Quoz, the debut financial thriller by Mel Mattison
Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!
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Quoz by Mel Mattison
Quantum AI, corrupt central bankers, and the blockchain collide in a stock market supernova. The annihilation of the global economic order is just the beginning.
“As governments around the world seek to exert tyrannical control over currency, Quoz serves as a cautionary tale for what lies ahead. You’ve been warned.” —Trey Radel, Former Member of United States Congress
It’s 2027. The AI revolution has merged with quantum computing to take control of global financial markets. Operated by the mysterious Bank for International Settlements based in Basel, Switzerland, the quantum supercomputer known as ICARUS has promised the world a more stable economy, devoid of bank failures and volatile share prices. And it has delivered…until now.
Rory O’Connor is the financial genius who helped create ICARUS, but after the tragic death of his best friend, he’s checked out of high finance and into a luxury Caribbean condo, trading cryptocurrencies on the shores of San Juan.
When the stock market starts manifesting erratic behavior, what begins as a favor drags Rory into a dangerous labyrinth of deceit and international intrigue. Leaders at some of the world’s most powerful central banks are planning to take down the US dollar as global reserve currency, replacing it with a gold- and silver-backed digital currency of their own.
Now, Rory must travel to Switzerland, overcome his demons, and save the world from financial chaos. Everything is on the line. If he fails, humanity descends into an economic Armageddon controlled by madmen and psychopathic bankers.
“Thriller readers with any interest in finance need to read Quoz!…Perfect for fans of Michael Lewis and Jack Carr. Mattison…brings fiction and finance together in a way few writers can. You won’t be able to put Quoz down!” —Massimo Paone, Former Chief Investment Officer, Populist Capital
To purchase Quoz, click any of the following links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BooksAMillion.
Interview with Mel Mattison — Author of Quoz
Quoz is a financial thriller. What does that subgenre mean to you?
As a financial thriller, Quoz tries to go beyond the superficial and sometimes unrealistic financial elements often incorporated into thrillers without a financial focus.
In some sense, I think about that along these lines: Jack Carr, author of the popular Terminal List series, writes as only a former Navy SEAL can. He’s able to create a sniper scene that rings true in a way tough to duplicate without his background.
With Quoz, I wanted to do the same thing but from a financial rather than from a military perspective: write something plausible enough to pass the scrutiny of a finance industry insider, while still being thrilling, exciting, and understandable to someone with little background in the business.
Quoz features Rory O’Connor. Like you, he works in high finance. How much of your debut novel is fact and how much is fiction? Are there threads of truth in your techno-thriller?
The author Alan Moore once wrote, “Artists use lies to tell the truth.” I think there’s a lot of that going on with Quoz.
My number one mission was to create a thrilling novel, but a close second was to explore what I call the deep economic state. By that, I’m referring to central bankers, officials at the IMF and World Bank, and other financial elites who affect all our lives while working behind closed doors. I try to bring some of what these financial powerbrokers do out from the shadows and into the light of fiction.
So, yes, I think there’s quite a bit of truth running through Quoz.
Quoz takes place in the Caribbean, Chicago, and Switzerland. How familiar are you with those places? Did you research? Travel? Spend time there? What made them great places to set a thriller?
My wife and I have visited the Caribbean a number of times, and so there was definitely some familiarity there. There is also a good reason for setting some chapters in Puerto Rico beyond it being an exciting locale.
To attract financial activity, the island has certain tax exemptions that make it a very attractive place for stock and cryptocurrency traders like Rory O’Connor to live and work.
Chicago is more or less my hometown. So, while I haven’t lived there for years, I still felt very comfortable setting a number of scenes in the Windy City.
As for Switzerland, I had never been there before I started writing Quoz, but as I got more into the process, I realized a trip there would help immensely.
Everyone knows about Switzerland’s famed banking industry, but I didn’t really have a feel for the streets of Basel or Zürich. It wasn’t hard to convince my wife that a trip was in order.
We went for about ten days and had a wonderful time. I was able to pick up the color of the place and did my best to incorporate it into Quoz.
With degrees/studies in business and creative writing, both areas are clearly of interest to you. Have you always known you wanted to write a novel? How did your debut come about?
I had fleeting dreams of being a writer while an undergrad at Loyola University Chicago. I minored in English and took every creative writing course I could find, mostly focusing on poetry. But somewhere along the way, my interest in business and finance overtook any artistic leanings that I possess. However, I never really let the idea die. Somewhere in the back of mind, I always thought that one day I’m going to give an honest go at writing a novel.
So, a couple years ago, I made up my mind to take a hiatus from the business world and focus 100% on writing. I left my most recent finance position in July of 2022, and by September of that year I had a 300+ page manuscript. Of course, it was a very rough draft that still needed a lot of work, but the process had begun. I was fortunate to find a publisher in early 2023 who saw potential, and with help from an incredible developmental editor named Jon Ford, Quoz really started to come to life.
About one year after that first rough draft was written, the final version of Quoz was completed.
What’s the one thing about high finance that everyone should know?
If you’ve never heard of the Bank for International Settlements, you’re not alone.
It is the central bank for central banks and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It’s a bit like a secretive United Nations for economic and monetary policy.
Every two months, the unelected leaders of the world’s central banks—including the Federal Reserve—meet in Basel to chart a course for the global economy. No press conferences are given. No meeting minutes are released or even kept. What’s more, the BIS, as it’s called, enjoys quasi-sovereign status much like an embassy.
Its managers travel with diplomatic pouches free from search, and both the bank and its employees pay no taxes. If you’re into conspiracies, the Bank for International Settlements is a real-life one that operates in plain sight, yet hardly anyone pays attention to it.
With Quoz, I wanted to change all that and put the BIS at the center of the story.
What are you working on now?
Thus far, the reception of Quoz has been strong and favorable. Fingers crossed, there will be an appetite for a second Rory O’Connor Financial Thriller.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
I saw an interview once with The Gray Man author, Mark Greaney. I’m paraphrasing a bit here, but basically he said that if you want to be a writer, and more specifically a novelist, produce a complete product, the best you can do; then get it out there and see what happens.
I believe there’s a lot in that advice. I think it means more than just completing a full manuscript. It means putting everything you’ve got into honestly producing the best book you can, then opening it up to others, getting help where you need it, editing and rewriting your heart out, and doing it all with no excuses, holding nothing back. If you do that, you’ve moved from an aspiring writer to being a writer, regardless of publishing success.
Author Pet Corner!
Oscar, Mario, and Gray are three cats in my life, all of them somewhat accidental amigos.
Oscar is actually our neighbor’s cat, but for the past five years, he has come over every day to spend some time and get some treats.
Mario and Gray are two “community cats” that just ventured into our yard over the last few years.
Over time, my wife and I have adopted Mario as our own, and our neighbor has taken responsibility for Gray, though he also loves lounging at our house, especially on the hot tub cover in our back yard.
Mel Mattison — Author of Quoz
Mel Mattison is a writer and financial services veteran.
Leveraging over twenty years’ experience in the realm of high finance, he brings real-world authenticity to his fictional narratives. Having served as the CEO of three separate FINRA and SEC regulated broker-dealers, Mel combines insider knowledge with a critical eye toward the economic forces that shape all our lives.
With a knack for action, excitement, and thrills, he sheds light on the sometimes dark and confusing corners of finance. Mel holds an MBA from Duke University and studied creative writing at Loyola University Chicago.
To learn more about Mel, click on any of the following links: Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram.
Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell
Header image from Pixabay
