Author: Chris Coffman

Publisher: ODYSSEUS PRESS

ISBN: 978-1-7367391-0-5

Chris Coffman, the authorof Crisis Deluxe, knows a thing or two about themystery and confusion surrounding the world of mergers andacquisitions. Stakes are high, and you need nerves of steel to putthrough many of these deals, especially when dealing with sharks thathave no qualms in cutting your throat. He is an expatriate Americanwho has perfected his expertise as an investment banker in Europe,the UK, the United States, Asia, and Australia.

In the opening chapter ofthe novel, readers are introduced to Alexander "Dusty"Street. Dusty is an investment banker employed by Coldstream Holdingsof New York. While stationed in Buenos Aires, Dusty receives a callfrom one of his superiors in New York, Jim Walmsley. He is ordered toimmediately hop on a plane and fly to Hong Kong. His assignment wasto complete the deal whereby Coldstream would acquire the investmentbank TransPac, an international company based in Hong Kong. 

TransPac's principalattraction is its potent presence in the Asian market and its bondportfolio, headed by a dynamic bond trader, Sebastien Nin. For almosta year, Coldstream negotiated with TransPac as part of its strategicexpansion into the Asian markets. 

At the same time Dusty isgiven his assignment, he witnesses Asian markets in turbulence, andTransPac is in serious trouble. His directives are to cutColdstream's offer to TransPac by twenty-five percent and cram itdown the throats of their shareholders. Dusty realizes that lettingthe TransPac deal fail would mean that traders will move everythingthey can get their hands on, stocks, bonds, and currency. This maylead to the eventual bankruptcy of Asian markets in places likeIndonesia, the Philippines, and Korea. Not a pretty picture!

Nothing is kept back whenDusty first meets with the executives and principal shareholders ofTransPac. They are told that their equity may have been roughly onebillion US dollars at the outset of the negotiations. However, withrecent developments, it is now worth less than half of that. You caneasily imagine the backlash of these shareholders when it is pointedout to them that the value of their immense holdings is rapidlydropping down the toilet! They had counted on Coldstream stepping inand reversing the devastation as it affected their personal wealthand positions. And as we will learn, this is merely the beginning ofa stormy few days of discussions, which requires severalrestructuring of the assessment model by Coldstream's experts.

Dusty is pleasantlyastonished when he first meets Nin. He discovers that Nin is thelittle brother of a schoolgirl he had a platonic relationship withover twenty years ago in Hong Kong. Nin and Dusty recount theirformer conflicts and some of the bad blood between them as kids. Willthis enter into play with the negotiations? And Jacqueline, who, bythe way, reappears in Hong Kong. How will she fit into the narrative?Supposedly, both Jacqueline and Dusty are happily wed to theirrespective spouses, but both have the hots for each other.

Dusty is not assured thatColdstream should move forward with the acquisition, even though hecontinues working his creative skills to figure out a plan to closethe transaction. Not simply is the Asian market tanking, but he findsout from an acquaintance in Hong Kong that Nin's venture seems to befounded on gaining new Asian borrowers. These are characters whocould not borrow money before and who may not be delightful people.

Dusty also realizes thatif he cannot culminate the deal, it will mean the end of his career,not only for his old friend Nin but likewise for himself. They wouldboth be stripped of their reputations and the hard-earned equity theyhad developed  in their partner's accounts with their companies. `

Coffman takes his time tocapture the chilling world of high finance that is replete withuncertainty. He effectively captures bewilderment, hope, and greed,brought about by economic catastrophe, all of which will keep youturning the pages until the end. Above all, the suspense in this yarnlies in character development, which is tricky to pull off in anovel. We are concerned for Dusty and wonder whether he will be ableto pull it off or will he fail and end up with his tail between hislegs.