A Fatal Debt

Personal. Having read journalist John Gapper’s writing in the Financial Times, I was curious to read his debut novel, A Fatal Debt. While much of the novel’s plot involves the actions of a recently fired bank CEO, Henry Shapiro, financial services represent a backdrop for the novel, not the essence. At its core, this novel explores personal and professional relationships. Protagonist Benjamin Cowper is a psychiatrist who is his own worst enemy. Cowper becomes influenced both by Shapiro’s wife and by the head of the hospital where Cowper is treating Henry, a major donor. I found myself suspending disbelief regularly while Gapper has Cowper behave in ways that kept me asking: “what was he thinking?” The plot moves quickly in the novel, and readers who like story over character depth and who are willing to give a debut novelist a try, should consider this one. Rating: Three-star (Recommended) Click here to purchase A Fatal Debt from amazon.com.