Review: FIFTEEN DIGITS by Nick Santora

A group of young men working blue collar low paying jobs in the basement of prominent law firm Olmstead & Taft conspire to get rich quick by partaking in insider trading. As the Blazers, working in the printing department of the law firm, the group are entrusted with big corporation secrets which have the power to make or break share prices. When approached by a disgruntled lawyer to actually read the documents they handle on a daily basis and use that knowledge the swindle the share market, the colourful group of characters finally sees a way out of bordering poverty and a means to secure financial security for themselves and family. Little did they know that a seemingly innocent crime would lead to a very violent and bloody end.

I liked how Nick Santora consistently ingrained a sense of dread throughout the course of the novel. When something goes right for one of the main characters, Santora is quick to point out that the cards weren’t to always fall in their favour. The approach kept me reading and wanting to get to those sections where the character’s lives fall apart – and when they did it was nothing short of top tier reading. Santora’s vivid imagery and graphic depiction of violence is a thing to behold. I’ve never cringed at touter scenes to the extent of those on display in FIFTEEN DIGITS. What also appeals to the darker reader in me, is the threat of violence more so than the act itself. It was interesting to see how these five distinct characters with completely different background coped when faced with life and death situations.

At the core of FIFTEEN DIGITS lies a story of struggle, triumph, relationships, and failed opportunities. I hyped the violence and darker angles of the fiction but it’s these other aspects that really take FIFTEEN DIGITS to that extra level. I wont spoil the key plot outcomes or conflict/friendships other than to say many readers will enjoy the tightly plotted and surprisingly twisted story.

Much like SLIP AND FALL, Nick Santora has written an engaging and entertaining novel. I cant wait to see what he writes next.