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The Darlings

by Cristina Alger (Goodreads Author)

3.37 of 5 stars 3.37 · rating details · 1,798 ratings · 364 reviews

A sophisticated page-turner about a wealthy New York family embroiled in a financial scandal with cataclysmic consequences.

Now that he's married to Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling, attorney Paul Ross has grown accustomed to New York society and all of its luxuries: a Park Avenue apartment, weekends in the Hamptons, bespoke suits. When Paul...more

ebook, 352 pages

Published February 16th 2012 by Viking Books

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Feb 07, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I hesitated on reading this one for a long time, because it's gotten pretty mixed reviews here on Goodreads. A lot of the negative feedback seems to center on the fact that Cristina Alger might be trying to ask her readers to sympathize with characters who are primarily one-percenters.

That's a tricky area. Fox News would have you believe that the Occupy Wall Street movement was all about people who resent the wealthy and feel like they are undeserving. They like to cast the uberwealthy as noble...more I hesitated on reading this one for a long time, because it's gotten pretty mixed reviews here on Goodreads. A lot of the negative feedback seems to center on the fact that Cristina Alger might be trying to ask her readers to sympathize with characters who are primarily one-percenters.

That's a tricky area. Fox News would have you believe that the Occupy Wall Street movement was all about people who resent the wealthy and feel like they are undeserving. They like to cast the uberwealthy as noble folks that pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and those who support tighter financial regulations, higher taxes on top earners, and social welfare as jealous peons who expect everything to be handed to them. I consider myself a liberal and I believe in a graduated income tax. I was infuriated to find out that Mitt Romney paid a much, much lower tax rate than I did in 2011 and I certainly believe that his excessive wealth meant that he had no clue what it's like for the average American. My problem in the battle of superwealthy versus supernot is the fact that, more often than not, circumstance and luck play a bigger role than anything else. People born into wealth are more likely to have opportunities not available to those born into poverty. Is that fair? Not really, but I know that's a fact of life. At the same time, that doesn't mean that people who aren't katrillionaires aren't hard working. I guess I don't really resent the wealthy for their wealth so much as I resent when they look down on those who aren't.

So that's it for the political rant. I don't want to get into a fight about the haves and the have-nots. But you're probably not going to like this book if you have particularly strong sympathies for the Occupy movement.

To me, this book wasn't really about making wealthy people likable or justifying the crimes of people like Bernie Madoff, whose story is echoed in the plot. The Darling family patriarch, Carter, is the CEO of an investment company; one of their hedge fund managers commits suicide the day before Thanksgiving and it begins to drip out that he may have been running a Ponzi scheme. Carter's son-in-law Paul recently started working at the firm and finds himself in the middle of the scandal as he faces the decision of doing what he believes is right and protecting the family. Among the myriad characters in the fray are a legal secretary, an SEC investigator, a cub reporter and her boss, and the Darling offspring. Alger pieces together her story bit by bit, allowing each character's perspective to fill us in on a piece of the scheme.

What I think Alger does well is not so much asking you to sympathize with the 1% or assuming that they are all conniving, scheming moneygrubbers. There's a lot of gray in here, the dilemmas faced by the characters are not black and white and not everything is as it seems. Sometimes the ins and outs of the financial world got to be a little much -- a kindergartner could probably manage his money more effectively that I do -- but that's not really all that important. What is important is that this was ultimately a well-constructed story that simply compelled me to keep turning the pages. (less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Tim Lewis added it · review of another edition

Premise: When Paul Ross loses his job, it is a no-brainer to go work for his father-in-law, Carter Darling, as general counsel for his hedge fund. Paul’s marriage to Merrill has been one of privilege now that he is a part of the Darling family, whose lavish parties and weekends in the Hamptons have become common practice. However, in the midst of the 2008 market crash, all eyes are on the financial industry and Paul might have found himself put in a dangerous place right in the middle of it.

When...more Premise: When Paul Ross loses his job, it is a no-brainer to go work for his father-in-law, Carter Darling, as general counsel for his hedge fund. Paul’s marriage to Merrill has been one of privilege now that he is a part of the Darling family, whose lavish parties and weekends in the Hamptons have become common practice. However, in the midst of the 2008 market crash, all eyes are on the financial industry and Paul might have found himself put in a dangerous place right in the middle of it.

When a tragedy hits the Carter family and one of Delphic’s funds is under suspicion, the Carter family comes together. Paul is thankful to be one of the family, and his first inclination is to defend Carter and the company. When suspicion is pointed to Paul after only working at Delphic for a couple months, he must decide between going out of his way to clear his own name or be willing to protect his family in spite of what he knows to be right.

Themes: Family loyalty is probably the most prevalent and obvious theme in The Darlings. In the middle of Ponzi schemes and media outcry, what will a family do to protect those they love, even if it means putting out their own neck for them? This might also ultimately mean covering up indiscretions and put protecting family over telling the truth.

The Darlings also makes the reader consider the dangers of the pursuit of riches. In the middle of Wall Street scandal, riches were made at the expense of many others, and those riches can be so quickly taken away if ill-gotten or unwisely spent. Even with so many possessions, morals seem to be more easily thrown aside for the sake of keeping a lavish lifestyle.

Pros: If making every character unlikeable was the goal, Alger succeeds in The Darlings. She does a good job of laying out the lives of the New York elite, and the financial and legal lingo are accurate as far as my knowledge of those two worlds goes. The story takes place in about a week, which helps to keep the pace quicker. The writing is good, especially as it paints the setting and characters with great detail.

Cons: I wasn’t sure who I was supposed to like or dislike since I ended up disliking every character. Perhaps it is because they all come off as pretentious rich people, which is ultimately what they are even for those who lose everything. With characters talking about living in Manhattan and their homes in the Hamptons, and then how living in the suburbs is so terrible, it is difficult to feel sorry for any of them, including those we are supposed to like. I believe the word is “clueless” as to their knowledge how most people in the country live. Hating every character doesn’t make me like the book more; quite the opposite.

Recommendations: I don’t normally read fiction like The Darlings, but it ended up being more interesting than I expected. Though it lacks real punch in the way of action, there is enough intrigue here to form a thriller out of the boring setting of the 2008 financial crisis. With a more likeable protagonist I think The Darlings could have possibly succeeded even more, though it might have made it blend in with all the other underdog attorney novels caught in a power struggle like most John Grisham legal novels. Those with a legal or financial background might take to The Darlings more readily. If anything, reading The Darlings might make you more thankful for what family and possessions you have or realize the pursuit of those things only makes the fall from grace that much greater. The Darlings is a solid debut novel from Cristina Alger. I only hope her next book will have at least one character that isn’t a wealthy, pretentious jerk.(less)

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May 08, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my top books of 2012. It was a quick read, but still felt deep enough. It was refreshing (against the other books I've read lately), well-laid out, and well written. The story was obviously very close to the times (a bunch of rich folks, a ponzi scheme) so it felt almost like seeing in to what is going on with many families now. I was quite drawn in to the family (especially the marriage of Merrill and Paul) and while I don't understand why the "bad guys" did the things they did,...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Abby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

Cristina Alger is a talented author who knows how to craft a taut thriller. She takes a cliched, prosaic plot (the well-known Bernie Madoff scandal) and adds her own twists. I could easily see this novel as a movie. Alger is also an acute social observer of different NYC archetypes and uses minute details to situate every character in his/her proper milieu. As a business school graduate, I was also glad to see that the financial (and legal) details are for the most part accurate.

I do have some r...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Elsa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: testeur-amazon

Alors que Thanksgiving va débuter, les turpitudes du monde de la finance frappe de plein fouet une famille travaillant dans la haute finance. Ce roman se concentre sur l'étude d'un microcosme, celui de la haute finance new-yorkaise, un petit entre-soi, qui s'effrite et se fendille, avec la crise financière. Cependant, tout cela reste assez lisse et poli, on a du mal à ressentir quelque chose pour les personnages qui sont insipides, et mettent vraiment du temps à entrer en scène. Une certaine étu...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Donna Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

The Darlings sees high flying family the Darlings - who also happen to be the 'darlings' of the financial industry - go from riches to... well, not exactly rags but perhaps a few less luxury holidays and world class restaurants. Paul Ross seems a decent enough guy, who didn't try to game the financial system too much - unless you count turning a blind eye to the practices of others. Still, there's a big difference between seeing and doing and Paul has managed to make a new life for himself worki...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Cynthia Neale rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Do you want to feel smug, gleeful, and righteous anger about the arrogant, entitled, greedy snobs involved in the world-changing financial crisis of 2008 getting their comeuppance? You can get a front row seat and climb into the hearts, offices, and beds of the fictional characters in Alger's debut novel about the Darling family and the Wall Street scandal. She takes you there fast and flashy, reminding the reader that blue-blooded privilege, Ivy League schools, and who you know can take you to...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Chanda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why oh why isn't there a 1/2 star rating option?!? The Darlings is a 2. And a 3. A 2.5 would have been perfect. I'm not terribly well versed in the world of investment banking. Talk of hedge funds renders me glassy eyed. I wish that weren't the case. I wish I were a financial wizard and fully understood the nuances of the markets and the players involved but I don't. I haven't been living under a rock so I understand the financial crime basics but since this isn't a topic of particular interest...more Why oh why isn't there a 1/2 star rating option?!? The Darlings is a 2. And a 3. A 2.5 would have been perfect. I'm not terribly well versed in the world of investment banking. Talk of hedge funds renders me glassy eyed. I wish that weren't the case. I wish I were a financial wizard and fully understood the nuances of the markets and the players involved but I don't. I haven't been living under a rock so I understand the financial crime basics but since this isn't a topic of particular interest for me, it isn't likely that I would have chosen to purchase this book of my own volition. I was given the opportunity to read this by the Penguin Publishing Group and I'm grateful that they bothered to send me a copy because it was a generally positive experience. Plus, I LOVE getting mail that says Penguin Publishing on it, so there's that...

What I loved:
Knowing a little about many of the auxiliary characters.
Liking the characters enough to want to know more about them.
The family element.
The clear, cut-to-the-chase writing style.

What I didn't adore:
Not knowing enough about the characters-all of them. You get a taste of a lot of very interesting people and then they're gone. That's it. They just disappear and then you never hear any more about them. You get a sneak peek into their family and then, snap! They're gone. I still want to know what happened with Sol's secretary and her oldest son. I want to know about Alexa. And David. And the guy who was initially discouraged from investigating. And I want to know what Paul is thinking after the ^%$& hits the fan! There are multiple chapters, all from Paul's point of view, leading up to the pinnacle of the disaster. The synapsis of the book says that Paul has to decide where his loyalties lie. This leads me to believe that I will read a lot about Paul and his decision and the results of that decision. But no. Paul has his multi-chapter run in the beginning and then-nothing. The beat goes on and we never hear what he thinks, feels, or even what he physically does. Before the disaster you even know when he wishes he had his scarf.
Ultimately anticlimactic. There is a lot of build up then once the investigation starts it is a matter of about 30 pages and it's all over.

The idea is there and the characters are there, with all their messy, lovely, humanness. This book could have fleshed out into a family's epic tale of financial evolution from the top to the bottom but it's cut short and left only half explored. I was left feeling like it was rushed, written against a deadline. It almost seems like writing this book was not a passionate undertaking for Alger but more a list item: "It would be cool to write a book someday. O.K., did that, check."

Cristina Alger is certainly talented but if she is passionate, about either the subject or her current craft, it didn't translate in The Darlings.
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Dec 26, 2012 Nikole Hahn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Darlings by Cristina Alger is Dallas meets As The World Turns. It’s a world of too many grays and lots of ethical slippery slopes. It’s Soap Opera and suspense in a Wall Street world of wealth and status.

Paul Ross married into the Darlings when he married Merrill. Out of all the family members, Merrill and Paul seem like the only authentic couple. Paul once worked for a Hedge Fund who were prosecuted for insider training. Even later in the novel, Paul admitted to seeing what wasn’t right. If...more The Darlings by Cristina Alger is Dallas meets As The World Turns. It’s a world of too many grays and lots of ethical slippery slopes. It’s Soap Opera and suspense in a Wall Street world of wealth and status.

Paul Ross married into the Darlings when he married Merrill. Out of all the family members, Merrill and Paul seem like the only authentic couple. Paul once worked for a Hedge Fund who were prosecuted for insider training. Even later in the novel, Paul admitted to seeing what wasn’t right. If he said something, no one else would hire him. If he did not say anything, he could get into trouble with the SEC. As it turned out, the SEC interrogated Paul.

Carter Darling, Merrill’s father, hired him as General Counsel for Delphic after Paul lost his job, but was never convicted of anything. As his son-in-law, Paul oversaw RCM (another division of Delphic). Yet, Paul didn’t know the actual workings of RCM or where they invested the money of their clients. When something funny comes up with RCM, Paul inquires with Carter who tells him to just assure the questioning person of the integrity of all the investments. Paul does this even with his misgivings. This will hurt him later in the novel. When Morty commits suicide, RCM becomes exposed. The SEC, David Levin, investigates the Darlings.

David has his own problems, like a boss who is only after advancing up the ladder of success even if that means unfairly firing David. Carter Darling sweats out the latest scandal as the Darlings gather together for Thanksgiving. By then, David Levin has contacted Paul about his suspicions. RCM has made profit even when profit has been impossible at times. The graphs show perfect profit and trades being done on a day when Wall Street was closed. Paul discovers the discrepancies and worries about his relationship with Merrill. Merrill has always chosen family over Paul. She even went as far as to keep her maiden name after they married.

Luckily, Paul doesn’t have a great relationship with his family or his marriage would have long ago suffered from the controlling members of the Darling family. Alger does a great job showing instead of telling in describing the Darling family and their dynamics.

What she doesn’t do well is keep the point of views straight. On page 37, we are in Lilly’s head, but yet we veer into Daria’s head for a moment as she assess the problem, makes observations on Lilly and a phone call she had earlier with Lilly. How would we know this if we are still in Lilly’s head?

Ager has several point of view issues like in one chapter where I had to back track to re-read previous chapters because the chapter I was in used too many pronouns (he, she) and I didn’t know who she was and assumed she was from a previous chapter. As it turned out, she is the woman Carter has been having an affair with who will be David Levin’s ace in the hole at the end of the novel. It would have made things less confusing if the chapter introduced “she” as Carter’s mistress. As the investigation continues, things heat up in the Darling family.

Paul Ross discovers he will have to go against the family as Carter and Sol decide to frame him for the fraud in RCM. Surprisingly, Merrill sees the reality of her family and stands by her husband. Together they fight the fraud as Paul walks across this slippery slope and tries to prevent history from repeating itself again. There is so much drama in The Darlings.

It truly is like watching a Soap Opera. First, the novel begins rather slowly with none of the suspense the back of the book claims. It reads like a gossip magazine about celebrities. The writing is fantastic.

Alger writes with all show and no tell. There are no cliches. Alger is a writer with a firm hold on dialogue. She is able to make the Darlings and the world in which they live feel real. Then, the novel gets complicated as the Darling family and Delphic/RCM begin to fall a part and the pieces of the story begin to connect.

I enjoyed reading it in spite of the amount of cuss words generously peppering the dialogue or the loose morals that go accepted as if normal. In the end, Paul and Merrill do the right thing and turn against the Darlings. Because of the excess of swear words and the switching of points of views without warning, I gave this novel four stars. The last chapter hinted at another novel. If another novel came out from this book, I would read it.

*book given by publisher to review. Bravo channel is making a series of this novel.(less)

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Dec 24, 2012 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Original REVIEW at Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust 12/24/2012

Cristina Alger's THE DARLINGS
"Ripped from the Headines!" Doesn't Guarantee a Thriller

Smart and stylish, (Did I actually think that up?) this novel reads much like a newspaper article than a thriller. We all watched the 2008 bank failures and the discovery and arrest and conviction of Bernie Madoff unfold over the past couple of years. Most people suffered some loss, and pretty much all of us absorbed the Madoff affair at face value. How...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Shedrick Pittman-Hassett rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From my blog: http://serialdistractions.com

In The Darlings, former financial analyst Cristina Alger explores the strength of family loyalty within the context of high society and high finance and lightly touches upon the motivations of those that turn a blind eye to the excesses of Wall Street.

The Darlings are the toast of Manhattan high society. Carter Darling, the patriarch of the clan, leads one of the most successful firms on Wall Street. His daughters, Lily and Merrill, are both beautiful a...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Mary Loesch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

***I recieved a paperback copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

I wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy The Darlings by Cristina Alger, but when the publisher sent me the paperback version and I started reading, I was hooked! For the most part, it's a fast paced tale ripped right from the headlines and seems to mirror the Bernie Maddoff scandal. Here's the blurb I received on it:

The Darlings is one of the first novels set during the fall of 2008, when New Yo...more ***I recieved a paperback copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

I wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy The Darlings by Cristina Alger, but when the publisher sent me the paperback version and I started reading, I was hooked! For the most part, it's a fast paced tale ripped right from the headlines and seems to mirror the Bernie Maddoff scandal. Here's the blurb I received on it:

The Darlings is one of the first novels set during the fall of 2008, when New York is reeling from the financial crisis. Bear Stearn, Fanny and Freddy, Lehman Brothers, and AIG have all collapsed. Hedge funds are closing in droves, and Howary LLP, the storied Wall Street law firm where Paul Ross has worked as an attorney for seven years, has imploded after the managing partner is indicted. Fortunately, Paul is married to Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling, who offers him a job as head legal counsel for his massive hedge fund. Thrilled with his good fortune considering the dire economic circumstance of the time, Paul accepts his father-in-law's offer. But shortly thereafter, just as the Darling family is about to depart for Thanksgiving in the Hamptons, a tragic event places them at the center of a media firestorm, a regulatory investigation, and a red-hot financial scandal.

As I read the first half of the book, I found myself really caught up in Paul Ross's world. The Darlings are a prominent family, one that people like to be seen with, and Paul has carefully mastered the ropes of living with them. That being said, he definitely feels the pressure of working for his father-in-law. What I really liked about Paul's character is that you could really feel his stress and worry about his life and his love for Merrill. When things start to fall apart in the family's financial world and it's revealed that a Ponzi type scheme has been occurring, the reader feels just as torn as Paul does over what he should do. I think Ms. Alger did an excellent job of making him a believable character that we can care about.

In fact, I would say that all of the characters are well developed and I suspect from reading Ms. Alger's bio, that this is a world that she has traveled in herself. She has an inkling or two about what is going through the mind of the "good" guys and the "bad" guys in this tale. It's that unique perspective that makes her writing flow and keeps the page turning.

That being said, I did feel that the novel slowed down a bit in the middle and I had some trouble keeping the character's straight. After all, it takes a lot of people who may or may not know anything about what's really going on for a scheme like this to work and sometimes sorting out who's who was a little tedious. I found myself wanting to skip ahead a bit to get to the action and find out the answer to the big question--what will Paul do? This story does have a twist at the end which I won't reveal, but I sort of suspected the surprise. I've read too many mysteries, too many thrillers, not to see that one coming.

In the end, this was a book that I really enjoyed. I hadn't kept up with the Bernie Madoff scandal as well as others. Hey, I'm a teacher--it's not like I have any money to invest! So for me, part of the charm of this story was learning more about the intricate world New York finance. I suspect that for those who are familiar with those things, this story may not be all that new.

The paperback version is coming out Dec. 21 and would make a great last minute stocking stuffer!
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Oct 01, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-it-on-an-airplane, books-about-work

A few things.

1. The author seems to be trying to link 9/11 and the financial meltdown of 2008. Not cause-and-effect style, but spiritually, in a way. I didn't quite buy it, but it lent a little extra flavor to the story.

2. I am tired of stories about rich people in New York that do no more than describe the lives of rich people in New York. These novels pretend to cast a critical eye on all the wealth and luxury, but all they're really doing is chronicling the lifestyle, and the plot sometimes...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Linda C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loose adaption of the Bernie Madoff debacle. Good story, very fast read, but ultimately somewhat blah. Author does a great job at creating the scene of New York/Wall Street/Hampton excess, but the characters were all a bit flat. More cliches, than people.

Also, the author is presented as being a Wall Street insider, but she made some errors that annoyed me. Not that it detracts from the story, and 99% of the readers won't even notice, but since she is supposed to be an insider, these were little...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Cindy Hudson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Darling family of Manhattan seems to have everything: good looks, money, excellent taste in the things that matter, and a bright future. But when a close associate of Carter Darling commits suicide, the façade that was holding that future together starts to fall apart. Suddenly there’s talk of investor fraud, an SEC investigation and possible criminal charges. Everyone in the family—Carter and his wife, their two daughters and sons-in-law—stands to lose. Will their fierce loyalty to family h...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Ciara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

have you been looking for a novel set in the financial crisis, centering around a bernie madoff-style ponzi scheme & the manner in which its fall-out impacts a wealthy new york family? & have you been hoping that the book would be about 97% exposition & 3% story, & that what little story there is would be pretty much comically improbable? look no further! the darlings is the book for you!

ugh. this book reads like the author filled an entire five-subject notebook with character no...more

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May 21, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this novel expecting it to be a take on the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. To a certain extent it was, being about a family whose work and family lives were entangled in a financial scandal. Carter Darling employed both of his sons-in-laws, one of whom was just along for the ride and one, Paul, who just came aboard after losing his job as an attorney at the beginning of the recession.

Not many of the wealthy characters are very likable in this book, except for Paul and Merrill. Although Carte...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Lee-ann Sleegers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Darlings by Cristina Alger from Penguin Books 2012

This review almost wrote itself and didn't feel like I was forcing it. I received an ARC of The Darlings from Penguin Canada and have been looking for an opportunity to read it for the last little while.

When you hear a title like The Darlings and see the cover of this novel you expect it to be set during the late 19th and early 20th century during the Gilded age in the United States. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. The...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, kindle

The Darlings begins with the disappearance of a hedge fund manager. Once the rest of the world realizes he's gone, there will be hell to pay. The story of a Ponzi scheme that gets taken down is one we've heard. What makes The Darlings interesting is watching it play out within the course of one long weekend.

The book centers mostly on Paul Ross, married to Merrill Darling (of the titular family). They are a wealthy high-society family, still somewhat foreign to Paul who comes from a more normal b...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finishedreviewcopy

Normally, I probably would not have picked this up, despite the lovely cover. When offered a review copy from Penguin, I figured why not, since I can be a bit narrow in my reading tastes these days (YA, YA, YA). Yet again, I am glad I did. The Darlings was a good read, even for one such as myself, who does not follow anything about the economy (more than my own bank account anyway).

The entirety of the story, with the exception of the epilogue, takes place within just one week. I love that Alger...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was totally wooed by the cover of The Darlings - refined, cool New York at its very best.

The Darlings is described as a ‘sophisticated page-turner’ – a new genre perhaps? It could also be described as a financial thriller, although that doesn’t do much to sell the book, does it?! It’s much more glamorous than that.

From the first page, which is the scene of a suicide attempt from an unknown character, The Darlings reels you in. It’s fast-paced and each chapter title is a date and time over the...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At a time when the attention of the country is on the Occupy Wall Street Movement and the 99%, Christina Alger’s book centers on that elusive 1% -- the truly wealthy. And she does it so well.

It was no surprise for me to read that she had worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr. Only a true insider could have written a book as authentic as this one. It’s page gripping and authentic, thrilling and gasp-inducing. In short, it...more At a time when the attention of the country is on the Occupy Wall Street Movement and the 99%, Christina Alger’s book centers on that elusive 1% -- the truly wealthy. And she does it so well.

It was no surprise for me to read that she had worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr. Only a true insider could have written a book as authentic as this one. It’s page gripping and authentic, thrilling and gasp-inducing. In short, it’s a winner.

The family that is about to be thrust into a Bernie Madoff-type storm is the Darlings: Carter Darling, the CEO of a prestigious hedge fund, his son-in-law Paul who accepts a position as the head of his legal team, his daughter, Merrill, a sharp attorney in her own right who is married to Paul, and several other well-drawn characters.

When a tragic event occurs in the opening pages, the Darlings are suddenly thrust into the middle of a red-hot scandal and a regulatory investigation, with the SEC and the media breathing down its neck. Paul – who deep down is a good guy – will soon be asked to choose between saving his own hide and protecting the family. It’s all part of the dog-eat-dog world of the financial world gone haywire…a time when trips to Aspen are being cancelled, summer homes are on the market, and jobs are going the way of the dinosaur.

Christina Alger does not take the easy way out. The financial world is complicated and she refuses to dumb it down…which is not to say the book is inaccessible. You don’t need to know much about finances to “get it.” She casts her net expertly, demonstrating the interactions between the private fund, the fund-of-funds, the SEC, the press, the prosecutors and the highest echelons of New York society.

From the inner workings of the investment world to their private bedrooms…from their homes in the thick of Manhattan to their private getaways in the Hamptons…this is a book that sunk its hooks into me and wouldn’t let go. It’s a must-read for anyone who wonders what really happens when a financial scandal goes down.

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Dec 30, 2012 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This debut has an intriguing synopsis: A finance guy marries into a wealthy New York family, then a tragedy "catapults" the family into an investigation and scandal. The finance guy then has to decide "where his loyalties lie."

So I'm thinking this novel is going to be one of those unforgettable pieces of literature with a clever twist that I won't be able to put down. Nearly every major news publication has reviewed The Darlings. However, the finance aspect kept putting me to sleep. I couldn't e...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is like a puzzle, different characters are introduced and you don’t know how all the pieces come together, but they do come together and very compellingly. The time stamps before the chapters keep the excitement going. You experience with the Darling family what should’ve been a festive Thanksgiving weekend and instead you live the nightmare of how quickly your whole world can turn upside down. You meet many different characters and you have sympathy for them and how they got to this p...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Debra Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Darlings" is the story of billionaire Carter Darling and his family. It chronicles their lives as they navigate from one New York society event to another. Paul Ross, a super-smart guy who is married to Merrill Darling, has already lived through one financial meltdown. With jobs scarce in the financial world, he has no choice, but to accept a position at his father-in-law's company. His world is turned upside down when a former flame brings him information about an SEC investigation. Will h...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set during the global financial crisis of 2008, Alger's debut novel allows the reader to peek into the lives of the ultra privileged whose wealth derives from Wall Street. Despite the downturn in the economy, Alger's trains her lens on the rarified few who continue to enjoy posh high-society charity parties (although the tables are missing the folks from Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns) and weekends at the Hamptons. Such scenes are reminiscent of the late Dominick Dunne (although not as much fu...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Elizabeth B rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me start by saying I’m not big on mainstream fiction and definitely not a fan of financial novels. So, imagine my surprise when I became totally engrossed in this book and devoured it in one setting. The writing isn’t that of an everyday thriller type novel but instead is just eloquent enough to reach beyond average to make you feel like you are stepping into a book written in the past. The descriptions are perfectly balanced so that you get a wonderful picture of the story in your head but...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book follows the extremely wealthy New York family, the Darlings, primarily over the course of the long Thanksgiving weekend, when they are faced with the scandal and fallout from their family company's Ponzi scheme fraud. It's a glimpse into the rarified world of the super-wealthy, but also a story of family dynamics. I really enjoyed the book and the characters, including the descriptions of the peripheral characters, the loyal secretary, the glossy magazine assistant, etc. In fact, my on...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com.

Don't you just love the cover for this? This is what initially peaked my interest, especially since it's clearly New York City! And then I read that it was about a wealthy New York family and a financial scandal and I was hooked. Last year I was fascinated when I read Tangled Webs, a non-fiction book about perjury which included the story about the Madoff ponzi scheme scandal. The Darlings definitely paralleled this scandal in many ways.

The Darling...more Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com.

Don't you just love the cover for this? This is what initially peaked my interest, especially since it's clearly New York City! And then I read that it was about a wealthy New York family and a financial scandal and I was hooked. Last year I was fascinated when I read Tangled Webs, a non-fiction book about perjury which included the story about the Madoff ponzi scheme scandal. The Darlings definitely paralleled this scandal in many ways.

The Darlings is centered around the Darling family comprised of dad Carter, mom Ines, and their daughters Lily and Merrill. Adrian and Paul, married to Lily and Merrill, respectively, both work for Carter at his financial company, Delphic. For Paul, especially, the job as general counsel for Delphic is sort of a godsend, as his last place of business, Howary, was closed down during the financial crisis of 2008 after being investigated by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). But then admidst the financial difficulties, when a close family friend and CEO of one of Delphic's fund management companies (ack, I do NOT know these terms accurately even after reading this) commits suicide, things start to quickly unravel and a financial scandal of epic proportions is revealed. Paul figures things out and has to decide if whether to risk his marriage by separating himself from the Darlings to save himself or to stick with the family he's grown so close to, potentially going down with them.

This story was actually a lot less about just Paul than I expected and more about all the various people related to the scandal. The chapters are narrated from the viewpoints of various people including Paul, Lily, Merrill, Carter, Ines, Carter's lawyer, Sol, Sol's secretary, Yvonne, journalist and friend of the family, Duncan, and his assistant, Marina. I really liked that it was narrated this way for a couple reasons. First, for me it provided the symbolism of this overarching scandal falling upon all these people. I liked this following description about how fragile everything had become.

"'What are you going to do?' Paul asked. He spoke as quietly as he could, as if they were inside a china teacup. The world felt so fragile that the very reverberations of his voice might crack it." 'What are we going to do?'" (p.247)

While they weren't all affected financially (for instance, the assistants didn't have, I don't think, money invested with Delphic) they all had a part in perpetuating and/or revealing the scandal while others were affected on a more personal level. Each chapter was also titled with the day and time (most of the book taking place over Thanksgiving week), and this maintained a feel of immediacy in the story. There was also a subtle tension that kept me hooked to the story, not wanting to be away from it for long.

But second, this book also briefly told the stories of each of these individuals and how they came to be New Yorkers and what that meant for them. I thought this was a great way to incorporate the essence of New York City into a story about high society New York's financial scandal. And the thoughts about the city were told from both angles. For instance:

"One thing he loved about New York was the sharpness of the seasons. There was something electric about winter coming to the city. It was gritty and cold but also wondrously beautiful. The dark army of trees on Park Avenue came alive with lights at night; the store displays on Fifth Avenue were gaudy and gorgeous, as were the throngs of holiday shoppers that clogged the sidewalks. Snow in New York turned quickly into a blackened slush along the curbs, but for the first brief moment, it would dust the sidewalks like confectioners' sugar and transform the city's skyline into a perfect, tiered wedding cake." (p. 32)

Overall, I thought The Darlings was the perfect amalgamation of white collar suspense and homage to life in New York City. (Clearly, this will be added to my New York Shelf)! (less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Darlings, set in post 9/11 NYC, is a riveting, thoroughly researched novel about a financial crisis involving billions of dollars invested in what was assumed to be a credible institution by many trusting investors. If it weren't for the economic scandal created by Bernie Madoff, this would be less-than-believable fiction. Its focus is on those intimately involved in a scandal that shakes the foundation of many lives. At the heart of the novel are the wealthy, privileged Darlings, Carter and...more

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“How inexplicable and enviable, never to want to be anywhere other than where you already are.” — 3 people liked it

“You're perfect. To me you are. You always will be. When you're small you think that about your parents. When you're old, you think that about your kids. You'll see.” — 3 people liked it

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