Ponzi

by Robert Burson

Overview

The story deals with international finance, government insurance and the manipulation of people and their money. Greed drips from the pages of this book. The story is filled with unexpected twists and turns, murder and double dealing.,,,,The main character, Sean Murphy, is a wise cracking, politically incorrect, FBI agent working in the Washington D.C. office. Much to the chagrin of those in charge, he is a hero, having recently solved a high profile case.,,,,As his reward, he is made a consultant on a special internal assignment. The only complication, and it is a large one, is that he has been asked to train a new assistant of dubious character but with connections in high places. ,,,,Sean's problems begin when he helps his wife choose an investment advisor for a recent inheritance. He suspects his wife's first choice for an investment team is involved in a Ponzi scheme. To follow up on his suspicions he is forced to enlist the help of his assistant. His investigation is complicated by the fact that she has her own agenda and is romantically involved with the suspects.,,,,The ending is a surprise that will come too soon for Sean Murphy fans. ,,,,

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439268179
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	12/21/2009
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

A native Californian, I have lived in Escondido for over 30 years. My wife and I have 3 sons who have finally, and thankfully, grown up and are off the payroll. Of course, during the time we were raising them we spent many years at soccer, lacrosse and Little League fields, Christmas pageants, school assemblies and urgent care clinics. Now we are enjoying our grandchildren. Grandchildren, by the way, are much better than children for the simple reason they go home.

My BS degree is from Santa Clara University and my Masters degree in finance is from San Diego State University. Currently, I am on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater San Diego, having recently completed my term as Board Chair, as well as its Foundation. I previously chaired the Community Services Commission of the City of Escondido. I am a president of the Escondido Sunrise Rotary Club.
Besides my formal training and education, I am a student of history and have a love of politics. These credentials have given me an understanding of both economics and human nature. This understanding has propelled all of the story lines in my novels. It also gave me the basis that I needed to simplify explanations in "Finance & Accounting Made Simpler". Finance & Accounting as well as my novels are available in paperback or as e-books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, and the iBookstore.

I am a recovering CPA having recently retired as a partner in a regional CPA firm. After "practicing" for forty years I figured I was as good as I ever was going to be. (However, I still haven't come to the same conclusion regarding my golf game.) But seriously, much of what I present is based on my business experiences over those years. In my capacity as a partner, I have written many articles and brochures for our client publications. I have written a weekly column in The San Diego Daily Transcript and have also had articles published in the San Diego Business Journal, the North County Times, the Tax Advisor and the Journal of Accountancy.

Editorial Reviews

An FBI agent investigates a possible Ponzi scheme with the help of his new assistant, who may have an agenda of her own. Sean Murphy, a longtime FBI agent, is between assignments after having gained "quasi-star" status. Why only quasi? "I happened to have saved the Pope. Unfortunately, I did it only once," he says in his typically wry manner. His new assistant, Britney Hyde-Woods, seems too young for her job, leading Murphy to wonder how she got where she did. When Murphy's wife receives an unexpected overseas inheritance, it seems like a good opportunity to take a week off, check it out and assign Britney to report on a white-collar crime question: whether a Ponzi scheme could actually succeed for the perpetrator. According to Britney, the answer is no: "It seems the perp always gets caught." Back in the States, the Murphys--looking for a firm to invest with--come across A.H. Brown and Company, but there's something about young Miles Brown that Murphy just doesn't like. The agent explains, "Maybe it was the way he almost wrapped himself in the flag when he talked about investing. Like the importance of, the beauty of, America was all about making money." The Murphys go with another firm, but he asks Britney to run a sting: Pose as a wealthy investor and see if Miles and Andrew might be running a Ponzi scam. What Murphy doesn't know is that Britney is already romantically involved with Andrew, and all her research about countries without extradition treaties might have an ulterior purpose. Burson (A Partner's Hidden Life, 2011, etc.), partner in a CPA firm, makes good use of his financial background in constructing this tight, well-paced and well-researched story. Details--whether of investment schemes, FBI bureaucracy or the workings of small planes--are clear and contribute to the plot. Murphy makes for a likable narrator, though he is somewhat antediluvian in his approach to bright, ambitious young women: Britney's "attitude could kindly be called a combination of strong willed and free spirited. Unkindly, she would be labeled as a bitch." Is that unkind, or sexist? It's hard to imagine a strong-willed and free-spirited man being "labeled" as anything. The novel's substandard punctuation and spelling also need a cleanup to avoid looking sloppy. Sean Murphy's adventures continue in A Partner's Hidden Life. An intelligent, fast-paced and well-constructed novel about financial crime.

Kirkus Reviews