Maybe the Horse Will Talk, by Elliot Perlman

Stephen Maserov is a former teacher turned corporate lawyer, who is struggling in every aspect of life. The career change was meant to get his family ahead, but has only led to debt, fear and a marriage breakdown. He stumbles on an opportunity that could buy him some time in a precarious work situation, or could mean he loses everything. Does he have the chutzpah to go for it? Maybe the horse will talk. You don’t discover that this novel is set in Melbourne until around 60 pages in. This is likely quite deliberate as it could be set almost anywhere with a dehumanising corporate culture – New York, London, Hong Kong etcetera. It is reminiscent of the TV series Suits, with its power games, stupid working hours and business amorality. It is interesting that as Stephen gains autonomy the story setting becomes more and more Melbourne – streets, suburbs and pubs. A recurrent theme, which starts at the very first sentence, is that so many people are terrified of losing a job they hate – this is the world we live in. But the story gives hope that once we realise we are not alone in this feeling or in this world, there may be a way to make things better. This is Three Dollars on steroids; partly satire that teeters on the edge of farce – the law firm is called Freely Savage Carter Blanche - and partly polemic on sexual harassment and assault in the workplace and the toxic corporate culture that protects those in power. The story ends somewhat abruptly, leaving the reader wondering whether the horse will indeed talk.