Award-winning corporate & financial thriller
The CEO is gone.
Two Executives want his chair.
Someone in the shadows wants much more.
When the head of an innovative business intelligence firm suddenly disappears, a battle for control begins inside the boardroom, while far more dangerous moves unfold outside it.
Black and White Smoke is a fast-paced international thriller of corporate ambition, financial intrigue, espionage, AI disruption and power.
4.8 / 5★
Reader Rating
Gold
Literary Titan
Winner
Firebird
Honoree
PenMasters
Finalist
Four Seasons
THE STORY
When ambition becomes a survival game.
VASPI is already under pressure.
Regulatory change is reshaping the business. AI is disrupting the market. Datacenter capabilities have become critical.
Then the CEO disappears.
CFO Jon Kiza, the quiet strategist who prefers to operate behind the scenes, suddenly finds himself in a race for the top job against Paxton Stump, the charismatic rainmaker who believes the throne should be his.
But while the two men maneuver for influence inside the company, smear campaigns, corporate espionage and more dangerous forces begin closing in.
And in this world, every piece of
information is leverage.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF THRILLER
This book is for you if…
You enjoy thrillers where intelligence matters as much as action.
Corporate Power Struggles
Boardroom rivalry, ambition and high-stakes decisions.
International Suspense
Boston, New Haven, London and Zurich.
Espionage & Hidden Agendas
Secrets, manipulation and danger beyond the boardroom.
Ethical Dilemmas
Where private ambition collides with corporate responsibility.
Cerebral Characters
Strategists who think several moves ahead.
Sharp, Character-Driven Drama
Dialogue, tension and subtext matter as much as action.
THE POWER STRUGGLE
Two approaches to power. One chair.
Jon Kiza
His game: The Berlin Defense.
Raised across three continents and often dismissed as the bean counter, Jon plays the long game.
He absorbs attacks. Watches carefully. Waits.
Others may see hesitation. Jon calls it strategy.
The Enigma
Paxton Stump
His game: Make the room follow.
Ex-British Army. Gulf War survivor. Born schmoozer.
Paxton commands the room, understands what clients want and believes results speak louder than restraint.
He has spent years winning business. Now he wants the top job.
The Rainmaker
When the CEO disappears, which man can convince the board he should lead?
And what happens when the battle for power stops being only corporate?
The verdict
Recognized by readers.
Praised by critics.
4.8 / 5 READER RATING
LITERARY TITAN GOLD BOOK AWARD
PENMASTERS RECOGNITION
FIREBIRD THRILLER WINNER
FOUR SEASONS FINALIST
"A thrilling financial conspiracy tale that does a great job of building a heavy, heart-pounding sense of paranoia."
KEANA SACKETT-MOOMEY
READERS’ FAVORITE
"A meticulously crafted corporate thriller with an eye for detail... The depth in character writing and commitment to authenticity put Black and White Smoke head and shoulders above its peers in the genre.”
GABRIEL SANTOS
READERS’ FAVORITE
“An exciting corporate thriller that makes the ruthless business world feel thrillingly dangerous.”
ROBERT COLLIER III
READERS’ FAVORITE
Also reviewed and recognized by Literary Titan, BookLife and Four Seasons Book Awards.
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