Kingdom Come

By Tim Green

Book Overview

Bob King is a self-made billionaire who parlayed a rusty backhoe into 27th spot on Forbes' list. Now, his corporation is a multi-billion dollar construction company that instills greed and competition... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446615714
• ISBN13: 9780446615716
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Warner Books (NY)
• Length: 354 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Ambition Run Amok, Back Stabbing, Murder and Intrigue

When James King decides to take his company public there are a few people who want to be the CEO who's going to make like 20 million bucks. His son Scott and his loyal employees and best friends Thane and Ben. However Thane has an ambitious, stop-at-nothing-to-get-to-the-top wife named Jessica. Jessica talks Thane into killing James in such a way as to make it look like son Scott did the horrible deed. However, she conspires with evil union boss Johnny G. who is going to want more and more. Then there is Thane's best pal Ben who begins to suspect all is not kosher in Denmark in this MacBeth like story that will have your fingers ripping through the pages. True, there is nobody really worth liking in this finely crafted story. After all, our hero here lets his wife run roughshod over him and he is a murderer, still Mr. Green has crafted a story full of twists and intrigue that will keep you up, burning the midnight oil. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

Unlike all the others

Two Stars. I was very eager to get my copy of Kingdom Come as Tim Green's previous books made me a huge fan of his style. Tight prose, quick chapters and an exciting plot. Instead I was bored as I plodded through the book. It seems to me, that the author wanted to try something different from his previous work. I hope his next novel will be more thrilling.

An exquisitely written and suspenseful loose modernization of Macbeth

I sacrificed --- quite willingly --- a beautiful spring Sunday afternoon on the altar of KINGDOM COME, Tim Green's latest and perhaps penultimate novel. Green has always been a competent and constantly improving wordsmith, but nothing he has done before has foreshadowed the addictive readability of this work. The plot is a loose modernization of MACBETH, a fact that Green reveals early on with an introductory quote from that work as well as the name of his primary character. Thane Coder has a life that many, if not most, would envy. He has a fabulous job working for King Corp, a giant real estate entity that has become one of the richest, most powerful companies in the United States under the strong hand of founder James King. Coder also has Jessica, his beautiful, seductive wife, and a salary that can provide him with everything he wants. He lives in a dream come true for someone who came from less-than-humble beginnings. As he freely confesses, however, this is not enough. When King announces that he's taking the company public and promoting his son Scott ahead of Coder, Coder refuses to accept the news. Putting himself in the pocket of a powerful and corrupt construction union, Coder --- with Jessica's careful plotting and subtle encouragement --- murders James and frames Scott for the deed. Things begin unraveling almost immediately, and not always in the way one might expect. Coder and Jessica give themselves over to an opulence and indulgence that quickly corrupts them from within and without. Killing becomes easier, and as both of them play the FBI and the union against each other, it slowly becomes clear that they are headed down an inevitable path of ruin. Green's pacing is exquisite, particularly in the latter half of the novel, wherein the pending doom is held at bay even as it dips and swirls in and out of the story. Green also infuses the climax with a fine and just symmetry that is not revealed until the very end, thus leaving the reader satisfied at precisely the right moment. Whether you are a longtime reader of Green's work or have never read him before, KINGDOM COME is an imperative addition to your must-read list. Highly recommended. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Another great book by Mr. Tim Green

I have read all of Tim Green's books, and I must say that this is his best work. The lead character, Thane Coder is ambitious and will do anything, even kill to get what he wants. The real evil lies with his overly manipulative wife, Jessica who is addicted to pain killers and expensive clothes. This is a tale of friend betraying friend for money and power. This book does have some paralles to Macbeth and in this writers opinion, makes the book more interesting. I read this book in 1 day - had trouble putting it down. Another good book by Tim Green!!!

"The more money you have, the more you want."

Tim Green's stunning thriller, "Kingdom Come" is a chilling cautionary tale based loosely on Shakespeare's classic tragedy, "Macbeth." Thane Coder, along with Scott King and Ben Evans, have been close friends since their days as college football players. Scott's father, James, is the head of King Corp, and years ago, Scott gave Ben and Thane jobs in his father's company. King Corp is now launching a multi-million dollar construction project, but there may be trouble ahead. A vicious sociopath named John Garret, known as Johnny G, works for a mob-controlled union. He is demanding enormous kickbacks, or his union will do all in its power to sabotage the project. To make matters worse, James King disappoints Thane by withholding a promised windfall of much needed funds that Thane was counting on to get him out of debt. Jessica, Thane's ambitious, beautiful, and seductive wife, hatches a labyrinthine scheme that she hopes will make them fabulously rich. Thane has always followed Jessica's lead, and, against his better judgment, he goes along with her plan. "Kingdom Come" works on several levels. First, it is psychological horror story about two previously law-abiding people who lose all sense of perspective and commit unspeakable acts to get what they want. Much as the Macbeths did, the Coders rationalize their criminal behavior. Green explores how an ordinary man and woman from humble roots, who have a nice home, a beautiful child, social status, and good friends, gradually change into monsters. Thane and Jessica are fully realized villains whose dysfunctional childhoods helped mold them into selfish and amoral adults. The book is also a detailed look at the inner workings of a large corporation. Green effectively depicts how the men at the top fight one another for financial and political control. The heads of large businesses walk a fine line in their dealings with worried bankers, powerful and sometimes corrupt unions, and nervous shareholders, and when millions are at stake, anything can happen, including murder. Finally, this is a suspenseful and beautifully constructed mystery in which the reader learns that Thane Coder's narration is not entirely reliable, and as the facts gradually emerge, we learn the full extent of his fall from grace. "Kingdom Come" features some well-drawn secondary characters, including two female FBI agents (whom Thane dubs "witches," more shades of Macbeth). Then there is Bucky Lainhart, a hunting guide who works for James. Bucky is a relentless tracker who never lets his prey escape, and he plays an important role in the book's nightmarish and unforgettable conclusion. "Kingdom Come" is a terrific read and it is easily one of the best thrillers of the year.