an evil genius for the modern age.
--Debra Hamel
C.J. West delivers, from the highly erotic opening scene to the chilling conclusion. Sin & Vengeance is a provocative page-turner brimming with intrigue and heart-pounding suspense.
--Alynn
ADDICTED TO LOVE
This book had me so hooked. I loved the plot ... unique and creative [with] just the right about of romance, sexuality, thrills, mystery, and just plain crazy ...
--Tiffany Harkleroad, Tiffany's Bookshelf
CJ's latest offering is a blend of the thrillers we come to expect from him and a new touch of romance, actually a little steamier than just any old romance, so I like to call it a "steamy thriller."
--Roxanne
Tiny magnetic dots locked deep in Boston's financial district hold the keys to $44 billion. The massive fortune is spread among seventy-five thousand customers and only the computers know exactly how the shares are divided at any given time. Millions are spent to keep the systems safe in their temperature controlled room and keep Internet-based hackers at bay. No one knows this better than the people assigned to safeguard this fortune. Erica Fletcher is one such guardian, buried by an insurmountable workload, precisely how she likes it. Beautiful, smart, tough, nothing can knock her off course and nothing penetrates her defenses. She's locked her emotions away and poured her life into her career. She's a superstar among her peers and a nightmare to any man who tries to control her. Erica's boss wants her out and their confrontation wakes Erica to a stark reality. She's traded her life for success and security, forever running from her mother's mistakes. Her roommate convinces her to slow down and just as her first real romance blooms, her life is thrown into chaos. Two hundred million has disappeared from the firm and the evidence all points to Erica. She fights for her life as she struggles to hold on to the new woman she's become.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
11 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
C.J. West
58 books297 followersCJ West writes thrillers set in New England. CJ has just launched his 7th novel, Dinner At Deadman's, a mystery set in the world of antiques and collectibles.
Vist CJ anytime on Facebook.
CJ's first Randy Black Thriller, Sin & Vengeance, was optioned for film.
A Demon Awaits, the second book in CJ's Randy Black series was published in October 2008. The series takes a surprising turn and readers are challenged to think of Randy Black in an entirely new way.
Check out the trailer!
The latest Randy Black novel, Gretchen Greene, was released March 31, 2010.
You can also find CJ on Myspace and Facebook.
CJ hosts a virtual tour of the real winery that became the setting for Sin & Vengeance. See it on Youtube.
Vist CJ anytime on Facebook.
CJ's first Randy Black Thriller, Sin & Vengeance, was optioned for film.
A Demon Awaits, the second book in CJ's Randy Black series was published in October 2008. The series takes a surprising turn and readers are challenged to think of Randy Black in an entirely new way.
Check out the trailer!
The latest Randy Black novel, Gretchen Greene, was released March 31, 2010.
You can also find CJ on Myspace and Facebook.
CJ hosts a virtual tour of the real winery that became the setting for Sin & Vengeance. See it on Youtube.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 5, 2009
Taking stock is a suspenseful read. In a family owned corporation, money is being taken from customers accounts. One woman (Sarah) tries to find the culprit, while another (Erica) is being set up to take the fall. Will Erica be able to clear herself, or will she end up dead. C.J. West shows what happens when greed and envy turns to dishonesty and murder. An all night read.
October 7, 2010
Taking stock is an all night read very suspenseful. In a family owned company,. money is being taken from customers accounts.One women Sarah is trying to find the culprit.While Erica is being set up to take the fall. Will she be able to clear herself or will she end up dead! This suspenseful fiction plunges you into the greedy fincial world where people in power have no shame and no remorse.
October 30, 2009
This suspenseful fiction plunges the reader into the greedy financial world where people in power have no shame and no remorse embezzling money. If you are attracted by stories in today’s press of high-stakes thievery, fraud and corruption you will enjoy reading “Taking Stock”.
I was hooked right from the start, glued to every word and totally captivated by the development. This page turner was very hard to put aside. In a few words this is the tale of Erica Fletcher, a computer whiz whose job is to set up and develop a new program to facilitate transactions in the world of money management. Unknowingly she is being setup by her boss Brad to be the prime suspect in a scheme defrauding the investors of the “Boston Management Firm” of an estimated 200 million dollars. When she discovers the vulnerable position Brad and his powerful allies have placed her in, she must use her expertise to outwit and outsmart and expose the real Teflon criminals.
We have brilliant characterization; Mr West has developed his players with pizazz making each one easily identifiable and mostly believable. Other than the main characters, some important ones are: Sarah, an auditor, who unwittingly assists Brad and sets her venomous sights on Erica, Stan, a man of ethics, an assistant and trusted ally of Erika, needs to prove her innocence, Gregg, the customer services manager, has a hopeless crush on Erica and will do anything for her, and finally Herman…I will let the reader discover him... This is only a sample of the very engaging cast of characters.
Out of all this author’s novels to date, I favor this one by far. The action and suspense keep the story in steady motion; there is not a dull moment. This is as good as it can be. Well done Mr West, I am looking forward to reading your next novel
I was hooked right from the start, glued to every word and totally captivated by the development. This page turner was very hard to put aside. In a few words this is the tale of Erica Fletcher, a computer whiz whose job is to set up and develop a new program to facilitate transactions in the world of money management. Unknowingly she is being setup by her boss Brad to be the prime suspect in a scheme defrauding the investors of the “Boston Management Firm” of an estimated 200 million dollars. When she discovers the vulnerable position Brad and his powerful allies have placed her in, she must use her expertise to outwit and outsmart and expose the real Teflon criminals.
We have brilliant characterization; Mr West has developed his players with pizazz making each one easily identifiable and mostly believable. Other than the main characters, some important ones are: Sarah, an auditor, who unwittingly assists Brad and sets her venomous sights on Erica, Stan, a man of ethics, an assistant and trusted ally of Erika, needs to prove her innocence, Gregg, the customer services manager, has a hopeless crush on Erica and will do anything for her, and finally Herman…I will let the reader discover him... This is only a sample of the very engaging cast of characters.
Out of all this author’s novels to date, I favor this one by far. The action and suspense keep the story in steady motion; there is not a dull moment. This is as good as it can be. Well done Mr West, I am looking forward to reading your next novel
August 10, 2022
Millions of dollars are being stolen from a large Boston Brokerage Firm and the culprits are trying to blame Ericka.
The story grabs you from the beginning and you try to guess the bad guy. Even when you find out the culprit you still must go through the twists and turns that still keep you guessing.
I enjoyed this book and appreciate finding out how the money got in the wall in the book Sins and Venegeance.
The story grabs you from the beginning and you try to guess the bad guy. Even when you find out the culprit you still must go through the twists and turns that still keep you guessing.
I enjoyed this book and appreciate finding out how the money got in the wall in the book Sins and Venegeance.
December 5, 2018
Couldn't even finish it
I thought it might be a kind of suspenseful, interesting story. But, it seems at least partly romance. Not interested
I thought it might be a kind of suspenseful, interesting story. But, it seems at least partly romance. Not interested
April 15, 2009
I am often hesitant when a friend writes a book. If I love it great, if not oh oh, how diplomatic do I have to be. Taking Stock pleasantly surprised me. This book was a definite departure from the genres that usually captivate me. Taking Stock was a joy to read. This book was fast paced and had a well-defined plot. It had characters you loved to hate and characters who you were thrilled to cheer on in the quest for truth. I loved this book but I gave it a four because of the ending. CJ tied the ending hastily and did not use the same care that he took to develop the plot to wrap it up. I look forward to his other books.
October 9, 2008
Great book about thieves in a Boston fund company using a computer program to skim 100's of millions of dollars out of accounts. If you're from (or love) Boston, you'll also enjoy the detailed descriptions of the financial district.
November 28, 2012
This is such a good book! Customers are losing money in a family owned stock firm and the person all the evidence points to is completely innocent and is herself trying to solve the puzzle before she ends up dead! I couldn't put this book down!
August 15, 2007
It's a prequel...a little slow at times. Sin & Vengeance, the next one is much better.
Want to read
February 16, 2009heard about on Dale and Holley on WEEI
March 23, 2012
This was a great book- I really enjoy CJ's works. Lots of intrigue and plot twists to keep one guessing. Definitely recommend!
July 9, 2012
Good book - enjoyable read
April 23, 2012
Loved this one, by far my favorite. I liked the plot, characters and how it read.
February 3, 2013
I didn't expect to enjoy this book, but I really did. A little predictable, but a good read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews