Thriller / suspense
April 2024
BANKHAUS
by Neil Giarratana
A heartstopping tale involving a deadly dance of sex, betrayal, deceipt, murder, and retribution. Anulka Lorenzini is Head of Wealth Management at Bankhaus Finsler, a private bank in Zurich. Her clients represent, in part, a world of hidden, ill-gotten money. Her secret contempt for this dark side of the banking business is stronger than her attempts to remain outwardly who she is: a respected banker. She falls in love with Giovanni Poggio who convinces her to facilitate the embezzlement of 14.5 million euros from her bank. His plan: a fake customer regularly withdraws cash from a real customer's account. Sixty percent of it goes to her. When she realizes later how fragile her decision was, she stops. Although 13.3 million euros have already been withdrawn, her Italian partners want her remaining share.To end her nightmare, Anulka decides to initiate a second round of embezzlement. However, the success of this depends on involving Felix Hofmaier, a Frankfurt management consultant, who may face criminal charges — and financial ruin — for defrauding the bank of one of his clients. Anulka proposes a schedule for the outstanding payments to her Italian partners. In return, they increase their demands once again and threaten to kill her if she does not agree. Outraged by their callousness and greed, she gives free rein to her dark side.
