Review: The Art of Privilege
The Art of Privilege is written by Carey Keith Green. It is his third novel; it is a detective story set in the heart of Wall Street. It starts with the death of a Wall Street banker and his stripper girlfriend. It takes us through the entwined lives of the girls at The Body Shop, the inside trading circle of Thatcher Reed, and some dramatic plane journeys. There are two protagonists that the novel follows, Detective Charles Sleetch and gallery and trading enthusiast Dylan Cash.
Detective Charles Sleetch fits into the familiar category of detectives that have become alcoholics and forgotten how to look after themselves. Despite being the first character we are introduced to, the real lead of the book is Dylan Cash. Dylan is the more charming protagonist, and certainly more likeable. He gets the job done; however, he couldn’t do it without his trusty sidekick, ‘Binky’, who is the brains of the pack, and puts down the cash to make Dylan’s extravagant plans possible.
As a mystery thriller, The Art of Privilege does the job, it keeps you engaged and wanting to know more. It is clear that Green has done his research, and his knowledge of Wall Street and financial crimes cannot be faulted. In fact, the part of the book when Dylan is working out who was involved with the Insider Trading was one of my favourite storylines in the whole book.
However, it does need to be mentioned that the jumping between narratives and perspectives is incredibly confusing. It took me a while to grasp the jumping around and how the different parts were linked. The differing perspectives trope that has become more common in recent publications, can work, however, a simple name at the top of the chapter may have helped point the reader in the right direction. Part of me also wonders whether Dylan and ‘Binky’ would have been a better story and lose Detective Charles Sleetch altogether. I suppose we will never know though.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read as a fan of the murder mystery thriller, although it was slightly confusing at times.
0 Comments