The Bank

***** Give yourself good time to read this book - you’ll find it difficult to put down.We first met cyber-crime sleuth Saskia van Essen as the protagonist in Miriam Verbeek’s award-winning crime thriller The Website, a story that grew from the author’s acclaimed Si’Empra series. Fans of the diminutive and unlikely heroine Saskia welcomed her return first in The Forest, and now here in The Bank, which stands on its own as a superb, fast-paced read.With Saskia at the helm, and with the assistance of an entertaining cast of accomplices and dusky (or are they trusty?) bank executives, The Bank dives headlong into the topical territory of a corrupt global banking system, in the process giving readers generous insight into the legal loopholes that enable money laundering, exploitation of minors, and the too-easy con of everyday people who still believe that banks are ’as safe as the bank of England’.The Bank is largely set in Lyon, and a side-delight is the vicarious tour of this beautiful French city. (Juliet Middleton - Editor) ***** An action-packed story about the corruption in the business world of Europe. ... A very human as well as an action-packed story. (Bronwyn Haddock - Goodreads)***** The writing is beautiful - just beautiful and a delight in itself. Verbeek uses precise language to create vivid scenes and a tense atmosphere, drawing readers into Saskia’s whirlwind of challenges. (Cristian Sia - Goodreads)***** The Bank explores themes of trust, morality, and the impact of corporate responsibility on individual lives. ... Saskia fights to uncover corrupt banking practices intertwined with organized crime and human exploitation ... portraying how financial systems can manipulate lives while drawing attention to human rights abuses ... The setting of Lyon offers a stunning backdrop but also enriches the narrative with a sense of place, emphasizing the juxtaposition between the city’s beauty and the darkness lurking in its financial systems. Verbeek writes in gorgeous prose and features unforgettable characters in this richly drawn, perfectly paced thriller. (Jeff Klune - Book Commentary) Saskia loves her new dream job in Lyon, France, investigating financial systems for the Friendly Society Bank. In her free time, she indulges her second passion, bike riding.She’s astonished when a stranger accuses her of murder, and even more bewildered when Europe’s top law enforcement agencies ask her to trace money trails that could lead to some of Europe’s criminal masterminds. Somehow, she must learn how to present an innocent face to the criminals who begin to track her every move as she delves into the secrets they think are hidden in the cyber world.When her family and friends receive death threats, she’s terrified, but it’s too late to stop her clandestine work. There’s a small window of opportunity for her to save herself and those she loves while bringing down an evil network ... and she has no way of knowing if her strategy will work.