Black and White Smoke: C-Suite Woes: Subtlety has limits

2026 PenMasters, Firebird, Four Seasons, and Literary Titan awards winner. A corporate/financial thriller centered around a missing CEO- Power games are played in the boardroom, while other deadly moves occur in the shadows.

Threats are mounting against an innovative business intelligence firm after a regulatory change. AI is shaking things up, and acquiring datacenter capabilities is critical. The firm's CFO, Jon Kiza, a behind-the-scenes operator, hasn’t been in the spotlight. But when the CEO vanishes and a game-changing deal starts unraveling, he's thrust into an unexpected race for the top job —where he faces Paxton Stump, the firm's charismatic rainmaker. Guile and patient positioning are pitted against charm and flamboyant thrusts. It’s a duel between the chess-minded quant and the warrior poet.

While on a trip, Jon is put in the crosshairs of alluring forces he didn't see coming. A smear campaign takes shape, and he realizes that far more dangerous threats lurk in the shadows. Cornered, he fights back. Meanwhile, Paxton bags a game-changing deal with a client prospect, but obstacles follow, and the goal posts keep shifting. Regardless, the bacon winner won’t be stopped.
Of the two, who will sway the board?

With action spread across Boston, New Haven, London, and Zurich; Black and White Smoke is an international, fast-paced corporate thriller packed with boardroom intrigue, spiced with corporate espionage, and with characters diced by unchecked greed.

It's about a world where every tidbit of information is leverage. And every choice has consequences. Fans of the Succession mini-series, Reicher's The First Billion, Peston’s The Crash, R. Subramanian’s If God was a Banker, or Cencioni's Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive; this one is for you.