The Takeover [Hardcover]

Stephen W. Frey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2011

Hired to spearhead the biggest hostile takeover in Wall Street history, investment banker Andrew Falcon stumbles into a labyrinthine web of high-stakes financial, political, and environmental intrigue controlled by seven ruthless men. A first novel. 200,000 first printing. $200,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Investment banking becomes a weapon of insurrection in this face-paced debut thriller. Menaced by the spread-the-wealth policies of a popular, liberal U.S. president (particularly his proposed 90% inheritance tax), The Sevens, a secret society of powerful Harvard alumni, unleashes a convoluted scheme to topple him from power, even at the risk of undermining the international financial system. E. Granville Winthrop IV, chairman of Wall Street's top investment banking firm, masterminds the conspiracy, undeterred by its several necessary murders-including that of the chairman of the Federal Reserve. But Winthrop makes the mistake of weaving his longtime vendetta against former protege Andrew Falcon into the plot. Now desperate and broke, Falcon jumps at the chance to orchestrate the corporate takeover at the heart of the conspiracy-and by the time he figures out what's going on, it may be too late. Frey's plotting requires leaps of faith, and his characters are cartoonish, but there is much here of what thriller readers enjoy: enormous wealth, murder, dirty tricks, political intrigue, colorful villains and relentless pacing. 200,000 first printing; $200,000 ad/promo; movie rights to Paramount; BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The unlikely hero of this first novel, an investment banker with (gasp!) a conscience, risks all in probing a crooked takeover scheme. Plans for a motion picture from Paramount are underway.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; 1ST edition (October 30, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525939857
• ISBN-13: 978-0525939856
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Frey is a managing director at a private equity firm. He is the bestselling author of fourteen previous novels, including The Fourth Order, The Insider, and The Takeover. He lives in Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, August 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Takeover (Paperback)

Awesome.

I loved this book. I had bought this book second-hand at a street sale because it sounded ok from the description and the reviewer quotes, and also because it was only $1 - and I'm really glad that I did. Right now, I'd definitely include The Takeover in a list of my favorite books. To put it into some context, I'm also a fan of Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy books.

This is the first book by Stephen W. Frey that I've read - I will definitely look for and read other books by him.

The story is fast-paced and entertaining, and the plot is terrific. One thought that I had as I read it was "This would make a great movie!" And obviously others, including Paramount, thought that too as I believe Paramount has optioned it.

The depiction of Wall Street, and its reach into the Federal Reserve, the SEC, the press, and Washington is spot-on. A few years ago I might have thought it far-fetched, but since Bush, Enron, the market action of recent years, etc. I've become much more aware/cynical of how things work in the US and in the world. The Takeover was published in 1995, but I found I related it to recent events and the current corporate and political environment (ie. Enrons, Wall Street scams, CEOs, questionable elections, generally self-enrichment at the expense of the public.) Again, to put this in some context, the author, Stephen W. Frey, is a Wall Street investment banker at the executive level so he's able to provide insights into that world.

Wall Street has too much power for my taste and this book reinforced that opinion. Yes, it's fiction, but so was Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor's incredible closing scenario - until it happened.

Great read, definitely worth it. This is the first time I've been moved to write a positive review for a book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One in a million, February 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Takeover (Paperback)

Having been a banker myself, I am always disappointed at how
badly financial mysteries are researched and don't really
capture the dynamics of the market. However, Frey, who is a banker
himself, knows exactly what he is writing about. The plot
is superb, with its many twists and surprises. This is a book that
gives you a glimpse into the high powered world of
investment banking and is extremely entertaining, for both
insiders and outsiders. I lent the book to my brother, who
is an investment banker and never has time to read for pleasure. He
read the book in a couple of days and loved it! What else do I
need to say?!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stephen Frey's best work..., July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Takeover (Paperback)

Mr. Frey outdid himself in this book. Andrew Falcon is the epitome of the hyper over-achieving investment bankers that control the pursestrings on Wall Street. A million dollar first year bonus? Not good enough for this investment banker. Falcon goes out and tries to start up an internet style company, which through various circumstances, including his former employer's tampering, fails.

From there Frey weaves a trap for our hero Falcon, a trap that is ends up involving a Presidential assassination and a super secrete seven society from Harvard (presumably based on the UVA sevens.) While some elements of the story, and even Falcon's abilities, seem to be a bit to extraordinary, Frey still does a superb job in telling it.

Of his work, this one is clearly Frey's best and most suspenseful. There were so many details that Frey dove into that made the book really enjoyable.

My only real problem is not of this book, but of Frey's other works, which happen to mirror each other. If you have one financial thriller (doesn't that sound like an oxymoron?) to chose from, pick this one and you will be very well rewarded.