At Bonus Time, No-one Can Hear You Scream

No other time of year is ever quite the same. From the first sentence, this tale of one man's quest for his annual bonus - in a world where ambition, terror, insecurity and desperate deeds are as natural as organic bread - will grip the imagination of all who read it. Those already addicted to David Charters' tales of cunning, high risks, outrageous rewards and ghastly failures will especially welcome this publication, for with at bonus time, no-one can hear you scream, the author has broadened his range. By writing a novella, charters can consider in depth, all aspects of this unique annual ritual - insider dealing, the authenticity of investment bankers' advice, their fees, the moral and social consequences of any financial decision, the social whirl with its game of watching who buys what from where and the antics of when to flaunt it - it's all here. And if we all think that we are much nicer than this, or that our character makes for better moral choices, the tale's shattering denouement gives us all pause for thought. For if fear and greed can expose the fault lines in human nature, whose fault is it really if sometimes people go over the edge?