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The Fear Index

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The Fear Index

By: Robert Harris
Narrated by: Phillip Franks
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About this listen

'Harris is a master of pace and entertainment' Observer

'Could scarcely be more of the moment' The Times

Nothing spreads like fear . . .

In the secretive inner circle of the ultra-rich, Alex Hoffmann is a legend.

He has developed an algorithm for playing the financial markets that generates billions of pounds - and feeds on panic.

When one day his system is threatened by a terrifying intruder who breaches the elaborate security of his lakeside home, his life becomes a waking nightmare of violence and paranoia.

But who is trying to destroy him? And is it already too late?

'There are moments when this book feels so up to date it could have been written next week . . . spookily exciting' Express

 Action & Adventure Crime Thrillers Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Exciting

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Critic reviews

The Fear Index could scarcely be more of the moment
In The Fear Index , the latest thriller by Robert Harris, now heading for the Christmas bestseller lists, a brainbox hedge fund manager with little in the way of interpersonal skills discovers that his computer-driven trading system has flown out of control and threatens to send the world's stock markets into a tailspin. Anyone familiar with Mary Shelley's Dr Frankenstein will recognise the genre of the oddball genius consumed by his own creation - populist fiction at its best.
I would recommend The Fear Index, the new novel by Robert Harris that delves into the world of modern finance. The writing is as elegant as ever
Robert Harris is renowned for his historical novels, although his eighth offering, The Fear Index, could hardly be more contemporary and relevant . . . Harris writes with a deceptively languid elegance, so that the novel straddles not only the crime and sci-fi genres but also that of literary fiction. A satisfying read on a number of levels, it is strongest as a character study of a man who discovers, pace Hemingway, the true meaning of the phrase "grace under pressure".
Robert Harris's eighth novel is a timely blockbuster of a thriller that takes the global financial meltdown as its backdrop, with nods to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein . . . An assuredly intelligent and deftly-paced novel, the fear of the protagonist is increasingly palpable as he's buffeted by genuinely unexpected spine-chilling twists. Perhaps the greatest thriller writer around, Harris has delivered his best work yet. A modern classic.
VIXAL-4 succeeds partly by keeping a close eye on the news and clearly so does Harris: the plot ingeniously combines a number of recent phenomena (financial, political, online, artistic) covered by journalism . . . Grippingly dramatising the workings of the economy (I understood for the first time how hedge funds work), The Fear Index is in another sense, an economic novel, not merely in its condensed time-scheme but its sparing wordage.
Robert Harris's thriller covers a single day in Dr Hoffman's life - May 6, 2010 (the date of the last British general election) - when it all goes wrong, or rather, which is more frightening, when it all goes dramatically, unstoppably right . . . The Fear Index is a frightening book, of course, as, with its title, it intends. Harris has an excellent sense of pace, and understands as much about fear in literature as Hoffman does in markets.
There are moments when this book feels so up to date it could have been written next week . . . Not only is Harris a brilliant yarn spinner he also makes the mysteries of what hedge funds do and what short-selling means entirely understandable and spookily exciting.
All stars
Most relevant

Would you consider the audio edition of The Fear Index to be better than the print version?

I am not sure what to make of this one. A strange and unsettling story and at the end you are not sure exactly what the meaning of it all was. You can interpret it so many different ways. I did not read the print version.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would not have so many long passages about stocks and shares and trading. Unless you know a lot about it - rather long winded.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The first scene.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Strange story

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Tight and pacey, a breezy thriller that explores the potential pitfalls of requiring too much of - and relying too much on - a machine-efficient future. Most enjoyable.

Excellent, prescient listen..

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Lacked depth. It did not keep my attention like other RH books. It seemed too short.

RH is a favourite author but I think this story was not good

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