Kindle Edition Amazon Nadine Galinsky Feldman, Author Amazon Category:  Women Publisher: CreateSpace ISBN-10:  1514879220 Type: Fiction Pages: 250 Copyright: March 29, 2016 ISBN-13: 9781514879221 Price: $2.99 (eBook) Liz Nabor is about to lose all she has worked for in the wake of the Madoff scandal, while a family crisis threatens to derail her attempts to clear her name. Liz Nabor is driven, intelligent, and ambitious. She's built a successful Wall Street career, has a gorgeous boyfriend, and enjoys a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle. But the financial crisis of 2008–2009 brings added pressure to perform, and Liz's boss expects her to meet company goals…whatever it takes. When the infamous Bernie Madoff confesses to a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, Liz finds herself dragged into the swirl of the scandal. Suddenly her career is in danger of crashing along with the economy. While making a plan to revitalize her professional life, a family crisis emerges far from home in western Washington. Torn between two coasts, Liz also must confront unhealed family wounds. Will the woman who has it all lose everything? What She Knew examines the ethical and moral boundaries of ambition and the power of family relationships to hurt or heal.

UR Review of Books

What She Knew
by Nadine Galinsky Feldman
CreateSpace

reviewed by Anita Lock

"If I could wish for anything, it would be for you to find balance... to know who you are without the trappings of outer success."
Shocked by the announcement at a Wall Street firm that federal agents have arrested Bernie Madoff for securities fraud, money manager Liz Nabor is also taken aback when her boss asks her to use unethical practices to procure a takeover during this troublesome period. Concurrently, Liz gets word that her estranged Aunt Eddie in Washington is dying and requests her presence. A tumultuous chain of events occur while Liz is on the west coast waiting for her aunt's impending death—one of which is that the Feds are investigating her affiliation with a swindling investor. Liz's aunt claims that she has written down vital information that could help Liz prove her innocence. The real problem is whether or not Liz can find her aunt's journal before she lands in prison.

Award-winning author Nadine Feldman brings to life an uncomfortable portion of recent U.S. history in her latest novel. Using Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme as a springboard, Feldman's third person narrative centers on Liz, a woman whose confidence and career are shaken by the rude realization that she has been hoodwinked. Feldman tactfully weaves in factual information associated with Madoff's arrest and prison sentence, while delving into Liz's background and love life. Key to Feldman's plot is the tension set between Liz and Aunt Eddie and her aunt's past, which is shrouded in mystery. Feldman's tight and well-established cast covers a wide range of personas. Although there are distinctly good and bad classifications, many of her characters are a mix of both, which creates a hefty handful of red herrings. Feldman keeps her plot alive and fluid by combining the above-mentioned literary tools with un-clichéd character scenes. What She Knew is a wonderful balance of a human-interest tale, romance, and history—all wrapped up in a riveting thriller.

Self-Publishing Review
Review: What She Knew by Nadine Galinsky Feldman ★★★★★
Posted by: T B Markinson January 28, 2016 in Book Reviews

What She Knew by Nadine Galinsky Feldman What She Knew, by Nadine Galinsky Feldman, is an insightful and thought-provoking peek into the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
Liz Nabor is driven, intelligent, and ambitious. She’s built a successful Wall Street career, has a gorgeous boyfriend, and enjoys a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle. Then the financial crisis hits. But that’s not all. Liz has to leave New York in the midst of the financial meltdown for a family emergency. While in Washington Bernie Madoff’s multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme is discovered and Liz finds herself in the heart of the scandal.
Can she survive? And can her aunt’s past in the financial world shed light on Liz’s career?
The financial crisis that hit the United States in 2008 is still fresh in many people’s mind. While the American economy has recovered some, thousands and thousands of people are still reeling from the crisis. Many readers who would like to know more about the behind the scenes of Wall Street can learn a thing or two from What She Knew.
Liz isn’t a hustler, but her due diligence was a bit lapse. When she has to face how her investment decisions impacts her clients, it’s a difficult pill to swallow. But that isn’t all. This novel opens up a discussion of who should be blamed for the behind the scenes scheming. Obviously, Madoff is guilty and will be locked up for the rest of his natural life. How should individuals and society view Liz: culpable or duped? It should be noted that Liz is a fictional character.
It’s an interesting argument. To make it more interesting, the author created a main character who isn’t always the most likeable. During her time in Washington, she can’t stop herself from comparing the town to the glam in Manhattan. She’s honest and a snob, which is probably the image many of us have of those on Wall Street. Yet Liz is still a sympathetic character. As you continue following her story, the legal problems, the threat of going to jail, and family drama, it’s hard not to feel for her. Part of the reason is Liz’s reaction to what’s going on: it’s real and heartfelt.
The conflicting emotions of despising the Wall Street snob and hoping that things work out for her makes for entertaining reading. And the reader hopes Liz will see the light. It gives hope that no matter what, people can change their ways if they really want to. This accomplishment is a feat for the author. Liz is flawed, but not so flawed she can’t change.
The one disappointment, and it’s a small and slightly greedy one, is that the author didn’t share enough details of the legal issues near the end. Without spoiling the ending, there’s a great bit of backroom deals and snooping that greatly affects Liz’s future, but the reader doesn’t get to see these machinations and only learns about them at the end.
All in all, though, this is an entertaining and eye-opening read that leaves the reader thinking that not all people, even Wall Street people, are corrupt through and through.

Manhattan Book Review
In late 2008, the American economy is imploding and money manager Liz Nabor is struggling to reassure her clients that their investments are secure. She may be out to make money, but even she knows trouble when she sees it, and that’s why she’s always avoided questionable funds like Madoff’s. But then it turns out that one of Liz’s favorite investment funds, that of Jim Leininger, has been feeding into Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, and it doesn’t take long for the Feds to zero in on Liz as a good mid-level candidate for prosecution. On top of that, Liz’s estranged aunt is dying, her relationship with her sister is more strained than ever, and her now ex-boyfriend is pissed at the amount of money he lost. Will Liz be able to redeem herself and avoid jail time for a crime she didn’t knowingly commit? Nadine Galinsky Feldman’s What She Knew examines a major aspect of the recent economic recession from the point of view of a woman trapped squarely in the middle of the unstable stock market. Liz is truly innocent of any wrongdoing, her only crime being ignorance of Leininger’s true associations. Liz is the kind of powerful career woman many aspire to be, wealthy and smart and fully in charge of her own life. But when that life starts to fall apart, readers will identify with the questions she starts to ask herself about what really matters, as well as the difficulties she faces in maintaining relationships with those she loves. By telling the story in the present tense, Feldman does a good job of conveying the urgency of Liz’s situation and keeping readers on the edge of their seats as she navigates her problems. Well written and full of fascinating information about the realities of the market collapse, What She Knew is a great novel that will hook you.