Charlotte Larsen - Intense Thrillers Full of Action and International Intrigue

Charlotte Larsen is a bestselling Scandinavian author of more than twelve books, including the bestselling crime thriller GAME OF GREED, and a series of management books. A graduate of Aarhus University and University of New South Wales, Charlotte is highly recognized as a specialist in managerial issues. Besides working on her next novel, she serves as a high-end management consultant for high performing industries such as the legal profession, finance, and defense. As our Author of the Day, Larsen tells us all about her latest novel, Game of Greed.

Please give us a short introduction to what Game of Greed is about.

On the surface Francis Scott-Wren appears like any other rich socialite – tailored suits, old world charm and significant wealth. A man born to privilege. But what only a very few know, is that Scott-Wren has a secret: he uses his wealth and influence to rid the world of greed and selfishness.

Now he has his sights on ruthless power broker George Schwartz, who directs Schwartz Inc. as a vehicle of personal profit and vengeance. Backed by his squad of highly trained agents, including his loyal sidekicks Dhammakarati, a Buddhist monk, and the anti-social female agent Jo, Scott-Wren and his team set off on a collision course with Schwartz that will leave some dead and others exposed.

As the action travels from five-star hotels via Buddhist monasteries to the hallowed halls of the world’s most powerful players, Scott-Wren engages Schwartz in a fierce battle of wits that exposes disturbing similarities between himself and his prey. What remains to be seen is whether they really are so different and how far Scott-Wren is willing to go for victory.

" ... fast-paced, enjoyable and well-structured …"Henry Porter, author of The Bell Ringers

Full of action and international intrigue, Charlotte Larsen’s intense thriller is also an examination of significant moral dilemmas including whether the end justifies the means, personal gain versus the greater good, and the righteousness of vigilante justice. An unusual mix of business, action, existential themes, and meditation. Readers will find themselves not only on a journey full of danger and violence but also of self-discovery.

As thought-provoking as it is entertaining, Game of Greed is a riveting standalone crime thriller and a gripping exploration of human nature and the integrity of the world of big business. If you like passionate heroes, spine-chilling suspense, and a fight for justice, then you’ll love Charlotte Larsen’s fast-paced Thriller.

What inspired you to write about the integrity of the world of big business?

The integrity and ethics of business and leaders have interested me ever since I wrote a management book on the topic in 2004. I find that a strong sense of personal ethics and the courage to act with integrity are the two most fundamental traits in people.

You work as a high-end management consultant for high performing industries. How much of your real world experiences have you written into Game of Greed?

A lot! Except for the physical violence and killings.

Who is Francis Scott-Wren? What makes him tick?

Very secretly Francis prides himself on being one of the few people working actively towards a new world order. He realizes the irony of his inner logic; his public front is that of a wealthy, jaded bachelor with a baronet to his name, whereas the persona with which he operates and the one his organization and a few close friends know is selfless and dedicated to making the world a better place.

But at the very core of his being, there is nothing selfless about it. Francis simply needs to see himself as a hero. He needs to feel that he is worth something; that he is not just another ship in the night.

Over the years, he has built a small but impressive organization to that very purpose. By now, it has completed a number of missions to get rid of businesses that operate in a greedy, exploiting fashion. Through various means, Francis’s organization has removed the companies from the playing field or, in some cases, eliminated the management and board and put better people in positions of power.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I sew. And quite well too.

Justice is a recurring theme in your book. Why do you find it so important?

Justice is to me the collective answer to individual crime – but it is also a very important ingredient in learning from out mistakes.

Have you always known you wanted to be a writer? What inspired your debut?

Always! Karen Blixen, who may not be so well known in the US, was the great heroine of my childhood and youth. But then I got sidetracked into business and my fiction has been late in developing as a consequence.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day for you?

I work quite structured; perhaps because I have been in the business world for so long, perhaps because I have written so many non-fiction books. A story always starts with a character and for weeks the story and characters grow and develops in my mind, before I write anything at all. Then comes a point, where I roll out the big tools: huge sheets of paper for mind-mapping, excel sheets for time-lines and chapters, I create mood boards to help me understand the characters’ background, assemble big folders of research’s etc. After that I do an outline and only then do I start the actual writing.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on a sequel to Game of Greed and a management book on the current ethical crisis of money laundering and tax evasion.