If you enjoy multiple subplots and a thriller with a topical theme, then Steven Gore’s second novel might be of interest. Investigator Graham Gage returns to tackle an investigation that, if not successful, could have serious repercussions for the international financial community.

The death of a former FBI agent before a scheduled meeting with the Federal Reserve Chairman to discuss a case he had been working on means that Gage is called in to finish the job and locate a missing economist. At the same time as he is trying to find the man and determine what really happened to his predecessor, Gage’s wife gets caught up in social unrest in China. On the home front, the U.S. President is ailing and about to hand over control to a vice president who really isn’t fit for the task.

There’s a lot happening here. As author Steven Gore tries to bring all the plot strands of his far-ranging story together, he also provides a mini-course on economics, the dangers of the devaluation of currency, and how the whole system can easily collapse, bringing down governments around the globe.

This is an ambitious novel; some would say Gore tried to do too much here. Absolute Risk has received mixed reviews thus far. I did finish the book but, frankly, it was a grind.