NUMBERED ACCOUNT

NUMBERED ACCOUNT

CHRISTOPHER REICH

This is very exciting novel about the Swiss Banks and the Swiss Banking system. It brings out the secret working of the Swiss Banking system and how it is misused for illegal activities.

It is the story of Nicholas Neumann who is the son of a senior executive of a Swiss bank whose branch is based in the US.

Nick sacrifices a brilliant and promising Wall Street career as well as his fiancée and leaves USA for Switzerland to work in his father’s bank. The bank is headed by his father’s close friend. Nick shifts to Switzerland and takes up work in his father’s bank to solve the mystery and find the murderer of the brutal killing of his father seventeen years ago.

Nick starts working at the bottom rung of the bank and quickly learns about the nitty gritty of the workings of a Swiss bank. He learns about the secret money transfers to and fro from the banks. He learns about the absolute secrecy that goes along with the system. He learns about the money laundering of drug money as well as transfer of huge amounts to various banks across the globe to fund terrorism.

Nick eventually gets to handle a very big account which handles millions of dollars transferred to and from the said account. The account holder is known only by his code name “Pasha”. Pasha turns out to be a Middle Eastern millionaire who is organizing a very big terrorist activity. Pasha has built up his personal army and has planned an activity which will cause great harm across Europe and the world.

Nick eventually solves the mystery of his father’s death and also becomes successful in pulling off the mask of Pasha.

It is a very hair raising story bringing out the misuse of the secrecy of Swiss banking system by sinister persons to create global havoc.

Natural Causes

This novel by Michael Palmer is a medico-legal thriller.

The story revolves around Dr. Sarah Baldwin, who is a resident Doctor at the Medical Centre of Boston. Before becoming a doctor Sarah was a practitioner of Holistic healing which included alternative therapies such as acupuncture and ayurvedic and herbal medicines. She had obtained her training in holistic medicine and acupuncture under an oriental master at Thailand. From there she came to Boston and started working with Peter Ettinger a leading Alternative and Holistic medical practitioner. But after three years with him she became disillusioned and she decided to study medicine and become a doctor and practice medicine. She was convinced that an MD in medicine coupled with her experience in holistic medicine would prove to be a boon to her patients who would get best of both the worlds.

But Sarah’s life turns topsy turvy when three of her patients, taking her herbal supplements develop complications. Two of these patients die due to excessive bleeding and also lose their unborn children. The third one named Lisa (the daughter of a Multi millionaire) due to excessive bleeding loses her hand and also her child.

This is when all hell breaks lose. Lisa’s father sues Sarah for malpractice. Michael Palmer is a gifted story teller and he brings out the medical and legal aspects very cleverly in weaving a very interesting and page turning novel in the class of a Robin Cook.

Love of a Father for his Child

 

The above is obtained from Facebook " Fight for Life's Photo"

It is very touching and it makes me to think. As a father I have done many things, scolded my children, spanked them when needed, tried to discipline them through punishment, denied them things which I felt were not appropriate, so on and so forth.

All these things at a later stage in life builds up a feeling of guilt. A father starts thinking if he was right in doing all these things. He thinks whether he was harsh. A father is caught up in a maze of such thoughts and feelings.

But one thing is certain and that is a father loves his children unconditionally. Generally in our Indian society the importance of a mother is well recognized and her sacrifice is spoken of greatly. A father is relegated to the back ground.

But as a father of two children I would like to impress that the love of a father is no less. The only draw back perhaps is the way of showing the love. A fathers love is not vocal.

As a father I love my kids from the bottom of my heart and I am willing to do anything for them. These emotions are not exclusive to me but are universal for all fathers. 

When my son was born I understood the love that my father felt towards me. The nights he must have stayed awake during my illness. The hardship he must have undergone to make two ends meet in providing for my education. The pleasures he must have sacrificed in providing for my future. The sleepless nights he must have spent worrying about my career. The list is endless. 

I had just taken these things for granted. My father was always there for me as I am always there for my kids. 

A father is lucky when the kids realize the sacrifices the fathers have done.

I don't know if my father is lucky enough. I don't know if I have been a good son to my father.

But one thing I can say that my father is a wonderful father.  I don't know whether I am as good a father to my kids. It is for them to judge.

One thing is certain that a father loves his children unconditionally. and I realized this only when my son was born.