"Legal Thriller"

When I picked up a recent edition of the Saturday mornings edition, The National Post, a Canadian newspaper, and turned to the financial section, what immediately hit me was an entire section devoted to consumer debt and credit cards.

Coincidentally, the day before I had received William Manchee's recent legal thriller Plastic Gods, that although is a work of fiction, revolves around this same theme.

The story ventures into the world of powerful and unethical financial institutions dangling credit cards before those least equipped to resist it that ultimately lead them to financial and personal disaster.

Matt Coleman is a young lawyer, just out of law school. He and his wife, who are aided by Lynn's marketing professor, decide that in order to jump start Matt's practice, they would embark on a series of info commercials, whereby consumers would be shown that it is not sinful to file for bankruptcy. Banks would be shown to be the culprits. Consequently, much of blame would be placed on the shoulders of these financial institutions rather than the debtors.

As the novel unfolds, Matt's and his wife Lynn's brilliant marketing plan prove to be a tremendous financial success and Matt's law practice takes off like a rocket. However, along the way, Matt has also managed to ruffle a few feathers among some financial institutions. One particular bank, the Midsouth Bank, does not take too kindly to Matt and Lynn's activities, and are quite disturbed at the serious financial damage that is being caused to their institution and the bankruptcies they now have to endure. This leads the chief executive officer to take some very drastic and ruthless measures leading to tragic consequences affecting Matt and his wife, as well as others.

The author's distinct and simplistic writing style takes the reader on a surprising and unpredictable ride that keeps you in constant suspense as what is around the next bend. Action aficionados will not be disappointed, and although the book is a work of fiction, its theme is tantalizing. It is sure to leave many a reader thinking about some of the unsavory banking practices pertaining to credit card marketing and what is looming behind closed doors of these institutions.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted October 30, 2003

Summary

Twenty-eight years after Rich Coleman and Erica Fox narrowly survive their chilling death pact they are still together and thriving. They now have a son Matt who has just married and is running a very lucrative law practice specializing in consumer bankruptcy. Matt, however, is cursed with his mother's greed and is obsessed with attaining great wealth and fortune. Matt's new wife Lynn is definitely his soul mate sharing similar dreams of riches. Together they forge an advertising campaign which sets off a consumer revolt that threatens MidSouth Bank run by Franklin P. Hill, a very powerful and ruthless banker. At first he is content to play some dirty tricks on Matt in an effort to discredit him, but when that doesn't work he orders Matt's death. Love, greed and revenge fuel this raging thriller about the evil spawned by the Plastic Gods we love and cherish.