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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly Fast Page-Turner, June 17, 2004
This review is from: The Deadly Trade: A Novel (Hardcover)
I read and enjoyed Ken Morris' first novel, Man in the Middle. I found his second novel to be even better! Once again, built around a securities firm but this time the protagonist is a research analyst with many past wounds both personally and professionally. A series of deaths and corporate events throw the analyst accidentally in the mix of solving a major crime before he even knows he's involved in solving the crime. A love interest and helpful policeman are also introduced to help move the story and add to the many subplots. What I really like about this novel is how he builds short chapters around action events. In this book you're solving a small problem or ducking another accident every chapter so the book really moves quickly and is very difficult to put down. Morris also did a good job of hiding the many twists in the whodunit so you won't know exactly who the bad guys are until very close to the end. And, as mentioned by other reviewers, you will learn about the securities industry as he overlays the crimes around the lives at a securities firm. One other note of interest, he does a great job of interlaying known locations into his novel so if you are familiar with the area of San Diego/La Jolla/Del Mar, you'll be familiar with the action. In summary, if you like fast mystery/murder novels, you'll love this book. I'll be back for the next one as soon as it's on sale. I strongly recommend this book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Deadly" Thriller, July 3, 2004
This review is from: The Deadly Trade: A Novel (Hardcover)
From the first page to the last, I found suspense through this second book by Ken Morris strikes like lightening. In a treacherous theme that ties the stock market to bioterrorism, recovering alcoholic Tim Mack takes up a new position as a financial analyst for a high-finance broker, which he discovers is linked to a biotechnology company in San Diego that mysteriously explodes. Those first on the scene die shortly afterwards from unknown causes that suggest a lethal virus was unleashed during the blast. Just skimming through the chapters, the heading treatments reveal an accelerating plot rushing to beat a catastrophic deadline like the television series "24." Based on day-to-day and then hour-to-hour events, the novel opens on a street where the homeless live. Three men are promised $50.00 each if they can drink each other under the table at a party. This seduces them into a van that takes them to a lab where they are exposed to tainted air while eating porridge. The next day, local detective Bob Moore is faced with three John Doe bodies found together, and forensics can't figure out how they died such horrendous deaths. Is it murder or is it a sign of a 21st Century plague about to befall Californians? At the same time, Mack begins his investigation into suspicious trading events of Isotopic Research, a drug company whose stock plunges after its research lab explodes and kills the scientists working inside. This sets up the plot that races to D-Day, Tuesday, February 6, in which Mack is trapped inside his firm's building where the deadly virus is to be launched and spread through the victims who inhale it, infect everyone who comes in contact with them and then die, thus killing thousands of people within 24 hours. The "anthrax test" must prove its intensified toxic power to Middle Eastern terrorists before they will pay for its delivery. Will Mack survive in time to save San Diego from a terrible disaster? It's a cliffhanger right up to the `reveal' of the unexpected mastermind behind the deadly drug deal. Morris' vision of real possibilities is horrifying. It's also what makes his second novel a riveting page-turner.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Biotech thriller with a different slant, February 1, 2005
This review is from: The Deadly Trade: A Novel (Hardcover)
Ken Morris' Wall Street, financial background provided a slightly different context as he penned his bioweapons adventure novel "The Deadly Trade". While the plot action was fast paced, the character developement was disturbingly shallow. Morris' grasp of the workings of the financial and investment field was impressive. When he attempted to stray into the area of biology and technology his knowledge fell short. The result was an entertaining adventure with not much palpable depth to the story.
The plot of "The Deadly Trade" revolved around San Diego based financial analyst Tim Mack. Mack who had recently tragically lost both his wife and son in an accident relocated from New York. A securities trader on Wall Street he accepted a position in an investment firm Atterberry Stanton. While investigating several biotechnology firms that his company had bankrolled he uncovered several disquieting facts. He was further troubled by a mysterious explosion which destroyed the laboratory facilities of a recommended company, Isotropic Research, killing several scientists. Mack discovered that certain traders had made exorbitant profits based on this disaster.
Working in conjunction with his brother Joe, a wheelchair bound former DEA agent, fellow employee and love interest Betsy O'Brien and wily San Diego detective Bob Moore they try to unearth the mysteries surrounding the financial machinations of these biotech firms. Investigation revealed the production of weapons grade biologic agents, perhaps destined for foreign hands. Suspicious characters working for Atterberry Stanton and biotech firms serve to heighten the level of suspense as Morris' plot evolves.
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