The Banker's Wife

April 2, 2018
Alger (The Darlings) makes her genre debut with an engrossing financial thriller. Annabel and Matthew Werner are leading the high life in Geneva, where he’s employed by Swiss United, a powerful offshore bank. Matthew works constantly, and Annabel at times feels isolated. Then a private plane carrying Matthew and Fatima Amir, a colleague Annabel has never heard Matthew mention, crashes in the Alps with no survivors. Matthew’s encrypted laptop may hold clues to the secrets he kept from Annabel. Meanwhile, journalist Marina Tourneau intends to leave her profession now that she’s engaged to Grant Ellis, a former Navy SEAL whose father is running for U.S. president. But the plane crash piques Marina’s curiosity, especially since she has been looking into the dealings of Swiss United, and she digs into the story, eventually crossing paths with Annabel. Alger presents the world of wealth management in a way that a novice can understand the intricacies but also appeals to the sophisticated reader. This complex tale of how greed can upend innocent lives will resonate with many. Author tour. Agent: Pilar Queen, McCormick Literary.

Listeners follow a major financial scandal that affects two women who don't know each other: One is married to a banker abroad, while the other is a soon-to-be former journalist engaged to a politician's son. Each in her own way, and for different reasons, must investigate to get to the heart of what happened. Karissa Vacker handles the narration extremely well, considering the cadre of executives and others who are woven into the story. Many have accents, from German to Swiss to Spanish. The voice and inflections of a character who was raised in a small town in France are done especially well, her nervousness as well as her accent coming out consistently. A well-paced story with many characters is made even more enjoyable by Vacker's ability to handle them all. M.B. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine