Birds of Prey (Smith novel) Birds of Prey (Smith novel) Birds of Prey is a 1997 novel by Wilbur Smith set in the late 17th century. The novel was the first in the third sequence of the Courtney series of novels, and as of 2013 was chronologically the first in the entire series. Smith says the book established the characteristics of the family: "Right from "Birds of Prey"... the Courtneys were pirates, merchants, looking to seize the main chance. They were very much driven by monetary considerations. But with the Ballantynes it was much more empire, patriotism, glory – the soldierly virtues." In 1667 Holland
Financial thriller Financial thriller Financial thriller is a subgenre of thriller fiction in which the financial system and economy play a major role. The novel "The Financier" (1912) by Theodore Dreiser displays elements of a financial thriller. Paul Erdman helped popularize the modern financial thriller, with "The Billion Dollar Sure Thing" (1973). The former president of a Swiss bank, he penned the novel while in jail awaiting trial on fraud charges related to speculating in the cocoa market. In many cases the protagonist of a financial thriller is a financial professional such as Christian Slater’s character in the 2005 film "The Deal",