New York Times bestselling author Brian Haig returns with a riveting new thriller about a man caught between the politics of big government and the corruption of big business.
The Capitol Game
It was the deal of the decade, if not the century. A small, insignificant company on the edge of bankruptcy had discovered an alchemist's dream; a miraculous polymer, that when coated on any vehicle, was the equivalent of 30 inches of steel. With bloody conflicts surging in Iraq and Afghanistan, the polymer promises to save thousands of lives and change the course of both wars.
Jack Wiley, a successful Wall Street banker, believes he has a found a dream come true when he mysteriously learns of this miraculous polymer. His plan: enlist the help of the Capitol Group, one of the country's largest and most powerful corporations in a quick, bloodless takeover of the small company that developed the polymer. It seems like a partnership made in heaven...until the Pentagon's investigative service begins nosing around, and the deal turns into a nightmare. Now, Jack's back is up against the wall and he and the Capitol Group find themselves embroiled in the greatest scandal the government and corporate America have ever seen...
From Publishers Weekly
In Haig's exciting financial thriller, young hotshot Jack Wiley, a partner and senior v-p at an elite Wall Street private equity firm, approaches the Capitol Group, a large privately held corporation, with a golden opportunity--to acquire the troubled Arvan Chemicals company. Arvan has invented a polymer coating that when painted onto combat vehicles makes them virtually impenetrable to firepower, a product that will be worth billions to the military. With Jack's aid, the Capitol Group launches a successful takeover of Arvan. Haig leads the reader step-by-step through a believable scenario that details the making of the deal through the polymer's production and implementation. While the rewards are potentially enormous for all involved, as even the least astute will anticipate, the scheme must eventually go awry. Haig keeps the suspense boiling until the final twists as he reveals why and how everything unravels. Readers will be pleased by an ending that suggests clever Jack Wiley will return.
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From Booklist
Haigβs latest tackles the world of corporate finance and government contractors with surprising results. Jack Wiley arranges a meeting with the powerful Capitol Group, a cadre of men who practically run Washington. Wiley has an amazing offer they canβt refuse involving a company that has invented a paint that can be used on military equipment to provide a protective layer impenetrable to modern weaponry. The money and prestige is too good to pass, so the Group buys into Wileyβs plan, while at the same time investigating every aspect of Wileyβs life to uncover secrets that could be used against him later. The multiple layers of the story line will have readers turning the pages, but the currently low popularity of Wall Street and government will make this a tough sell to many thriller fans. Still, Haig has an established audience, and the Capitol game is definitely worth playing. Those who like Stephen Freyβs business thrillers will be pleased. --Jeff Ayers