Book Review: White Collar Blackmail by Peter Ralph

Book: White Collar Blackmail
Author: Peter Ralph
Genre: Thriller
No. of Pages: ~300

Introduction:
Peter Ralph is a Chartered Accountant and a Share Trader and has specialised in Corporate Recoveries and Business Litigation. And therefore, much like how John Grisham's stories are about the Law and Ravi Subramaniam's are about Banking, Peter's are mostly around Business Law.

And they are also more than just that! There are a mixed bag of Fraud, Violence, Corruption, Blackmail, and even the Mafia - of the right doses to keep the story fast-paced and gripping.



About the Book:
A young auditor, Todd, runs up a huge debt betting on horse races with illegal bookies. And typical of such people, when they are unable to pay up, people find creative ways to make them - in this case, by making him steal confidential information about his corporate clients. What follows is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller of what happens to his life due to his horrible choices.

My View:
This is the very first Peter Ralph that I have had the pleasure of reading and I was pleasantly surprised. I read this overnight on a train from Trivandrum to Bengaluru. My intention was to read a few chapters and then leave the rest for the next day, but I end up finishing it on the same night. It was gripping to say the least. 

A good corporate legal story is always entertaining - which would explain my obsession with John Grisham (and for a while with the popular TV Show, Suits). 

The language is crisp and the writing engaging. The right amount of descriptions and explanations were provided wherever required for someone without any knowledge of the financial domain; without actually dumbing things down too much.

The lady in the book, Vanessa, is quite believable and is neither an oh-so-innocent newbie nor your cliched corporate b***h! You feel for and with her as she gets tangled in all that happens around her.

I rate the book a 3 out of 5.

Peter Ralph has a flair for writing thrillers. It is evident in how he has woven together a nail-biting story. Although it might not have been his intention, if ever this is made into a movie, I would definitely watch! And needless to say, I would definitely love to read more of his books too.

Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the Author.