Businessman's Prison

J.B. Gates
Synergy Books (2004)
ISBN 0975592203
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (8/06)

The storyline of this novel by JB Gates involves Senior Vice President Michael J. Wayne who mistakenly receives an e-mail meant for another in the organization which reads, “High Importance.  WWIII has started.  BEGIN OPERATION SHERMAN IMMEDIATELY.  Call me on cell phone to discuss target and location.  No further e-mail communiqués.”  Magnetize Corporation is the largest seller of weaponry and ammunition to the armed forces, and the message has been sent by the mysterious new CEO, L. Randall Morgan, who has a very uncertain past.  Michael soon realizes the message is deadly, but what should he do with the information he has, and who can he trust?

This story of The Magnetize Corporation is brimming with suspense, mystery and frightening situations.  The motive for greed has metamorphed heretofore honest employees into white collar criminals and even some into murderers.  Who will overcome the pressures being forced on them and who will sink even lower into the depths of destruction?  From beginning to end, the reader is left questioning who is good and who is bad.  Lines are so blurred at times that characters just don’t know who can be trusted, even among family members!  Needless to say, I read this book quickly because I couldn’t put it down.  The plot seems to thicken with each passing page.

“Businessman’s Prison” appears to be an accurate look at what life in a big corporation can be like.  Employees may be prevailed upon to achieve inordinately high levels of performance with no room for error and with an option of do or die.  Co-authors John and Betsy Gates have held several senior management positions in ten different Fortune 500 companies including President of Sunbeam Canada by John at a time when others around him were involved with corporate scandals, financial mishaps, fraud, and billion dollar losses for stockholders and employee jobs.  The results of these events combined with the imaginations of the authors evolved into the storyline for “Businessman’s Prison”.

The targeted readership for “Businessman’s Prison” is NOT limited to those in the world of business.  Everyone will find something to relate to.  Within the corporation and among the employees is where the major scandal occurs in the novel, but each employee has a family that is also being affected by the immorality that runs rampant.  No family member is immune to harm when the stakes are high - even the children.

If you desire mystery, excitement and a fast-paced, action-packed novel, I highly recommend “Businessman’s Prison”.

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