The Contango series of books by Chris Dunn

The Contango Series

Twelve espionage thrillers set in the worlds of finance, newspaper publishing and international intelligence.

Hotly pursued by Russian spies, unearthing dark secrets about the future of the economy and forever looking over his shoulder, banker turned spy, Joe, is at the dark heart of The Contango series. During the course of twelve ambitious novels, the enigmatic Joe must risk his own life in pursuit of truth and justice.

The first book in the Contango series, Deadlines, sees reporter Tom Stone unearth a huge financial scandal. In Domus, the reader meets the series’ main protagonist, Joe, who infiltrates both intelligence organisations and banks at the highest level to discover exactly what The Bank of England is hiding from the public.

Joe inhabits a fictional world that’s not so hard to believe today: economists are predicting a financial crash and newspaper editors are held up as examples of corruption. In the books that follow, Joe becomes a financial figurehead, oversees a troubled bank and is finally forced into into hiding.

Throughout the Contango collection, we move with Joe through his high-octance exploits in the City and witness the beginnings of an impending financial crisis through heated exchanges between the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair and his Chancellor, Gordon Brown. Joe seamlessly moves from the world of finance to spy headquarters and deep into European hideaways as he – and his friends, co-conspirators and enemies – fight to uncover the plans that others have for further corruption and financial ruin.

DEADLINES

DEADLINES, the first in Chris Dunn’s Contango series, traces the bid of raw young City reporter, Tom Stone, to crack the secret of a spectacular City swindle mounted by Wolf de Boys, the brilliant young financier.

DOMUS

In the cut-and-thrust world of banking, a private bank can be the most dangerous place in the City to work, especially if a very rich and determined family owns a quarter of it and decide things aren’t being done to their liking.

CONTANGO

An old Secret Service plan of twenty and more years seeks completion. And Joe, Chief Executive of Martins Bank is again called into the fray.

TRICKS

Once extremely rich and successful, Joe is now broke, his reputation in tatters. With few options open to him, he survives from day to day by living on his wits and partnering the affluent ladies of the exclusive Liz Playfair Bridge Academy.

COMMEDIA

Still struggling to come to terms with his espionage life in Berlin before the Wall came down, Joe is installed at Pugh Park in Hampshire with the glamorous Perdita.

SPOILS

Ex-spy Joe reckons his luck has finally run out. Joe is Joint Deputy CEO at the multinational ABC Bank, along with Felix. But Felix is an agent from Joe’s Berlin spying days. And the power-broking Felix is hell-bent on murder.

STIR

A nonchalant Emma, wanders away from an idyllic life in Italy with Joe - careless Emma! In London, on holiday, she meets former top City financier Blake, just released from jail after ex-colleague Commander framed him for fraud; Blake is bent on revenge and murder.

FOIBLE

As the US army storms into Baghdad, Saddam Hussein’s treasure leaves town, en route for Europe’s banks. Awaiting the hoard’s arrival eagerly in Venice is a motley bunch of conmen, hoods, card sharp ad inevitably, a London stock-broker, Patrick the Beautiful.

TALENTS

Two ambitious women are running for the Square Mile’s top job - Governor of the Bank of England. They fell out at school years ago over the same man. In a twist of fate, they play ferociously competitive bridge together at the same ultra-chic West London club.

CAPTURE

Annie and Gamma join forces, with Annie undercover as a teacher at Britain’s leading private school for young ladies. Tom Stone, down on his luck again, encounters an old foe in de Boys, and actively assists in the exposure of evil forces manipulating world currencies.

QUONDAM

Quondam sees the return of Joe, operational again, and former lives converging with old friends and enemies reappearing. Relationships twist and turn. Tom Stone and Emma? Joe and Emma? Annie and Gamma plotting to protect UK interests.

DENOUEMENT

Joe is back. A member of the Monetary Policy Committe of the Bank of England no less. Having taken up Emma’s offer of sanctuary in Pelham Crescent is he still in danger? He is again operational and his position is highly precarious - who can he trust?

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