Payback Time – Geraint Anderson

Title – Payback Time

Author – Geraint Anderson

Published – 2012

Genre – Crime fiction

This was a review copy from Headline Books. This is the second novel by the author, perhaps better known as City Boy, who was an anonymous columnist for The London Paper in 2008.

The story features a group of university friends who all work, in some way, in the City. Not long after Bridget is sacked by the bank she and Steve work for she is seen plummeting to her death from her high-rise flat. Initially distraught, the gang are determined to take revenge on the bank by a complicated plot to devalue the bank and pocket millions for themselves.  There is a second part to the story when they realise that perhaps Bridget’s death might not have been the suicide that it appeared and the group falls apart as they begin to doubt each other.

I was told that if you can’t say anything nice, then you shouldn’t say anything at all. But I’ve never been very good at doing the right thing, and in this case I really can’t find a positive. Except perhaps that the book was blessedly quite short.

The characters have no redeeming features, not one between them. They are incredibly crass, obnoxious, self-centred, and hypocritical.  The plot is weak. Some of the financial aspects confused me and with half a degree in economics and 10 years working for pension fund I have a better idea than most what they were talking about.  The coke snorting, and drinking to excess were reminiscent of stories from the 80’s and don’t make for pleasant reading.

Perhaps this is crime fiction for readers of FHM, but not for me!

You can see another review of this at Bookgeeks.