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Black Fridays Audiobook
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(3.05) - 354 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Sometimes a man can be redeemed. But not in the way he expects.
Jason Stafford is a former Wall Street hotshot who made some bad moves, paid the price with two years in prison, and is now trying to put his life back together. He’s unemployable, until an investment firm asks him to look into possible problems left by a junior trader who died recently in an accident. What he discovers is big – there are problems, all right, the kind that get you killed.
But it’s not his only concern. Stafford has another quest as well: to reclaim his five-year-old son, “the Kid,” from his unstable ex-wife, and then learn just what it means to make a life with him. The things Stafford discovers about himself in the process are every bit as gripping as his investigation, and when the two threads of his life come together – the results are unforgettable.
Black Fridays marks the arrival of a remarkable new writer.
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"Picked this one up on niece's recommendation (thanks, Heather). Based in the morass of Wall Street and a slightly-repentant white collar criminal is asked to look into trades at another firm. Delicate rendering of dealing with a son's autism disorder combined with a fast paced 'caper' tone. Unlike "Ghosts of Manhattan" where the protagonist is 'ohsobetterthanthou' this one actually understands where it all went wrong for him."
— Lois (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Black Fridays has it all: superb writing, a riveting plot, and a hero I'm still thinking about days afterwards. A must read!”
— Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author -
“It’s been awhile since I’ve read a pop thriller so immediately captivating…[and I am] anxiously waiting for Sears’ next book.”
— Dallas Morning News -
“This stunning first novel…is one of the year’s finest crime debuts. The writing is fresh and vivid…[and] the book is thrilling and haunting at once.”
— Booklist -
“Sears is terrific at generating momentum and suspense while juggling a convoluted plot and an enormous cast of characters. A former trader himself, he’s also good at making the opaque intricacies of the financial markets transparent, even interesting. Wall Street doesn’t necessarily need or deserve much sympathy, but this is no screed, and the book is the better for it.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
Sears is terrific at generating momentum and suspense
— Publishers Weekly -
This stunning first novel…is one of the year’s finest crime debuts. The writing is fresh and vivid…[and] the book is thrilling and haunting at once.
— Booklist -
Exciting and compelling
— Wall Street Journal -
Author Michael Sears clearly knows his way around the financial world. What makes his debut novel, Black Fridays, stand out from other financial thrillers s Stafford’s devotion to his 5-year-old son, who is severely autistic…Black Fridays is definitely worth the investment.
— Associated Press -
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a pop thriller so immediately captivating…[and I am] anxiously waiting for Sears’ next book.
— Dallas Morning News -
A Great read. It’s also a window into the fascinating slice of Wall Street…Black Fridays is a book you’ll enjoy and remember.
— Fortune.com -
Black Fridays is the real deal: a compelling, beautifully written thriller offering a fascinating insider’s view of corruption in high places.
— Jonathan Kellerman -
One of the best books I've read this year -- a novel for people who like thought with their thrills. No cartoons here -- you feel that you're really beginning to understand the workings of the crazy Wall Street underworld. Jason Stafford is a cool, edgy character who will do almost anything for money, and will do anything to protect his young autistic son. By the end of the book, so will you.
— John Sandford -
Extraordinary! Michael Sears has a knack for completely complicated, thoroughly likable characters caught up in a deadly web of lies, greed, and financial corruption. Never has Wall Street been so interesting and so dangerous.
— Lisa Gardner -
Black Fridays has it all: superb writing, a riveting plot, and a hero I'm still thinking about days afterwards. A must read!
— Tess Gerritsen -
Black Fridays is a taut and compelling thriller, a vivid story of sleaze beneath the slick surface of Wall Street. But what sets the book apart, and gives it its heart, is Jason Stafford's quest to reclaim his life and make a home with his autistic son. Stafford's voice really grabbed me -- Michael Sears has got the goods. Gripping.
— Meg Gardiner -
An exciting and fascinating tale of big money and even bigger crime, an insider's glimpse into a world where fortunes can be made or lost at the click of a button and the stakes can be life and death. More than a gripping procedural, it's a moving ,deeply human story.
— Joseph Finder -
Jason Stafford is a totally endearing and winning protagonist. Michael Sears has a permanent place in my portfolio and in my heart.
— Jennifer Belle, bestselling author of High Maintenance and The Seven Year Bitch -
A riveting book. Black Fridays is required reading for anyone who wants a great modern thriller -- and anyone who wants to know how a bunch of obscure, arrogant, cranked-up financial whiz kids can bring an economy to its knees. So timely it's scary.
— Tim Hallinan, Edgar-nominated author of The Queen of Patpong and The Fear Artist — Praise for BLACK FRIDAYS
Awards
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Selected for the October 2012 Indie Next List
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A 2013 International Thriller Writers Award Nominee for Best First Novel
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A 2013 Anthony Award Nominee for Best First Novel
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A 2013 Barry Award Nominee for Best First Novel
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A 2013 Shamus Award Nominee for Best First P.I. Novel
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A 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee for Best First Novel
Black Fridays Listener Reviews
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" There was a lot that I did like: the investigation into trading irregularities on Wall Street, the New York location, learning to live with and nurture an autistic five year old boy, the characters in the local bar.... The protagonist, Jayson Stafford, was a big stumbling block: his reasons for the trading decisions that sent him to prison, his choice in wives, his decision-making. While all of that was supposed to be part of the context of the book, it was the least enjoyable, understandable part, to the detriment of the overall production. "
— Deborah, 2/14/2014 -
" Well-written, excellent sophisticated plot line. I strongly recommend. "
— Mark, 2/10/2014 -
" It was an interesting story. I particularly liked the part of the story that dealt with 'The Kid'. "
— Barb, 2/3/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book, inhaled it in two days. Wall Street fraud uncovered by a Dad learning how to raise a severely autistic 5year old. "
— Allison, 2/1/2014 -
" I read it comfortably in one day--a very good read. Towards the end, I felt the story lose momentum, as though the author were struggling to pull it all together. Missed opportunities with some of the characters, Spud, Skeli, and Heather. I look forward to the sequel,as the story continues. "
— K, 2/1/2014 -
" A financial-thriller (is this the correct term?), and a touching story, from a new author, that is a definite page-turner! Fast read, with a main character who goes through a lot of personal development upon leaving prison for Wall Street crime. Highly recommended! "
— Ruth, 1/11/2014 -
" Read the next by this author "
— Jessica, 1/9/2014 -
" Surprisingly good book. Not my usual fare, but a good read, well written, tightly plotted, and nicely paced "
— Jeff, 12/19/2013 -
" Excellent novel about the greed of some on Wall Street. More of a fathers and sons story than anything. "
— Julie, 12/11/2013 -
" This is really well done. A nice mix of different plot threads, enough explanation of a technical field to give a sense of peeking inside it, and a hero with a bit of Spenser's insouciance and humor. "
— Nan, 12/3/2013 -
" didn;t finish it...interesting premise, but too far fetched...tried to do too much in one book... "
— Julie, 11/11/2013 -
" A great read!! I was hooked from the first page. "
— Jessica, 5/15/2013 -
" The mystery is good but the best part of this book is the relationship between the main characher and his autistic son. "
— Helen, 4/9/2013 -
" Easy to read and easy to keep up with the characters. Story interesting so that I could hardly put it down. Good writer--not a lot of bad language or offensive sex. "
— Shirley, 1/12/2013 -
" Could have been so much more. "
— Tami, 1/2/2013 -
" Financial thriller with a twist tale of no good. Solid stuff here to entertain the brain. "
— David, 11/17/2012 -
" I could not put this book down. Great, fast moving story. "
— Jeannie, 11/14/2012 -
" Excellent mystery the whole way through. One of the treats was I couldn't figure out who did it!!!! "
— Edna, 10/23/2012
About Michael Sears
Michael Sears spent more than twenty years on Wall Street, rising to the position of managing director in the bond trading and underwriting divisions of Paine Webber and, later, Jefferies & Company, before leaving the business in 2005. He now lives in Sea Cliff, New York, with his wife.
About Erik Bergmann
Erik Bergmann is a winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award. He is the narrator of the Area 51 and Justice League audiobook series, as well as the voice of Fred on the companion audiobook for the Warner Bros. feature film Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. He has also dabbled in television, making appearances on Saturday Night Live and doing voice-over work for Random! Cartoons.