THE JOB

THE JOB Douglas Kennedy (Hyperion, $23.95) If you were desperate -- deep in debt, marriage on the skids, out of a job (and, even worse, blackballed in your industry) -- how far would you go for employment? Such is the premise of this ''corporate thriller'' about the repercussions of merger mania and downsizing. Ned Allen, the annoyingly jocular and condescending narrator, finds himself in the above situation and turns a very blind eye indeed when an old classmate offers him a job running a private-equity fund for an ex-sports star-turned-self-improvement guru. Marked by black-and-white characters and unbelievable plot twists, this is a blender-made book: Take The Firm, throw in some Liar's Poker, and puree. C

You Might Also Like

• TV Review The Job; Big Apple | Ken Tucker
• Review Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central); The Job | Ken Tucker
• Review The Job | Ken Tucker
• TV Review The Job | Ken Tucker
• Television News Returning Shows
• Hot Topic Which TV shows should be canceled -- which saved? | Bruce Fretts