Drummer In the Dark

Marcus Glenwood #2

by T. Davis Bunn

In a rip-roaring plot that could be torn from tomorrow’s headlines, bestselling author T. Davis Bunn weaves political intrigues and disturbing moral dilemmas into a chillingly credible portrait of the cutthroat world of international finance.Jackie Havilland is working in an Orlando detective agency when she is approached with an unusual Esther Hutchings, wife of Congressman Graham Hutchings, wants Jackie to find out who is behind a smear campaign to destroy her husband, who has recently suffered a debilitating stroke. Congressman Hutchings was investigating a secret project called Tsunami, the biggest currency scam in history. Jackie is instructed to unearth all she can and to leave no paper trail. Wynn Bryant, a successful, wealthy businessman, is the brother-in-law of the governor of Florida. Wynn has never liked politics and is surprised when his brother-in-law contrives to have him take Hutchings’s place in Congress. The reason soon becomes Legislation to relieve Third World countries of their debt–dubbed the Jubilee Amendment–is in the offing, and the governor is determined to have it quashed at any cost. Just as Wynn is about to decline the position, he is told that refusing isn’t an option.As Jackie and Wynn get more deeply involved in their new assignments, they begin to feel ripples of a conspiracy carrying a destructive power far more dangerous than the notorious Tsunami scam. It is a killer wave that threatens to crush them both–and permanently reshape the world economy.In his previous Doubleday novel, The Great Divide, T. Davis Bunn spun a legal thriller that wowed critics and readers alike. In Drummer in the Dark, he captures contemporary political and financial maneuverings with the same dazzling artistry. Climaxing in a highly charged showdown between the demands of morality and the driving forces of economic globalization in our increasingly interdependent world, Drummer in the Dark brings the suspense novel to a whole new level of excitement.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Also writes under the names Thomas Locke and Davis Bunn.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a big-screen blockbuster, this book gripped me until the end. The scope of the story was impressive, as was the writing.

I didn't understand a lot of it; then again, foreign governments and banking are not my strong suits. Still, I had a lot of fun with it.

[Shihab Azhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be honest - I really struggled to finish this book. Not that it wasn't riveting - I can't ever imagine I'm going to be able to read another thriller on international debt relief again. The plot was great, and really sheds light on how politics works (it's a bit difficult to explain without giving away spoilers). It's just that some of the writing- the imagery, the style etc. - somehow didn't really appeal to me. The atmosphere of the book seems so dark and covered in an unending gray that it was sometimes difficult to slog through even a few pages. However, the author does have a unique voice - maybe we've been ruined by the short and crisp commercial writing of the books that dominate best seller lists. At any rate, I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to give this book more than 3 stars, but I can't do it. The story line is intriguing and the premise is terrifyingly real. However, understanding derivatives in the financial sector is apparently above my abilities. No matter how many times I read the explanations, I came away knowing that I was missing something and that took away some of my enjoyment in reading the book. My other complaint is that there were so many players that I a hard time keeping track. It was one of those books where you really wish you'd written down all the names and relationships at the beginning and by the time you realize that you're lost, it's too late to go back.

I will probably read more by T Davis Bunn because I've enjoyed past books. I'll just need to be sure the content is something I can grasp.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even with the many surprises at the end, I am giving this book a rating of three. Perhaps it would be great for one who understands high finance, the stock market, and national and international banking, but it was often over my head, and therefore less enjoyable. Also,I had to frequently return to my list of characters to keep everyone straight. This has not been the case for me in reading Grisham. I am still glad I read the book. It was another eye opener, this time to the potential for abuse among national and international money movers.

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the best Davis Bunn novel. While it was interesting, I was excited to finish it... It just had enough for me to see where it ended up...

[Kellee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book multiple times. I had randomly picked up The Great Divide during college and just devoured it. Drummer in the Dark is apparently book 2 of the series, and I'm still not sure why.. Marcus Glenwood isn't even in the book. Not that its bad, just fyi.

Drummer is about forex trading, aka hedge funds. Because of this, the book was dense reading for me. I've never taken a business or economics class beyond high school. The characters also fell flat, and I never got to know them as people; they just functioned as cogs in the wheel. I enjoyed Davis Bunn's dreamy, "nothing matters, everything matters" writing style. He has a unique voice among Christian writers, without any graphic material.

Recommended if you can talk finance with the best of them, if you watch TV shows like The West Wing, and if you want to learn a ton about forex trading.

Quotes
"We seek to hear the voice of those who have been robbed of speech. We seek to give life to ourselves by giving hope to others." - Father Libretto (page 51)

"Have you ever wondered if maybe life makes a random selection, chooses a person and just pegs them to the dart board of that particular time? Let everybody throw sharp pointy objects your way." - Jackie (page 155)

"The only difference between a person who just exists and a person who lives in the vision of what lies ahead. Beyond tomorrow, beyond measured time." - Sybel (page 215)

"You can only save one person. Who is that, please?" "Myself," she whispered.. (Sybel, page 223)

"Bomb is the proper term," Valerie agreed. "They are paying us for nuclear assault, and that is precisely what we are going to deliver." (page 295)

No question. He was toast. It was just a matter of time. (Colin, page 361)

[Kara Jorges · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets off to a slow start, taking a bit too long to let us in on what’s going on, but once it gets going, it’s not bad.

Wynn Bryant is a man of means who obviously travels in better circles than I do, since at a mere suggestion from his sister, he becomes an interim Congressman. He wanders around DC without a clue until he gets dragged on a journey to Rome and Cairo, and gets pulled into some hefty intrigue.
Jackie Burke is a windsurfer with a crappy job who suddenly gets hired by the wife of the ill Congressman whose place Wynn takes. Jackie realizes something big is afoot when the investigation she has been hired to undertake gets her apartment broken into and trashed. She meets Wynn and feels an instant attraction and kinship when they go to Rome, though most of their relationship throughout the rest of the book happens over the telephone.

Behind all the aforementioned intrigue is financier Pavel Hayek, a billionaire maverick who moved his foreign exchange trading business to Florida from Wall Street. As the author took so much time carefully constructing the plot, it seems unfair to give it away here. Suffice it to say, Hayek is a very bad man with some very big, very bad plans, and it’s up to Wynn and Jackie to figure out what they are and stop him.

Once things got moving, it was a fairly compelling read. It was hard to get a fix on Wynn’s character, aside from the fact that he had a painful past and a lot of money to blow. The other characters, save one or two, didn’t go very deep, either. Jackie was likeable, though. Things wrapped up a little too neatly with a pretty bow on top, and the author relied too heavily on leaving everyone out of the loop—the protagonists and the reader—but getting there managed to keep my interest. All in all, not a bad financial/political thriller.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wynn Bryant lost his wife, became a multimillionaire when he sold his dot.com, and won a patent infringement suit against a competitor - all in the same month. Since then, he has drifted aimlessly, until he is recruited to run in a special election for the Congressional seat held by a firebrand who has been disabled by a stroke. Wynn is supposed to be just a placeholder for the next 18 months, and he has been charged with the task of killing the "Jubilee Amendment" to an omnibus spending bill. As engaging as this high-finance political corruption thriller is, the amazing thing is how it explains the way that the big banks and big business have taken control of the global economy. This book, published in 2001, foresees the global economic meltdown of 2008. A fascinating book that had me going back to re-read parts of it for hours after I had finished the book - the very definition of "un-put-downable".

[Tina Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want to stop reading. At first I thought that I would be put off by the intense focus on finance--which I knew nothing about. I was hooked and when I was done I ended up going to the internet to do some more research. I was thankful that I was reading this on my Nook (an e check out from our local library) because that afforded me the opportunity to look up the words that I didn't know with out leaving that page! I like the way this author stretches my mind and my faith. I recommend it highly.

[Marliss Bombardier · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard for me to give an "amazing" rating to a fiction book unless it illuminates my spiritual walk in some way. But I really liked this book. I appreciated the struggle of the main character as he remained true to himself but changed in ways that basically redeemed his prior behavior.

I like T. Davis Bunn as an author because most of his books have a depth of plot and character that keep my interest, and keep me reading far later than I should, lol.

[Ingrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. However, I will be first to admit that my level of knowledge regarding hedge funds and forex is very limited. I found the book confusing but I am sure that a more knowledgeable person would have enjoyed it more.

[Ed · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading The Great Divide with Marcus Glenwood, I was hoping this would be just as exciting. However, I was greatly disappointed. Marcus Glenwood wasn't even mentioned in this book. It was totally different in every aspect. This was concerning corruption in the stock market.

[Penny Clawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An older story but awash with current issues in the world of investment. Make one wonder about investments, banks, and the internet. Beware!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thoughts on the book and its contents:
It was a slow start and I had a hard time getting into it.
It was an intriguingly woven tale once I got through the slow bit.
There is so much international trading info that is over my head.
The author “teaches” you trading info through dialog.
The yearly extravaganza birthday thing was strange. Maybe I’m just too poor to understand it.
The romance doesn’t grow, it’s just all of a sudden there.
I like what seems like genuine faith of a few of the women, but for some reason I don’t fully believe it.
Wynn was an easy character to root for the change he needed.
I liked Nabil, I wish we saw more of him.
Some parts are not believe and some parts are hard to follow.
Not a fan of Valerie!
I like the surprise forgiveness at the end.
I was glad to see who was behind Boatman. I wanted good for them.
Politics and trading are two professions that people can be bought.
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil is evident in this tale.
God is the answer.
I look forward to reading more in the series. I only realized it was a series when I was almost done.

[Ken Kuhlken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drummer in the Dark is an excellent thriller, which I feel is quite a complement since I'm not a big fan of thrillers. But the characters here are quite unique and believable. My only complaint would be that the detail about international finance is rather opaque to someone like me who isn't already well versed in such matters. I recommended it to my daughter who majors in studies Math, Finance, and Economics at MIT.

[Greg Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Complex and Technical Scenario

Hooptedoodle is word used twice by Sinclair Lewis in his novel, "Babbitt" that reflected the intentional style he chose for the book. I've read a number of Bunn's books that flowed much easier than this book. Too much unnecessary detail about trees, streets, rooms, drapes, etc.

[Lavender Dreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and think it was well written but it was slow. I struggled to keep reading but I will look for other books by this author.

[Kim N' · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would’ve been much more gripping if it was read closer to the time it was written AND I understood the stock market and the financial world!

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Having very little knowledge of the workings of the stock market, I had a little trouble relating, but found it fascinating at the same time. Of course, where there is money there is politicking! And, there is maneuvering and hoodwinking to get the most money. Can't imagine trying to swim in that sewer and survive!! It didn't leave me with a sense of peace and hope for the future of our economy. Well researched, characters were complex but real.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're into derivatives trading and politics, you'd probably love this book, but I found much of it tedious. The premise is startling and the plot solid, but the storyline is overshadowed by the necessary exposition of forex and the trading/banking industry. A small percentage of readers might have the necessary background knowledge to fully "get" this book, but even with my banking background I got bogged down in the details.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book with an eye opening view of a side of Wall Street that is a little scary to know. I do agree the details of forex trading were sometimes hard to follow, but necessary to understand what was going on -- fortunately my husband is a professor of finance, so when I had questions I had a ready source of help available. I think the plot was excellent, though, so if you can use those details to enrich the read, you won't go away disappointed.

[Laurie Stoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drummer in the Dark is the first book I have read from this author. I enjoyed this story very much. It has mystery, suspense, great characters and is very fast paced. I am looking forward to reading other books by T. Davis Bunn.

[Whitney White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little hard for me to get through at first, due to many characters introduced in a short time as well as the political lingo. However, once I got halfway through it, I began to like it. I do not think this is his best work, but it is still pretty good.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a complicated story but don't give up - there are interesting characters and interplay between them. I'm not American so didn't understand some of the politics but it still kept my interest.

Sadness mixed with hope ... Christian themes subtle not overpowering.

2nd reading - just as good

[Stephanie Blackbern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read all Davis Bunn-sometimes he is my "christian " version of John Grisham

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Intelligently and believably written. Very timely.

[Tulsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a timely book even though it was written over a decade ago

[Jodi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into this book so I skimmed it to finish it. Picked it up off the free shelf at the library and that is where it will be placed back on when I go the the library later today!

[Roey Martz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, didn't finish