Wednesday, October 5, 2011

"Insiders" By Marvin McIntyre

"Insiders"
By Marvin McIntyre
Addressing Serious Issues on Wall Street

"A chilling tale about the power of greed and the dangers of power, you'll keep one eye glued to the book and the other on your portfolio!" - Bill Miller


Marvin McIntyre, known in the financial world as "The Wizard" because of his great success in making money for his clients, has written his first book, "Insiders," inspired by the events that rocked the world's financial markets in 2008-2009.

McIntyre describes his new book as a thriller written to help us understand what went on behind the scenes on Wall Street during this critical time in our history. With more than 40 years of experience in the financial industry and currently serving as the managing director of a major NYSE brokerage firm, McIntyre is a top player who truly understands Wall Street.

"People are scared, frustrated, and looking for solutions in an acrimonious political climate," McIntyre says. "Fiction allows for free expression of ideas and has the potential to be well received as long as the entertainment value is the primary focus."

The following is a review from the October 3rd issue of Barron's: "Insiders," by financial advisor Marvin McIntyre (he is ranked in the top 100 by Barron's) spins an exciting yarn while addressing a serious issue: The increased complexity of financial instruments calls for improved and increased oversight, but that very complexity places the industry beyond the understanding of the regulators who would rein it in.

The novel's main character is financial advisor Mac McGregor, who is called on by a regulator friend to help solve a mystery. A former colleague of McGregor's named Jeremy Lyons has disappeared, but there is compelling evidence that he is operating a secret hedge fund. The fund is rumored to deliver spectacular returns, but because hedge funds are largely unregulated, almost nothing is known of Lyons and his business. Who are his clients? What does his fund invest in? How large is his operation? And most importantly, does he pose a threat to the stability of the post-2008 financial markets?

But where is Jeremy Lyons? In the years since Mac worked with him, Lyons has apparently moved off the grid, leaving few clues of his whereabouts. In a parallel story line that gives the story most of its sizzle, we learn all about Lyons' operation. A pathological character in the mold of the antihero protagonists of "First Deadly Sin" and "American Psycho," Lyons has constructed a super-exclusive nightclub that he uses to attract businessmen and politicians from whom he can extract the inside information that produces his outsize returns.

Lyons' righthand thug, Max, injects the story with a healthy dose of sadism, and some of Lyons' other underlings are featured in scenes that could have been lifted from Stieg Larsson's best-selling thrillers.

The pursuit of Lyons is action-packed and entertaining, but the strength of "Insiders" lies in its specifics about the financial industry. McIntyre's knowledge of finance - the nuts and bolts of investment management and financial advisory - allow him to weave a story that is fantastical and realistic at the same time. [Complete Barron's Review...]

Marvin McIntyre is a graduate of The Citadel, a Vietnam veteran, and recognized in Barron's "Top 100 Financial Advisors in the U.S." publication.  In 2010 and 2011, Barron’s ranked Mr. McIntyre as the top financial advisor in the Washington, D.C. area. 100% of the proceeds from this book will be donated to charity.

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