The Barnes & Noble Review
Returning to the fore after last year's acclaimed bestseller The Insider,, author Stephen Frey gives us his latest thriller set in the world of high finance. Trust Fund, rightfully subtitled "A Novel of Money and Power," centers on a Kennedy-like dynasty awash with politics, affluence, and tragedy.

Much like Joe Kennedy Sr., Jimmy Lee Hancock is the ruling patriarch of the wealthy Hancock family and the controlling force behind his five children. The oldest, Paul, has aspirations to become president of the United States, and Jimmy Lee uses his vast fortune to destroy all of Paul's political opposition. Younger son Bo is a brilliant financier and heads the Hancocks' investment fund, Warfield Capital, elevating it one of the most powerful firms on Wall Street. But there are secrets in the Hancock family that begin to drive a wedge between the siblings. Bo's suspected womanizing and battle with the bottle make him a potential black mark on Paul's campaign for the White House, and without warning or discussion Jimmy Lee banishes him to Montana.

Warfield Capital is handed over to the conniving Frank Ramsey. Jimmy Lee has a heart attack, and Bo is contacted by a Warfield administrator saying that Ramsey is using the family money in all kinds of illegal deals. Bo returns in an effort to regain his status, not only at Warfield but also within his own family. But the battle is a much larger one than he originally believed, as Bo soon learns of a government conspiracy bent on taking over what he has built. A number of murders follow as Bo is forced to confront past skeletons and struggle not only with outside adversaries but also with his own kin.

The scenes in which assassins are turned loose to clean up all the troublesome family threads are genuinely disturbing. Stephen Frey is able to squeeze out vast amounts of anxiety as unknown, unseen attackers use money, influence, and violence to destroy any resistance. The conspiracies that abound in Trust Fund add another level of irony to the title, as battle lines are drawn and household skirmishes turn into life-and-death scenarios. Frey, who's also a financier for a private equity firm, uses his unique understanding of economics to drive the crafty twists of the narrative. The Insider brought Stephen Frey to the highest ranks as a suspense author, and Trust Fund will solidify his position at the top.

--Tom Piccirilli