Means to an End is an original and unusual book: it falls squarely in the genre of financial thriller but is set against a multi-cultural backdrop. The action takes place in both exotic locations and major financial centres as people from disparate backgrounds are meshed into an intricate plot that operates at several levels.The issues raised in the book are highly topical as the threads of the Afghan crisis are entwined with the kind of greed and excesses of corporate America that have hit the news this year, 2002.This is a very readable and compelling novel, while at the same time being highly informative without you really noticing, containing a number of intriguing asides.