Title: Ultimate Power by Stephen Frey
Genre: Currently # 37 in Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank in Kindle eBooks, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thrillers, Financial
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: To be released February 13, 2018
Source: Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley
Title and Cover: Ultimate Power – Cover conjures location
Andrew Falcon Jr. is a powerful hedge-fund manager and the youngest to make partner in his private investment firm on Wall Street. Unfortunately, his niece Claire is kidnapped and it’s not money they want. The abductors are discovered tied to a conspiracy much larger than he could have imagined and possibly beyond his ability to quell. The question is: Can he deliver what they demand in exchange for his niece and also save his country?
When you are talking billions, not millions, of dollars being manipulated, it’s easy to see how you might very well control whatever the …devil you wanted. It doesn’t take Falcon long to realize he is definitely in over his head in a scheme that looks to control Wall Street, the military, the government, and ultimately the population.
Okay, I must admit to having an awful time getting into this book. Financial world aside, some fascinating glimmers of information; I thought the book would get into a financial conspiracy tied to big bucks and the manipulation of stocks or hedge funds. Nope. My problem came when I perceived leaving the original plot device to add three more. The abduction of his niece drives Falcon to find her. But then the plot widens to include some truly heinous characters at Falcon’s own financial office, as well as ex-members of the Gambino crime family, bad-ass military generals, and persons whose sole job is to incite race wars. I’ve no doubt that it doesn’t exist and is scary ugly.
The Red Cell Seven is a classified intelligence agency created by executive order for protection from catastrophic terrorist attacks. They answer only to the president and it is the threat to the executive office that gets them involved as the conspiracy touches the highest levels of the government and is wide reaching.
Sorry, but it seemed to me that Falcon was ineffectual and floundered around a bit in his bid to find his niece. The despots were despicable and Fiske in particular made to be over-the-top disgusting. Other characters were not wholly fleshed and I’m still scratching my head over Billie.
Not a pretty picture of those who would control the funds on Wall Street, but then few of us wear rose-colored glasses in that regard. Difficult to find someone to invest in emotionally, unless possibly the kidnap victim. The plot moves at a dizzying pace and has you going back to fact check. So Falcon isn’t another 007; he isn’t supposed to be. I suspect the next installment in the series will tie a few of the knots as this was not meant to be a feel-good ending and it wasn’t.
I received this download from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for those who enjoy financial thrillers, mystery, crime, kidnapping, military involvement, techy stuff, and dialogue bordering more on the realistic side than my generation would generally appreciate.
Rosepoint Publishing: Three of Five Stars 
The Author: (From Amazon Author page) Stephen Frey has written 18 novels. The latest, a political thriller entitled, ARCTIC FIRE, was published by Thomas & Mercer (Amazon Publishing) in October 2012. The sequel to ARCTIC FIRE, entitled RED CELL SEVEN, is scheduled for release by Thomas & Mercer in January 2014. The series follows the activities of RED CELL SEVEN, a top-secret intelligence group which has no formal reporting responsibilities to anyone inside the United States government and funds itself entirely with private sector money. Stephen is currently working on the third book in the series, KODIAK SKY, which is scheduled for release by Thomas & Mercer in January 2015.
Stephen began his career in finance, working at JP Morgan’s New York City office in the mergers and acquisitions department before moving to Washington, DC in 1999 to work at Winston Partners in the group’s private equity business. At Winston he led the investment into and chaired three of the firm’s portfolio companies. His first 14 novels involved the financial world, beginning with THE TAKEOVER, which was published in 1995. The first four novels were published by Penguin Putnam, the next 10 by Random House, the next 3 by Simon & Schuster and Ultimate Power is published by Thomas & Mercer.
Stephen lives in northern Virginia, is an avid fisherman and has three wonderful daughters: Christina, Ashley and Gabriella. ©2018 V Williams 
Rosepoint Publishing 
Lol.
A novel meant to make you feel sorry for an investment banker..???
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Nope, not to make you feel sorry. Just not the book for me. Thanks for commenting.
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Lol. Okay then.
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