Numbered Account by Christopher Reich

This is one of those books that, if I had only gone by the cover blurb (or cover art) or even a plot summary, I probably would have passed on by.  It sounds like a million other thriller books out there and unless you are really into financial thrillers or have read Christopher Reich books before, you may have chosen to pass it by too.

But I'm so glad I took a chance!  It wasn't without some reservation though, as this is not a small book; my paperback copy runs 753 pages.  But this is much more than "just" a financial thriller.  I wouldn't worry about getting bogged down with too much financial transaction and bank operations plot although you can't help but come away with an increased knowledge of Swiss banking practices, especially when it comes to depositor identifications.  There are quite a few characters here and we, along with the protagonist, aren't always certain where their loyalties lie or what their intentions are.  That alone kept me on my toes but then adding several layers of intrigue surrounding a take-over bid, an unsolved cold case murder, a nice romance, and even international terrorists make for a pretty complex and yet nicely interwoven plot.  

It's really difficult to believe this is the author's first published novel.  But the detail of Zurich, Switzerland, as well as the inner workings of a large Swiss bank makes it evident that the author knows a lot about what he is writing about.

If I have any criticism at all it would be that there may be too much going on here.  A couple of the plot elements seemed to be kind of stuck in there but that is really being nitpicky on my part.  It was definitely a page turner, and that's really the goal with a good thriller.

So now I've got to add another must-read author to my way too lengthy list.  Life could be worse.