The Arriviste

Neil Fox has made a fortune off the “head we win/tails you lose” venture capital deals negotiated by his brother, costing him almost everything but money. His ex-wife and daughter spurn him, and he lost his young son years ago. He now lives a carefully plotted life, working as a lawyer at a small investment-banking firm and spending nights at home with a drink.

When the affable Bud Younger moves in next door—on a parcel that Neil had sold off—Neil takes an almost instant dislike to him. Bud is nearly everything Neil is not—a gregarious, energetic striver loved by his intact family. When Bud asks Neil to fund a new business venture, he reluctantly accepts, setting in motion events that hurtle to a startling and haunting conclusion.

The Arriviste delves into the psyche of avarice and envy, presenting a portrait of a man both ordinary and monstrous.