Into the Fire

by Linda Davies

They say your personality is set at age seven. This is the year Helen Jenks's father left, the day after millions went missing from the bank where he was a director. Helen never gave up her belief in her father, the familiar figure, Proustian smells, his classic BMW she now owned with that familiar smell of aftershave on rainy days, but everyone has doubts . . . and everyone doubts her. Did her heritage drive her to become a major player in the City's dealing rooms, where derivatives players earn millions? The jungle of the City of London leads to the Machu Picchu trail in Peru, where Helen Jenks's heritage becomes entwined with the world's secret intelligence services and the biggest business of all, cocaine. Linda Davies takes you from the world's financial centres to the mountains and jungles of Peru, where the old Incas succumbed to the Conquistadores. And, if you want to know how the City works, read this book. 'A cracking, fast-paced thriller. Excellently researched. I thoroughly enjoyed it.' General Sir Peter de la Billière. 'Excellent depiction of Peru . . . well handled cliff-hanger ending.'' Daily Express.

Genres: Thriller

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

With the publication of her debut novel, Nest of Vipers, a book that would become a celebrated international bestseller, Linda Davies launched a new genre and a new career. But long before the global book deals and stellar reviews in the New York Times, Linda was logging 80 hour work weeks as one of the first women investment bankers in the City of London. At nights and weekends, she’d squeeze in time working on her first novel.

Born in Scotland and raised in South Wales, Linda inhaled books as child and dreamed of becoming a writer. But she was the daughter of an economist and a homemaker, and therefore, raised to be practical. So she went into investment banking instead. For the next eight years she worked in the City of London where she saved her running away money. One day, to her horror, she figured out a way to commit the perfect financial crime. After considering it for 3 seconds, she opted to instead write a novel about it.

18 months later, she decided to confront reality and test whether it really had been wise to give up her day job. She pitched her book to an agent... A week later he presented her with a stunning book deal that would see Nest of Vipers published in over 30 territories and optioned by MGM Studios. Since publishing Nest of Vipers, Linda Davies has gone on to publish twelve more books, seven for adults and five for children, which collectively have sold millions of copies and won various awards.

She has lived in Peru and the Middle East with her husband and three children. In 2005, in what could have been ripped from the pages of her own books, she and her husband were kidnapped, interrogated and held prisoner in Iran. She went on to write about this experience and what she learned from it in her first work of non-fiction, Kidnapped: The true story of my captivity in Iran.

Linda’s fast-paced page turners explore risk, identity, temptation and who we really are, when the things we value most have been taken away.

Reviews

[Jente Lente · Rating 2 out of 5]

it started great! it ended bad... i was fighting to read it to the end.

[John Inglis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast and Furious

I first read this, maybe about 20 years ago, and really enjoyed it. Linda Edwards is a fantastic writer. My attention was held all the way through and I particularly liked the ‘comeuppance’ at the end. (I hope I haven’t given anything away?)

[Mrs C A Mair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, which certainly opened my eyes to the dealings of the Investment Banking system. Very exciting throughout!

[Anouk Kortekaas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vond het reis gedeelte ervan extra leuk. Beetje spanning, beetje romance, beetje nerdiness. Echt een prima boek!

[Asif · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not like Nest of Vipers. First half was engaging but later half was more like a travellogue, too detailed. Financial scam was missed somewhere in between, too much adventure also took the plot away from reality. Fiction is not reality ofcourse, but missed the touch. Climax was too quick, may be details of the travel did not spare much time and space for the proper climax. I started with 4 star rating, reduced it to 3 when 70% done and ended with 2 star only. :)

[Danielles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super!
Helen is a hard and good woman.
She is looking for her father, but her life is in danger!
There is Connor, he will help,....but will they make it?????

This writer, writes like I think so are people, so will I be!
Helen is great! Het mind, her spirit, her caracter,.....
I like her so much!!!!!!!!!

Linda you write fantastic!

[Clare P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a great thriller, and leads from everything being normal into a grand, pretty possible adventure to peru, cusco, and machu piccu.

this book is the reason i did the Inca Trail, in Peru, to Machu Piccu myself!

[Emma]

De jungle

[Liz Bonnet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard suspenseful book to put down!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enj

[Ingrid Bolwijn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lekker onwaarschijnlijk verhaal, simpele verteltrant. Als tussedoortje wel oké