The Suicide Banker, a fiction, has intriguing plot narrated through a first-hand experience of a young banker; how, & what it takes to performs ones duty sincerely riddled with conundrum when the vision of the superiors are driven by a new venture, and which lacked the inherent strength. It has a glimpse of primal urge of the largest private sector bank to achieve more than it could aspire…. Getting complacent in what they are doing and not having plan B in place for a new business model….
This debut conversational in tone novel with a back drop of 2008 global slow-down makes you travel the plot along with the newly-wed banker; leaving secure & stable job; choosing an option to work for an hire & fire employer; to be an unplanned resource for few months, recruiting an opposite sex employee, enjoyed flirting and fringe benefits(other than mentioned on his employers’ remuneration letter); an investigator, and then suddenly becoming an sore eye to his superiors, and finally to an anonymous silent whistle blower.
Puneet Gupta in the body of Sumit felt left out, neglected on his investigation about mal practices prevailing in the bank through & through and above all he was considered as a habitual critique by his superiors. Even in the days of Abraham, angels investigated a set of complaint about Sodom and Gomorrah. And God decided to destroy those cities, evidently after receiving the report from those angels. Genesis 18:20, 21, 33; 19.1, 13. But Sumit’s superiors at Ind Credit Bank fail to acknowledge his assessment on the investigations carried out.
The personal life of Sumit cruises from high of 3200 meters from sea level in Kashmir to low of 0 meters sea level in Mumbai with the same wife, and a holy dip in Arabian sea with his fellow co-worker.
A decent read for a business manager, & entrepreneur to re-align their business as it gives them an insight to the importance of making a robust business plan, sticking to common sense thinking, and not to get your mind overshadowed by just numbers. . plan .act. review.control. Also importantly fair, just & timely appraisals for the team members before their unwanted acts!
The plot, & characters are sufficiently elaborated, but few key characters were under-played, & could have been better with more
Overall, I find it as a first class effort for a debut novel.