Rose Edmunds

A pretty standard, forgettable thriller. Cliches abound. I thought the tax evasion plot line might make this different, but the financial perspective didn't actually add much. I never cared for the main character, Amy. Because of her interesting family history (which I won't spoil), she's a loner without any friends. It's a different angle, but it also means that Edmunds has to do a lot of telling, not showing, because Amy doesn't have natural interactions with other characters. Edmunds uses the device of Amy talking to herself as a way around this, and it didn't work for me.… (altro)

The return of Crazy Amy in this nail-biting story, opens with drama and amusement. You have no need to have read Rose Edmunds’ previous book, Concealment as you will soon know a great deal about Amy and her devilish alter ego, Little Amy, within the first few pages. But Amy is a highly intelligent, talented lady who has discovered a conscience and after the loss of her well-paid city career in London, she needs a project.

Returning to her life is old-flame Toby Marchpole, an investigative financial journalist. While prying into possible fraud at IPT plc, a distributer and retailer of plumbing components, he is shocked to see the firm’s finance director, Venner collapse in front of him, spluttering, “Tell Amy….” He soon discovers that Venner was a former colleague of Amy Robinson and realises that it’s time to renew their friendship.

I know nothing of city finance, but then I also know nothing about spies or murder, so what is important is that the thrilling events keep me reading and the complexities of the fraudulent actions are clearly explained. This is a story which is a worthwhile read for two reasons; Amy’s adventures keep you on a knife edge and at the same time you warm to her flawed personality, longing for her to find happiness.

Adopting a new identity, Amy is unsure whether to trust Toby and she is sometimes unwise in those she does choose as trustworthy. Once again, she encounters DCI Carmody, with whom she had hoped for a relationship, but he is chilly and judgemental, knowing her failings and trying to deny his own feelings.

This book stands alone as an enjoyable, exciting page-turner but I would also recommend Concealment either before or after reading Exposure, and you never know, Amy may return for another adventure after the exciting final twist in this story.… (altro)

In “Concealment” we meet high flying achiever, Amy Robinson, Head of the Entrepreneurs’ Tax Advising Group in a large finance company. But “nothing is but what is not.” Amy hides a secret from her youth and she is determined to appear normal, despite the voice in her head.

If that were not enough, Amy has to refuse bonuses and deny promotions at the bid of her boss Ed Smithers, earning the enmity of staff in her department. Next day, after an unpleasant experience with Ryan Kelly, her ex brother-in-law she learns that his girlfriend, Isabelle, an employee from her department has suddenly disappeared. Amy’s suspicions move from one colleague to another, following on from Ryan’s words that Isabelle had found discrepancies in the accounting of a slate quarry which is about to be acquired.

Amy takes over preparations for the acquisition, which means she has to speak to Greg, her ex-husband, who is leader of the Corporate Finance team. She wonders if Isabelle’s rapid promotion by Ed Smithers was because of a liaison or to keep her quiet. As Smithers increasingly undermines Amy’s authority she is glad to have the sympathetic ear of her only friend Lisa, who also has reason to distrust Smithers.

But Amy’s behaviour seems to be becoming increasingly odd. The voice in her head now has substance in the figure of her younger self, who berates her for not managing her childhood more effectively. As murder is followed by a suicide, is Amy suffering from paranoia or is she really in danger?

The novel moves rapidly, as Amy stumbles from one disaster to another revealing the source of the mystery. Does she have the strength to extract herself from an impossible situation and prove to Detective Chief Inspector Dave Carmody that she is telling the truth? There is treachery and confusion in a story I couldn’t put down!
… (altro)

Set in the world of corporate finance, Never Say Sorry could easily be very confusing to the average reader, but the ten characters who play major parts in the plot are all clearly drawn personalities, even if their motives are deliberately obtuse. I particularly liked Brad, the global CEO of BEP Pharmaceuticals who made sure that he met his security consultant, Wayne, in various New Jersey diners so that he could eat the junk food denied him by his wife.

The heroine, Claudia is a larger than life, vibrant but prickly journalist, who intends to be noticed and to make her mark in her chosen career. In contrast the hero, Hugh, is a rather wet behind the ears, lazy, pleasure-loving accountant. And yet his failings make him likeable.

These two disparate characters are paired up, by accident of fate, against their initial instincts, to investigate pharmaceutical and financial fraud. As they stumble towards the truth, they are both in grave danger as intrigue and deception leads to a thrilling conclusion.… (altro)