Annabel Lerner feels isolated in Geneva: she's not like the other bankers' wives, and she rarely sees her husband Matthew anymore. They moved to Geneva for a fresh start--and yes, to take advantage of the salary Matthew's private banking job at Swiss United offered. But Annabel never realized how stressed Matthew would be or how often he'd travel. And then, suddenly, he's gone: his private plane simply falling off the radar over the French Alps. Before she can even understand what's happening, Annabel is left to deal with the aftermath, including a trail of secrets and the powerful men at Swiss United who don't want them exposed. Meanwhile, Marina Tourneau is a reporter for The Press. Her mentor, Duncan Carr, has been chasing a story involving Morty Reiss, whose hedge fund was one of the largest Ponzi scams of all time. Supposedly, before he could get caught, Morty committed suicide. But Duncan and Marina believe Marty faked his death and Duncan has become obsessed with proving it--to the detriment of his health, his reputation, and his career. But Marina is also engaged to Grant Ellis, whose wealthy father, James, is about to run for President. The plan is for Marina to stop writing and stand by her man. But when she suddenly realizes she's on the trail of the story of her career, what will she do?

Well, this turned out to be a gem of a novel. When I first started reading it, I was a little worried that I wouldn't see what the fuss was all about, but things quickly picked up, and I was hooked. One of the best things about this novel is that it's an old-style thriller--it reminded me of old-school Grisham or Stieg Larsson. It even throws shade at the glutton of Girl books and their (annoying) unreliable narrators, which I love. This is a mystery for folks who love real stories without any fuss or distraction and with strong characters--all of which combine to leave you befuddled and anxious as everything slowly unfurls.

Alger takes us into the complicated and dark world of Swiss banking, where we are introduced to a lot of real bad guys who have no morals. You can't trust them, you know they are bad, and you know your heroes and heroines are in true danger. Rarely do I think this while reading a book (because, face it, the book is always better), but I really think this book would *actually* make a great movie. It's exciting and tense, and the way things are slowly revealed would make for a very effective film.

But, anyway, it's a wonderful novel. You quickly get sucked into Annabel and Marina's worlds--the majority of the story is told from their points of view. There's a decent amount of ancillary characters to keep track of, but it's certainly manageable. The best is not knowing who to trust, what to believe, or how things went down. There's that Girl with a Dragon Tattoo-reporting vibe that I love: the pleasure of solving a case. The story is set in 2015 but is completely timely, yet utterly timeless in its essence of greed, money, and fear--and what people do in the name of all three. I just loved the old-fashioned thrill of it, the long list of suspects, the excitement of trying to work out who did what.

Overall, this is just a great novel. The plot is excellent--tense, exciting, and expertly woven together. The characters are strong, but it's really the story that's the standout here. It truly reminds you of mysteries and thrillers of old (I sound ancient here, but whatever). Don't let the banking theme scare you off: this is a fabulous read, and if you're a mystery or thriller fan, I think you'll really enjoy this one. 4+ stars.

The Banker’s Wife is a fast paced thriller set inside the financial world of Swiss banking. I’ve always been fascinated with Swiss bank accounts and the dealings of the high and mighty, so this was very interesting to me. Some of the technical financial aspects got confusing, but I’m lucky to be married to a CPA and he cleared up my confusion.

I liked the characters, but didn’t particularly love any of them. It was nice to read an actual thriller in a time when most thrillers are psychological based.

I received and advance reader copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Mystery at its best! This was a great book and it kept me interested all the way through. With the storyline, it was like reading two books at a time, but it flowed beautifully.

Thanks to netgalley for my free e-ARC of this novel.

I loved this book! I thought this was a great suspense novel & I can definitely see what all the hype is about. It was so refreshing to see 2 strong female characters handling their sh&t and getting it done- kicking a$$ and taking names. I really enjoyed the premise, I thought it was very interesting without getting 'too' into detail over banking/off-shore accounts (i.e. a normal person could understand what was happening) yet it had different elements of surprise/scandal that made it a great novel overall. I would definitely recommend this one.

The Banker’s Wife shows us the 24/7 world of financial world and the evils that sometimes lurk behind the scenes. The heart-pounding suspense and deceit will have the reader turning the pages.

We first meet Annabel shortly after her husbands death, or shall I say mysterious plane crash that killed him. What follows is her discovery of a encrypted laptop and more questions surrounding his death. The more she digs, more questions plague her, did she really know her husband that well? What did he get himself mixed up in? Annabel is one determined widow. I felt so sorry for her through all of this, but she is stronger than she ever thought she was and I really like that about her. She turned out to one tough cookie. Now onto Marina, who happens to be a investigative journalist, who believes she has landed a big story. She, like Annabel is independent and and determined at what ever the cost, they will figure out just was going behind the scenes of the sometimes scary financial world.

It is so hard to tell you about the plot itself, as I will be afraid to give too much away. This is the type of read that it is better to go in blind and let the pieces fall into place for the reader. And Alger did such a fantastic job describing the financial world and bringing it to life.

The story is fast paced from the start, from the mounting evidence to the smart quick determined women wanting answers who find themselves at times in some pretty dangerous situations, but it doesn’t stop them either. Alger had me hooked from the start till the last page and I have to say, that is one things I look for in the thriller genre. And this one delivered.

An American working for a Swiss bank boards a private flight with a female client. The plane crashes and the banker's widow is left to sort out the scandal he left behind. Was he being unfaithful to her? The client was a family member of a known criminal, which would make his business dealings with her unethical and possibly illegal. Was her husband involved in any criminal dealings? Was the plane crash truly an accident?

I loved the way this story's loose ends were tied up. Without giving any spoilers, I think the ending happened exactly the way I wanted it to. So satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for my free digital copy!

QOTD: Have you ever started reading a book and from the first couple chapters your heart is beating rapidly, and you are drawn into the story immediately? No? Me either, but THIS BOOK made these exacts emotions come out! THE BANKER’S WIFE begins with a bang. This book feels like a mix between Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder. Just imagine twists and turns on EVERY page.

I did a little research on the author, Cristina Algers, after reading and it turns out that she used to be a financial analyst and a corporate attorney. This bit of information allowed me as the reader to clearly understand how she was able to describe in detail about economic sanctions, off shore banks, and even money laundering amongst powerful individuals. Only a person with extensive understanding of these type of dealings would be able to give detailed explanations of the events that are written in THE BANKER’S WIFE.

I also enjoyed how realistic she made each character. You could feel Annabel’s grief over learning about the death of her husband and even Zoe’s fear after realizing she was working amongst dangerous men in the banking world. Being able to “feel” these emotions allowed the story to continue on a steady pace and helped the book read more like a movie. I did find myself having to take note of the many characters, because they eventually overlapped towards the end. I could see how someone may get overwhelmed with the many different people presented, but a quick jot down of the names and who they are can help overcome that.

This plot is new and fresh. I’m the girl who LIVES for a good thriller, so I know when the writing has been worked on with care and this book is presented to the reader on a silver platter. I will be recommending this novel to everyone who asks. Hopefully, they fall in love with the storyline as much as I did.

Cristina Alger writes a great thriller! I know this book is a departure from her normal genre, but I was incredibly pleased with the pace and action of this book. A quick glimpse into the world of International banking left me grateful that I chose education! I especially appreciated the strength and determination of the female characters drawn in this novel. I think we need more of this in the book world, and I am incredibly proud to support an author who writes about powerful female characters. If you are searching for a book that will have you guessing until the end (yes, I was surprised!) then do yourself a copy and pick up The Banker's Wife!

What a roller coaster ride! I practically devoured this book. This was one of those books that make you hope they make into a movie. There are multiple points of view but the main ones are from Annabel, the banker’s wife, and Marina, a journalist. Annabel’s husband, Matthew, is presumed dead after a plane crash. The plane crash becomes suspect after Annabel finds out that her husband was leaking financial information about shady clients. That’s just the top of the iceberg, though. There is so much more to this book! There are a lot of little mysteries that begin to culminate to the exciting finale. It had me in a constant state of “oh my gosh I hope she/he makes it” mutterings. Overall I’d give this book a 4/5⭐️

*This ebook was provided to me for free in exchange for my honest review

The Banker's Wife is a portrait of two women, each of whom has become entangled in the murky world of offshore banking and money laundering -- and, as a result, finds herself in grave danger.

When a plane bound for Geneva crashes in the Alps, Annabel Werner is informed that her husband, Matthew, a private banker with Swiss United, perished along with a female client. Annabel gave up her own career to move with Matthew to Geneva so that they could start over following tragedy and disappointment, and Matthew could enjoy a successful, lucrative career. Annabel is devastated, but there is no time for mourning when she realizes that he left behind his encrypted laptop, details about client identities and transactions, and his assistant convinces her that she is not safe. She soon discovers that she was not provided truthful information about the plane crash and she has to unravel the mystery of what Matthew was really up to in order to survive.

Back in the U.S., Marina Tourneau is about to trade her career as a journalist reporting on America's rich and famous for marriage to Grant Ellis, whose father, James, is about to announce his candidacy for President. But her mentor and friend, Duncan Sander, is found murdered in his home and Marina does not believe that he was the victim of a robbery gone wrong. Duncan had been working on a big story for quite some time. He was determined to track down Morthy Reiss, convinced that Reiss fakes his own suicide and absconded with the proceeds from the Ponzi scheme that Reiss disguised as a hedge fund. When Marina receives inside information from a whistle blower, she is determined to complete the story -- for Duncan and to learn the truth. While following the trail of money straight to Swiss United, Marina finds evidence implicating some of the most powerful players in the international world of finance, business, and government.

In The Banker's Wife, the stories of Annabel and Marina are interconnected, even though the women are not acquainted. Unwittingly, they both find themselves immersed in a very tangled web of power, finance, and illegal schemes to avoid taxes, and they must both be exceedingly inventive and expeditious as they search for the truth. For both of them, as well as Matthew's assistant, Zoe, their very lives depend upon their ingenuity and deductive reasoning. The result is a tense, intricately constructed tale about the corruption of power and wealth, and the lengths to which the wealthy and powerful will go in order to protect their status. The book's pace never lags, careening with increasing speed and urgency to a shocking, but emotionally satisfying conclusion.

I have been reading fewer and fewer thrillers lately & this is actually my first one of summer 2018. I’m so happy that I waited to read one until I had this in my hands because it was absolutely amazing! Two strong female leads. Fabulous European locations along with New York City. And a twisty-turny financial mystery. What more could you want? Bravo to Cristina Alger!

Loved this book, even when I was not reading it I kept thinking about it and couldn’t wait to pick it up again and I finished it in a day. Would definitely recommend to others and can’t wait to read other titles from this author.

Highly recommend!!

Note: Somehow my original review disappeared... will try to reconstruct although I find that pretty unlikely.

<i>The Banker’s Wife </i> was one of my favorite thrillers of the summer so far. It introduced me to the world of international offshore banking and gave a different perspective of the fascinating lifestyle of the rich and powerful.

At the center of the story are two main heroines - each smart, clever, and talented. They are connected through the apparent murders of, in one case, their husband and, in the other, of their friend and mentor. Their efforts to uncover the facts of these crimes intertwine even though they never meet. Their investigation comes with the requisite twists and turns as well as danger that really did keep me turning pages. I was impressed that a major part of the conclusion caught me totally by surprise!

Overall, I was left with the impression that <i>The Banker’s Wife</i> was a cross between old b&w mystery movies of the 40s-50s and James Bond-type intrigue. The ending(s) was very much like watching the heroines ride off into the sunset.

FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a thriller!!! Some books don't always live up to the hype and reviews. This one does. From the word go I was hooked. This is corruption and lies at its best. Unputdownable!

What a breathe of fresh air with these strong female characters! Great financial thriller with an array of characters that you don’t know immediately who to trust. Fun and fresh subject matter that keeps you flipping pages! Loved this book! Great ending!

I was given an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is more a “offshore banking” thriller than a psychological thriller. I think you know what I mean. If you’re a fan of that genre, you’ll like this book, it’s well-written and female-centered, which is pleasant. No major surprises, you know who the good guys and bad guys are, but it’s fun.

The Banker’s Wife by Christina Alger

Brief Summary: two female narrators tell the story. Annabel’s husband Matthew, a banker for Swiss United, is killed in a plane crash and she suspects that foul play is involved. When the editor and mentor of journalist Marina is killed after he asks her to make a data pick-up; she takes on the story herself.

Highlights: This international thriller had a great hook from the beginning and totally engrossed me to the point I read at work and cleared my schedule! It was that good! I absolutely loved both Annabel and Marina; they are brave, clever, and strong women who stood up against the corrupt world of offshore banking; where the rich cheat the US Government out of tax money and pay for acts of terror. Although I know very little about the world of banking; Alger did a great job explaining it in a way that was interesting and easy to understand! I absolutely love some of the plot twists and was literally at the edge of my seat from page one until the end.

Explanation of Rating: 5/5 I really enjoyed this read and will recommend it to mystery and thriller lovers! I love the way the storylines came together. I absolutely love finding a novel that sucks me in so badly I ignore pretty much everything else! Hollywood: this would make a great movie!

Clear your schedule and hang on to your seat! This is an engaging and wild ride!


Thank you to Net Galley and GP Putnam for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

The Banker's Wife by Cristina Alger Book Review
I totally meant to put this review out yesterday. I've been waiting (not so patiently) for a chance to read & review The Banker's Wife by Cristina Alger. I literally squealed when Netgalley & Putnam granted my review request. Yesterday while traveling, (not to Geneva), I thought non-stop about this book!

The Banker's Wife is Not Your Average Thriller
I am a huge fan of thrillers. I love suspense, tension & slow burns. The Banker's Wife has all of those things.  To me, it's what Cristina leaves out that makes this such an enjoyable read. The narrators are reliable & the females are staunch & determined. Cristina also doesn't sugarcoat the finanical world for readers. She gives us gritty & technical details, which enhance the story. She's not spoon feeding us the top layer of information. She dives deeper & doesn't dumb it down for readers which I SO appreciate. How she does all of this & STILL makes The Banker's Wife an enjoyable read is masterful!

A Thriller For All
There is a whole genre of thrillers that are written by men & in my opinion geared towards male readers. That being said, there are a lot of thrillers that are geared towards women. The Banker's Wife is written by a woman, is marketed as a femal author & is geared towards ANYONE & EVERYONE. This is something I want to shout from the rooftops!

Oscar Worthy Storytelling
I don't know about you, but whenever I'm reading a book I think about what kind of movie it would make. Maybe that's lame, but books play like movies in my head, so it's something I always do. For example, take cozy mysteries like Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson series. These movies air on Hallmark & it's the perfect place for these sweet, thoughtful & kid-friendly mysteries. Then there are Lifetime movies. I loved Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell & it's ripe for a wild, suspenseful Lifetime thriller. You get it, right? The Banker's Wife would no doubt be an Oscar contender.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! It's so damn smart, thrilling & sophisticated. I can barely take it! Read this book!

Special thanks to Cristina Alger, G. P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for providing my copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!!!!!!

This book went from 0 to 60 from the first page. I could not put it down. The pace of the storyline was rapid and at times got dizzy from the layers of the plot, yet somehow, with all of the moving parts, this author did an amazing job with threading the plot together.

This story is told in 3 POVs and centers around the "Bankers Wife". Annabel is the wife who learns that her husband's plane has crashed and while dealing with her grief, discovers that his role as a tax attorney for a high profile bank had many secrets. The bank is located in Geneva and deals with high profile clients who want anonymity, whether to protect their money from tax exposure or to help nefarious and corrupt governments who are on sanctions list. This bank has no meal compass and is too greedy to care. This reality unfolds as Annabel does not believe the crash was an accident. She soon learns that the secrets her husband had are posing a threat to her and she is now racing against the clock to get to the truth.

On the other side of the world is Marina, a reporter, who owes her career to her boss, Duncan, who happens to interrupt her trip with her fiance to let her know he is close to writing the story of the decade and needs her help. He informs him that after she is married, she is leaving the journalism business to help her new father-in-law with his bid for the presidency. He asks her to pick up something for her and then he will finish the story on his own. This is short lived as Marina is thrust into the story whether she wants it or not. A story about a bank that breeds international corruption. What she learns changes everything and she, too, is racing against the clock to get to the truth.

Zoe is the banker's assistant, and is suspicious about the bank culture but is fearful of the power it holds. Can she find the courage to expose them?

This story had me from the first page and I found myself holding my breath given the enormity of the wide net of characters that the bank represented. This book had the flavor of John Grisham's, The Firm, with International Finance. This is my first Cristina Alger novel and I am a fan who can't wait to read more. Well done!!

Fantastic read! I couldn't put it down! Wonderfully drawn characters and excellent writing style.

Throw together "The Firm" with current events such as The Panama Papers and the modern-day political situation, and you have The Banker's Wife. A great summer--or anytime--read!