Calumet "K"

Surprisingly fascinating and suspenseful novel about a dynamic construction boss building a grain elevator on the Calumet River, south of Chicago. He races against a stringent deadline while confronting interference from a jealous, ignorant foreman; venal union leaders; recalcitrant railroads; and the sabotaging efforts of bullish speculators bent on cornering the wheat market. It makes a fine counterpart to Frank Norris' "The Pit."