Frontrunner [Paperback]

'Kilduff knows his territory well, writes authoritatively about it and spins a compelling tale ...riveting stuff' Irish Times on THE DEALER. "Quite simply, a first-rate novel from a first-rate writer." -- Shots 20011108 "A heady-paced thriller" -- Shots Magazine 20011108 'Kilduff knows the world of high finance and international banking inside out and he uses this insider knowledge to deliver an effective, punchy read' Irish Independent on THE DEALER 20011108 'A slick, punchy thriller by a banking insider, full of financial know-how' Daily Mail on SQUARE MILE 20011108 'An entertaining debut with an all-too-believable ending' Sunday Telegraph on SQUARE MILE 20011108 'A rattling good yarn. An exciting and topical thriller by a banking insider who knows his stuff.' -- Yorkshire Post 20011129 'An attractively written first novel, whose strength lies in the creation of the bank's atmosphere, and the detailed analysis of financial jiggery-pokery' Evening Standard on SQUARE MILE 20011129 'A world class page-turner -- The irish Independent 20011129 'An exciting and topical thriller by a banking insider, who knows his stuff.' -- Yorkshire Post 20011129 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Kilduff knows his territory well, writes authoritatively about it and spins a compelling tale... Riveting stuff' Irish Times on The Dealer; 'Kilduff knows the world of high finance and international banking inside out and he uses this insider knowledge to deliver an effective, punchy read' Irish Independent on The Dealer; 'A slick, punchy thriller by a banking insider, full of financial know-how' Daily Mail on Square Mile; 'An entertaining debut with an all-too-believable ending' Sunday Telegraph on Square Mile

'An exciting and topical thriller by a banking insider, who knows his stuff.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'A world class page-turner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'A slick, punchy thriller by a banking insider, full of financial know-how' Daily Mail on SQUARE MILE --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"A heady-paced thriller" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"Quite simply, a first-rate novel from a first-rate writer." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Chinese premier's assassination triggers a global financial crisis. The Central Bankers decide to turn this into profitable recovery by enlisting Jonathan Maynard's help. But as the markets turn he wonders who will share these gains - and why did five Bankers make him an offer he can't refuse?

As Paul's editor I was very fortunate to inherit him from a former colleague, although it was unfortunate that I didn't discover him in the first place.

In The Frontrunner, he has written a fantastically in- depth thriller that like his previous two has a financial background. The Frontrunner has everything from assassination and conspiracy to murder and drugs, all set against a background of high finance, dragging the reader around the world at break neck speed.

Paul Kilduff just gets better and better. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

When I began writing my third thriller I had several aims. Firstly, since the only ingredients that matters in a novel are the characters, I tried to create players with real variety and depth. Some characters have an ordinary day job of sorts, others are jet-setting multi-millionaires with lifestyles and peccadillos to match, and others are high-profile pillars of the establishment never to be taken at face value. I wished to portray interesting characters who strive to rise above conflict and adversity, be it either personal or work-related, and who ultimately seek a more fulfilling life, either materially or otherwise.

Secondly, I tried to paint on a bigger canvas, to have a critical global mass of topical subject matter, to take on themes of right and wrong, of greed and power, and of outer appearance and inner reality. In this expansive novel, the scenes move from West End family homes to tinted Hong Kong skyscrapers, from downtown Manhattan apartments to rustic Italian Chianti vineyards, from luxury Spanish villas to idyllic tropical islands.

Thirdly, I received hundreds of emails from satisfied readers to date so I kept the components that seem to work in my first two books - the detail and authenticity, the page-turning pace, the exotic lifestyles, the twists and turns of the plot, the visual cinematic quality, the easily understandable City information, and the well-rounded ending without any dangling loose ends.

Lastly, I hoped The Frontrunner would be a better book than Square Mile or The Dealer. Only the reader can be the true judge of whether I succeeded in this regard. Send me an email and let me know. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Born in Dublin in 1964, Paul Kilduff moved to London in 1989 where he spent six years working with a leading securities house and an international banking group. Paul returned to Dublin in 1995 where he now works for a US global investment bank. The Front Runner is his third novel.

PROLOGUE

'The final scene was played back in slow motion from Sky to FOX, from CNN to BBC, from Channel 9 to TFL. The old woman's hand dipped into the shopping bag and emerged almost immediately holding something grey. The freeze-frame shots later clearly showed the standard issue Smith & Wesson 0.38 revolver, weighing approximately six pounds, six rounds plus another six in a speedloader, worn usually with a straight-draw side holster and without a lanyard whilst on duty, the long gunmetal barrel suddenly shockingly visible beside the guilty police officer with the limited attention span. One round was enough from close range. The baying crowd, the revving Merc engines and the overhead helicopters drowned the sudden explosion of noise as the small-calibre bullet exited the chamber and instantly entered an already dying brain.

Camera four was live to the world as Zhiang lost his footing on the carpet and stumbled forward. His aides rushed to forestall political embarrassment of international proportions. Old age or something worse? They held his leaden arms and brought him back to his feet but it wasn't working like it usually did. Zhiang slumped forward again. One of the bodyguards felt the warm trickle of blood on his sweaty palm.

They closed ranks in mutual protection, dodged the blaze of TV lights and camera flash bulbs, and carried him on the longest journey of their lives. They stretched him out on the rear seat of the car. He didn't move against the black leather. The pool of blood widened. They looked at each other, silently acknowledging the awful truth. They were out of a job. Cut back to camera two as the sirens screamed and the convoy took off for the University Hospital. Between the neat rows of utterly useless crash barriers, the blood of the late Chinese Premier seeped into the red carpet.

FED CHAIRMAN FLIES TO SECRET EUROPEAN MEETING

New York, July 12th - Federal Reserve Board Chairman Walter P. Sayers left JFK airport last night on a government jet to discuss the continuing global financial crisis with his international peers.

Sayers will shortly commence several days of high-level meetings with the Governor of the Bank of England, the President of the European Central Bank, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Governor of the Bank of Japan. His exact destination has not been disclosed but insider Fed sources indicated to the Journal that the parties would likely rendezvous in a private luxury holiday retreat near the Mediterranean Sea.

The only topic on the agenda will be the continuing precipitous slide in world equity and bond markets. Global market indices have fallen by up to 35 per cent this month, with no apparent floor in sight. The panic has been underlined by the flight by major institutional investors to the traditional safe havens of the US currency, gold and other precious metals.

Some observers trace the root cause back to the death of a rogue futures dealer at his downtown Manhattan apartment and the subsequent collapse of the giant hedge fund, Alpha Beta Capital Inc. Other market insiders believe that global markets first became unstable when Hong Kong ruthlessly authorities crushed escalating civilian unrest, following the assassination of the Chinese premier on a visit to the former British colony three weeks ago. The Wall Street Journal.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.