Few books bring out a curiosity better than Fazle Chowdhury’s Finding Alexey. The Author’s foreign relations credibility is infused in this novel to replicate the protagonist, Sofia Tresca, who is marred in debt, offshore fraud, and illegal financing. She tries to cover up the intricate financing of her firm. Battle-hardened and determined, she would use everything she could to get what she wanted. When the going gets tough, she finds solace in the one person who lives in her memory. Yet readers find themselves in suspense while realizing she is working, watching, and enticing throughout the story.
Chowdhury’s novels typically have an unusual recipe: history, secrets, love, tragedy and pain. In this novel, there is little history, a lot of tragedy, and just the perfect set of secrets. Yes, there is love, but a lot of pain.
As the story begins, Tresca acquires Petro Anchor, an international oil company. While her firm, Aurelius Group, appears to have a healthy balance sheet, there are large hidden debts not known even by her trusted knight, Brett Walsh, the CFO and the half-brother of her daughter Grier. Like Tresca, he is a former attorney, but he is a man of his right, a ruthless strategist, and a formidable deal maker, yet he doesn’t suspect Tresca has falsified the books (not in the beginning, anyway). If her trickery is revealed, he’ll soon be indicted by his former law school and dear friend at the Attorney General’s office.
Tresca faces another issue: the murder of an auditor (which she had nothing to do with) who had prior knowledge of her firm’s financial records and nearly derailed her present acquisition has prompted the police to investigate her. Meanwhile, her daughter Grier, visiting from the Sorbonne, becomes a target of a detective familiar with Tresca from an unresolved case nine years ago. She also connects with the man who stands in her thoughts.
Chowdhury masterfully crafts all novel episodes to a dynamic finish using several key techniques. Each chapter builds tension, with cliffhangers and unanswered questions keeping readers on the edge. This story consists of a mix of fast-paced action scenes and slower, reflective moments. Unexpected twists produce unpredictability, leading to a surprising climax. Finding Alexey is a good example of weaving through a complicated story at the service of conceivable characters.
Photo Courtesy: Fazle Chowdhury
Ernest Hemingway once said, “All good books have one thing in common—they are truer than if they had really happened.” Chowdhury is brilliant in emulating exactly that and more, which makes the novel so enticing.
Readers realize in horror that Tresca is betraying anyone — Brett, Grier, close confidantes— to get what she wants. A self-destructive pursuit of an obsession can appear to lead to something better, but it often results in negative consequences. Many might see Sofia Tresca as an example of a CEO who invests in people only to help herself. This strategy can seem effective, especially when leaders find themselves in trouble due to their heartless actions and need help to bail them out.
Finding Alexey is not only a great thriller but also a deep story about an obsession that masks an intention, added with destructive love and the ability to move beyond.
Published By: Aize Perez
