Plus Ça Change

Jules Dufour, a Jewish banker in Paris, devised a complex scheme (involving his son Armand) to save the family and the family bank from liquidation when Germany invaded France in 1940. The scheme worked, but it needed the co-operation of Sheikh Ghassan, the Amir (ruler) of Abdali Umm-Qasr, an oil-rich French dependency. Ghassan had reason to believe that, at the end of the war, his country would gain its independence and control the oilfield. However, under pressure from the USA, this only happened years later, in a deal negotiated by Jules in 1945. Sheikh Khalil, Amir from 1965, saw the deal as a betrayal by Jules. In 2010, as a very old man, he wants revenge - which he delegates to his nephew Omar, head of the government's IT procurement agency. Khalil induces Armand, head of the bank from 1955, to open a subsidiary in Abdali Umm-Qasr, managed by Frederick Chapman from the bank's Vienna office. Omar has a secret hold over Frederick's wife Laura and can use her, if necessary, to put pressure on the bank. Omar approaches Frederick for a huge IT loan, which is granted without involving Laura. However, he has planted a flaw in the loan, so that it will not be repaid and will destroy the bank. He has diverted part of the loan to his girlfriend Trudi's business in Vienna, where she is one of Frederick's customers. Learning of a connection between Omar,Trudi and Laura, Frederick asks his wife about this. She alerts him to Omar's designs, and he discovers the booby trap in the loan - but with the bank's reputation and Laura's liberty at stake there is no way out. Armand, long retired, appeals to Khalil directly. Khalil won't listen, but has a change of heart when Armand tells him that Laura (Khalil's distant relative!) is being exploited by Omar. Khalil wanted to damage the bank, not destroy it, and says that Omar has acted disgracefully. He defuses the plot, and the bank survives. Frederick deals with Trudi, and is revealed as Armand's grandson - and the next head of the bank.

Howard Harries is a native Londoner, born in 1949 and graduating in History from Oxford University in 1970. He spent most of his career working for foreign banks, including four years in Kuwait - an interesting stint, which came to an abrupt end when Iraq invaded the emirate in 1990.After writing numberless words (tautology?) during his lifetime, mainly for work purposes but sometime filing arts reviews for the local newspaper and producing a community group magazine, he has now turned his hand to the novel.He admits that, after many years writing business plans, operating procedures and reports, it has come as a relief to write something more realistic.Of the great mystery writers, he particularly admires Eric Ambler - and aspires (with due humility) to emulate a fraction of his brilliance.He hopes that his readers will enjoy this book.