The Multima Scheme - Book 2

Howard Knight—a director on the board of Multima Corporation— makes some flawed personal choices and must quit his role in the company…and flee the country.

We catch up with him in Quito, Ecuador where he tries to evade both the FBI and organized crime with a desperate jaunt through four South American countries.

 Meanwhile, sinister criminal elements remain determined to infiltrate and control the battered company. Can the company withstand another attack from The Organization?

The Multima Scheme is a fast-paced account of the lengths to which organized crime can infiltrate large global corporations to generate billions.

It’s also a story of survival—how individuals and organizations react under intense pressures—and the ease with which some people can cross lines between what’s legal and what’s not.

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The Multima Scheme
Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views (8/19)
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“The Multima Scheme” is the second book in Gary D. McGugan’s trilogy of corporate intrigue featuring the high-level executives of Multima Corporation. Picking up right where the first novel, “Three Weeks Less a Day” leaves off, readers are in for another wild ride as the corporate tides shift once again.

Breast cancer isn’t the only challenge facing billionaire CEO of Multima Corporation, John George Mortimer. Multima Corporation is in the throes of chaos. There’s a division president missing, and a board member on the run. Another division president loses a parent through mysterious means and Multima Corporation could be involved.

There’s a new division president with something to prove and yet another just waiting for the chance to retire. As John George battles his way back to personal health he’s also entangled in a fight for the very survival of the company he built from the ground up. Opposition faces him at every turn, and everyone’s involved, from the FBI to The Organization, a world-wide crime syndicate. Does Mortimer have another fight left in him? Does Multima Corporation?

At this point I must commend author Gary D. McGugan on anther novel of pure excellence. I keep an open mind when starting a series because there’s always the chance of the sequel not living up to the original. “The Multima Scheme” delivers on all counts. As in “Three Weeks Less a Day” the writing is brilliant – short chapters and short paragraphs deliver a concise and crisp easy to read story that is well-written, fast-paced and intense.  Indeed, McGugan outdoes himself, and does so with his signature eloquence and flair.

Along with some new faces, many familiar personalities return. A few of the characters develop into leading roles, some drift over to the dark side (while a few stay there), and the lines on the corporate org chart are as ever-changing as the relationships.
One thing’s for certain – everyone is feeling the pressure. The storyline in “The Multima Scheme” probes deeper into the complex corporate environment, building on the original plotline and ratcheting up the intensity.

While the level of action, suspense and drama is actually enough to fill several volumes, the story never feels too busy, rushed or complicated. The challenges are bigger, more bizarre and carry greater risks. The story gets pretty dark in some moments as readers are delivered into the baser, corrupt side of human existence through technological destruction, collateral damage and financial ruin, and running the gamut from hot and steamy sexual encounters to cold and unfeeling rape, murder and human trafficking.

Though I highly recommend reading this series in the order intended for maximum enjoyment, it’s not necessary, as “The Multima Scheme” is a strong standalone story. In case you can’t tell, I’m hooked on Gary D. McGugan’s work - the only downside is there is only one story left in the series!

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The Multima Scheme
Reviewed By Norm Goldman of Bookpleasures.com​

​Don't worry, you don't have to rush out and pick up a copy of Gary D. McGugan's debut novel, Three Weeks Less A Day before reading his second in the Multima series, The Multima Scheme. 

McGugan crafts a pretty good follow-up and avoids falling into the trap of recreating the original plot, although he effectively builds on it. In the second novel, he chooses to develop his characters more fully and he includes more extensive theme progressions. These themes involve human trafficking, the darker corners of organized crime and their penetration into corporate America, the development of technology as a means to cause havoc in our financial system, and the extent to which unsavory characters will stoop to gain power. 

Once again, the narrative focuses on Multima corporation and its three business units, Supermarkets, Financial Services, and Solutions, as well as their respective presidents, Suzanne Simpson, James Fitzgerald, and Douglas Whitfield. We also learn the many secrets affecting the lives of each of these well-drawn characters. And there are some unusual surprises! There is also the matter of the CEO, John George Mortimer's cancer, which the prognosis does not look too encouraging.

Readers are briefly brought up to speed on what transpired in the previous novel when we learn more about Howard Knight, who is now in hiding. He was a director of Multima as well as president of Venture Capital Investments (VCI), which is part of organized crime. As he is no longer a director of Multima, VCI  is determined to having him replaced by one of their own.

Knight is in the bad books of VCI and is on the run due to his dreadful deal in purchasing the logistics division on behalf of The Organization. The result of the fiasco caused The Organization to lose a considerable amount of money. All of this was the result of being outsmarted by the CEO of Multima, the wily old fox, Mortimer. By the way, Knight was also romantically involved with Fidelia Morales who helps him in his escape. 

Another ramification of the disastrous deal was the disappearance of Wendal Randall, who had been the president of logistics and The Organization's choice to replace Mortimer. Under arrest by the FBI and they have managed to extract from him some fascinating information concerning Knight and VCI. They also have arrested a close associate of Randall, Frau Schäffer who turns out to be quite a surprise.

Mortimer appoints Douglas Whitfield at the new division of Multima Solutions. We read some astounding disclosures concerning Whitfield's activities as they relate to Multima. These involve its personnel, VCI, and some very chilling software that the division had developed, which would have profound effects on the banking system. 

When Mortimer begins to dig deeper into the operations of VCI and how they are going about penetrating Multimea, he begins to suspect one of its employees, Janet Weissel as being a mole. She works in corporate and investor affairs, and Mortimer believes she is associated in some way to VCI and Howard Knight.  

Neatly woven into the narrative is the relationship between Simpson and Mortimer and the shocking revelation that she is his daughter as a result of his week-end of passionate love-making in Québec City with her mother, Louise Marcotte. Simpson discovers that Multima has some connection with her mother and her estate and is adamant that Mortimer reveals all to her. 
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She also finds out that her mother, before her death, was receiving secret monthly payments to her bank account by a subsidiary of a company she managed. Also, Mortimer had granted to Simpson's mother preferred shares that eventually helped him in blocking Knight from replacing him with Randall. And there is also the matter of the suspicious deaths of Simpson's mother and that of murder of the Notaire, who had been handling Marcotte's estate, as well as that of his wife and son. It seems that the Notaire and his son were sticking their noses into the machinations of VCI -something "The Organization" would not tolerate. 

The challenge that McGugan faces in creating this second novel is to stay true to the more significant plot-line of the series. There is also the added problem to create a sequel that would be complete enough that readers could just read the follow up without being lost. It becomes a balancing act, which McGugan has admirably pulled off. He also has appreciated what it was about the first book that captivates his readership, and thus, he more fully develops these themes in The Multima Scheme.

Although, I must admit this second novel is quite busy, perhaps too busy, yet McGugan manages to give his readers something new. You have to realize that authors always take a risk when writing a sequel as very often readers end up disappointed. On the other hand, if you are lucky, they could love the sequel even more. In the case of The Multima Scheme readers will not be disappointed and I am certain will patiently wait to read the third one in the series, Unrelenting Peril. Stay tuned.

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The Multima Scheme
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford - March 29, 2020 

Gary D. McGugan ramps the adventure and intrigue up a notch with the second book in his Multima Trilogy, The Multima Scheme.

In the final pages of Book 1, Three Weeks Less a Day, we learned that Wendal Randall’s fall from grace was anything but graceful. That coming on the heels of John George Mortimer’s vision to take a breath, reset and perhaps set sights on opportunities that aren’t quite as volatile as what Randall and his band of thieves had in mind. Mortimer is on a trajectory of good health and with it comes the hope of a future filled with increased prosperity and a broader spectrum of what Multima can do for their loyal and valued client base.

We learn some interesting facts about one of Mortimer’s superstars, Suzanne Simpson, toward the end of book one that may give readers cause to interpret the obvious, but the outcome is far from predictable. James Fitzgerald, Mortimer’s trusted, loyal and faithful financial wizard is staring down retirement and already setting his sights on the retirement compound he and his wife Dianne have coveted in the wilderness of Minnesota. Unfortunately, that retirement is going to have to be put on hold for a little longer.

There’s a new expansion on what Multima can do financially not only for its employees, but loyal customers and none other than Fitzgerald will be tasked with the heavy lifting to make it a reality. Just when all roads are leading to success as a result of this new plan, the end destination of the journey is far from what the team had plans to deliver.

Gary McGugan has not only held onto the momentum he revved up in Book I (Three Weeks Less a Day), but he’s taken his audience for a drive on the Autobahn across the pages of The Multima Scheme. My experience when reviewing a series is to pay attention to the potential of predictable moments. There is nothing predictable about The Multima Scheme.

McGugan continues to accelerate the plot, enhance his characters and introduce some new villains to step in where the others have moved on. He knows how to spin a tale of sin, intrigue and greed and is a psychic wordsmith when it comes to knowing the exact moment to pull the rug out from underneath his audience with yet another superb scene set up.

If his audience thought crossing the finish line in Book I was epic, they better fasten their seatbelts and get ready for another thrilling ride to be had in The Multima Scheme. Bravo Mr. McGugan.

I am a fan and am thrilled with the momentum of this series!

Quill says: A lot did happen in Book 1, Three Weeks Less a Day. It pales in comparison to the ongoing intrigue in Book 2, The Multima Scheme!