A KILLING ON WALL STREET

This unusual hybrid incorporates a primer on investment into a standard whodunit, as a mathematics professor-turned-securities-analyst-turned-YA author introduces Cliff Cavanaugh, securities analyst-turned-daytrader-turned-detective, called in by his former employers at Rutherford & Hayes to solve the murder of portfolio manager Kyle Hooperman. As Cliff, along with his comely assistant, NYU student Tracy deGrandpre, confront suspect after suspect, each interview serves to illustrate a specific investment concept. Tracy's report on Hooperman client Lila Fitzpatrick, a PepsiCo investor before Warren Buffett made his first dime, gives Cliff the chance to explain the effect of multiple stock splits over time. Tracy's chat with Ginny Truesdale, who takes over the lion's share of Hooperman's clients, turns into a lesson on price/earnings ratio. A background check on investor Milton Koenig helps illustrate the difference between full-service and discount brokerages. And so forth. Niederman's portraits are razor-sharp—he describes manager Fred Gletz as so unoriginal that “the only way Gletz could have killed Hooperman is if someone else killed him first”—but one-dimensional. What emerges instead of a full-fledged mystery is a gallery of snapshots, with just enough information to determine whether the subject can be eliminated from the suspect pool. Minimal background and no chance for the reader to see the characters in action—all you know is what Cliff and Tracy tell you about them—keep the story from ever gathering a full head of steam.

Niederman is a very good writer who may be carrying too much baggage from his earlier careers to be an effective storyteller. Here's hoping he travels lighter next time.