The Company Man
Joseph Finder
In a small town one business or industry can mean
survival
or desperation. Nick Conover is the CEO of one such company. When the
business
begins to fade and Nick is forced to lay off many of the townspeople,
he goes
from local golden boy to the most hated man in town. Now known as “The
Slasher”
for having to cut so many jobs there is no place he or his children
feel
welcomed or protected. Even the local police force is not eager to help
them as
graffiti and break-ins at their house spiral into the brutal murder of
their
family pet. Since his wife’s recent death Nick has reared young Julia
and
teenage Lucas with only the paid help of Marta. His long hours at work
are
necessary for his job but lead to guilt for being away from too much. A
late
night tragic incident leads Nick to take drastic action that leads to
unending
fear for his own and his family’s safety.
And all is not well at work. In addition to continuing down
turns in business, Nick feels like there is also another hidden agenda
between
some of his coworkers. He does not feel secure in his job or in the
direction
the company may be taking. But he no longer knows who he can trust and
who is
working against him.
While maintaining the details of the cut throat corporate world,
the author is able to simultaneously address the equally complex work
of
raising teenagers. As Nick wages a battle at work he also comes home to
face
the daily fight with his son. His role as a father adds a dimension of
humanity
and realism to the character of Nick. It is Finder’s strength as a
writer that
he is able to produce sympathy and understanding for his characters.
Joseph Finder has created a thriller encased in a story of
morality. His main character must grapple with the fine lines between
right and
wrong in both his personal and his work life. This adds a unique
perspective to
the character and the plot. Finder creates a situation that should seem
one
sided but he is able to expand it into a believable dilemma for both
the
characters and the reader. As the suspense builds on all levels, the
reader is
drawn into the story, the dilemmas and the principles involved. The
typical
Finder short chapters add to the race track speed of the book.
Although there are close to 600 pages in this latest entry
into the crowded thriller genre the book seems to last an instant. The
reader
is drawn into the situation from the start and interest never lags. The tension is finely drawn and carries into
all corners of the story.