Killer Instinct

May 1, 2006
In Finder's newest business thriller (after Company Man
), Jason Steadman, a middle-management salesman for an international electronics firm, befriends mysteriously well-connected tow-truck driver Kurt Semko and suddenly finds himself on the fast track to the executive suite, thanks mainly to the misfortunes of others. When a suspicious Steadman confronts Semko, his benefactor turns into a deadly foe who threatens to kill him, his wife and newborn baby. Finder's informed view of the dark side of the corporate world is deliciously devious and he is shrewd and witty enough to provide his likable hero with a particularly credible weapon against the seemingly omnipotent opponent: his salesmanship. Steadman, the narrator of this terrifying tale, is blessed with the gift of gab, and Scott Brick, one of the busier audio book performers, smoothly adjusts his delivery to the novel's carefully crafted patter and pacing. This includes quick shifts of tenor and tone to give voice to the self-confident sociopath Semko, Steadman's level-headed but needy wife, and his disgruntled and pink-slip–prone co-workers. Finder has created first-class material, but here it's Brick's impressive pitch that makes the sale. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's hardcover. (Reviews, Mar. 13).

Starred review from March 13, 2006
At the start of this masterful business thriller from bestseller Finder (Paranoia
; Company Man
), Jason Steadman, successful salesman at Entronics, an electronics company that's right up there with Sony and Panasonic, drives into a ditch near his office outside Boston while talking to his wife on his cellphone. Jason befriends the tow-truck driver who comes to his rescue, Kurt Semko, an ex–Special Forces soldier, and recommends him for a position at Entronics. In gratitude, Kurt begins performing fiendish little jobs for Jason that boost his sales and fortunes with the company. But Kurt eventually goes overboard, and people begin to die. The likable Jason finds himself trapped in a battle with a scary, seemingly unbeatable foe that builds to a rousing and satisfying climax. The villains may verge on the cartoonish, but readers who enjoy movies where you have to fight the urge to shout "Stop! Don't open that door!" will love this one. 250,000 announced printing; 8-city author tour.

March 15, 2006
Finder ("Company Man", "Paranoia") remains the CEO of the corporate thriller in his latest page-turner. Jason Steadman is a cog in a huge company that specializes in plasma TVs. He wants to move up the corporate ladder but lacks the ruthlessness necessary to reach the next level. When he meets Kurt Semko, a former Special Forces officer, the two of them strike up a friendship, and Jason helps Kurt get a job in the company's security office. Prospects immediately start turning around for Jason, but he's ignorant of the inside help he's getting from his new friend, who could just as easily become his enemy. Finder reins in the opportunities to go over the top, creating an all-too-realistic look at the corporate life with some thriller elements thrown into the mix. For all fiction collections. [Prepub Alert, "LJ" 1/06.]" -Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L."

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2006
Finder writes a special brand of business-world thriller one might call Dilbert noir. His previous best-sellers, including " Paranoia" (2003) and " Company Man" (2005), spliced corporate cubicle routines with murderous plots and international intrigue. In his latest, Finder takes a man least likely to swim with the sharks--Jason Steadman, a very happy, contented salesman for an electronics giant--and places him on Fortune's wheel. The first spin of the wheel comes from Steadman's wife, a lovely Lady Macbeth type consumed with ambition for a picture-book family and a much bigger house. The next spin comes from a car accident that ends up with Steadman meeting a tow-truck driver, a special forces officer recently returned from Iraq. Steadman takes a liking to this man's man and gets him hired in his firm's corporate security department. Suddenly and inexplicably (to Steadman), his career skyrockets as his rivals experience a run of bad luck and even worse accidents. Part of the dreadful fun of this thriller is figuring out ahead of Steadman who is behind his good fortune; the rest of the suspense comes from watching Steadman seek to outwit his malevolent benefactor. Finder is a first-rate story weaver, though he sometimes lavishes too much detail on unnecessary scenes or bits of dialogue. Still, Steadman's 10-month ride from complacency to terror is filled with the requisite number of thrills and chills.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)