Blood Money
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Product Description
Review
This feisty, pacey thriller by TV news reporter turned writer Tom Bradby has it all - nervy gangsters, crooked politicians, gutsy cops and a sexy moll. It is also blessed with excellent timing...A top-notch piece of crime writing Press Association Compulsively readable...Bradby makes the most of his exotic ingredients to create a story rich in atmosphere and steeped in intrigue Yorkshire Evening Post The smoky romantic notion of speakeasies and Irish beat cops...is captured beautifully by Bradby's love of minute detail. News of the World This story of murder stalking a group of bankers during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 couldn't be more topical Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Book Description
A stunning thriller set during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 from ITN's political correspondent and acclaimed author Tom Bradby.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I stumbled across this author by picking up "The White Russian"....throughly enjoyed that book which led me to "Shadow Dancer", "God of Chaos", "The Master of Rain" and now "Blood Money". Every single book, the storyline holds your interest completely with the touch of history thrown in for sheer pleasure.
In "Blood Money", the 1929 Stock Market crash doesn't addd much to the story, but it sets the political and financial scene that seems critical for this story. It's another great read and keeps you guessing right up to the very last page!
Excellent!
In "Blood Money", the 1929 Stock Market crash doesn't addd much to the story, but it sets the political and financial scene that seems critical for this story. It's another great read and keeps you guessing right up to the very last page!
Excellent!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an immensely enjoyable read. Tom Bradby captures the language, mood and American culture of the period (1929) really well. Life in the police is characterised by a frenetic atmosphere that energises the story as the plot unfolds. Characterisation is good and dialogue convincing. The plot keeps you guessing to the end although I do have two small gripes. The first concerns some letters which the principal character, Joe Quinn, reads towards the end of the novel. But given the questions he's been asking about his family why has he never read them before? The second concerns the ending - I won't give anything away but the author does use a deliberate plot device to assist the novel's denouement which was not totally convincing. But what's two gripes when the novel is a page turner? If you haven't read any of his previous novels then this makes a really good starting point. This is crime and thriller writing at its best.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've read several of Tom Bradby's previous thrillers, including The Master Of Rainand The God Of Chaos. They've all been perfectly servicable thrillers, with well researched and realised historical settings. None of them set the world alight but they generally hold your attention and offer an entertaining enough way to pass the time.
His latest, Blood Money, maintains that standard. Set in New York on the eve of the Great Wall Street Crash, its a relatively straight tale of crime, greed and corruption featuring a colourful cast of gangsters, cops, politicians and molls. As with most Bradby novels the story sets up a mystery and then twists and turns down various blind alleys and dead ends before finally reaching a fairly predictable conclusion. There's a colourful supporting cast to back up the mildly troubled but ever so slightly bland male lead. The period details feel reasonably accurate and also add further depth to proceedings.
What the book lacks however, is real soul and passion. Everything feels too planned and calculated. Characters behave in certain ways because the plot requires them to; not because it necessarily makes sense that they do. For example the length of time it takes the hero to uncover the truth behind the central mystery is purely down to the fact that his father will not reveal some vital information, but his reason for not doing so never really rings true. It suits the plot for him to refuse to talk to his own son but doesn't reflect real human behaviour.
The overly structured feel is also plain in the way key plot points are clearly telegraphed in advance. For example an apparently unrelated kidnapping case is given so much undue prominence that its obvious that it will eventually have some important part to play in events. Rather than allowing the plot to develop organically and trusting the reader to pick up on incidental but significant points Bradby tends to hammer everything home, as if saying 'pay attention; this is important'.
This rather unsubtle, mechanistic approach is also present with the historical detail. Rather than allowing the stock market crash to simply provide background colour or integrating it naturally into the narrative he has to include a scene on the steps of the Wall St Exchange as the market goes into freefall that serves no real purpose plot wise beyond crudely reminding the reader of wider events beyond the main plot.
The result is a book that keeps you interested and entertained but doesn't really offer anything deeper. It certainly doesn't linger in the memory for long once you've finished it and for that reason is never destined for classic status.
His latest, Blood Money, maintains that standard. Set in New York on the eve of the Great Wall Street Crash, its a relatively straight tale of crime, greed and corruption featuring a colourful cast of gangsters, cops, politicians and molls. As with most Bradby novels the story sets up a mystery and then twists and turns down various blind alleys and dead ends before finally reaching a fairly predictable conclusion. There's a colourful supporting cast to back up the mildly troubled but ever so slightly bland male lead. The period details feel reasonably accurate and also add further depth to proceedings.
What the book lacks however, is real soul and passion. Everything feels too planned and calculated. Characters behave in certain ways because the plot requires them to; not because it necessarily makes sense that they do. For example the length of time it takes the hero to uncover the truth behind the central mystery is purely down to the fact that his father will not reveal some vital information, but his reason for not doing so never really rings true. It suits the plot for him to refuse to talk to his own son but doesn't reflect real human behaviour.
The overly structured feel is also plain in the way key plot points are clearly telegraphed in advance. For example an apparently unrelated kidnapping case is given so much undue prominence that its obvious that it will eventually have some important part to play in events. Rather than allowing the plot to develop organically and trusting the reader to pick up on incidental but significant points Bradby tends to hammer everything home, as if saying 'pay attention; this is important'.
This rather unsubtle, mechanistic approach is also present with the historical detail. Rather than allowing the stock market crash to simply provide background colour or integrating it naturally into the narrative he has to include a scene on the steps of the Wall St Exchange as the market goes into freefall that serves no real purpose plot wise beyond crudely reminding the reader of wider events beyond the main plot.
The result is a book that keeps you interested and entertained but doesn't really offer anything deeper. It certainly doesn't linger in the memory for long once you've finished it and for that reason is never destined for classic status.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A run for your money.
The author can't be faulted for effort in 500 plus pages but he could have done with a good editor. It's about 200 pages too long; the plot is labyrinthine, somewhat derivative and... Read more
Published on 21 May 2010 by John Coffey
Excellent Read
I have read all Tom Bradby's books and I really enjoed Blood Money.
It is set in New York and with all Bradby's books his attention to detail is excellent. Read more
It is set in New York and with all Bradby's books his attention to detail is excellent. Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2009 by E. C. Mack
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