There are many reasons why readers will be gripped by the cauchemardesque tale that David Snowdon unravels in his thought-provoking novel, A Crime to be Rich. One of these must be that it is a modern fable that questions the perceived benefits of unrelenting wealth accumulation, self-serving indulgence and an over-privileged lifestyle.

The central character, Shane Turnbull, represents everything that could be imagined of a successful City slicker at the time when fund managers’ reputations were still untarnished. Indeed he ticks all the boxes: 42, tall, light brown hair, a cleft in his chin (giving him the good looks of Roger Moore in his Simon Templar days), Eton educated and now a star working for a major investment bank in Mayfair. The only chink in his armour could be his own over-sensitivity to the class status of those around him - their accent and the way they dress, for example. But, despite this, married and settled with a beautiful wife, a more perfect existence could not be envisaged.

That is, until one day when he receives a phone call that turns his life upside-down, destroys his template of a model world and makes him into a pursued man fending his demons away from the door. Despite his best efforts, his life enters a downward spiral that he cannot escape.

Given the current interest in all things related to the 1980s, it is a sobering reminder to those who never experienced those times that the frenzied mantras of, ‘Greed is good’ and ‘Lunch is for wimps’ do not always end with the best possible outcomes. And for those who are simply familiar with the more recent displays of Mammon-worship among some sections of the banking community, a certain degree of Schadenfreude can be understood and, indeed, excused.

A Crime to be Rich is a deeply moral tale in which the price for wrongdoing is paid without any concession. However, along with this underlying message, David Snowdon has painted a psychological picture of a deeply troubled character and of the flawed section of society in which he has staked his claim. But most of all, A Crime to be Rich is a tense thriller with supernatural sub-plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats and introduces most of them (me, for example!) to a world that they would never normally encounter.

-Reviewed by Mark O’Sullivan