I came to Joseph Finder through his amazing novel Killer Instinct, one of the best reads I've found in years. So when I picked up Finder's newest release, Power Play, I had unbelievably high expectations. I found Power Play to be engaging, a ton of fun, and although a tad bit less stellar than Killer Instinct, still a book I'd without hesitation recommend to anyone interested in reading an exciting, compelling thriller.

Like most of Finder's recent novels, Power Play is set in the corporate world. However, this time, Finder has let the suits come out to play. At an ultra-high-class weekend retreat, executives are drinking, socializing, and (in theory) building camaraderie through ropes courses and physical activity. Controllers, CFOs, marketing executives, and two anomalies: Cheryl, the newly appointed female CEO, and Jake, a low-level executive filling in for his boss.

But before the executives can build those ties that bind, disaster happens: a group of rough and ragged hunters bursts in to rob the group. But the robbery turns more serious when the lead hunter starts reciting the company's latest stock prices, their cash reserves, and even recognizes the executives. Within a few hours, the robbery has turned into a full-blown kidnapping-for-ransom.

Only Jake - a brazen young man with a secret, disquieting past - has the guts and know-how to engineer a revolt. Before he's done, he'll have to do more than exert raw muscle, though. He'll have to let loose piece of his own guarded past, investigate the real motivation for the kidnapping, and deal with Internet and corporate security, a plethora of small firearms, and several men who are much more than hunters-turned-robbers. It's not until the last few pages that all is revealed, and the wait is worth every minute you'll spend poring over the pages, bent down in the glow of a bedside lamp.

Finder seems to be a master at two things that rise above all else in his novels. First, he puts you in flow. His chapters are very short - often only two or three pages - and although he doesn't provide a traditional "hook" at the end of each chapter (a cliffhanger), you're constantly turning to the next chapter, taking one more small bite, delaying the moment when you put the book down. The second is he crafts great scenes. There's no boring introspective while a character lies in the dark and drives across the street or waits for their coffee. Every word is pushing the story forward. The result is a very fast-paced ride.

As of late, Finder has reduced the language in his books, so while there are still enough four-letter words to offend some conservatives, they're of a "lesser" grade than f-bombs and the like that you'll find in many thrillers. And there's no sex in this one at all, which is nice. The result is a read that doesn't offend much, and the language is not featured like it once was. If you can deal with the mild cursing, I can't recommend this highly enough. Pick it up today, and you may not sleep tonight.

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