Rating: 
Summary: Product Endorsements
Review: This is the first work by Mr. Banks that I have read. Based on this reading experience I will try his work again, but the decision to do so was close for two reasons. Firstly, the plot was hardly new and there was not enough to make it a good spin on an old idea. Secondly, every blasted item the main character touched was branded. Just a few examples would include; her watch, her sunglasses, most of her designer clothes, about half a dozen car companies, at least three planes, and three helicopter firms, hotels, Champagne, and enough detail on a car that was not hers to fill a brochure.On the very positive end I thought Ms. Telman, the book's central character was great. Bright, a wicked wit, and a female character that is strong as opposed to cliché. The fools and the typical weaknesses are generally the domain of the male, and I found this to be a pleasant change. The best example of this was her slow and painful destruction of an extremely expensive sports car while the male owner sobbed, cursed, and had his digits damaged by turn, as she convinced him to chat. The car's owner could have bought a fleet of them, so the Author's portrayal of his insane behavior about the car, was all the more entertaining. Like other books of this type the story travels around the globe a few times with the expected national Capitols making an appearance. Thrown into the mix is a Prince, a Dowager Queen who has kept to her "bed" for nearly 3 decades, and an endearing curmudgeon with a taste for fast cars. The book is entertaining but I doubt the Author's best. While there are books of this type that are better, there are far more that are worse. Call it 3.5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly executed & predictable
Review: Up until this book I had only read Iain Banks science fiction novels, and if it is representative of his mainstream fiction, I shall restrict myself to his science fiction in future. The story was predictable on both the small and large scale. For the most part the characters were unintersting stereotypes, with the exception of the main character and her eventual partner. Little effort was made to establish The Business as a believable entity, and the story relied on almost-but-not-quite incompetance on behalf of the bad guys. The author seemed to be trying to create the flamboyance and power of The Culture (from his sci-fi novels), but writ small. It did not work. On the positive...it was not badly written, more than anything just disappointing since I have come to expect a lot more from Mr. Banks.
Rating:
Summary: Bland...check his other titles instead.
Review: Without simply regurgitating what other reviews have said, for me it basically comes down to this: the book was boring. Sure, there can be slow parts for pacing of a storyline but the "slow part" lasted through the first half or more.
I REALLY like this author, but check the classic Wasp Factory or Song of Stone...those books are engaging and interesting.
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