Flash Crash: The Untold Story

by Christopher Liberty

The stock market suddenly plunges and unexpectedly recovers. How? And who is responsible? Hedge fund manager Oren Ferber and his manipulative protégé, Jenny DeBeaux, interfere with the investigation and match wits with SEC investigators Ian McRae, Candice Alexander and Max Feyman. But it’s not just a Wall Street story, it's a story of deception and manipulation, money and power, and getting even. And it's a cautionary tale of what can happen when Wall Street is unchecked and out-of-control.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2016

About the author

Christopher Liberty's works span diverse genres. His first novel, Flash Crash, was a financial thriller, followed by Bonfire at Squash Long Creek, a coming-of-age story. His third novel, Starfall, explores questions about connection, legacy, and the stories we pass between generations.

While these three novels span vastly different worlds—from high-stakes financial markets to small-town adolescence to cosmic mysteries—they share a common thread: each explores how unexpected events illuminate hidden patterns in our lives. Whether it's a market crash revealing character, a summer tragedy forging identity, or a comet's return connecting generations, Liberty's work examines those pivotal moments when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. He believes that the best stories, like comets, return to us transformed, carrying new meaning with each passage.

Reviews are appreciated!

Reviews

[Chris Norbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went in with high hopes because I'm a semi-retired stock trader who was victimized to a minor degree by the flash crash (stopped out of at least one position that I should not have been stopped out of). But I was disappointed because the story read more like the first draft of an interesting idea rather than a polished story.

My main objection was the frequent interjection of gratuitous sex scenes that were barely related to the plot and didn't really need to be there other than in passing as a reason for what subsequently happened to a few of the characters.

Second objection was the lack of emotional investment in the characters. I still can't figure out if it was because of the shortness of the book or the overuse of showing vs. telling and lack of giving us real, personal reasons why the good guys were trying to figure out what happened and place blame.

Third, much of the explanation of the details of the flash crash was in the form of "As you know, Bob..." that describes events or defines terms by doing it all through contrived conversations between characters or exposition that sounds more like a lecture by a college economics professor than a real, visceral description of the details of the flash crash and all the related investing terms and regulatory processes.

This is a good topic for a story and an intriguing concept. But the lack of emotion, caring about the characters, and glossing over through telling instead of showing, left me unable to recommend this book.

[Christopher Liberty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope it is as enjoyable to read as it was to write.