Author: Gary D. McGugan
ISBN:978-1-4602-9326-3

On the back cover of Gary D. McGugan's first novel, Three Weeks Less A day, there is a description of the author as being someone who loves to tell stories. I would like to further add, he tells his story like a master of suspense as he deftly builds up a story that takes some surprising swerves. This is very much in evidence with this intricate fast-moving yarn that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat until the very end. And just when you believe you have the plot all figured out, McGugan throws in another red herring that keeps you guessing.

The story is carefully built focusing on a highly successful enterprise, Multima Corporation headed by its crafty founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, John George Mortimer. Three divisions comprise the company: Logistics, whose President is Wendal Randall, a brilliant technology expert, Supermarkets, whose President is Suzanne Simpson and who possesses a larger than life personality and outstanding people skills and James Fitzgerald, President of Financial Services, who is a financial wizard.

As the narrative kicks off, the seeds of the plot are planted when we meet Randall who just receives a confidential text message from an influential board member of Multima, Howard Knight, mentioning that Mortimer intends to leave the company at the end of the fiscal year. This would have incalculable implications concerning the possible replacement of Mortimer. Who would be the choice of the Board of Directors and where would Randall fit it?

Knight is a director on the board of Multima and on another company's board, Venture Capital Investments (VCI), a large private equity fund. There is an intriguing history between Randall and Knight. Apparently, Knight came to Randall's rescue when he had owned a small company that experienced financial difficulties. Knight had bailed him out, and it was he who was instrumental in having Randall become the President of one of the Multima's divisions. There is also another disconcerting matter concerning an event that happened at MIT where Randall was pursuing a master's degree in business administration. Randall had found himself in a nasty situation concerning a young woman and once again, Knight rescued him from some dire consequences.

After Randall contacts Knight, it is confirmed that Mortimer will be leaving the company and that some board members are considering Randall as a possible successor. Knight wants to know immediately if Randall would accept becoming CEO? Randall assures him that he would take the position. Knight tells Randall that he will back him; however, it is imperative that his succession to the CEO be handled delicately if they want to win the support of the entire board. Randall believes there doesn't seem to be any strings attached concerning Knight's generous offer, or is there, considering Knight's past help?

We learn a little more about Knight and VCI, which owns fifteen percent of Multima Corporation's preferred shares, the result of its billion-dollar investment at the time Multima acquired Randall's distressed company. McGugan slips into the story mention of an entity called “ the Organization” that is behind VCI and states that they didn't invest its money just to earn adequate returns. We are now trying to figure out what this entity is all about and who are its principals? If Mortimer releases day-to-day management of the company, Knight would then be in a position to apply some fundamental operating policies that would be of benefit to the Organization. Randall has now become an indispensable component of these changes, and thus his succession to Mortimer is pivotal.

The tale now switches to Mortimer, who is informed by his medical doctor that he has breast cancer and must undergo an operation. He is adamant in keeping his disease a secret and not divulge his diagnosis to Multima's board members or executives. He convenes a crucial meeting of the division presidents at the company's headquarters in Fort Myers, Florida. At the meeting, the three senior presidents are given an assignment where they would have to come up with a single game-changing strategy to re-invent their business unit. Each President and their respective teams have sixty days to accomplish the project.

With this skilfully crafted story, McGugan employs his vast knowledge of the ins and outs of the world of multinational corporations and zooms in on the quest for power no matter what means and tools are used. He keeps the story humming with a balancing act that includes three diverse people with some intriguing histories who are thrown into a high stakes grueling competition. Readers have much to chew on as they ponder who will be the winner and will he or she be chosen as Mortimer's successor? What creative strategy will each employ in arriving at the most business effective plan? Will each play by ethical and legal rules, or will they be overtaken by their greed and ambition? How about the secrets lurking in Randall's past and his relationship with the devious Howard Knight? And what about the confidential revelations concerning Simpson and Fitzgerald. How will this all play out?

Three Weeks Less A day is the first of McGugan's Multima series and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

Follow Here To Read Norm's Interview With Gary D. McGugan