What She Knew

LOCAL AUTHOR

In late 2008, the American economy is imploding and money manager Liz Nabor is struggling to reassure her clients that their investments are secure. She may be out to make money, but even she knows trouble when she sees it, and that’s why she’s always avoided questionable funds like Madoff’s. But then it turns out that one of Liz’s favorite investment funds, that of Jim Leininger, has been feeding into Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, and it doesn’t take long for the Feds to zero in on Liz as a good mid-level candidate for prosecution. On top of that, Liz’s estranged aunt is dying, her relationship with her sister is more strained than ever, and her now ex-boyfriend is pissed at the amount of money he lost. Will Liz be able to redeem herself and avoid jail time for a crime she didn’t knowingly commit?

Nadine Galinsky Feldman’s What She Knew examines a major aspect of the recent economic recession from the point of view of a woman trapped squarely in the middle of the unstable stock market. Liz is truly innocent of any wrongdoing, her only crime being ignorance of Leininger’s true associations. Liz is the kind of powerful career woman many aspire to be, wealthy and smart and fully in charge of her own life. But when that life starts to fall apart, readers will identify with the questions she starts to ask herself about what really matters, as well as the difficulties she faces in maintaining relationships with those she loves.

By telling the story in the present tense, Feldman does a good job of conveying the urgency of Liz’s situation and keeping readers on the edge of their seats as she navigates her problems. Well written and full of fascinating information about the realities of the market collapse, What She Knew is a great novel that will hook you.