This is different to many thrillers in that it is set in the world of high finance. Who knew that is a context which could be so exciting? Weave into that a complicated love story, and this is a book which is just begging to be translated onto the big screen. I was not that interested in the financial details of the book but it certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

Set against the glamorous yet sultry backdrop of Hong Kong, Alexander “Dusty” Street is tasked with shoring up a failing acquisition worth billions. The pressure to conclude the deal is coming from all sides, including from Jacqueline, a childhood love whom he has never forgotten from the years he spent going to school in Kowloon. Now she is in his life again, alluring and available, complicating both the acquisition and his distant, troubled marriage. As the walls close in and the plummeting world financial market hangs in the balance, Dusty must calculate the true cost of career, love, and family.

Having worked for decades in many countries as an investment banker, debut novelist Coffman certainly has the experience to write a financial thriller of this magnitude. Coffman delivers with the writing chops, too: the narrative is skilled, confident, the voice engaging. Dusty is a likable and believable character. His occasional, surprising insights into his motivations and past are refreshing, welcome, and border on the profound. Readers will gladly follow Dusty into the dizzying heights of the Hong Kong skyscrapers as well as into the seedy back alley dumpling shops where deals are made, secrets are revealed, and lives are either enriched or destroyed. Crisis Deluxe can hold its own with the best of them, and Coffman is definitely an author to watch.

this was a great mystery novel, the characters were great and I enjoyed the plot of the book. I enjoyed the mystery and getting to know the characters.