Paper Money

1977 | Thriller | 320 pages

Paper Money is a gripping novel of high-finance and underworld villainy from bestselling author Ken Follett. Will reporters uncover the web of criminality at the heart of two seemingly unconnected crimes?

Several Daring Crimes

London. A politician wakes with a beautiful girl; a criminal briefs his team; a tycoon breakfasts with a Bank official. Then three stories break: an attempted suicide, a hijack and a take-over bid.

One Shocking Conspiracy

They seem unrelated – until Evening Post reporters ask questions. Why is a Jamaican bank in trouble? Who drove the Rolls-Royce seen near the raid? Who was the man with gunshot wounds? Over the course of a single day, fortunes will be destroyed, reputations shattered and principles shredded.

A Dangerous Truth

It is only when a blackmailed politician decides to take matters into his own hands and to set a pair of fearless reporters on the trail that a criminal web at the heart of the conspiracy is uncovered. Will the truth be too dangerous to print on this unforgettable day in the capital?

First chapter

It was the luckiest night of Ti Fitzpeterson’s life. He thought this the moment he opened his eyes and saw the girl, in bed beside him, still sleeping. He did not move, for fear of waking her; but he looked at her, almost furtively, in the cold light of the London dawn. She slept flat on her back, with the absolute relaxation of small children. Tim was reminded of his own Adrienne when she was little. He put the unwelcome thought out of his mind. Continue reading

Ken's view

I was almost good when I wrote The Modigliani Scandal and Paper Money. They were the last two novels before I found success with Eye of the Needle, and were written under the name ‘Zachary Stone’. By this time my storytelling skills had improved, and these books have more depth than my earlier efforts. They are too short, however, the characters have no past and the action often moves too quickly for the reader to enjoy.

For hard-core fans, I have allowed these two to be republished in most countries, but included a preface for each emphasising that they were early works. I was afraid I might get a lot of mail from disappointed readers, but in the event I didn’t get any. People seem to enjoy them, so they can’t be too bad.

Reviews

“Follett ratchets up the Richter scale of suspense.” – USA Today

“Sheer suspense.” – The Washington Post

“A celebration of uncommon courage and unlikely heroes.” – People