Great story by Martin Bodenham. Really fabulous story, that kept me turning the pages!! A thrilling plot, and characters.

What would happen if the federal government were really and truly broke? A few years back there was talk whether selling off real property assets like national parks would bring the federal government to solvency. In this novel, Bodenhsm postulates a future where China is ready to collect on all the bonds and major defense assets are being auctioned off to private equity firms. And perhaps the play is even dirtier than that. It’s a story of International intrigue, blackmail, and secrets. A fairly short, creative read, despite being a little slow paced at the beginning..

SHAKEDOWN didn't do it for me. This is an advanced copy, yet the poor editing and structure made this very difficult to read. There are too many cast of characters, and the part they play in the plot is not explained adequately. It seemed that there was a lot of jumping around- from one character to the next or from one scenario to another. The transition from one settling to another is abrupt and without a page break or chapter break, leaving the reader confused.
In all honesty, this book is not my type and, therefore, I did not rate it based on my feelings. It starts off well and I could understand the need for the government to sell to the private market. However, the need for collateral damage was confusing. The various characters were confusing.