The Directive
Author: Matthew Quirk
Michael Ford detonates the secrets of the U.S. Federal Bank’s “directive,” the pedal that taps the cruise control of U.S. interest rates – and the economy – when he falls into the middle of a crime team who wants to know the directive before the government so that they can reap millions of dollars on the manipulation of stocks and bonds.
After The 500 (Quirk’s previous stunner of a novel), Michael lives the good life. Coming from an original and creative life as a con-man, Michael has gone straight, is a lawyer with a good business going for himself and is engaged to be married to Annie, a society debutante who puts love before money. Michael is also trying to mend his family: his father has been released from prison, and his brother, Jack, who still works the family trade. He is on his way to ask Jack to be his best man at the wedding when all hell breaks lose.
Jack is in the hands of some bad people who have attempted to kill him. One more time Jack asks for Michael’s help, although Michael is leery: Jack has conned him consistently in the past. But Jack is in the hospital from a bad beating and Michael can’t resist helping him – one more time. As Michael gets involved with a man named Lynch who is threatening Jack’s life, Lynch sets him up for murder. To Mike’s rescue comes a beautiful woman named Emily. Emily just happens to be the billionaire owner of the largest security agency in the area.
When Mike finds out that he is after “the directive” he has to turn double agent while helping Annie pick out expensive wedding china. For the score is for the biggest heist in the world. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve meets every 8 weeks to issue a directive to the trading desk at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City. This desk directs the entire U.S. economy. The Board’s traders buy, sell and manipulate to steer the markets according to the requirements of the directive. If anyone gets the directive before the traders … enough said.
As Michael furtively attempts to find out whom Lynch is working for, he faces death consistently, and when he finds out Jack is the one who set him up, the race is on. For Michael has a plan to turn the con around back to the Federal Reserve.
Feisty, alluring and endearing, Michael Ford is the man of the hour.
When he shakes everything back into line and he and Annie head for the altar, we have spent a good amount of time whirling ourselves into a plot that tantalizes and shows once again that Matthew Quirk is at the top of his game. Excellent.
Ratings are based on a 5-star scale
Overall: 5
Review by Broad “A” – Ava
We received a copy of this title for our book review. All opinions are our own
The Directive: A Novel (Mike Ford)
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