Book excerpt: Scarred by a troubled childhood, and angry at the vicissitudes of fate, Marshall Martin, a young New York portfolio manager, decides to win fame and fortune by bringing down his employer, the largest hedge fund in the world. Relying on a fabricated insider-trading plot involving his boss, he succeeds in his goal, only to find that his actions have a host of unintended consequences on him and those around him. Plagued by guilt and fear, he begins to find a degree of solace in his idealized love for the former fiance of his best friend at work. However, it is only when he realizes her own dark secrets and flaws, that he is able to embark upon a true path to redemption, and perhaps, ultimately, happiness. Set in New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Monaco, Fortune Follows The Fearless is an unflinching examination of one mans attempt to come to terms with his own mediocrity and mortality, in a world of money and ruthless ambition. It is Hunter Hammonds first novel.