Murder Over Broken Bonds: A Wall Street Mystery (1) by Rebecca Saltzer

This is a perfect time to begin reading Rebecca Saltzer’s series of Wall Street mysteries because the theme of the first book is greed. Whatever you currently think about stocks and bonds, this mystery takes you right to the trading floor of the fictional Spencer Brothers firm. Everything you might have thought about the drama of the trading floor taken back to the 1980s is over the top and fascinating in this series. It has a great setting and a likable protagonist.

Anne Scott is a bond analyst at Spencer Brothers. She is smart, intuitive, self-confident, and working in a man’s world. Her talent has taken her a long way, and she is exceptionally good at her job. So, when Michael Kingston, a senior investment banker, ends up dead after a contentious meeting, it is quite a shock. Millions of dollars are on the line in shady financial deals and sleazy contacts as Anne begins to discover as she uncovers the past of the victim. Before long, other employees die under questionable circumstances. What is going on?

Anne enlists the help of Alex, a lawyer at the firm, to investigate her suspicions. Together they uncover a trail of questionable decisions and fraudulent schemes. Because Anne is following the bread crumbs, she soon finds herself getting threatening phone calls and shadowy suspects. Someone is anxious about her sleuthing.

Saltzer creates an amazing world of Wall Street in the 1980s. She knows whereof she writes because she was a bond analyst for Lehman Brothers back then. Anne is overlooked as a player in the inner circles because she is a woman. Fortunately for us, it allows her to remain in the shadows watching the powerful men in her firm. The plot is exciting, the stories about Wall Street are both educational and jaw-dropping, and the motives and financial dealings are so easy to believe. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So, I read the second one too.

Not Accounting for Murder: A Wall Street Mystery (2) by Rebecca Saltzer

I didn’t think Rebecca Saltzer could beat her first Wall Street Mystery until I read the second. I loved it. This time, we leave NYC for the Hamptons, favorite setting for the rich and famous, a playing field for lots of drama, and that’s great for murder. Anne and her now-boyfriend, Alex, go to the Hamptons for Alex’s sister’s wedding. Needless to say, Anne feels quite out of place there with these well-heeled families.

Work and the weekend cross when Anne sees the CEO of Energix who gives her a tongue-lashing in front of everyone. Anne runs an investment fund, and she decided to drop the shares of Energix from the fund. While it is a “darling” of Wall Street, her gut instinct says it looks better on paper than it is. Her dismissal of the stock causes the price to go down according to the CEO. When he is murdered, Anne becomes the prime suspect.

This was a great cross between Wall Street and the rich who live in the Hamptons, at least on the weekends. What a great façade for murder and what huge characters who engage in cutthroat trading and management of fortunes. Saltzer once again tells some amazing anecdotes about rich investors. The plot moves back and forth in time and seldom slows down. Entertaining stories about the rich and the shady ala The Great Gatsby abound.

And now Saltzer is working on the third book in the series, A Golden Opportunity for Murder. Can’t wait to see what happens next.