PAUL N. STAM
Author
The Nick Sanders Thrillers
News & Reviews
I am really happy to announce that THE LONG SQUEEZE received a glowing review on Kirkus Reviews. This is huge, a proud accomplishment on this journey I have embarked on. Please check it out:
A forensics accountant and former fed looking into the death of an FBI pal may have exposed an imminent terroristattack in the second in Stam’s (The Trust Company, 2012) thriller series.
When venture fund Phoenix Holdings loses three employees, including undercover fed Chuck Engler, in an unexplained plane crash, the FBI calls in Nick Sanders as a consultant. Nick, who’d previously worked in the bureau’s financial crimes unit, joins his girlfriend, Special Agent Lisa Velasquez, in investigating his friend’s involvement in Phoenix. The two initially suspect that Chuck had been on the take, but the agent’s posthumous message for Nick—“follow the money”—points toward a broader conspiracy. Phoenix’s higher-ups dispatch men to follow Nick and Lisa, and soon the couple finds possible links between the company and a planned terrorist strike on the U.S. Despite the protagonist’s white-collar profession (Nick opens the story having just finished auditing a shipping company’s books), Stam’s novel has a staggering amount of action. Nick and Lisa, for one, wind up in the midst of multiple gunfights. Suspense-laden plot points include a mysterious key Chuck leaves for Nick; baddies with the ability to sever communications (i.e.,cellphones); and an unexpected ally for the investigating duo. The financial storyline sparks curiosity, especially narrator Nick’s thorough explanation of unfamiliar terms, like shorting stocks. It’s likewise refreshing that the nerdish Nick, an ex-Marine, is physically adept and funny (he left the Marines because his next promotion would make him Lt. Col. Sanders). It’s understandable that the final act focuses on deaths, near deaths, and dodging bullets—particularly with a potential bomb in the equation—but it’s unfortunate that it sidelines Nick’s brainy half. Stam drops in a few twists before the ending; some are predictable, others shocking, but none of them slows down the gleefully rapid pace.
Nick is an action fan’s dream, with the smarts and charm of an exemplary character who warrants a third installment of the series. - Kirkus Reviews
★★★★★ Nick Sanders is back and better than ever!
I started reading this on a plane and could not put it down to the last perfect line. What a terrific read! Paul Stam brings back wise-cracking, smartass financial investigator Nick Sanders for a thrilling second feature. This go-round features fast pacing, taut writing, lots of action, but best of all, Stam’s specialty, placing the arcana of high finance in the service of a spectacular story. He is particularly good with his villains, creating deliciously odious characters who inhabit the rarefied hedge fund world of money, drugs, money, prostitutes, money, luxury cars, planes, and islands, and money. Treat yourself and dive into this book! P. McBride, Amazon Verified Purchase
★★★★★ Awesome Read.
Awesome read ... up till 3 AM reading the last 50 pages because I literally could not put it down. Plot is totally believable and the characters well thought out. Can't wait for Mr. Stam's next Nick Sanders thriller ! Jeff Hindman, Amazon Verified Purchase
"The Trust Company by Paul N. Stam is a character driven book that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, worried about the people in the story until they turn the last page. Stam takes fans on a journey that will leave them wanting more." Judge, Writer’s Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards
"The Trust Company is a white-knuckle ride of big money, dirty business, and dark humor from Wall Street. Paul Stam knows the world of private wealth management inside out and oh what a story he weaves." Norb Vonnegut, author of The Trust, The Gods of Greenwich and Top Producer.
★★★★★ So who stars in the Movie?
"A man can do a lot in three seconds." If a reader wants to find out just what that might include, learn more than Wall Street would like anyone to know about international banking, and glimpse still another take on the rivalry between the multitudinous federal agencies all chartered and tax-supported to protect us, The Trust Company showcases a new voice and a new perspective to the genre. This reader's hoping for a chance to revisit Nick Sanders and his companions on another caper. M. Kramer, Amazon Verified Purchase
★★★★★ Outstanding
Stam's written an outstanding page turning story and keeps you guessing the whole way. He brings together political thriller and murder mystery with a splash of Jason Borne action as Nick Sanders uncovers a complex web of motives.....fighting killers, reveloutionaries and scammers to help bring justice AND the truth. Most impressively, the story gets harder to put down as the pages turn. Even to the last word, I had to know what happend next! D. Novelli, Amazon Verified Purchase
★★★★★ The Trust Company
This was the best "first book published" novel that I've read in many years, and in this genre, probably the best. I thought the plot, the character development, and the dialogue was incredibly professional and read more like the 5th novel of a very successful suspense author. I sincerely hope that author Paul Stam has more to write, because his work is most enjoyable. M. Cooper, Amazon Verified Purchase
