I really enjoy Stephen W. Frey's books.  For some reason, these "financial thrillers" are addictive to me.  Perhaps it's just the thought that anybody could possibly have as much money and power as Frey's characters have.  And, perhaps I just like seeing some of the nastier ones get their due.

In The Takeover, we delve into the world of investment banking, and learn how a hostile leveraged buyout can be manipulated to bring a whole lot of damage to a whole lot of people. 

Andrew Falcon's a highly successful partner in one of the world's largest investment firms, and he's just been handed a million dollar bonus.   But Andrew's not satisfied.  He looks the gift horse in the mouth, so to speak, and quits his job.  Right after the bonus check clears, of course.  Needless to say, the horse is not happy.  Andrew's decision makes someone angry.  Very angry.

A few years later, Andrew's at a new job, and being offered the opportunity of a lifetime.  Orchestrate a giant multi-billion dollar hostile takeover.  Do it successfully, and Andrew will stand to make a lot of money.  A lot.

What Andrew doesn't know, is that it's all a setup from the beginning.  This is not a spoiler.  We, the readers, are "in on it" the entire time.  There is no mystery for us to solve, and no surprises to jump out at us.  We're merely spectators.  To a vengeance-filled plan, that reaches far beyond one man's hatred of Andrew - it reaches all the way up to The White House.  Suffice it to say, the country will never be the same again, if this plan works.

The actual plan is convoluted, and deliciously evil.  It has many aspects, and is quite complex in nature.  But luckily, Frey makes sure that every detail is explained very carefully.  Even though I'm nobody's financial genius, and I wouldn't know a leveraged buyout bid if I tripped over it, I had no trouble following the story, and understanding the plan, and the various implications.  I was amazed at how detailed this plan was, and how many people and organizations were involved.  And how the people responsible for its execution thought about every last detail.  It makes sense - Frey comes from the financial world - where mergers and acquisitions were his specialty.  Thus he has the ability to bring us realistic-sounding fiction, that can send chills when one considers its plausibility.

The book was written in 1995, but does not come off as "dated" at all.  In fact, it seems all too current, given the recent horror stories from the financial world.  Massive cover-ups, CEO greed, insider trading, chemical disasters, media manipulation.  All of these issues are part of this book, and all have been in the media in recent years. 

My only criticism with this book has to do with the number of innocent people who get hurt in the process.  I prefer books where only the bad people get hurt, but this book hurts several innocent bystanders.  Other than this one issue, I can't find anything bad about this book.  I was hooked from the beginning, and held throughout.  Highly recommended!

Also by Stephen W. Frey
Shadow Account
Silent Partner
The Inner Sanctum
The Protégé
The Vulture Fund
Trust Fund

Recommended: Yes