Mad Money (Madeline Carter Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Linda L Richards (Author)

Book Description

Series: Madeline Carter Novels | Publication Date: December 1, 2004

A new life, a fresh start.

That's what Madeline Carter is looking for when she quits her high-pressure job in New York and moves to Los Angeles. But Madeline is one of those people who can't help but attract trouble ...

Beautiful, calm, quiet. It's everything Madeline imagined California would be ... everything her life as a stockbroker in New York wasn't. Still, when Madeline runs into ex-boyfriend Ernest Carmichael Billings, who gives her a hot tip about a company where he is about to be named CEO, she wonders, as a day trader, what would be the harm in acting on the tip. Innocent enough, right?

Wrong. Because when Ernest goes missing and the stock starts to plummet, Madeline decides to do something. She sets out to uncover just what's going on ... and lands right in the middle of kidnapping, corporate fraud and murder. This is definitely more than she bargained for ...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

White-collar crime turns nasty when stockbroker Madeline Carter's best friend, Jack, is shot to death right at the New York Stock Exchange. Unnerved by his murder, Madeline quits her job and moves to Los Angeles, where she rents an apartment on the Malibu property of a famous movie director. An insider's tip from Ernie, her former lover, causes Madeline to lose her money, something that shouldn't have happened. Unfortunately, she had passed the tip on to her mother, who also passed the tip on. Feeling responsible for several people's investments, Madeline goes to Langton Regional Group, the company in question, to find out for herself what's happening. She discovers that Ernie, their CEO, has been kidnapped, and the more Madeline investigates, the deeper into the whole mess she gets. On the upside, she finds unexpected love with Steve, a young Langton salesman. On the downside, someone uses her for target practice. Murder, mayhem, humor, romance, and great characters make this first book in the Madeline Carter series hard to put down. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"... does what many have tried and few have managed -- to turn ... corporate crime into a fun, roller-coaster read." -- Alafair Burke -- author of Missing Justice

"...a fun, roller-coaster read. The key is Richards' strong, witty, and likeable heroine, recovering stock broker Madeline Carter." -- Alafair Burke author of Missing Justice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mira; First Edition edition (December 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778321037
• ISBN-13: 978-0778321033
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,955,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am the editor and co-founder of JanuaryMagazine.com, one of the Web's leading magazines about books and authors. As a journalist, I've written extensively about books, authors, high tech and business for a number of publications. I am the author of five novels, including the widely acclaimed Mad Money, new in e-book formats. I live in the north Pacific, right in the middle of a rain forest, with my partner, the artist and photographer David Middleton and an Australian Kelpie named Jett.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful surprise, January 4, 2005

By 

Sandra Smith (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Money (Madeline Carter Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I recieved Mad Money as a gift and found it to be an utter surprise. I don't know what I expected, but what I found was a tightly rendered and well executed mystery story with lots of dark elements and a solid core of humor. I was especially delighted with Madeline Carter as an amateur detective. There are many fictional non-professional detectives these days and Madeline is more believable than most. As a professional woman in my mid 30s, I found I could relate to Madeline completely. Though I wouldn't have thought the stock market would interest me in the least, the author handles this aspect in a way that interested and intrigued me.

Mad Money is the first in a series. Like other reviewers of this book, the second Madeline Carter book can't come quickly enough!

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mad Money, December 31, 2004

By 

AK "Bro" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Money (Madeline Carter Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Taking on a too great load of guilt over the shooting of her friend and co worker, stock trader Madeline Carter pulls up stakes and moves from New York to LA, seeking peace and new start. What she finds is anything but that. Her new home is lovely, and she makes friends quickly with a young woman and her family. However, when she acts on a stock tip from an old flame, it turns out to be a bad move; the stock plummets when the flame disappears and Madeline is a suspect in his disappearance. Solving the case to clear her name brings her the chance for romance and the threat of danger, made more complex by a her new friend running away- or is it an abduction?

*** Multi layered and complex, this novel offers comedy, drama, and a rather unusual setting for a romance novel. If you are tired of the same old thing, then this will be what you are looking for. ***

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Financial Intrigue and Murder, November 29, 2004

By 

Cynthia Chow (Kaneohe, Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mad Money (Madeline Carter Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

When taking advice, always consider the source. This is an adage New York broker Madeline Carter should have followed before investing her money in stock based on a tip from her ex-boyfriend Ernest Carmichael Billings. The lure of an inside tip lured Madeline into overlooking ethics, and when the stock starts to nosedive as a result of Ernest's disappearance Madeline has no choice but to investigate in order to save her, and her family's, investment.

When a crazed shooter murders Madeline's friend Jackson in the middle of their office Madeline abandons New York for Los Angeles, where she ends up renting a room from the famous director Tyler Beckett. While Tyler hopes that Madeline will mentor his daughter Jennifer and keep her out of the Hollywood life, Madeline finds that she enjoys accompanying the young woman on visits to clubs. It's at one of these that she meets her old ex, and her involvement results in her becoming a suspect in his disappearance as she infiltrates the Langton Regional Group offices building and their parties. Along the way she meets an attractive but young LRG employee, gets tailed by a private eye, and discovers yet another kidnapping. And the move to California seemed to be so relaxing.

Richards excels at making the financial complexities of the stock market both understandable and exciting, with a plot that speeds right along to a very realistic and satisfying ending. The writing is sharp with a strong element of humor, making this a very enjoyable and fast read. The descriptions of California, from the wealthy mansions to the clubs and the cars are detailed and dead-on. Richards has created one of the most likeable, fully developed, and original characters this year, and we can hope that Madeline Carter will be making more appearances.