Customer Reviews

A Killing on Wall Street: An Investment Mystery

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A Killing on Wall Street is cleverly written and hard to put down. Author Niederman makes investing an easy read by bringing its lessons alive in a murder mystery that abounds with subtlety, wit and -- surprise! Not since Highsmith has a writer pushed so far beyond the conventional limits of the mystery genre to challenge the reader while also entertaining. It's like nothing you've read before.

Niederman's book is riveting. In addition to providing an entertaining plot, the author continuously weaves in amusing pop culture references. I finished the book three days ago and I still can't get the Joey Buttafuoco reference out of my head.

"A Killing on Wall Street" also manages to explain, in an entertaining way, the basic workings of public investments and Wall Street. Furthermore, the book provides a cynical but basically correct picture of the real motivations of the analysts, investment bankers, money managers, public company presidents and the other Wall Street characters.

One of the poorest excuses for a novel I've ever read. I would've given it a two or three based on the merits of the sound financial background the author possessed, but it was so awful a piece of fiction I couldn't do it.

The dialogue was awful, as was the plot. The characters were shallow and boring, especially his main characters. But worst of all was its conclusion. For example, you learn on the last page of the book that the killer wasn't really a woman, or a man, I forget because I was rushing to the bathroom to gag.

A truly awful book. Don't waste your time or money on this one.

P.S. I just thought of one good thing: at least it was relatively short.

Niederman's book is riveting. In addition to providing an entertaining plot, the author continuously weaves in amusing pop culture references. I finished the book three days ago and I still can't get the Joey Buttafuoco reference out of my head.

"A Killing on Wall Street" also manages to explain, in an entertaining way, the basic workings of public investments and Wall Street. Furthermore, the book provides a cynical but basically correct picture of the real motivations of the analysts, investment bankers, money managers, public company presidents and the other Wall Street characters.

Read this book in about 10 years. It's a great "finance" culture guide for the year 2000. many current event references.

The book isn't great because it's not a intro to finance book that it's tries to be and also not a great mystery novel. It tries to be both but doesn't accomplish either.

The mystery novel aspect is weak and seems to end in a hurry without much explantion or reason. It's almost as though he needed to fill a certain amount of pages and realized he was there and needed to end quickly.

The finance part is weak also. The main character tries to explain finance and the stock market to his young (attractive) assistant. Although it comes off as the annoying person in work(school) who is always trying to proove how smart he/she is.

Entertaining but light. Perhaps a good beach book!!!

In Rye, New York, someone fires one shot just below the heart of Kyle Hooperman, killing the arrogant but extremely successful Wall St. portfolio manager. Hooperman knew how to keep his clients happy as he seem to have the Midas touch buying stocks in the state of "KISS - Kompanies in Serious Shit" but with a long history of making money.

Hooperman's employer Rutherford & Hayes hires former money manager turned sleuth Cliff Cavanaugh to investigate what happened so they can ease the mind of their nervous clients. Cliff accompanied by his assistant Tracy de Grandpre, a student at NYU and a Broadway wannabe, begin to make inquiries at the firm and among those customers who might be unhappy due to a bad investment.

A KILLING ON WALL STREET is a creative consolidation of Remedial Introduction to Financial Investment 099 and a murder investigation. Readers will enjoy the humorous interplay between Cliff and Trace as he provides her with a primer on investment that will help many readers understand the money markets. However, that causes the plot to lack action and limits the insight into the suspects of Cliff's evaluations. Though unique and intriguing, Derrick Niederman never decides which path he wants the plot to travel. Figuring out whether the book should be a who-done-it or an investment primer leaves the tale wagging the dog for much of the audience. Mr. Niederman has talent as his entertaining explanations are excellent, but he needs to tighten his focus so that a good book like this one can become a great novel.

Harriet Klausner