Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on The Dead Chip Syndicate, a crime thriller set in Macau by award-winning screenwriter and author Andrew W. Pearson.
When an ex-pat moves to Macao to run his twin brother's Artificial Intelligence company, he falls under the influence of a charismatic casino owner who recruits him to sell a crypto coin to the Chinese elite. But he soon discovers he's the dupe in a huge money-laundering scheme that might be orchestrated by his treacherous twin.
★★★★★ "A captivating blend of crypto, casinos, and culture." ~Amazon Review
The Dead Chip Syndicate
Genres: Crime Thrillers, Cultural Heritage Fiction4.7 stars, 12 ratings
Paperback: $14.66
E-book: $6.99
Offered the chance to run his twin brother's A.I. company, Anthony Wilson ditches his failing screenwriting career to start anew in Macau. The job turns highly lucrative when Anthony's new client, Cash Cheang, a pompadour-topped and Johnny Cash-loving casino operator, hands him a bag full of cold hard Yuan to implement a facial recognition system in his casino.
Hearing about Anthony's past life as a screenwriter, Cash offers him another job—ghostwriting a biography about the casino mogul's life, rising from the mean streets of Macau to become one of the city's most notorious and successful businessmen. Anthony accepts the job while also agreeing to help Cash sell his latest scheme, a cryptocoin aimed at raising funds for a floating casino in Macau.
As Anthony learns more about Cash's life, he realizes the biography is filled with dangerous secrets about the Chinese elite, secrets these powerful people would rather see buried for good. "You always cheat the ones closest to you," warns an old Chinese proverb...words that ring true as Anthony enters a playground more surreal and depraved than decadent Hollywood. More deadly, too, as Anthony soon discovers he's the dupe in a huge Chinese money-laundering scheme that might be orchestrated by his treacherous twin.
Praise for The Dead Chip Syndicate
"Pearson’s prose is savvy and brisk but with sharp edges, and the novel will both delight and disgust readers fascinated with wealth and power run amok." ~BookLife
"Not just an eye-opening book and an utterly absorbing insight into Chinese culture, but a commanding thriller and one that does not put a foot wrong." ~NetGalley Review
About the Author
Andrew Pearson was born in Pakistan, grew up in Singapore, and was educated at boarding schools in both England and America. With a degree in psychology from UCLA, Pearson has had a varied career in IT, marketing, mobile technology, social media, esports, and entertainment. Along the way, Pearson has authored 17 books and optioned and adapted multiple novels into screenplays, including an award-winning adaptation of The Dead Chip Syndicate. Learn more at andrewwpearson.com, and be sure to follow Andrew Pearson online: 
