What
critics have said about Final Venture...
“This is thriller writing of a high
order”
Publishing News
“Ridpath has the rare gift of being
able to write clearly and simply about the corporate world in
a way that suggests he actually wants the reader to understand
it.”
The Times
Publisher's Description…
Simon Ayot, fast-rising English star at Revere Partners, one of Boston’s
top venture capitalists, seems to have everything going his way.
Newly married to Lisa, a beautiful biotech researcher, he’s about
to pull off his first major deal. Simon is devastated when Frank
Cook, senior partner at Revere and his father-in-law, kills the
funding for his hot new internet investment. But his anger quickly
turns to terror when a few days later Frank is found dead at his
remote beach house. And, as the police soon discover, Simon was
one of the last to see him alive.
Desperate to save his marriage and stay out of jail, Simon begins his own investigation into Frank’s murder. What is the truth about Revere's gold-plated investment, the secretive BioOne? Was Frank really killed for his multimillion-dollar share in his firm’s profits? And who will be next to die? In the biotech world the risks are sky-high. And for some the rewards are worth killing for…
Writing Final Venture…
In Final Venture I have returned to the world of venture capital.
Stock markets have gone wild for start ups with huge expenses and
no profits in sight, and these have become some of the most valuable
assets in venture capitalists' portfolios. But are these companies
worth anything? Some must be, but, just as certainly, some must
not. It is quite possible for a venture capital investment to be
worth several hundred million dollars one day, and nothing the
next. This can be the fate of many biotechnology companies. A new
drug can take decades and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.
That money can be recouped with a handsome return on top, but only
if the drug makes its way successfully through the clinical trials
process. The stakes are high, and secrecy is vital, as I found
out when I tried to talk to people in the industry. A perfect background
for a thriller.
The book gave me the chance to explore the experiences of an Englishman in America. I am married to an American, and have spent a lot of time there. The hero of the book, an Englishman from a very traditional background, is also married to an American. He is attracted by the openness and can-do attitude of the country, but can't quite shed his English reserve. The action takes place in Boston, a city renowned for its glittering new high-tech and biotech companies, as well as for its old families, and traditional attitudes.
Although my fourth book, Final Venture was difficult to write. This doesn’t seem fair: surely by now the whole process should have become dead easy? Well, it hasn’t, but I believe Final Venture was worth all the effort.
Buy ebook now on Kindle.
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