MICHAEL SEARS spent more than twenty years on Wall Street, rising to become a managing director at Paine Webber and Jefferies & Co., before leaving the business in 2005. He is the author of Black Fridays. He lives in Sea Cliff, New York.

From the author of the extraordinary Edgar-nominated debut novel Black Fridays, a sensational story of murder and financial corruption—and one man’s continued search for redemption.

William von Becker ran one of the largest privately held investment banks in North America, until the bottom fell out, and the whole edifice was demonstrated to be a fraud.

After von Becker dies in prison, financial investigator Jason Stafford is hired by his family. There is still a lot of missing money out there, he’s told, and they want Stafford to find it before the Feds do—and certain other parties, some of whom are nowhere near as scrupulous in their methods. Bad things start happening to the people Stafford talks to. Soon bad things are happening to him as well.

Making it worse, his treacherous ex-wife has come to town, ostensibly to visit their young son. Stafford suspects there’s more to it than that, but even he has no idea how much that visit is about to change all their lives—and send him off to the next chapter of his life.

Praise for Mortal Bonds
 
“A twisty tale of greed, double-crossing and families bonds both good and very, very bad. Grade: A”— Cleveland Plain-Dealer
 
“Sears’s knowledge of investment banking makes the plot compelling . . . Deft, witty prose is a plus.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“As densely plotted as Sears’ strong debut (Black Fridays, 2012), with complications that keep mounting in the race to the final curtain.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Sears has a good feel for New York, where most of the action is set, for the world of finance (intelligently explained), for dialogue, and for the thriller genre.”—Booklist
 
Praise for Black Fridays

“It’s been a while since I’ve read a thriller so immediately captivating as Black Fridays. In the end, Stafford pulls of a stunt that would bring a smile to the face of Lisbeth Salander. It left me anxiously waiting for Sears’ next book and the further adventures of Stafford and the Kid.” – Dallas Morning News
 
“A great read [and] not only a window into a fascinating slice of Wall Street, but an unexpected and illuminating look at autism. Black Fridays is a book you’ll enjoy and remember. Jason Stafford is reportedly at work on a new assignment that will be covered in an upcoming book. Stay tuned.” – Fortune
 
“An emotional roller coaster. Black Fridays is definitely worth the investment.” – Associated Press
 
“An exciting and compelling thriller with an anthropologist’s eye for the diverse types encountered in high-stakes trading rooms.” – The Wall Street Journal
 
“Sears delivers a thoughtful, intricate cautionary tale in his impressive debut about greed, mismanaged money and thrill that the unscrupulous get from cheating the unsuspecting. But Black Fridays also works well as an excellent character study about a man coming to terms with his own limitations and trying to be a good father. An intriguing debut from an exciting new talent.” – South Florida Sun-Sentinel
 
“Sears is terrific at generating momentum and suspense while juggling a convoluted plot and an enormous cast of characters. An impressive first novel, one of the best of a recent crops of financial thrillers” – Publishers Weekly (starred)

“A stunning first novel, one of the year’s finest crime debuts. The book is thrilling and haunting at once.” – Booklist (starred review)

“A memorable debut. Much more than a financial thriller. It’s about theft, deception and dishonesty, but also about love, redemption and what is ultimately important at the end of the day, when the dust settles and the smoke clears.” – Bookreporter.com