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A Web of Deceit
Fate, misfortune and opportunity entangle three rivals in a quick-paced suspense thriller.
CEO Suzanne Simpson fends off accusations of corporate money laundering on two continents as a global pandemic wreaks havoc on Multima Supermarkets.
Fugitive Howard Knight flees from the Caribbean to Asia, trying desperately to elude both an Interpol Red Notice and a dangerous criminal outfit called The Organization.
Fidelia Morales stakes her role as head of a powerful criminal element on an outrageous cyber scheme to steal millions from corporations around the globe.
CEO Suzanne Simpson fends off accusations of corporate money laundering on two continents as a global pandemic wreaks havoc on Multima Supermarkets.
Fugitive Howard Knight flees from the Caribbean to Asia, trying desperately to elude both an Interpol Red Notice and a dangerous criminal outfit called The Organization.
Fidelia Morales stakes her role as head of a powerful criminal element on an outrageous cyber scheme to steal millions from corporations around the globe.
280 pages, ebook
Published February 7, 2021
About the author
Gary D. McGugan
7 books132 followers"A Slippery Shadow" is my sixth and most recent novel. This story pits crome boss Fidelia Morales, her former lover Howard Knight, and Multima Corporation CEO Suzanne Simpson against an unkown adversary known only as the Shadow. Advance reviews have been wonderful and I urge you to get to know each of these characters.
Readers will know I introduced Howard Knight in "Three Weeks Less a Day" and expanded his role in both "The Multima Scheme" and "Unrelenting Peril" -- the trilogy about goings on at fictional Multima Corporation before making him the star of "Pernicious Pursuit."
Howard plays an important--but diminished--role in "A Web of Deceit" Instead, two female characters become more prominent as I create an entirely new plot that pits one against the other for extremely high stakes.
I think readers will enjoy all six stories and recommend reading them in order although each story is stand-alone.
Family, friends, and hundreds of other wonderful people populate my life, repeatedly creating rewarding experiences. I’ve had all this good fortune for many years, with reading and writing often playing integral roles.
My business career was also very rewarding. I’ve worked in a supermarket, sold appliances, distributed motorcycles, launched an automobile dealer network, and provided financing to help businesses grow. Roles started very modestly and eventually evolved to the most senior levels of major global corporations. Every industry I worked with was very different from the other. Every company had its distinctive culture and character, but all were units of large corporations with operations around the world.
Travel has always been a great component in my roles. I had the pleasure of visiting more than 635 towns and cities in almost 50 different countries.
Every trip was an education. Learning about business practices and cultures before trips was essential, and every day in a country mined valuable information to develop a deeper understanding of its people, culture, laws, and treasures.
Experts say we should write about things we know best. In my case, those subjects are business, travel, and people. As an author, my goal is to share some experiences, insight, and views as I now create fictional stories designed to entertain people around the world -- one reader at a time.
Readers will know I introduced Howard Knight in "Three Weeks Less a Day" and expanded his role in both "The Multima Scheme" and "Unrelenting Peril" -- the trilogy about goings on at fictional Multima Corporation before making him the star of "Pernicious Pursuit."
Howard plays an important--but diminished--role in "A Web of Deceit" Instead, two female characters become more prominent as I create an entirely new plot that pits one against the other for extremely high stakes.
I think readers will enjoy all six stories and recommend reading them in order although each story is stand-alone.
Family, friends, and hundreds of other wonderful people populate my life, repeatedly creating rewarding experiences. I’ve had all this good fortune for many years, with reading and writing often playing integral roles.
My business career was also very rewarding. I’ve worked in a supermarket, sold appliances, distributed motorcycles, launched an automobile dealer network, and provided financing to help businesses grow. Roles started very modestly and eventually evolved to the most senior levels of major global corporations. Every industry I worked with was very different from the other. Every company had its distinctive culture and character, but all were units of large corporations with operations around the world.
Travel has always been a great component in my roles. I had the pleasure of visiting more than 635 towns and cities in almost 50 different countries.
Every trip was an education. Learning about business practices and cultures before trips was essential, and every day in a country mined valuable information to develop a deeper understanding of its people, culture, laws, and treasures.
Experts say we should write about things we know best. In my case, those subjects are business, travel, and people. As an author, my goal is to share some experiences, insight, and views as I now create fictional stories designed to entertain people around the world -- one reader at a time.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 15, 2021
“A Web of Deceit” is the latest novel of intrigue by Gary D. McGugan. It’s a global thriller that pits three dynamic rivals in a jet-setting, exhilarating trek across five different continents where the risks can be fatal but the payouts oh-so-rewarding.
McGugan sets the pace with his three adversaries right from the start: the FBI arrests Suzanne Simpson, CEO of Multima Corporation, on vague charges of money laundering; Fidelia Morales asserts her power as the new head of The Organization, a world-wide crime syndicate; and Howard Knight is a fugitive on the run from both The Organization and Interpol. It’s a race against time as a deadly global pandemic holds its own against anything mere mortals can inflict upon the world. Action-packed exploits through the financial world, the grocery industry, the global stock market exchanges, and the throes of organized crime give readers an in-depth look at the various sides of humanity even as the lure of power, wealth, and addiction take precedence over loyalty and integrity.
There is so much to like about “A Web of Deceit.” Perhaps most appealing to me is that two of the three lead characters are women – and not just any women, but strong, powerful, confident, self-assured women. Not everyone can pull off writing from the viewpoint of the opposite sex, but McGugan not only pulls it off – he owns it. He doesn’t coddle his female characters or rescue them – they earned their places in their respective organizations. I flippantly thought to myself McGugan should include a trigger warning in the front of this novel: Males intimidated by successful females may be uncomfortable with the characters in this story (teehee). All of McGugan’s characters are skillfully crafted with authentic traits, both desirable and unpleasant, that draw readers in to invest in their outcomes, come what may.
Gary McGugan writes from a place of authority and his experience in the corporate world jumps off the pages, as does his love of travel, apparent from the exotic global settings in the story. The writing is superb, in both the entertaining and artistic aspects. It’s a joy and a pleasure to read such well-written work and every detail is spot-on. The pacing, the imagery, the sensations, the emotions – all align to present a story of the highest caliber. In the simplest of terms, it’s just pure entertainment reading one of Gary McGugan’s novels and I always enjoy settling in with his latest work because I know I am in for an amazing ride.
Murder and betrayal, high-tech cyber-crimes, good old-fashioned money laundering, romance, torture, and sex – there’s something for everyone in this high-speed thriller, and of the five novels I’ve read by Gary D. McGugan, “A Web of Deceit” is my favorite!
McGugan sets the pace with his three adversaries right from the start: the FBI arrests Suzanne Simpson, CEO of Multima Corporation, on vague charges of money laundering; Fidelia Morales asserts her power as the new head of The Organization, a world-wide crime syndicate; and Howard Knight is a fugitive on the run from both The Organization and Interpol. It’s a race against time as a deadly global pandemic holds its own against anything mere mortals can inflict upon the world. Action-packed exploits through the financial world, the grocery industry, the global stock market exchanges, and the throes of organized crime give readers an in-depth look at the various sides of humanity even as the lure of power, wealth, and addiction take precedence over loyalty and integrity.
There is so much to like about “A Web of Deceit.” Perhaps most appealing to me is that two of the three lead characters are women – and not just any women, but strong, powerful, confident, self-assured women. Not everyone can pull off writing from the viewpoint of the opposite sex, but McGugan not only pulls it off – he owns it. He doesn’t coddle his female characters or rescue them – they earned their places in their respective organizations. I flippantly thought to myself McGugan should include a trigger warning in the front of this novel: Males intimidated by successful females may be uncomfortable with the characters in this story (teehee). All of McGugan’s characters are skillfully crafted with authentic traits, both desirable and unpleasant, that draw readers in to invest in their outcomes, come what may.
Gary McGugan writes from a place of authority and his experience in the corporate world jumps off the pages, as does his love of travel, apparent from the exotic global settings in the story. The writing is superb, in both the entertaining and artistic aspects. It’s a joy and a pleasure to read such well-written work and every detail is spot-on. The pacing, the imagery, the sensations, the emotions – all align to present a story of the highest caliber. In the simplest of terms, it’s just pure entertainment reading one of Gary McGugan’s novels and I always enjoy settling in with his latest work because I know I am in for an amazing ride.
Murder and betrayal, high-tech cyber-crimes, good old-fashioned money laundering, romance, torture, and sex – there’s something for everyone in this high-speed thriller, and of the five novels I’ve read by Gary D. McGugan, “A Web of Deceit” is my favorite!
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May 1, 2021McGugan has nailed it again! In his latest novel Gary D. McGugan takes us again into the life of Suzanne Simpson as she struggles to uphold the integrity and the financial viability of the Multima Corporation in the supermarket division. We follow along as Fedelia, Howard and Wendel use their "Corporation" connections to try and take her down. Once again, we have the luxury of travelling around the world with these characters and enjoying, through McGugan's incredible gift of storytelling that invokes clear visualization, the many different cultures involved in this story. This is another excellent page turner which kept me on the edge of my seat. So many twists and turns make me like this character then not like them later on and then like them again! If you enjoy a fast paced story where you never know what is going to happen next and to whom it will happen to I strongly suggest you join McGugan on his latest journey.
February 8, 2022
Gary D. McGugan has set his riveting thriller, A Web of Deceit, in the early days of COVID-19.
As the narrative evolves, one of the protagonists, Suzanne Simpson, CEO of Multima Corporation, a multi-national company, is apprehended by the FBI and charged with money laundering.
The charges are thereafter mysteriously abandoned. And as we slowly discover, someone in or around the White House had been influential in her arrest.
This is not the sole issue that Suzanne and Multima will encounter. Multima becomes the victim of fraudulent supplier invoices, culminating in substantial monetary losses.
Europe’s central bank withholds approval from Multima from doing business in Europe, reasoning that these billings were designed to unjustifiably launder the firm’s money offshore.
The company further runs into complications with the Toronto Stock Exchange. It is pursuing a listing that would establish it the third-largest traded company in Canada.
And if that is not abundant to worry about, a couple of employees of the company meet disastrous endings costing them their lives.
While this part of the yarn develops, McGugan’s second protagonist, Fidelia Morales, seizes control of a villainous criminal entity known as The Organization after brutally slaying its chief honcho, Giancarlo Moreno.
Witnessing the murder is a criminal, Howard Knight, who had been snatched in Austria by Moreno’s goons.
They whipped him to a pulp and transported him back to Moreno’s estate in Martinique, where the homicide unfolded.
Howard was on the run from The Organization after turning into an informant against them. He also looted a sizable sum of money from them. Moreover, he is the target of an Interpol Red Notice for his arrest.
After murdering Moreno, Fidelia asks Howard to join her in The Organization, but he rejects the offer and takes his chances. He chooses to live free of The Organization.
With the onset of the coronavirus spreading, Howard frustrates his pursuers and heads directly towards Cambodia, a county the developing virus had already infected.
Even though she does not trust Howard, Fidelia doesn’t press the issue and informs him he is free at last of The Organization. In the back of her mind, she aims to employ his services in the future, which, as we learn, develops into part of a convoluted plot.
After reinforcing her grip on The Organization, Fidelia recognizes that diverse criminal activities than the traditional kinds must be pursued to flourish during the pandemic.
This would encompass cyber technology. She sees an opportunity to siphon off billions of dollars from companies’ weak surveillance structures. Her new revenues base would involve banks, governments, and corporations such as Multima. To achieve her objective, she brings together a brilliant squad of technological experts.
After meticulous planning, Fidelia is in for quite a jolt when her project is in peril when she discovers that someone is stealing money from The Organization. It is a “no-no” when you have gangsters embezzling other gangsters!
You can well imagine what kind of retribution is exacted if the offenders are captured.
During the tale, McGugan fills his readers in on the broad and diverging landscapes of the lives of the two protagonists, and how their paths cross.
The above is the periphery of the narrative and is merely an inkling of the plot twists and dizzying journey. Believe me, there is plenty here to chomp on.
Once again, McGugan has crafted a bold, intriguing, and ultimately terrifying cerebral convoluted plot. And with an unfaltering hand, he effectively steers his readers to an unforeseen grand finale. He pulls out all the stops, repeatedly blindsiding his readers with shifts in the narrative and surprising turns of events.
Readers will become enmeshed in this carefully calibrated spine-chiller. And to keep score as to who's who in the novel, there is a list of the principal characters in Multima Corporation, Law Enforcement and The Organization on the first page
Follow Here https://1clickurls.com/FdZfIcB To Read Norm's Interview With Gary D. McGugan
As the narrative evolves, one of the protagonists, Suzanne Simpson, CEO of Multima Corporation, a multi-national company, is apprehended by the FBI and charged with money laundering.
The charges are thereafter mysteriously abandoned. And as we slowly discover, someone in or around the White House had been influential in her arrest.
This is not the sole issue that Suzanne and Multima will encounter. Multima becomes the victim of fraudulent supplier invoices, culminating in substantial monetary losses.
Europe’s central bank withholds approval from Multima from doing business in Europe, reasoning that these billings were designed to unjustifiably launder the firm’s money offshore.
The company further runs into complications with the Toronto Stock Exchange. It is pursuing a listing that would establish it the third-largest traded company in Canada.
And if that is not abundant to worry about, a couple of employees of the company meet disastrous endings costing them their lives.
While this part of the yarn develops, McGugan’s second protagonist, Fidelia Morales, seizes control of a villainous criminal entity known as The Organization after brutally slaying its chief honcho, Giancarlo Moreno.
Witnessing the murder is a criminal, Howard Knight, who had been snatched in Austria by Moreno’s goons.
They whipped him to a pulp and transported him back to Moreno’s estate in Martinique, where the homicide unfolded.
Howard was on the run from The Organization after turning into an informant against them. He also looted a sizable sum of money from them. Moreover, he is the target of an Interpol Red Notice for his arrest.
After murdering Moreno, Fidelia asks Howard to join her in The Organization, but he rejects the offer and takes his chances. He chooses to live free of The Organization.
With the onset of the coronavirus spreading, Howard frustrates his pursuers and heads directly towards Cambodia, a county the developing virus had already infected.
Even though she does not trust Howard, Fidelia doesn’t press the issue and informs him he is free at last of The Organization. In the back of her mind, she aims to employ his services in the future, which, as we learn, develops into part of a convoluted plot.
After reinforcing her grip on The Organization, Fidelia recognizes that diverse criminal activities than the traditional kinds must be pursued to flourish during the pandemic.
This would encompass cyber technology. She sees an opportunity to siphon off billions of dollars from companies’ weak surveillance structures. Her new revenues base would involve banks, governments, and corporations such as Multima. To achieve her objective, she brings together a brilliant squad of technological experts.
After meticulous planning, Fidelia is in for quite a jolt when her project is in peril when she discovers that someone is stealing money from The Organization. It is a “no-no” when you have gangsters embezzling other gangsters!
You can well imagine what kind of retribution is exacted if the offenders are captured.
During the tale, McGugan fills his readers in on the broad and diverging landscapes of the lives of the two protagonists, and how their paths cross.
The above is the periphery of the narrative and is merely an inkling of the plot twists and dizzying journey. Believe me, there is plenty here to chomp on.
Once again, McGugan has crafted a bold, intriguing, and ultimately terrifying cerebral convoluted plot. And with an unfaltering hand, he effectively steers his readers to an unforeseen grand finale. He pulls out all the stops, repeatedly blindsiding his readers with shifts in the narrative and surprising turns of events.
Readers will become enmeshed in this carefully calibrated spine-chiller. And to keep score as to who's who in the novel, there is a list of the principal characters in Multima Corporation, Law Enforcement and The Organization on the first page
Follow Here https://1clickurls.com/FdZfIcB To Read Norm's Interview With Gary D. McGugan
February 27, 2021
With the return of some familiar characters from past novels, “A Web of Deceit” is a fast pace thriller involving global corporate interests intertwined with international organized crime. Gary maneuvers you through many parts of the world immersing you through different cultures. Illicit business dealings of the “The Organization” goes through transformations to update its practices to support its existence in this age of advance technology. The Multima Corporation faces ever so pertinent challenges of 2020 with the onset of the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic all the while fending off legal allegations that could potentially ruin the company and some key management officials personally. I could not separate myself from the book. By far this is the most intriguing novel written by Gary and I could not put the book down, a fantastic read!
April 19, 2021
My favourite Gary D. McGugan novel! This story grabbed my attention from the first page and held it until the last. The author really does create a complex web of deceit with lots of action, international settings and gripping suspense. I was especially intrigued by his new character Fidelia Morales, the new head of the criminal element McGugan calls The Organization. And it was great to see his old stalwart Howard Knight bumble his way from the Caribbean to the depths of Asia.
I enjoyed every page of this story.
I enjoyed every page of this story.
October 25, 2021
This book was captivating from beginning to end. I enjoyed the twists and turns and enjoyed learning more about the characters in this series.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews