Book Review : The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian

This is the long overdue review of The Bankster by Ravi Subramanian which I received from blogadda as a part of their Book Review Programme. Struggling with many assignments at hand I have finally managed to come back to my loving blog and get this review published. This is the first of Ravi Subramanian that I have read although this is the fifth of the five Finance related books he has written and now I know why Wall street Journal has labeled him as the John Grisham of Banking!

Book Summary:

Bestselling author Ravi Subramanian, a master storyteller of financial crime and winner of the Golden Quill Readers Choice Award, returns with his most gripping thriller yet.

Bankers build their careers on trust, or so everyone thinks, till a series of murders threaten to destroy the reputation that the Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) has built over the years. Who is behind these killings, and what is their motive?

When Karan Panjabi, press reporter and ex-banker, digs deeper, he realizes that he has stumbled upon a global conspiracy with far reaching ramifications a secret that could not only destroy the bank but also cast a shadow on the entire nation. With only thirty-six hours at his disposal, he must fight the clock and trust no one if he is to stay alive and uncover the truth.

About the Author:

Ravi Subramanian an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, has spent two decades working his way up the ladder of power in the amazingly exciting and adrenaline-pumping world of global banks in India. It is but natural that his stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry. He lives in Mumbai with his wife Dharini and daughter Anusha. In 2008, he won the Golden Quill Readers Choice award for his debut novel, If God was a Banker. 

My Review:

As this was the first time I was reading one of Subramanian’s books I was pleasantly surprised as not only the story is gripping but the characterization is also too good. There are three parallel plots running together, as you read each chapter, your mind swings from here to there and back again. It is a complete page turner, which keeps you hooked to it.

The book opens with a man who lands up at Angola and strikes a deal to exchanges weapons for the world famous blood diamonds of Africa. The plot shifts to a family in Kerala, where the head of the family is accused for a crime that he has not committed. The person is concerned about a social cause till some opportunists get involved with the whole thing and things take an ugly turn. A parallel plot runs in Mumbai at the GB2 bank, where their key employees get mysteriously murdered one after another.

Overall, The Bankster is an interesting read. The language is quite simple and does not have complicated banking terminology, which makes it easy to understand and follow. There is not a dull moment in the book. A totally unexpected twist as to who the real culprit is!  I would definitely recommend the book to all readers who love fast moving thriller plots.

I would rate this book a 3.5/5.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com . Participate now to get free books!