Customer Reviews

The Market Maker

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Reading this book I couldn't help getting the impression that the author was going through the motions with this tale, and struggling to do even that. The plot here is workaday, the characters rather unattractive, and the twists not very twisty. Also there's too much dull information about finance, which really doesn't help. Overall, disappointing.

Let's use some analogies.

Michael Ridpath's "The Market Maker" is to "Global Bond Markets" as "The DaVinci Code" is to "The Catechism of the Catholic Church."

Here is a list of similarities between Ridpath's fictional world and the real world of sell-side or buy-side of fixed income trading.

1) Nothing.

Okay, they both use the word "bond" but after that, the differences drop off so precipitously five mathematicians have gone mad trying to map the decay function.

Next analogy: Michael Ridpath's "The Market Maker" is to "Thriller" as "The 120 Days of Sodom" is to "Nursery Rhyme."

This work reads like an old MadLib, or a Novel-O-Matic. Our [hero], a [poor] fellow has a stroke of [luck]. He enters [glamorous world] with a [powerful father figure] who is [rich]. He soon is [befriended] by [backslapping comic relief] and meets [beautiful girl] and finds himself [attracted to her]. Soon [mysterious] events occur that involve [money], necessitating [relocation to a glamorous location], where [sudden, unexpected violence] occurs. Our hero discovers that [beautiful girl] is [rich too], but hides it because she desires [powerful autonomy] from her own [father] figure.

Next analogy: Michael Ridpath's "The Market Maker" is to "Engaging" as "Dora The Explorer" is to "Complex, intricately crafted psycho-drama."

Future editions should place a detachable barf bag between pages 20 and 21. If you ever, in desperation, purchase this in an airport bookstore, be sure to search for same from the seat pocket in front of you before subjecting your eyeballs to this tripe stew of formulaic, cliché-ridden, pablum. As the late Truman Capote said "That's not writing. That's typing." But since Ridpath dictates his books, we'd have to say it's babbling. "Gaa gaa goo goo....bond, ......bond market go `poopy!' Big diaper poopy! Phew!"

I really enjoyed his other two books, but this one leaves something to be desired. I work in the industry and I found The Market Maker characterizes many elements of the junk bond scandal of the late 80's. Ridpath obviously knows something of Michael Milken. The parallels between Milken and the character Ricardo Ross are almost disgusting and certainly laughable. But because of the plot twists at the end of the novel, I give the three star grade (rather than one or two).

I found the Market Maker to be an enjoyable diversion but not very believable. It seems unlikely that a new hire like Nick would be assigned to travel to South America after a couple days on the job. Furthermore, the main character's ability to influence high level financiers, escape injury and escape captivity were truly remarkable. Maybe he should have also had X-ray vision. Yet, I found the book hard to put down. Free to Trade was better but the Market Maker served its purpose.

If you are looking for an exciting book about the world of trading and high finance this is not for you. This is another liberal author portraying success in the business world as evil and selfish. The main character is envious of and wants the fruits of hard work without the effort. Of course, in the world of fiction he ends up getting what he wants.

Love and scandal move it along, and an interesting fictional take on forces that can make or break investments and investors. However, what I enjoyed most was learning more about Brazil...which didn't seem so 'made up.'

I quite enjoyed this book. Maybe 'cause I love the intrigue of the money markets. This is a good novel about what happens when things go wrong and to the extreme when things get dangerous. Certainly worth a read.

I consider the marketmaker as an average book. The characters were a bit better than in his previous book "Trading Reality" but the story wasn't. In addition you can't compare it with his first book "Free to Trade" which was a real master piece.

my first Michael Ridpath book and addicted ever since, pity he's written only four thusfar. This book grips you from the start and you are sucked into the plot straight away.

Like previous novels by Mr. Ridpath, this book gives one a sense of the dealings that go on behind the backs of the rest of us. Good job!