Black Fridays

By: Michael Sears

Narrated by: Erik Bergmann

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

Sometimes a man can be redeemed. But not in the way he expects.

Jason Stafford is a former Wall Street hotshot who made some bad moves, paid the price with two years in prison, and is now trying to put his life back together. He’s unemployable, until an investment firm asks him to look into possible problems left by a junior trader who died recently in an accident. What he discovers is big - there are problems, all right, the kind that get you killed.

But it’s not his only concern. Stafford has another quest as well: to reclaim his five-year-old son, "the Kid", from his unstable ex-wife, and then learn just what it means to make a life with him. The things Stafford discovers about himself in the process are every bit as gripping as his investigation, and when the two threads of his life come together - the results are unforgettable.

Black Fridays marks the arrival of a remarkable new writer.

©2012 Michael Sears (P)2012 Penguin Audiobooks

I enjoyed it. I loved the end!

It was well written & Extremely well narrated. I wish Eric Bergmann continued as the narrator in book 2 - But this was good enough to get me to purchase the second novel after a sample from the new author. I'm just a regular guy - But Michael did a great job breaking down the financial aspects & I thought overall - It could have been a 5 star review. I think his son distracted me from the story a little - Or it would have been an easy five star. By the end - I was o.k. with the son part of the story. Worth going all the way through to the end.

Lots of Intrigue and Charm

I was concerned about spending my credit on this book as financial mysteries don't usually spark my interest -- especially where the protagonist, Jason Stafford, was a white collar convict. I kept hearing about this new book from friends and from the good reviews on this site. I finally decided to give this audio-book a try. I immediately loved the narration by Erik Bergmann. He can act and read in so many unique voices. Well done, Erik!

While the financial mystery turns out to be very interesting, the best part of the story is how Jason interacts with his 4-5 year old autistic son "the Kid." Every scene with both of them was priceless. I used another of my credits to buy the next audio-book in this series before I even finished this one. I look forward to continuing this story.

Outstanding Narrator; Excellent Plot

I loved, loved, loved the narrator's performance! The storyline/plot is excellent, even though towards the middle it slowed down a bit but never lost my attention or interest. I literally listened to this story straight through with just a few hours of sleep. I know nothing about the inner workings of "wall street," however the language and jargon used did not distract from the story. I liked that the hero was punished for his wrong doings with jail time but he did not lose his basic sense of self nor his humanity. A great story about a man's life after his fall from grace (because of greed and dishonesty) and his love for his autistic son.

Great narrator

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This is probably a fascinating mystery for those who understand the intricacies of Wall Street trading....I do not, and so I had a hard time following the story.

Would you be willing to try another book from Michael Sears? Why or why not?

Probably not. Too confusing trying to understand the financial details. And, honestly, the autistic child grated on me.

Have you listened to any of Erik Bergmann’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The only reason I stuck with the story was because of Erik Bergmann's EXCELLENT performance ! I definitely would like to hear him again.

Nicely Done - Entertaining

Well plotted financial murder mystery swirled within a nifty psychological drama. Perhaps a few too many characters, which Erik Bermann found tad hard to keep distinct, but not a bad ensemble. I liked it enough that I'll get the next Jason Stafford novel, he's an interestingly flawed detective in an unusual field.

Good pace and excellent narration

I have never heard of the author before, or indeed the title so this was something of a risk for me but I wasn't disappointed. I listen to my books whilst I'm running so the stories I choose must keep my attention and not let my mind wander and this one certainly did.

I liked the story and the narration.

The story was great. Erik Bergmann, the reader was perfect. I was captured by the story almost immediately. The characters were well assembled. The only thing I didn't like was the language, but this story was a good one. The relationship between Jason Stafford and The Kid developed nicely. I would recommend this one and I might read this one again

Odd story, but i liked it

The whole story-line with the autistic child was a strange side-bar for this story, but for the most part, i think it all worked. I won't call it my favorite, narration was a bit stiff, but i'll consider this author again. Recommended

Thoroughly Enjoyable

What made the experience of listening to Black Fridays the most enjoyable?

Rich character development. I enjoy series and look forward to reading about the two Jasons again.

What about Erik Bergmann’s performance did you like?

Excellent differention among characters. Smooth.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, never tempted to read in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

The full story wasn't revealed until the last chapter ... Always a bonus.

Excellent in Every Aspect!!

What made the experience of listening to Black Fridays the most enjoyable?

Besides the outstanding narration, the story was very well written and enveloped the reader with a never ending desire to read on.

What did you like best about this story?

I was truly impressed with the authors ability to grab and maintain your attention with a story packed with intrigue while at the same time highlighting the difficulties of caring for an autistic child. The main character demonstrated a shining example of the love and understanding needed to successfully raise an autistic child.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was when father and child were reunited of course. :)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was truly moved by the scene where Jason first saw his son in the dark room and made the instant decision to protect him at all cost.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book brought to life by a very talented narrator!