Paper Money

I’ve enjoyed a few of Ken Follett’s thrillers but what’s stopped me from loving them is his characters. You always know from the start who’s good and who’s bad, which side you’re supposed to be on, and that most of them will get the outcome they deserve. I much prefer the murky ambiguity of Le Carre.

This novel though, is different. This was Follett’s first published novel (under the pseudonym Zachary Stone). In the reissued version, Follett laments its poor sales and apologises in an introduction for all the things I like about it (though judging by the reviews from hardcore Follett fans, he was right to do so).

The story has multiple viewpoints. There is a complex, interwoven plot. It has a downbeat, amoral ending. The show more characters act on a range of motivations. None of them is particularly likeable.

They are recognisable ‘types’ but they are nuanced. Follett says he has a tendency to underwrite but I like to be trusted to work things out for myself. I admire the pared-down prose and the vivid world – worlds – that he has created in such a short book.

I prefer this Follett but the sales would suggest I’m in the minority. show less

Ken Follett says he was "almost good" when he wrote Paper Money. The novel is set London in the mid-1970s. It tells the story of three seemingly unrelated incidents. The action takes place over 24 hours.

The government is expected to announce the company that has been awarded an oil field licence. Earlier that morning the assistant minister for energy Tim Fitzpeterson is blackmailed.

Mobster Tony Cox briefs his men. Businessman Felix Laski is always on the lookout for an opportunity and sees one. Derek Hamilton owns Hamilton Holdings. He's reached a turning point in his life.

Follett skilfully weaves a web of intrigue that culminates in a climax that brings all the loose threads together.

There's no main character but each character is show more well drawn and not the superficial sketch common suspense novels like this.

Follett's introduction makes it clear the novel is an early work but it's a fast-paced, enjoyable and engaging novel. show less

One of Follett's earlier novels. A degree of humour woven amid the violence and crime. Not as polished as his later work but worth reading.

Audible audio read by Jonathan Keeble
2.5**

Before he rocketed to fame with Eye of the Needle, Ken Follett published a couple of crime novels under a pseudonym: Zachary Stone. In this one he explores how crime, high finance and journalism are connected through corruption, with the action taking place in a single day.

The relatively small volume is tightly packed, with a dozen (or more) characters and a complex plot. Follett structure the book by telling us the time of day, and then giving us several vignettes taking place simultaneously during that hour: a scene at the newspaper, contrasted with two or three scenes depicting the stories the newspaper is covering (or should be). It’s full of politics and scandal, and characters range show more from high-powered men to street criminals, and taking the reader on a tour of mid-1970s London from its tony neighborhoods to its slums.

Jonathan Keeble does a good job of reading the audiobook, but the many characters and some complicated financial elements taxed my ability to focus while listening. I might have rated it higher if I had read the text, but I’m not sure the story has really stood the test of time. show less

St. Barts 2020 #8 - I really liked this delightful little book. It was a series of seemingly unrelated events all taking place in different settings all on the same day that ultimately were all related. A little bit different and i liked it.....and a lot different from the Follett spy adventures i have read thus far. This was a very early piece from him, one which he initially published under a pseudonym, so he must have felt it different as well! I liked experiencing the internal workings of a multi-edition daily English newspaper that was acted as important connective tissue in this piece. The normal characters were likable and i had definite empathy for the dilemmas they found themselves in, often of their own doing.....the odd balls show more were just that....oddballs. Quick, easy to read and very enjoyable. show less

Una lettura piacevole e interessante per una storia intricata ambientata nel mondo della finanza dove traffici, inganni e malaffare daranno vita nell’arco di una giornata a una vicenda ricca di continui rivolgimenti.
Una lettura abbastanza veloce ma che non centra completamente l’obiettivo, un Follett da leggere comunque anche se sottotono rispetto alla sua produzione migliore.

This was my first Ken Follett book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Filled with villains, bankers, politicians, and journalists in 70s London, loads of side characters and an evolving story spanning only one day it is so very vivid! Going to try other Follett books now.