The Honest Accountant, a book by Sam Simpson (SPL £7.99), opens with Keith Platt out on audit. Now, we are told Keith is an auditor’s auditor and works for the firm Blake and Lander, one of the Big 5 firms. What follows is a wonderful ride as Scottish accountant Tom Mackay uncovers a massive fraud and some suspicious deaths – we are talking more than one here. And sorry, we can’t tell you what happened to Keith, you will have to read the book for that.
The story takes us ‘Up North’ and even to Gibraltar, and we were happy to go on the ride! At just 181 pages long it meant we read The Honest Accountant over a couple of day – we couldn’t put it down, it is that good!
This is also a book written by an accountant, but this is an accountant who can write, and Simpson really draws you into the plot. You can’t help identify with the characters, and most of them are accountants! The accountancy bits also fit neatly into the plot, and enhance the story rather than distract from it.
Hey, there is even a journalist (Nick Steadman) who helps our main protagonist get to the bottom of everything.
The story is also set during the last day’s of John Major’s government and Simpson weaves this in nicely with the story. There is even an encounter with the PM in a toilet!
If you are looking for a light read for your hols this is it, and if like me you wanted more then don’t worry. Simpson has published a follow-up book called High Treason, which we are now reading. And we can vouch that it is just as good (so far)!
PQ rating 5/5 We just loved this book. Now let’s see it on Netflix! It could give Scandi Nori a run for its money… Simpson’s books are available on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle.
