I am a management consultant, specializing in quantitative analysis applied to risk and strategy, and an aspiring writer. In my novels, I try to mix a thrilling story with complex, realistic characters against the backdrop of bigger social, political and moral issues. I like to call my concepts “science possible”—not necessarily current science, but not quite the stretch of what is classically called science fiction.
My writing aspirations were cemented back in the seventies (back when I had time to devour everything I cared to read), plowing through works by Len Deighton, Alistair Maclean, Graham Greene, Ira Levin, John le Carre, Robert Ludlum, Ken Follett, Gregory McDonald, and, from the early days, Eric Ambler. More than ever, though, my principal inspiration comes down to two authors: Ian Fleming and Frederick Forsyth.
Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, was only about 150 pages in paperback—almost a novella in today’s world—but the first time I read it (at the age of 14), it hit me like an uppercut to the solar plexus. Later books became more polished, reaching a pinnacle, in my opinion, with On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Yes, Fleming’s misogyny and racism is deplorable, but his ability to write a fantasy thriller will probably never be duplicated. To use Fleming’s own words, he managed to thrill his readers “right down to their taste buds.”
As much as I enjoyed the Bond series, the highest compliment I could imagine with regard to my writing would be for someone to compare it to that of Frederick Forsyth. Where Fleming appealed to the reader’s primal fears and desires, Forsyth satisfied their intellectual desires with a combination of intricate plots and everyday people thrust into larger-than-life conflicts, all based on an incredible degree of research on current and historical events. Books like The Odessa File and The Day of Jackal forever shaped my vision of what a great novel should be.
In addition to my writing, I’m passionate about food and wine, photography, and cars.
Photography by Charles Jacobs
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