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5th out of 31 books
—
13 voters
Black Fridays (Jason Stafford #1)
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...more
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...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
September 18th 2012
by Putnam Adult
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Black Friday's is the story of Jason Stafford. He worked on Wall Street and was caught embezzling money from his employer. He spent time in jail.
His marriage was ruined, lost all the money, had a child that he doesn't know when he is released. Once he starts on his new life out of prison he retrieves his son from his ex mother in law. His son is Autistic and he has a lot to learn.
He takes his son back to New York and enrolls him in a special school. Jason calls his son Kid because that is what...more
His marriage was ruined, lost all the money, had a child that he doesn't know when he is released. Once he starts on his new life out of prison he retrieves his son from his ex mother in law. His son is Autistic and he has a lot to learn.
He takes his son back to New York and enrolls him in a special school. Jason calls his son Kid because that is what...more
This novel really has two main threads. The first involves a high-stakes financial murder mystery ala The Pelican Brief or The Firm (except involving Wall Street traders instead of lawyers). The financial intracacies get a little wonky at times, to the point that it does slow the action and can be confusing for those of us who have zero understanding of the various types of stock market trades. The last third of the book makes up for this, however, with a fast-paced, page-turning resolution.
The...more
The...more
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Great first book by Michael Sears. Totally off topic, but does anybody else out there ever think how weird it is that we are criticizing people for their writing, yet we (well, at least me) are not writers?? In a way, anyone who goes through the torture of writing a book and getting it published deserves the highest kudos!
Anyway, I thought the plot was good. I work in the finance area, so I could follow most of the discussion. I did find myself thinking that the jargon may be a little hard for o...more
Anyway, I thought the plot was good. I work in the finance area, so I could follow most of the discussion. I did find myself thinking that the jargon may be a little hard for o...more
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Disclosure: I received a complimentary uncorrected proof of this book with the expectation that I would provide an honest review.
Synopsis:
Convicted wall street trader leaves prison, tries to put his family (alcoholic cajun ex-model wife, 5 year old autistic son, wise bar owner father) back together, takes a Wall Street consulting gig and gets enmeshed in a billion dollar embezzlement case.
Pluses:
* skillful story telling
* nuanced characters and relationships
* I like to read about the Wall Street...more
Synopsis:
Convicted wall street trader leaves prison, tries to put his family (alcoholic cajun ex-model wife, 5 year old autistic son, wise bar owner father) back together, takes a Wall Street consulting gig and gets enmeshed in a billion dollar embezzlement case.
Pluses:
* skillful story telling
* nuanced characters and relationships
* I like to read about the Wall Street...more
Black Fridays was surprisingly hard to put down considering I have no interest in Wall Street or stock trading. The writing is completely engaging, right from the first paragraph:
THE WOMAN SCREAMED for the first three seconds. Three seconds took her down only fourteen stories— she still had twenty- four to go. She fainted. Her arms and legs stopped flailing, her body went limp.
What a fabulous opening! It was the characters, however, that drew me in and the mystery that kept me there.
I wouldn't...more
THE WOMAN SCREAMED for the first three seconds. Three seconds took her down only fourteen stories— she still had twenty- four to go. She fainted. Her arms and legs stopped flailing, her body went limp.
What a fabulous opening! It was the characters, however, that drew me in and the mystery that kept me there.
I wouldn't...more
After spending the last two years in prison, former Wall Street trader Jason Stafford is asked to consult on the trades of a young trader who was recently killed in a boating accident. What the firm doesn’t need is the SEC breathing down their neck or the bad publicity. Jason needs the cash, as he wants to take care of his son, since his ex-wife is too disturbed to deal with an autistic child. Dealing with a scam that could be a killer and a child who is obsessed with cars makes this an intense...more
This was a fast, light and entertaining read. Jason Stafford is returning to the world after a two year stint in jail for securities fraud. Now he is unemployable on Wall Street, but he is hired as a consultant to go through the books of a firm facing an SEC inquiry, following the murder of a trader. At first, Jason cannot find anything wrong, then patterns begin to emerge. Meanwhile, Jason's ex-wife has taken his autistic son back home to Louisiana and Jason risks violating his parole to fetch...more
Congratulations Michael Sears, Black Fridays was a pleasant surprise. The library was about to close and I grabbed this off the shelf without giving it a close look. Lucky me. If I'd realized it was about an ex-Wall Street trader turned convict attempting to connect with his autistic son after two years in prison I would have put it back on the shelf, and I would have missed a great book.
Not only is this a good human interest story, which I normally avoid, it's an inside look at the world of tra...more
Not only is this a good human interest story, which I normally avoid, it's an inside look at the world of tra...more
Black Fridays by Michael Sears is a novel which capitalizes on the author’s Wall Street experience providing interesting insights on financials capers. This is a first book by Mr. Sears and seems to be the first of a series.
Jason Stafford has spent the past two years in jail after being caught running a Wall Street scam. Now the unemployable trader is trying to put his life back together.
A Wall Street firm has hired him to investigate some issues which a junior trader might have...more
Jason Stafford has spent the past two years in jail after being caught running a Wall Street scam. Now the unemployable trader is trying to put his life back together.
A Wall Street firm has hired him to investigate some issues which a junior trader might have...more
In “Black Fridays” Jason Stafford, a former Wall Street trader is released from his two-year imprisonment for his past ‘accounting errors”—unemployed, divorced, and short of money—only to be lured back to Wall Street when a firm asks him to check for any problems the firm may have later with the feds (unknown to Jason the company will soon become a part of n acquisition by another company). It doesn’t help matters that one of the junior traders involved, Ben, has accidentally died on a boating t...more
I received this pre-publication book through a Goodreads giveaway and was very pleasantly surprised. It is a quick, easy read that kept me engaged from start to finish. The author weaves together a thriller about corruption on Wall Street and the story of a man getting to know his autistic son.
As the brother-in-law of an individual with autism, I found myself nodding along with many of the main character's feelings and observations about the latter.
The Wall Street story was gripping enough to ke...more
As the brother-in-law of an individual with autism, I found myself nodding along with many of the main character's feelings and observations about the latter.
The Wall Street story was gripping enough to ke...more
I got this book through First Reads giveaways.
It took me a little bit to actually get into and start enjoying this book, but in the end I ended up loving it a lot.
I think the fact that I am horrible with math/numbers to begin with, adding that anything with what traders and such do confuses me is why it too a little to get into it. The way he explains it all does help with understanding to an extent. I loved the story and characters. The idea of autism has always intrigued me so to have the chi...more
It took me a little bit to actually get into and start enjoying this book, but in the end I ended up loving it a lot.
I think the fact that I am horrible with math/numbers to begin with, adding that anything with what traders and such do confuses me is why it too a little to get into it. The way he explains it all does help with understanding to an extent. I loved the story and characters. The idea of autism has always intrigued me so to have the chi...more
Jason Stafford has just been released from a 2-yr. stint in federal prison for securities fraud when he is asked by the CEO of a major wall street firm to look into suspect irregularities with some of their traders. He jumps at the chance to make some money because most of his old colleagues won't talk to him. And, to make matters worse, his wife has divorced him and taken their autistic son back to Louisana and then dumped him off at his grandmothers. Can Jason redeem himself and restore his re...more
Jason Stafford is a former Wall Street broker who got caught with his hands in the cookie jar -- well he actually created a bogus cookie jar to misdirect other people's cookies. After serving 2 years in prison he returns to New York. His wife is gone, his child is gone and he is unemployable. When a Wall Street firm hires him to check for trading discrepancies before the SEC investigates, he quickly realizes that much is amiss in the company.
The story is excellent (although I didn't really und...more
The story is excellent (although I didn't really und...more
This book definitely exceeded my expectations. First and foremost this book is a mystery/thriller book, but it also has a heartwarming relationship between the main character, Jason, and his son. Jason just got released from prison and finds himself back in the world of Wall Street. Not only does he have to solve the mystery of the activities of a recently deceased junior trader, he now has to take care of his autistic son.
While I enjoyed the mystery part of this book I absolutely loved the rela...more
While I enjoyed the mystery part of this book I absolutely loved the rela...more
Black Fridays grabbed my attention from the first page and held it through to the last. This is a story about being flawed and human. It's a story about redemption. The pace is fast, the story is good. I was never quite sure who the "mastermind" was. You don't have to understand the workings of Wall Street to get into the story. Sears provides all of the information necessary to keep up with the flow. Definitely a great read for anyone who enjoys a thriller.
Beyond the wall street corruption ang...more
Beyond the wall street corruption ang...more
This was something I just grabbed off the new books shelf at the library. It's fairly well-written. There are two main threads going on as an ex-Wall Streeter is paroled. One, he's hired to look into some trades after the supposedly accidental death of a young treader, and two, he tries to reconnect with his young son. The latter is the far more intriguing of the two - his relationship with his son is interesting and somewhat fascinating. The business storyline is sort of a connect-the-dots myst...more
Jason Stafford landed in prison for 2 years because of a mistake he made on Wall Street. He is certainly not innocent and now is unemployable in his former job. But he is hired by another firm to dig into their trades as an investigator. He needs the job to provide a life for his autistic son. The job mushrooms into a wider circle of intrigue and deception. His attempt to connect and communicate with his son brings a warm feeling to the story and carries throughout the book. His ex-wife, Angie p...more
Reading this book produced two trains of thought: one was that I really liked Michael Sears's writing, especially the parts with Jason Stafford and the relationship he has with his six year old autistic son. The second was that I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on in his plotting and the character's roles in the mystery part of the book. I am giving it three stars because the writing is engaging and truly poignant in the father-son relationship part of this book. The other part i...more
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 pa...more
Jason Stafford has gotten out of prison after being convicted of embezzling money. His only job experience is working on Wall Street but he has restriction on what he can do in the financial district now that he is out of prison. He eventually gets hired to investigate an employee's actions. Meanwhile, he is trying to get his son, with special needs, back into his custody but his ex-wife is being difficult. While Jason is dealing with his personal life, his life is in jeopardy over this investig...more
Black Fridays begins with Jason Stafford's release from prison. He returns to New York City and hopes to start a new life with his ex-wife and child. Unfortunately Jason's ex has not gone along with the game plan. Jason had patiently explained to Angie that they needed to get a divorce and transfer assets from his name to hers in an effort to protect her and retain money before he was indicted. He thought she understood that the divorce was only a ruse and they would get back together once his l...more
“Black Fridays” by Michael Sears is a debut novel that tells the tales of greed, protective fatherhood, and a lifestyle of greed and selfishness. Jason Stafford is the main character who is a financial wall street expert. He does not always make the best decisions for himself or for others. However, as a result of some of his choices, he is convicted and sentenced to prison for fraud where he serves two year in prison. He must leave “the Kid,” his autistic child to whom he is devoted when sent t...more
Black Fridays – Michael Sears
If you were to ask what impels me to pick up a debut novel I’d likely give you a variety of reasons depending on the moment, it could be attributed to planet alignment, a recommendation from a fellow bookworm, eye-catching cover art, or my insatiable curiosity upon reading the synopsis on the back cover. In this case, it was the back cover that tweaked my interest.
Jason Stafford doesn’t sound like your typical thriller hero. After serving two years in prison for ille...more
If you were to ask what impels me to pick up a debut novel I’d likely give you a variety of reasons depending on the moment, it could be attributed to planet alignment, a recommendation from a fellow bookworm, eye-catching cover art, or my insatiable curiosity upon reading the synopsis on the back cover. In this case, it was the back cover that tweaked my interest.
Jason Stafford doesn’t sound like your typical thriller hero. After serving two years in prison for ille...more
Jason Stafford has nothing. He was once a top Wall Street trader living the high life, but after a getting in over his head with falsified profits and fraudulent trades, he finds himself at the end of a two year jail sentence with no money, an estranged ex-wife who has his only son, and seemingly no future job opportunities. You can imagine his surprise when the CEO of a large Wall Street firm asks Jason to investigate the trades of a junior trader who recently died in a boating accident. Intrig...more
Received this as an ARC copy, and will most definitely be spreading the word of this book. I gave it a full 5 star rating. (revised 3-17-2013)
Michael Sears definitely has a touching way of creating such likeable, relatable characters. And most surprisingly, this is his debut novel!
It’s a thrilling, intellectual tale of a Wall Street trader by the name of Jason Stafford, who thrives to change his lifestyle after a stint of fraud that ended him up in prison for two years.
He struggles to maintain...more
Michael Sears definitely has a touching way of creating such likeable, relatable characters. And most surprisingly, this is his debut novel!
It’s a thrilling, intellectual tale of a Wall Street trader by the name of Jason Stafford, who thrives to change his lifestyle after a stint of fraud that ended him up in prison for two years.
He struggles to maintain...more
Ok so I won this book on goodreads from firstreads a little while back. I absolutely loved this book. The only thing that was semi-disappointing to me was not having an actual cover, but the content of the book most definitely made up for that! The book is about a guy on wallstreet and he gets caught up embezzling money and goes to prison, then he gets out and has to pick up the pieces of his life, which includes a son who has autism and a drunk ex-wife. I don't want to spoil this book for anyon...more
I received this book through Goodreads giveaways.
I really liked Michael's style of writing. I will definitely pick up another book from him.
I thought that the characters and the personnel side of the story was better developed then the thriller side.
The relationship between Jason and 'the Kid' was well told. I think Michael did a good job at describing the relationship between a parent and an autistic child. Michael really made me like Jason and it felt as though he was a realistic character....more
I really liked Michael's style of writing. I will definitely pick up another book from him.
I thought that the characters and the personnel side of the story was better developed then the thriller side.
The relationship between Jason and 'the Kid' was well told. I think Michael did a good job at describing the relationship between a parent and an autistic child. Michael really made me like Jason and it felt as though he was a realistic character....more
http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...
Jason Stafford was a hotshot Wall Street trader with a beautiful wife (even if she was an alcoholic) a young son (even if he never saw him) and millions of dollars to burn (even if some of it was earned through fraudulent trades). When his "accounting errors" finally caught up to him, Jason spent two years in prison while his complicit bosses retired with multi-million dollar severance packages. Now Jason is out of prison and trying to start his life again...more
Jason Stafford was a hotshot Wall Street trader with a beautiful wife (even if she was an alcoholic) a young son (even if he never saw him) and millions of dollars to burn (even if some of it was earned through fraudulent trades). When his "accounting errors" finally caught up to him, Jason spent two years in prison while his complicit bosses retired with multi-million dollar severance packages. Now Jason is out of prison and trying to start his life again...more
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