The Banker’s Wife by Christina Alger

The Banker’s Wife by Christina Alger – 352 pages ARC courtesy of the R.J. Putnam and Sons in exchange for an honest review

Book Blurb:

On an early morning in November, a couple boards a private plane bound for Geneva, flying into a storm. Soon after, it simply drops off the radar, and its wreckage is later uncovered in the Alps. Among the disappeared is Matthew Lerner, a banking insider at Swiss United, a powerful offshore bank. His young widow, Annabel, is left grappling with the secrets he left behind, including an encrypted laptop and a shady client list. As she begins a desperate search for answers, she determines that Matthew’s death was no accident, and that she is now in the crosshairs of his powerful enemies. Meanwhile, ambitious society journalist Marina Tourneau has finally landed at the top. Now that she’s engaged to Grant Ellis, she will stop writing about powerful families and finally be a part of one. Her entry into the upper echelons of New York’s social scene is more appealing than any article could ever be, but, after the death of her mentor, she agrees to dig into one more story. While looking into Swiss United, Marina uncovers information that implicates some of the most powerful men in the financial world, including some who are too close to home. The story could also be the answer to Annabel’s heartbreaking search—if Marina chooses to publish it.

My Review: 4 stars

Click here to order on Amazon The Banker’s Wife is a thriller for those who enjoy a book where they are never quite sure who or what to believe. The plot moved along quickly with each twist and turn leading into the next. The writing was a bit simplistic, yet the attention to detail in describing the international world of finance was impressive. I learned a lot about what people with an inordinate amount of money will do to protect their investments, while not getting caught. The two female leads in this story were a welcome addition as usually we see males as the leads in financial thrillers. I found myself rooting for both women and wondering how their stories would eventually cross and appreciated that these women were completely competent and reliable. Nice change from the typical unreliable woman narrator. It was a good idea to tell this story through the eyes of a journalist rather than a detective, which gave credibility to the plot. I did, however, find that the villains seemed pretty cliché. Alger had detailed and atmospheric descriptions of the Caymans, Geneva and Paris, which was a great escape. So many films and books mention offshore accounts to hide money and this book expanded my knowledge about this. Overall it was a good thriller that kept me sucked in as wanted to know how it would end.