THE OLIGARCH: A THRILLER RELEASED: doing business in Russia is a dangerous game

Sept. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- George Eccles is pleased to announce that his highly controversial novel, THE OLIGARCH: A THRILLER, is now available worldwide from all major online bookstores. Recent developments -  disputed elections in Russia, oligarchs slogging it out in the UK courts, and the mass of arrest of Russian businessmen for alleged corruption - make this hard-hitting thriller particularly topical, providing a unique insight into the corruption endemic in Russian political and business life.

Synopsis:
   
Following his controversial election for a third term amid widespread protests and allegations of vote rigging, the Russian President is determined to destroy the oligarchs before they destroy him. When the global economic meltdown decimates their wealth, the President seizes this chance to demolish their power base. His greatest opponent - Anton Blok, owner of the mighty Tyndersk Kombinat - has a secret agenda and faces far more than just financial ruin as his empire threatens to fall apart, and the President knows that his old enemy will stop at nothing to avoid catastrophe.  With battlelines drawn, he turns to Alex Leksin, an ex MI6 investigator of Russian descent, to thwart Blok's plans. Against the challenge of hostile Arctic conditions, Leksin must tread a dangerous path through a labyrinth of corruption, terrorism and obfuscation until the exciting and unexpected denouement takes place in Russia’s northernmost seaport.
Set in Moscow, Ingushetia (Chechnya’s neighbour), and Tyndersk, an Siberian mining town inside the Arctic Circle and geographically cut off from the rest of Russia, this thriller's plot twists and turns within an authentic and disturbing background.

Availability:

A full list of online bookstores listing The Oligarch: A Thriller, which includes Foyles, Amazon, Apple iTunes, Barnes & Noble, W H Smith, Google Books, Kobo, Dymocks Australia, Powell Books USA and McNally Robinson Canada, can be found on the e-book's website:

http://www.theoligarchthriller.com

Biography of the Author:

George Eccles lived in Russia and Central Asia for ten years during the tumultuous period that followed the breakup of the Soviet Union. Deeply immersed in Moscow's business world, his work brought him into regular contact with the murky world of real life oligarchs as they struggled to get to grips with the fallout of Yeltsin's controversial 'loans for shares' scheme. He now lives in the South of France. An interview with the author can be found on:

http://lambertnagle.com/2012/08/17/the-battle-for-russia-...

Some early reader reviews of THE OLIGARCH: A THRILLER:

On Amazon:
"In Alex Leksin GW Eccles has created a protagonist for the ages. A believable lead with a troubled past, he is very much Russia's answer to James Bond. The plot is a roller coaster that leaves the reader on the edge of their seats and unsure of our hero's fate until the spectacular finale with a twist ending that will leave you shaken." (Will Arnold)

"Captures vividly that unique blend of menace and chaos which continues to characterise post-soviet Russia. A thriller in every sense of the word." (Peter Lion)

"Great stuff! Labyrinthine plot, atmosphere in spades, crackling characters, lethal villains getting their comeuppance, brooding Moscow and ice-bound Siberia, colossal wealth & massive destructive power, blood all over the floor, double-crossing from start to finish, attractive but mysterious Anya chasing Leksin the flawed Bond hero through to an ironic conclusion. All with total authenticity from an author deeply familiar with the country and its complex historical and political cross-currents. Unputdownable, as the book carries the reader along at a breakneck pace. So, all the right ingredients for a gripping read. Don't miss it!" (Minmode)

"Eccles takes on a controversial subject with the balls required to do it justice and pulls no punches with the plot and its revelations. A vein of love woven through the meaty flesh of the action brings the characters off the page and makes this book one to watch for the discoverers!" (Roman Jakov)

On Apple iTunes:
"At last a thriller about Russia written by someone who, obviously, has actually been there! Whether in Moscow or Siberia, The Oligarch screams authenticity: a Russian President who stretched the rules to secure a third term of office, the murky world of oligarchs who will stop at nothing to maintain their wealth and influence, and the sinister behind-scenes tactics of the FSB. In weaving his complex plot, the author clearly understands the influences behind Russian political and business life today. In particular, I found the description of the remote and polluted Arctic mining town, where the main action of the thriller takes place, both harrowing and disturbing. An excellent read." (Ricky Cross, NY USA)

On Barnes & Noble:
"I am generally not a great fan of the thriller genre, but a friend of mine recommended that I buy The Oligarch, and I was surprised to find myself totally hooked almost as soon as I started reading. Not only does the story unfold at lightning speed right from its very dramatic and unexpected beginning, but - rare for a thriller in my experience - the characterisations are totally believable and the writing is of a very high standard. Just one small gripe: why has it only been published as an e-book? I can't help feeling that many people will miss out on this excellent story without a hard copy edition being available." (Maude Beattie)

On Powell Books USA:
"I worked in Russia for nearly thirteen years, starting not long after the Soviet Union disintegrated, and everything in this novel rings true to my experience - the excessive wealth of the 'businessmen' (as they were termed when I first arrived), the subtle - and not so subtle - interfering ways of the FSB, the ruthless way in which politicians and businessmen alike dealt with their opponents, the similarities between the situation in Ingushetia (as depicted here) and in Chechnya, and the burning cold, isolation and pollution of Siberian towns in Winter. Even the details are amazingly accurate: how people dress, the squalor of the living quarters, the nightmare of Siberian airports, everything. The author has certainly done his homework thoroughly, and in doing so has produced a truly first-class thriller. I was riveted." (Leo Manse USA)


Further details:

For further details, contact George Eccles at gweccles@theoligarchthriller.com.