Member Reviews

Gil Peck is a BBC finance journalist and is clearly heavily based on Peston himself.
In this novel, a lover of Gil’s - high up in the Bank of England commits suicide and the investigation of this opens a big can of worms.
This means that Peston - through Gil - introduces us to a fascinating world of journalistic sources and intrigue, cronyism and dodgy deals between old oxbridge chums.
I found this really interesting and it drove the novel for me. In truth, I lost the plot a bit. The story is really quite complicated with lots of technical banking context. But it really didn’t matter as the novel bowled along at a cracking pace and had me hooked.
Recommended: a fast-paced, intelligent novel that digs the dirt on what really happens - the corruption - in the higher echelons of society.

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This is the first book I’ve read by Robert Peston, best known currently for being political editor for ITV. It explores the banking crash during 2008 from an expert, informed point of view.
Gil is an ambitious, experienced financial journalist, intent on reporting the incredible scoop of 2008, when banks began to run out of money. During this time Peston was political editor for the BBC, and his analysis of the banking crash makes convincing reading. Mixing fact with fiction works well in this story; with a cast list of movers and shakers, some genuine, others with fraudulent motives, all combine to make an excellent read.
When Gil’s partner dies with a suspected suicide, this sets off a chain reaction of events which take him into a dark, dangerous world. Intent on gaining a scoop makes him become vulnerable to the corruption and greed surrounding him.
The amount of money from nefarious foreign and UK sources; money spent on luxuries such as vintage champagne, fine dining, and cars is astonishing. And money gave power to those wholly intent on serving their own interests.
This is a complex, difficult to read story, packed with a diverse set of characters, mostly fictional, but recognisable in so many political leaders at the time. Its interest lies in the fact of banks running short of money, and the government being forced to step in to shore up funds. Powerful reading.

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After reading Robert Peston's last booked was looking forward to reading The Crash. Didn't disappoint and as this was based on events that happened in 2008 ifound it a truly riveting read. Definitely a book to be recommended.

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I couldn't finish reading it. It was crude with lots of swearing, so many brand names were dropped all the time (I don't care what brand someone's laptop is!!) and I couldn't understand all the complex economics and all about the banking and finances. Not for me.

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Robert Preston’s detailed knowledge of this intricate topic gives this book a head start. However, it is not just a commentary on crashing banks. The book has it own very cleverly contrived story with extraordinary turns of events and entirely believable figures. The lead character, Peck, the BBC’s chief economic commentator, is a brilliant figure with multiple personal issues. He loses more figures close to him than most journalists would expect and puts other important people in danger. He clearly has no respect for banking and political figures and portrays them convincingly. What starts as an examination of a banking disaster, rapidly becomes a gripping story. The ending is satisfying too. This is a very well written, cleverly delivered story. I strongly recommend it.

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London, 2007. The economy is booming, profits are rolling in, and everything related to the stock market is looking rosy. The promise of New Labour that the days of boom and bust are a thing of the past appears to be holding true, and the City is reaping the rewards.

Journalist, Gil Peck receives a tip-off that a northern bank is in trouble, caught up in the nasty business of the sub-prime loan scandal in the USA. If true, it is news that will rock the financial world, and could spell disaster for the investment sector. Despite the lack of interest in the story from his bosses at the BBC, Gil decides that this is a scoop too good to ignore, and breaks the news on his blog. He suddenly finds himself at the centre of a huge story, and being blamed for a run on the bank.

As Gil delves deeper into the murky affairs behind the bank's woes, he realises that there is far more at stake than the deposits of their customers. Financial misconduct and illegal trading fuelled by greed lie at the heart of Britain's financial markets, and Gil feels sure it is his job to expose the scandal to the public.

When his lover and confidante Marilyn Krol, a director at the Bank of England, is found hanged, he is convinced that her death is more than the suicide the police believe it to be. His pursuit of the truth has now become personal, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to get justice for her untimely death. However, those making vast sums from the dodgy dealing are keen to keep the enormous scale of the operation secret, and the power of wealth and the old school tie are significant weapons against a wildcard like Gil..

The Crash is a delicious thriller set in the world of finance, by eminent journalist Robert Peston, as a follow-up to his debut novel The Whistleblower. Gil Peck, an intriguing mix of hero and anti-hero, returns in this cracking story that explores the shady shenanigans that link politics, money and power, set against the disastrous events of the financial crash of 2007.

I do not even know where to begin summing up how brilliant this novel is. Although the characters here are all fictional, Peston cleverly manages to retain enough real world events and the personalities that played on the world political and financial stages of 2007, to make this novel engaging and chillingly authentic - I had endless fun spotting the caricatures here, who I sincerely hope are a lot more villainous than the real people they echo...

Gil is a fine protagonist, in all his chaotic madness, with his love of fine food, fine wine, and sartorial elegance... and all the weighty personal baggage that ends up exposing the human frailty he keeps under wraps. He is a self-centred, narcissist, but not without charms, and his determination to get to the bottom of a story is admirable - in partnership with his friend, the quite excellent FC reporter Jess Neeskens. Through them, Peston examines some hard questions about journalism too, especially when it comes to the conflict between exposing the truth and a responsibility to have a care for how stories are broken, and the fall-out their words might create.

There is a lot of complex finance and stock market trade related jargon in this book, which you do need to keep up with, but Peston does a great job of explaining how this all works and the impact of the illegal and foolhardy acts in the real world, and in the story. He really shines a light on the sphere of journalism too, especially the relationships between different facets of the media circus and their influence. I am in awe of the way he manages to take a world that is mystifying to so many of us, and work finance into a novel that brims over with compelling investigative twists and turns; gritty gangster vibes; atmospheric espionage intrigue; and good old fashioned, edge-of-your-seat adventure.

This is a proper page-turner of a novel, with an intelligent plot, characters to get your teeth into, a voyage into the darkest of hearts, and plenty of action. I loved it!

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Bill Peck is now a journalist with the BBC and gets a scoop that a bank is about to go bust. What will this lead to and what is going on behind the scenes? Just the start of this fast moving novel following on from The Whistleblower.

Again great characters and some really creepy ones in this novel full of twists and turns. The financial market is at the centre of this novel and some believes their money and influence can manipulate people and institutions to suit themselves. Enjoy.

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A second outing for Gil Peck this time as the political correspondent for the BBC. The events around the 2007/8 banking crisis are cleverly described with Peck seemingly with an odd method of speaking , wonder who that sounds like, an ex PM elected in 1997 resigning after ten years replaced by his chancellor, wonder who they could be? The ex PM continues to be a thoroughly corrupt individual as in the first episode and is surrounded by evil bankers in this tale. Murders/suicide and accidental death are core to the tale all devilishly narrated in this brilliant story of greed personified.

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A complex political thriller modelled on the financial crash of recent times. Some old cronies from uni. days now in high office plot to make a fortune by taking advantage of the impending crash of the banks due to extended investment in toxic bonds. Gil a financial journalist is unwittingly make use of to make a successful short selling of a bank about to crash. While he himself was seeking to expose their double dealing. While the perpetrators stop at nothing to prevent exposure, murder, blackmail and death of lovers that Gil eventually makes even.

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“In my blog, Peckonomics, I’ve been sounding the alarm day after day, shouting as loudly as I can that we all need to get into our bunkers, because the day of financial and economic reckoning is nigh. But try as I might, I can’t get the story onto the Ten O’Clock News.”

My thanks to Bonnier Books Zaffre for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Crash’ by Robert Peston.

This is his second novel featuring journalist Gil Peck. Peston is a leading British political journalist and draws upon his extensive experience to create a fascinating thriller set during the political and economic turmoil of 2007-08.

Since the events in ‘The Whistleblower’, Peck, who serves as the novel’s narrator, has moved from print journalism to a more prominent job as the Business Editor for the BBC. He also runs a widely followed blog, Peckonomics. Through it he is attempting to deliver the bad news to the nation that it’s on the brink of economic collapse, because of the greed and recklessness of banks. Yet it seems no one wants to listen. Then a tragedy occurs and he begins an obsessive pursuit of the truth to discover what had happened. No further details to avoid spoilers.

In his Afterword Peston writes that he has drawn on his personal experience of big events to create a “plausible alternative reality” and that every character is a “figment of my imagination and an amalgam of people I’ve encountered and know.”

Peston has attempted to keep events realistic and Peck is clearly a flawed hero (or rather anti-hero). As in ‘The Whistleblower’ Peck’s inner dialogue is sharp as he dissects the world he inhabits, including his and others’ fashion choices. Satire or perhaps this is how people in these elite circles judge one another?

Overall, I found ‘The Crash’ an intelligent and engaging novel that proved hard to put down. While economics and the banking crises might seem an unusual subject for a thriller, Peston is a gifted writer and was able to integrate these complex financial themes into his novel while delivering on the thrills.

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All the time I was reading, I couldn’t help wondering how much of Gil Peck is based on Robert Peston himself. Or is Gil a mish-mash of the people Robert has met during his illustrious career? I hoped (prayed) it was the latter. When I got to the end, the author informs us that ‘every character is both a figment of my imagination and an amalgam of people I’ve encountered and know.’ Phew! I would hate to think of Robert selling drugs at Balliol and …. well I can’t tell you any more.

I did struggle a bit to keep up with the financial jargon eg subprime mortgages, bonds, and hedge funds. Imagine if ‘you were telling your grandmother what’s going on, how would you put it?’ Peck recommends at one point, unless of course she’s been a hedge fund manager, which she wasn’t. And neither am I. In fact what I know about the world of high finance could be written on the back of a Bitcoin. But I still recognise corruption in finance and politics and often question how some of the people involved, supposedly Oxbridge clever, can be so stupid. Greed I suppose trumps (no pun intended) common sense.

This was a fascinating read, not high-brow or dry as one might expect (or fear), but fast, entertaining and sprinkled with sex, romance, intrigue and unexplained deaths. The characters are larger than life, and often based on actual politicians of the day, though I hope they didn’t behave the way this lot do. The Malmsey Club at Oxford, for example, reminds me of The Bullingdon Club (minus the pig’s head) and I can see subtle references to various politicians, Russian oligarchs, and members of the press and BBC. Most of them fictitious, but mixed with actual personalities of the time.

Oh and it’s a follow-up to The Whistleblower, which I haven’t read and didn’t realise until much later. The Crash, however, can be read as a standalone. It’s great stuff, well written (it would be) and I certainly didn’t expect the outcome. I’d go as far as saying I was shocked. But in the world of power, politics and finance, I guess anything is possible.

Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour and to NetGalley for an ARC.

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This has a slow first couple of chapters for me as I got to grips with the characters and some of the financial terminology but it really soared from that point forward into a compelling read examining the frailty of the fiscal system and the disillusionment of the people with the government and their representatives as well as corruption within both the politicians and the press.
A great read overall.

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After reading this author's first book, and thoroughly enjoying it, by the way, I was definitely up for reading his next book. The Crash takes Gil Peck into the world of finance and politics and where you get those two you are sure to get corruption. Gil is now a reporter on the BBC and when he gets the sniff of a story about a bank running out of money her blogs the story. The following day his beast friend commits suicide, something that is out of nature for her. This gets Gil wondering if there is more to the bank than he first thought!

Once again I adored this book, I do like the character of Gil, he does get picked on a little bit as things do seem to end up more about him. He does become the story at several points in this book and it fits in well with how the author has created him.

With the world of finance, I did expect some mentions of things that would be over my head, and yes there were. Not too much so that it stopped the flow of the story but it did slow my reading a little when these were mentioned. Even though it is a world I don't really understand the author kept this story more about the intrigue and the corruption and of course working out what happened to his friend. There is more to the book than just the death and the bank running out of money. The book goes into some shady areas and these are dangerous for several that are involved. There is a mention of a character who is a bit of an enigma but gradually he is teased out and I kind of like this one. Still working out if he is really bad news or what, hopefully, he will feature again.

There are several characters in this book and to be fair they all have a role to play, no bystanders as such but also memorable for various reasons. While Gil is the focus of the story there are mentions of his private and family life, this is relevant and it does show how the journalistic world works, especially for someone breaking a story, blogging about it, following it up and also broadcasting it. There is a lot more than I realised, but then when you know the author has been in this field successfully you can see why these things are brought into the story.

A fabulous fast-paced book and one that is very addictive. It kept me on my toes and guessing the whole way through. Ideal for fans who like thrillers with a political slant to them and one I would definitely recommend.

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Robert Peston is a famous and charismatic journalist who, for many years, was the anchor-man business editor at the BBC, breaking news scoops in his unique and somewhat eccentric style, making the sometimes dull stories from the financial sector interesting and headline grabbing. He reported exclusive information on the Northern Rock crisis in 2008 and led on the many banking and funding crisis of that time. So, for me, someone who is something of a News-24 addict, I was always going see the lead character in "The Crash" as Peston himself, rather than the book's lead - Mr Gil Peck.

A quick review of Peston's life shows other parallels to Peck that make the line between fact and fiction even harder to see; both Grammar-school educated and alumni from Oxford, both lead BBC journalists, both of Jewish faith with a famous father, instrumental in the Labour Party movement in the 70s and 80s, and both breaking the news of the financial crisis in the UK with their scoop storylines and the danger that goes with it.

It should be of no surprise then, that Peston writes with effortless knowledge and command of "The Crash", making the story fast-paced, exciting and dangerous from the very start. The characters develop so quickly and with historical events and other real-life characters woven in, I regularly had to remind myself who was in "The Crash" and who was from real life! Written with a superb pager-turner quality, Peston drives his character "Peck" from one crisis to the next with danger mounting at every turn. I found myself reading some pages almost through my fingers, worrying about what was coming next, with the style and setting fresh and stylish in modern-day London.

Peston does love to name-drop brands though, and the only reason I cannot give this book a full 5 star review is to be found in one particular outfit, where Peck describes himself prior to an important event, wearing Jasper Conran, John Smedley, Paul Smith, Turnbull & Asher, Charvet and Jeffery-West all at the same time - this is fashion-tastic and too much for me! It interrupts the flow of an otherwise exciting narrative and ultimately costs Peston a star.

Highly recommended, but better off without the designer outlet vibe.

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Thanks to the publishers for an advance review copy.

This is the follow up to Robert’s first fiction book, and again features Gil, the intrepid journalist who loves getting a scoop and works his sources for the next big story. I can’t help but picture Robert himself when I read about Gil, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book!

Of course it has the usual ‘this is a work of fiction and any resemblance to a person living or dead is purely coincidental etc’ disclaimer but you can’t help but imagine who the characters are based upon.

As for the story, it’s really good! An insight into the beginning of the 2007/8 financial crash and some of the reasons why events unfolded as they did. Of course it’s all fictional… just to be clear!

It did feel a little incredulous in places, but nevertheless it’s a good plot and certainly kept me interested and engaged right through to the end. Well written, Gil makes an interesting ‘hero’ and I’d definitely recommend.

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This is a follow up to Preston’s debut, Whistleblower, which I really enjoyed. It follows the same journalist, Gil, but this time the setting is the run up to the financial crash; 2007/2008.

In addition to being a plausible broadcaster and journalist, it turns out that Mr Peston is an accomplished storyteller. He clearly uses his vast political knowledge as a backbone to creating a tense and entirely plausible political thriller. Given the current disaffection with Government and numerous ministers, the insight into the workings of Westminster and the links to the financial industry are both fascinating and troubling. I like Preston’s easy written style. It keeps the pace moving and he’s created a tense and fast moving political thriller. Really enjoyed this and can’t wait for more.

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A solidly good read. Journalists often don't make good novelists, being hamstrung by trying to be too factual and losing the buzz of the plot in the process. However, Peston walks the tightrope between dry facts and drama exceptionally well and has delivered another cracking suspenseful novel.

The Crash is pacy and credible. Peston has demystified the politics and finance of the Northern Rock fiasco and created a complex story about the multi-layered relationships between the moneymen, the politicians, the banks and the media. It would be easy to lose the pace and puzzle the reader, but The Crash stays tight and focused. There are a couple of twists and red herrings thrown in, as might be expected, but they work well.

My only criticism is the love interest; the novel would have hung together fine without it. It seems that every book has to have a relationship side story. I'm happy with people just being good friends without benefits!

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The crime genre is huge, and a protagonist can become involved in solving a murder in numerous ways. Being a police officer or PI makes sense, being an elderly lady or vicar less so, but authors still manage somehow – to remarkable success. Another easy option is a journalist. Their job is already to investigate so it makes sense that a roving crime reporter comes across a case of misjustice and wants to settle the score. Crime reporter on the beat. What? Robert Peston’s The Crash is about the Chief Finance Reporter at the BBC solving a murder, but it works.

In 2007 London was one of the biggest financial hubs in the world and this was a great boon to the Labour government of the time, but lapsed oversight meant that it was also one of the most at risk to the Subprime Mortgage crash. BBC journalist Gil Peck is trying to get his bosses to listen to him when he says that the UK economy is on the brink, but he is a lone voice. It is only after a member of the Bank of England kills themselves that it becomes newsworthy. For Peck, it also become personal as the banker was his lover. Refusing to believe that she would kill herself Peck delves into the murky world of power and politics to seek justice, any means necessary.

An economics editor and murder are not the best of bedfellows, but Peston makes it work by having the stakes so high. This is not just company politics, but on a global scale. With banks going bust and businesses up for sale at a cheap price, there is certainly enough money floating around as a motive for murder. The book is set in an alternative 2007. Some of the characters are real, but those that play an important part are also often versions of real people. The likes of Brown, Blair, Murdoch, and a whole host of people are given a facsimile.

The character of Peck is a version of Peston, having had the same job etc. I am pretty much sure that Peston did not solve murders though. Some of the fun in this book is working out what is real and what is fiction. It feels heightened, but also truthful. You can imagine the late-night parties with the journalists and politicians mixing for candid chats and illicit entertainment.

The crime story is the core of the book and what makes it work. They say write what you know and Peston sensibly creates a tangle of politics and finance, all hiding murder. As someone who studied economics, I had no issues following the more detailed sections, but some readers may be as bored by them now as they were then – hence one of the reasons that there was a crash as no one was interested in mortgage issues for the poor.

An area that Peston may want to introduce in an upcoming novel is an assistant or intern for the Peck character. On a couple of occasions Peck asks for detailed information on an economic or financial situation that he would be well versed in. It seemed odd for a prominent BBC journo to need to know about Subprime mortgages or a writer for the Financial Times proxy not knowing about the art of phone hacking. A wet behind the ears assistant would be the perfect foil to tell these things to.

The stilted exposition is a small issue in an otherwise entertaining thriller. The mix of realpolitik and fantasy makes for a fascinating read. You get a thriller, but also an insight into the world of UK politics in the 00s. Are some of the stories a way of Peston writing real events without naming the real people? I am sure that in the case of the murderers that is not true! To find out who they are, you will just have to read the book.

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Absolutely gripped by Robert Peston’s second novel with his journalist protagonist Gil Peck. Still seeking to avenge his sister’s murder, this time the setting is the 2007 financial crash. How much of it is autobiographical and how much is fiction is for debate but Gil Peck is a fabulous character, sometimes vain, self centred but also vulnerable and caring. The politics, economics and the history are well explained and the baddies well written.. The pace and sense of foreboding keep the pages turning. More please!

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This is a smoother read than the first novel as the pacing and characterisation is better,

The novel is exciting, has a cracking narrative pace, loads of tension and a lot of politics and finance.

For me this was one of my favourite types of books in that it was a great read and I learned a great deal about matters I know very little. There is a fair amount of political history, a great deal about the financial system and an excoriating take on the interrelationship between money and politicians of all parties.

I now have a far better understanding of what happened in 2008 and, frankly, the financial system and financial capitalism and multinational financial arrangements are terrifying! As is the cupidity of politicians of all parties.

I'd just read Kate Spicer's Lost Dog and was amazed a tthe amount of drugs and alcohol. Gil obviously runs in the same circles.

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the copy you sent me

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