Luke Braden quits his promising boxing career after killing an opponent in the ring. Even though Luke is the son of a university professor, he's never felt inclined to pursue a higher education. He is, however, intelligent and astute, which pays off quite well after he secures a job as a security guard for a Wall Street investment firm. Paying attention to details and studying the business soon finds Luke noticed by financial wizard Paul Tremont, who offers to groom Luke as his protΓ©gΓ©.
Luke soon finds himself moving from his basement apartment to a penthouse suite and trading his one suit of clothes for a closet full of designer duds. But anything this good has to come with some strings attached, and Tremont is quite the puppeteer. Luke soon finds his strict code of ethics greatly tested as he strives to stay true to himself and yet do what the highly controlling Tremont expects. But just what is it Tremont expects of Luke?
The answer to that lies in the decades-old history of the Kennedy administration's efforts to overthrow Fidel Castro during the 1960s -- and Luke Braden's family lineage. You see, Tremont knows all this sordid history and has devised a diabolical scheme of his own to oust Castro and take over Cuba -- using Luke as his key pawn.
THE CASTRO GENE, Todd Buchholz's intelligently written debut, is filled with surprising twists and turns as the elaborate plot unfolds at breakneck speed. He takes readers into the world of high finance and greed as he develops realistic characters you care about. I could not turn the pages fast enough to learn what was going to happen next, and the conclusion was explosive.
After killing a man in the ring, Luke Braden quits boxing. While toiling as a security guard and yearning to reinvent himself, Luke is swept up into the high-flying domain of Paul Tremont. Tremont, the hottest hedge fund hand around, has a penchant for the dramatic and a disquieting need to control. Being Tremont's protege has its perks--Luke trades in his ratty basement apartment for a penthouse view, his gym clothes for designer suits. But there are strings attached, and Tremont is pulling those strings.
Why does Tremont need a washed-up boxer? The answer lies not in what Luke is, but who he is. Luke Braden is the only man who can execute Tremont's diabolical scheme.
Fidel Castro risks one last trip to the U.S., and one man will be forced to stand in his way. Luke Braden is in for the fight of his life - or the fight for his life.
Intricately plotted with unexpected twists and breathtaking turns, The Castro Gene is a knockout.
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