Jonathan Kieran

An abundance of novels in the marketplace—books ostensibly geared for seasoned, adult readers—have so suffered from the trend of infantilization and the West’s pervasive, cultural “dumbing-down” that one tends to approach new work with an unhealthy dose of Low Expectation. I’m pleased to note, however, that Shallow Stock, a ripping new effort by UK author DR Shores, swims refreshingly against the tide, exploring the deeper waters of adult motifs regarding morality, ambition, resilience and the existential consequences of life (and death) in the corporate mortal coil. That Shores’s novel manages this without sacrificing a shred of entertainment value is something thoughtful readers ought to celebrate.

The heroine in Shallow Stock, businesswoman Wynter McGlynn, is a corporate force-of-nature on the cusp of a masterful, consolidating victory against her family’s brood of nemeses, the Dayton dynasty. Alas, counteractive plots have already been set in place against Wynter and, shall we say, things fall rather apart for her at the crucial juncture. Ms. McGlynn, however, is not to be messed-with, as readers shall discover to often breathless delight.

Tautly written, plotted, and page-turning, Shallow Stock proves to be a saga up at the sharp end, of the sort James Clavell used to write with such tour de force flair—Noble House comes immediately to mind, for instance. Certainly, the author has wrought exquisite alchemy to conjure a character like Wynter McGlynn, and her rip-roaring struggles to regain her empire are three-dimensional in scope … as well as palpably engrossing. Shores has a background in corporate life, so the gripping details are not lost upon him or his calculating array of characters. More than anything, an undercurrent of ultimate consequence wends its way through the work, reminiscent (once again) of the unique magic summoned by names like Clavell and even Ayn Rand, who spared no twist or turn on the thrill-ride of cutthroat reality, but who were equally unafraid to ask the more potentially terrifying questions that underpin the spiritual struggle for human survival and success at all costs.

Shallow Stock is a keeper. Get thee to your favorite bookseller.

To learn more about Shallow Stock and author DR Shores, visit the official site.

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[ Delightful new work by Jonathan Kieran is slated for major release in the near future so brace yourselves and think of England. This stuff is built for speed. Stay tuned for more … ]

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