Joseph Finder
Encyclopedia
Joseph Finder is an American
writer
of several thrillers set in a business environment. His books include Paranoia, Company Man, Killer Instinct
and Power Play. His novel
High Crimes
was made into a movie
starring Ashley Judd
and Morgan Freeman
.
and the Philippines
before his family returned to the United States (Bellingham, Washington
and Albany, New York
, where he attended Shaker High School
). Finder majored in Russian studies
at Yale University
, where he graduated summa cum laude
and Phi Beta Kappa. He received a master's degree
from the Harvard
Russian Research
Center in 1984, and later taught on the Harvard faculty.
While still in graduate school
, Finder published Red Carpet: The Connection Between the Kremlin
and America's Most Powerful Businessmen (1983), a controversial
exposé about multi-millionaire Dr. Armand Hammer
's ties to Soviet intelligence
. Though Hammer threatened a libel suit, the fall of the Soviet Union opened archives that verified the truth of Finder's account.
Finder's first novel, The Moscow
Club (1991), imagined a KGB
coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
. Six months after the book’s publication, such a coup happened. The Moscow Club was eventually published in thirty foreign countries, and became a bestseller throughout Europe
.
Finder's second novel, Extraordinary Powers (1994), about the discovery of a Soviet mole
in the highest ranks of the CIA, debuted just days before the unmasking of CIA mole Aldrich Ames
. The Zero Hour (1996) was the first novel ever written with the official cooperation of both the CIA and the FBI.
Paranoia (2004) was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback, as was Company Man (2005). Killer Instinct
, (St. Martin's Press
) was published in May 2006, debuting at #15 on the New York Times bestseller list. It won the
International Thriller Writers Award
for best novel in 2007. Power Play, published in 2007, debuted at #7 on the New York Times bestseller list, and was nominated for a Gumshoe Award. Vanished, the first novel to feature Finder's series character Nick Heller, was nominated for the 2010 International Thriller Writers
Award for best novel.
Finder is a founding member of the International Thriller Writers
Association, and serves as Financial Advisor to International PEN
-New England
http://www.pen-ne.org. He is also a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers
. He writes extensively on espionage
and international affairs
for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times and The Washington Post
. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife Michelle and their daughter Emma.
Joseph Finder gave the commencement speech
for his alma mater, Shaker High School
, for the class of 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of several thrillers set in a business environment. His books include Paranoia, Company Man, Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct (novel)
Killer Instinct is a thriller novel written by Joseph Finder published in May 2006 by Orion Publishing Group. It debuted at #13 on the New York Times bestseller list with competition from The DaVinci Code and won the International Thriller Writers Award for best novel in 2007....
and Power Play. His novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
High Crimes
High Crimes
High Crimes is a 2002 American thriller film directed by Carl Franklin. The screenplay by Yuri Zeltser and Grace Cary Bickley is based on a novel by Joseph Finder.-Plot:...
was made into a movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
starring Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd is an American television and film actress, who has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is and High Crimes...
and Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
.
Biography
Finder spent much of his early childhood in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
before his family returned to the United States (Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
and Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, where he attended Shaker High School
Shaker High School
Shaker High School is a public high school in Latham, Albany County, New York, and is part of the North Colonie Central School District. , it has an enrollment of over 2100 students. In 1985, it was recognized as an Exemplary School by the United States Department of Education, one of the first to...
). Finder majored in Russian studies
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he graduated summa cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
and Phi Beta Kappa. He received a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from the Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Russian Research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
Center in 1984, and later taught on the Harvard faculty.
While still in graduate school
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
, Finder published Red Carpet: The Connection Between the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
and America's Most Powerful Businessmen (1983), a controversial
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
exposé about multi-millionaire Dr. Armand Hammer
Armand Hammer
Armand Hammer was an American business tycoon most closely associated with Occidental Petroleum, a company he ran for decades, though he was known as well as for his art collection, his philanthropy, and for his close ties to the Soviet Union.Thanks to business interests around the world and his...
's ties to Soviet intelligence
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. Though Hammer threatened a libel suit, the fall of the Soviet Union opened archives that verified the truth of Finder's account.
Finder's first novel, The Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
Club (1991), imagined a KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
. Six months after the book’s publication, such a coup happened. The Moscow Club was eventually published in thirty foreign countries, and became a bestseller throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Finder's second novel, Extraordinary Powers (1994), about the discovery of a Soviet mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
in the highest ranks of the CIA, debuted just days before the unmasking of CIA mole Aldrich Ames
Aldrich Ames
Aldrich Hazen Ames is a former Central Intelligence Agency counter-intelligence officer and analyst, who, in 1994, was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia...
. The Zero Hour (1996) was the first novel ever written with the official cooperation of both the CIA and the FBI.
Paranoia (2004) was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback, as was Company Man (2005). Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct (novel)
Killer Instinct is a thriller novel written by Joseph Finder published in May 2006 by Orion Publishing Group. It debuted at #13 on the New York Times bestseller list with competition from The DaVinci Code and won the International Thriller Writers Award for best novel in 2007....
, (St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
) was published in May 2006, debuting at #15 on the New York Times bestseller list. It won the
International Thriller Writers Award
International Thriller Writers Awards
The International Thriller Writers Awards are awarded by International Thriller Writers at the annual Thrillerfest conferences for outstanding work in the field since 2006.-Award winners:2006*Thrillermaster: Clive Cussler...
for best novel in 2007. Power Play, published in 2007, debuted at #7 on the New York Times bestseller list, and was nominated for a Gumshoe Award. Vanished, the first novel to feature Finder's series character Nick Heller, was nominated for the 2010 International Thriller Writers
International Thriller Writers
International Thriller Writers, Inc., was founded October 9, 2004, at a meeting at Bouchercon World Mystery and Suspense Conference in Toronto, Canada. Six months later, some 150 authors with more than one billion books sold worldwide had joined the organization as founding members.Co-founders...
Award for best novel.
Finder is a founding member of the International Thriller Writers
International Thriller Writers
International Thriller Writers, Inc., was founded October 9, 2004, at a meeting at Bouchercon World Mystery and Suspense Conference in Toronto, Canada. Six months later, some 150 authors with more than one billion books sold worldwide had joined the organization as founding members.Co-founders...
Association, and serves as Financial Advisor to International PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
-New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
http://www.pen-ne.org. He is also a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers
Association of Former Intelligence Officers
The Association of Former Intelligence Officers , formerly known as the Association of Retired Intelligence Officers is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization founded in 1975 by David Atlee Phillips to counter widespread criticism of the United States intelligence community coming from...
. He writes extensively on espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and international affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife Michelle and their daughter Emma.
Joseph Finder gave the commencement speech
Commencement speech
A commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions. The "commencement" is a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred upon graduating students...
for his alma mater, Shaker High School
Shaker High School
Shaker High School is a public high school in Latham, Albany County, New York, and is part of the North Colonie Central School District. , it has an enrollment of over 2100 students. In 1985, it was recognized as an Exemplary School by the United States Department of Education, one of the first to...
, for the class of 2006.
Nick Heller
- Vanished, ISBN 0-312-37908-0, 2009, paperback 2010
- Buried Secrets, ISBN 978-0-312-37914-8, Summer 2011
Stand-alone novels
- Red Carpet: The Connection Between the Kremlin and America's Most Powerful Businessmen, 1983 (out of print)
- The Moscow Club, ISBN 0-330-31350-9 paperback 1991 (out of print)
- Extraordinary Powers, ISBN 0-7528-2651-4 paperback 1994 (out of print)
- The Zero Hour, ISBN 0-7528-2650-6 paperback 1996 (out of print)
- High Crimes, ISBN 0-380-72880-X paperback 1998
- Paranoia, ISBN 0-312-94091-2 paperback 2004
- Company Man (retitled No Hiding Place in UK), ISBN 0-312-93942-6 paperback 2005
- Killer InstinctKiller Instinct (novel)Killer Instinct is a thriller novel written by Joseph Finder published in May 2006 by Orion Publishing Group. It debuted at #13 on the New York Times bestseller list with competition from The DaVinci Code and won the International Thriller Writers Award for best novel in 2007....
, ISBN 0-312-34747-2 (hardcover) 2006 - Power Play, ISBN 0-3123-4748-0 (hardcover) 2007