Money Talks

Now and then, a novel turns out to be prophetic - and no one is more surprised than the author.

When I wrote Money Talks back in 2007, neither I nor anyone else imagined that the White House would soon be occupied by a man who bears such a striking and in fact uncanny resemblance to my villain, Robert Maxx. I wasn't trying to write a predictive dystopia; all I wanted to do was to tell an engaging story that would let me think my way into the mind of a real-estate mogul with a bullying manner, a head of hair flamboyant enough to match his ego, and a somewhat childish fixation to see his name on very tall buildings. I wanted to explore what drove that kind of man, what kind of neediness was behind his endless quest for power.

And I wanted to see how an ordinary, decent fellow might keep his moral bearings while in the employ and thrall of such a person. My everyman was a mild-mannered ghostwriter named David Collins. His predicament, in 2017, is one that millions of us share: How to hang on to his hopes, his dignity, and maybe even his sense of humor, in a high-stakes game where the bad guys seem to be holding all the chips.

Part dark comedy, part boardroom drama, part murder mystery, and part prescient satire, Money Talks is a refreshing reminder that truth will eventually win out and justice will eventually be done.