Play Audiobook Sample
A Fatal Debt: A Novel Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.03) - 102 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
This timely debut thriller by an award-winning Financial Times columnist is a gripping tale of lethal intrigue set in the high-stakes world of Wall Street—where wealth and privilege are no match for jealousy and betrayal.
Ben Cowper, an attending psychiatrist at the prestigious New York–Episcopal Hospital, is stunned to learn the identity of the emergency patient he’s just been assigned to treat: Harry Shapiro, a Wall Street colossus and one of Episcopal’s most prominent donors. But a high-profile reversal of fortune has left the once powerful investment banker jobless, bitter, and possibly desperate—judging by the handgun his wife finds him clutching. In Ben’s expert opinion, Shapiro is a suicide waiting to happen. But when the headstrong financier balks at an extended stay in the hospital psych ward, Ben reluctantly releases him, bowing to political pressure from Episcopal’s chief administrator, who’s more concerned with the patient’s money than his mind.
Days later, the shocking news breaks: there’s been a murder in Shapiro’s Hamptons mansion. But even more shocking is the identity of the victim. A tragedy sets in motion an explosive chain of events that turns Ben Cowper’s life upside down.
As hard-nosed cops close in with harder questions, the hospital closes ranks to protect its own interests. But with colleagues freezing Ben out, innocent circumstances conspire to incriminate him. Hounded by a DA who’s out for blood, and haunted by the specter of a shattered career, Ben has no choice: he must delve into the hearts and minds of the people who know Harry best, uncover the secrets they’d rather die—or kill—to keep, and expose the truth behind a web of malice disguised as madness.
Download and start listening now!
"I enjoyed this thriller because it was such a really good read. Not to many thrillers have a psychatrist as a leading character and who has client that once was a Wall Street Executive. Since the Wall Street Collapse this one of the few fiction books that is some what written about the subject."
— Scott (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Rarely does one read a first novel so self-assured, sharp, and compelling. A Fatal Debt offers a terrific premise and wonderful characters. It takes off like a rocket and doesn’t stop until its explosive conclusion.”
— Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author -
“Is John Gapper a journalist with a novelist’s heart, or a novelist with a journalist’s instinct? Either way, he tells a great story. He says this is fiction, but it feels very real to me.”
— Lee Child -
“An intriguing premise taken to a suspenseful conclusion.”
— Booklist -
“Gapper is a fiction newcomer but no neophyte; as chief business columnist of the Financial Times, he’s already a high-profile writer with a big blog/Twitter following. Another in the big upsweep of financial thrillers, inspired by these parlous times.”
— Library Journal -
“John Gapper puts together an irresistible package: a psychiatrist pursuing a Wall Street murder mystery, while fighting for his reputation and maybe his life. This is a neatly crafted and well-written thriller, which shows why Gapper is a must-read columnist in the Financial Times. An audacious, assured debut.”
— David Ignatius, columnist for theWashington Post and author of Bloodmoney
A Fatal Debt Listener Reviews
-
" Great book. Many surprises and twists. I am a Grisham fan; this book was written as well as any of his. I look forward to reading more novels by Gapper. "
— Sandy, 1/14/2014 -
" I found this book very entertaining from start to finish. Not knowing the opinions of a pyschiatrist I was fascinated with the way he took on the "investigation" himself. What an interesting twist in the end. "
— Peggy, 12/26/2013 -
" Good plot. Structure and syntax a little odd it was. "
— Abby, 12/1/2013 -
" Liked it alright, but sometimes difficult keeping all the names straight. Also what seemed like some gaps in plot logic. "
— JDK1962, 8/11/2013 -
" So overall the book, the characters, and the plot were pretty good. Even the writing seemed pretty strong. The problem I had with the book was about 3/4 the way through I just wanted it to end. All the excitement was in the beginning and there was no way of getting it back. "
— Rich, 6/3/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book. I found it a little slow at times, but worth the time to read. "
— Jim, 5/28/2013 -
" This is a mystery set against the Wall Street debacle -- with bankers working at a stand-in for Lehman Bros, and another for Goldman Sachs. It's clearly an amateur novel....but interesting to derive (ha) an insider's view of the 2008 collapse in a fictional context. "
— Allison, 11/3/2012
About John Gapper
John Gapper is chief business columnist and an associate editor of the Financial Times, based in New York. He also has a blog on which he comments on business news. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Exeter College, Oxford University, and won a Harkness Fellowship to study at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is author of All That Glitters, a book about the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995, and How to Be a Rogue Trader. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.
About Alan Sklar
Alan Sklar, a graduate of Dartmouth, has excelled in his career as a freelance voice actor. Named a Best Voice of 2009 by AudioFile magazine, his work has earned him several Earphones Awards, a Booklist Editors’ Choice Award (twice), a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and Audiobook of the Year by ForeWord magazine. He has also narrated thousands of corporate videos for clients such as NASA, Sikorsky Aircraft, IBM, Dannon, Pfizer, AT&T, and SONY.