The Gravy Train

by David Lender

Finn Keane is a novice investment banker who helps an aging Chairman try to buy his company back, while the ruthless Wall Street sharks who drove it into bankruptcy do all they can to stop them so the Wall Streeters can carve it up for themselves.

Excerpts from Trojan Horse, Bull Street and Vaccine Nation , David Lender's other thrillers, follow the text of The Gravy Train.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 17, 2012

About the author

Ex-Wall Street Insider and Pitbull Poppi. I’m a pull-no-punches thriller author of vigilantly-researched espionage and white collar crime. Found at DLenderAuthor.com, my series and standalone novels are inspired by more than 25 years on Wall Street. Now I use my insider’s knowledge of the characters and intrigues that inhabit that sharp-elbowed world to create stories of corporate power brokers, CEO bullies, megalomaniacs and con artists.

I write about financial fraudsters, male and female spies and assassins, and the gritty underdogs that take them on. I also Tweet and blog from northeastern Pennsylvania with my rescue pitbull, Styles.

Reviews

[Krissy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not for me.

[Larry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because my former career too often collided with Wall Street, I bought this book as a “test” to determine if I could be entertained by tales of financial skullduggery. (Also, the book itself was inexpensive.)

The plot was predictable…the just-out-of-MBA new kid, the greedy investment bankers, the wise old company founder and CEO, the not-too-smart son-in-law, the attorneys that screw up the deal, etc. (By the way, I wonder if there are any good and decent investment bankers? According to literature, you wouldn’t think so.) Even the character’s names were predictable .

This financial tale was not that extraordinary. In order to generate extravagant fees, the investment bankers are complicit in bankrupting their client. (Is it surprising to anyone that Wall Street makes money putting the deals together – then picking their bones in bankruptcy?)

For me, both the story and the charters were too simple.

[Jim A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book about the dirty deals, backstabbing and greed that is so prevalent with Wall Street's Mergers and Acquisitions departments.

The book becomes pretty predictable near the end and the end game itself was too abrupt for this to rate four stars.

Readers who are not familiar with, or don't want to research the financial terms used in this book, will probably find it tedious. It's not for everyone, for sure.

[Tulay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable financial thriller.

Thanks to Amazon found another author, enjoyed this story and will be reading all his books. Finn Keane is a recent business school graduate, his first job on Wall Street. Befriends with Nick Christanapoulas. Nick doesn't underestimate him in this seedy corporate merger.

[Greg Eldred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot but was slow at times.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short , well- written Wall Street thriller , featuring elite operators, shady deals , a bit of blackmail and sexual predation.
Mr. Lender never lets the jargon of stock manipulation get in the way of a good story , but moves everything along briskly. Finn, a recent grad of a second -tier a biz school is hired by a big Mergers & Acquisition law firm which is understaffed in handling of a very big deal. Although demeaned as a hayseed in a cheap suit, Finn manages to stay afloat while leaning how deals are really structured to earn max fees for the law firms, often as they put together mergers designed to benefit them and other Park Avenue elites.
It does help to have a little bit of familiarity with financial blather, but the reader does not need expertise-the plot moves too fast and is too interesting . You might guess at what is behind the curtain as the train comes down track ( slight hint to be alert at what happens on the Amtrak train the Wall Streeters use) as the climax arrives.
Good book. Notes on bad language , sex and violence: Nothing bad, but a bit of all three for seasoning.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to spend a lot of time in New York in the mid to late 90's working on M&A and debt / equity deals, as well as the bankruptcy workout of a NASDAQ registrant, and this book is about as real as it gets (for me): I kept having flashbacks as I was reading, as a lot of what the author describes really happens - he does a great job pulling from his own experiences.

I found myself unable to put this one down (to the chagrin of my family), and wouldn't mind seeing as well as purchasing a sequel to see what happens to young Finn, Nick, and Cassie! At 99 cents for the Kindle version, you get a lot of bang for your buck - now I'm off to go check out the rest of Lender's books!

[Elinor Salter Glenn Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real deal! A proper financial thriller.

It is so hard to find a true financial,thriller,where it is not an imposter in the genre. I write in the genre so I know.
This does it. It opens like one of the first episodes of Suits when it was good, cross an 80s series called Capital City. It aha everything from the dress, the attitudes,the febrile atmosphere of dealing. Romance, a great twist at the end,the underdog. Perfect, you are there dealing, in it all with some great characters, really well drawn. Well done!

[Angelo Abdela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows the personalities that created the global financial meltdown. Read this to see them in action. Shane, the antagonist, is the quintessential greedy banker but is created as believable flesh and blood. The plot is crafty and interesting and the other characters are as lifelike as Shane. Great read.

This was written by a former investment banker who obviously understands the people who work on Wall
Street. He brings a realistic perspective on the flawed, yet human characters who, unfortunately, had so much influence on all of our lives during the financial crisis, and continuing into today. If you want to get some understanding of what brought the world to its financial knees recently, this book will give it to you.

[Dick Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tense suspense novel with characters and a story up to par with his other works. This was billed as a novella, but it's long for that format so it reads like a novel, with similar character and story development. If you are a New Yorker or just love New York this is a book you'll enjoy, because the settings and detail on New York are wonderful. It also takes you inside the world of investment banking in a way even Bull Street doesn't. I would like to see more from these characters and hope the author will see his way to create a series with them. While you can digest this book in a few sittings, it lingers with you long afterward. That's part of why I'd like to see a series with the characters. Well done.

[Kim (Wistfulskimmies Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book in order to review it. It is a suspense novel all about the cut throat world of buying and selling businesses on Wall Street.

I enjoyed this quite a bit although it took me a little while to get into it. I think that was more my lack of understanding of how wall street works than anything else though! I now have a much greater understanding.

The pace of the story went along at a fair clip and there was plenty going on and I never felt like there were any flat moments. If you like a good wall street thriller then I most definetly recommend this one!

[Richard Diver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one rainy Sunday, all in one sitting. What a pleasure. It is a microcosm of Lender's Bull Street, a more involved story of crime and punishment on Wall Street. The Gravy Train is more a parable of good and evil, with characters who have depth and passion, in which a young investment banker and a retired chairman of a company befriend each other, then team up to stop a ruthless group of Wall Street sharks. You have an idea how it will turn out, but the surprises are still there, and the emotional ride and satisfaction make this a both touching and earthy reading experience. This is one to not miss.

[Edward Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from this new author, who clearly has legs. I also see he has a new one coming out and will look forward to that one, too. This is set on Wall Street in boom years, never specified, but it all comes to an abrupt end and the story heads into the second act after that. Young, inexperienced Finn meets aging Chairman Nick, meets gorgeous Cassie with a dark past, meets Jack Shane and his band of scheming Wall Street insiders. Good guys vs the thugs, with an unexpected series of twists that keep it interesting.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Grisham I think you will enjoy this novella from David Lender. You replace the young lawyer with a young investment broker and the jaded older lawyers with jaded investment brokers. Fast paced with plenty of insider information about the working of Wall Street (it won't make you feel good about your investment portfolio) propel this story. This novella clocks in at 170 pages and reads even shorter than that due to the pacing. I enjoyed it more than I expected and will look forward to more from Mr. Lender.

[Geoffrey Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent suspense story of Wall Street skulduggery that migrates to the world of the bankruptcy courts. Finn, the young protagonist, and Nick, the world-wise elderly Chairman, make a great team in taking on Jack Shane, the really nasty king of Wall Street and his henchmen to buy Nick's company back after Jack has done deals that teeter it into bankruptcy. This has page-turning drama, unique New York and Wall Street color, realistic characters and dialog and even a romance. Surprises, too.

[Howard Nissan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tightly written and smaller version of his Bull Street, but in some ways more engaging and with equal twists and surprises. This isn't hold onto your hat action, but a suspenseful book that builds to a great, surprising finale. Here, as in Bull Street, the author uses his knowledge of Wall Street and its personalities to create a realistic background for his story, one of growth, coming of age and renewal. Memorable characters.

[George Tennet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A near-perfect little book that gets you under the skin of a young, earnest MBA grad who wants to make it on Wall Street, then gets clobbered by those he encounters there. While it turns into a sort of morality play, there is nothing pat or contrived about it. It has many charming moments in the relationships, including a romance, and it also will make you cringe at the avarice and brutality of the financial professionals who are the antagonists. An excellent book you will absolutely enjoy.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I read this is because it was a Kindle giveaway. Unless you're into the minutiae of Wall Street deal making, junk bonds, and bankruptcy, I would give this a pass. What could have been an early Grisham-like peak inside this world is instead an inch deep and nowhere near a mile wide. The characters are thinly drawn, the plot's direction is obvious, and the ending is unsatisfyingly clear-cut and abrupt.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella, and I envy the author for knowing enough about banking and finance to create a solid bsis for a plot. That said, the characters were all stereotypes of one form or another, the good guys were all good and the bad guys were all bad, and the outcome was predictable even for some like me who doesn't know beans about bankruptcy settlements.

[Cyndy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am working my way through David Lender's books - out of order - oops! A wall street merger and acquisition thriller - an odd premise to me, but it works. I assumed competitiveness was over the top on wall street, but I didn't expect the level of ruthlessness that Lender presents here and in Bull Street. Definitely worth the read.

[James Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much different than Trojan Horse, but I loved it. Shady dealings in a hazy world of nasty hard-asses against a nice old man who teams up with the novice hero. This had me spinning with the twists at the end. Totally gripping story of boardroom/backroom power, money and sex.

[Al Likely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book, in the same vein as his Bull Street. It's a two-sitting read, and paced well, so you want to get through it quickly. Good suspense, well-defined characters and interesting details on the finance game. Highly recommended.

[Jimmey Southern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense novel of Wall Street. The little guy novice against the big machine. Young Finn befriends Nick, the elder Chairman of his client on his first deal. You root for the kid and the old man to win, but it's a realistic story of modern-day finance, so will they? Enjoy finding out.

[George Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing, quick read with involving characters and an interesting plot with some nice twists and turns. You will not figure it out until the end. It has well-drawn antagonists and a charming interplay between the kid and the old man. A little romance, too.

[Cindy Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun and suspenseful little book that grew on me the farther I got into it. The New York City ambiance is terrific. I love this guy's writing, characters and dialog. He is now 3 for 3 with me and I'm looking forward to more from him.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little far fetched but still good story about Wall Street investment banking and the ruthless, greedy characters that populate that business. Pretty technical at times and educational if you're into such things. I liked it.

Kindle book. (L)

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is more Wall Street 2 than Wall Street, but still fun to see a Wall Street jerk get his comeuppance. But I prefer the business novels of Ethan Cooper: Smooth in Meetings, Tom's Job, and A Trip at the Top.

[Ruan Viljoen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've ready many David Lender books and this one is probably the weakest so far. There's not much meat to this book, the character development is just OK and the ending felt a bit rushed. I think people who enjoy Wall Street type thrillers may find the book OK, but not spectacular.

[Rich Flood · Rating 4 out of 5]

good short novel, interesting plot and details.

Probably helps to know a little about finance, but not really necessary to be enjoyable. Wrapped up just a tad quickly, but at least didn't leave me hanging.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really shoddy writing, but I live and breathe finance, so this sort of thing entertains me on a bus ride. Unless you already understand finance and want to zone out with a nice simple page turner, no reason to look into this one.