DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

The Bezzle

A forensic accountant's dangerous dive into corruption

Cory Doctorow author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:1st Feb '24

Should be back in stock very soon

The Bezzle cover

In The Bezzle, forensic accountant Marty Hench uncovers a dangerous scheme involving California's prison system, leading him into conflict with the ultra-wealthy.

In The Bezzle, readers are introduced to Marty Hench, a forensic accountant who has mastered the art of navigating the murky waters of financial deception. Set against the backdrop of 2006, Marty is at the pinnacle of his career, having honed his skills in uncovering money-laundering schemes, cyber fraud, and the intricate web of shell companies. His expertise makes him a formidable opponent to the wealthy elite, including Fortune 500 companies and international drug cartels. However, his life takes a dramatic turn during a seemingly innocuous vacation on Catalina Island, where he inadvertently disrupts a scheme that leads him into the crosshairs of powerful adversaries.

As Marty unwittingly trespasses into the realm of California's Department of Corrections, he exposes the dark side of the privatized prison system, where tycoons exploit the vulnerabilities of hundreds of thousands of prisoners. The stakes are raised as he uncovers the financial chicanery that intertwines with the broader implications of the 2008 financial crash. The narrative dives deep into the complexities of greed, power, and the lengths to which the wealthy will go to maintain control.

Cory Doctorow's The Bezzle is not just a thrilling read; it serves as a seething critique of systemic corruption and the moral dilemmas faced by those who dare to challenge the status quo. With its fast-paced plot and rich character development, this novel promises to keep readers engaged as they follow Marty Hench on his perilous journey through the dark underbelly of finance and power.

Reviews for RED TEAM BLUES:

'A fast-paced, voraciously readable thriller that lays bare the financial rot at the core of Silicon Valley's high-minded rhetoric of innovation.' - Roger McNamee, author of Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe

'I showed up for the high-tech ideas and stayed for the whodunit. You don't need to be a techie to love Red Team Blues – you just need to be fascinated about what the future might hold.' - A. G. Riddle, author of Lost in Time

'Well, talk about timely. In the wake of the late-2022 collapse of cryptocurrency comes this novel about a forensic accountant who’s hired to work a case involving electronic theft of cryptocurrency... Doctorow's novels are always feasts for the imagination and the intellect, and this one is no exception: it’s jam-packed with cutting-edge ideas about cybersecurity and crypto, and its near-future world is lovingly detailed and completely believable.' - BookList

'Cory Doctorow's fiction is a vector through which he offers incisive commentary on technology and society, and Red Team Blues is no exception. Through the eyes of a grizzled forensic accountant, we're forced to question preconceived ideas around benevolent billionaires, honorable state authorities, and impenetrable security. Red Team Blues earns its spot in the top echelon of thriller novels that give you no choice but to devour them in one sitting, but leave you thinking long after you turn the last page.'

-- Molly W

ISBN: 9781804547793

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

240 pages