When the Getting Was Good

by Susan G. Bell

The lone woman trader at a prestigious New York bank, Kate Munro completes an eye-popping trade that captures the attention of Wall Street. But her euphoria fades when she hears that Morehead Woodson, the most powerful trader in the bond business, has been on the losing side of the transaction. Kate worries about retribution from Woodson, a man notoriously unforgiving of slights. Then comes the stunning announcement that he is about to become her boss. Woodson's bullying style ruins the collegial environment in which Kate has thrived. To make matters worse, she learns from an inside source that his trading practices are under investigation by the Federal Reserve-and that she has been implicated. Now she must fight to clear her name and save her job. How far will Kate go to keep her Wall Street career alive?

424 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2010

Reviews

[W. Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The back blurb speaks mostly of high stakes drama on Wall Street, and while the book does open with this, the core of this, the Fed investigation requiring her to clear her name starts almost halfway through. AFTER a slow burning romance is ignited and family drama is drawn large. THEN the financial thriller begins in earnest, involving family, an ex, a new lover, betrayal, a high powered mountebank and a very important, handwritten notebook. It does pick up steam as the pages pass.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it was an article in the New York Times about self-published books that brought this to my attention. I've been interested in self published books for years, but have been reading them more aggressively since many of my mid-list author friends have been dropped by their publishers. The quality of what was once called vanity publishing has definitely improved.

Now this book had an interesting premise, although it taking place in the '80's threw me off a bit; (it was hard to conjure up the entire milieu of that time in my mind).

I don't think it lived up to it, though. It ended up being a sort of slice-of-life piece rather than a fully rendered story. There was no arc, no denouement, no real tension. Or rather it built up to that, then petered out. The main character more or less walks off the stage without a full sense of resolution, much like this review.

[Jennifer Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Bell's When the Getting was Good is a great story that calls into question just how much a job can take over your life—and how healthy that is. It's about thinking everything is falling apart around you, when really it's just clearing out so you can get some clarity and focus on the things that are truly important. It's also about relationships, and how those relationships are everything.

Don't let the little bit of pink on the cover fool you—this is not chick lit, although it certainly speaks to the plight of women in the workplace—particularly at that place and time, which although it has evolved since then, is still not the most welcoming to women. While it is a story people who have worked in the financial industry can appreciate, it's really a story many different people will enjoy.

[Gunter Nitsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I usually only read non fiction dealing with modern European and American history, Susan G. Bell's well-written novel "When the Getting Was Good" was a pleasant surprise! I read the first five chapters on a Friday night and could not put the book down until I had finished reading it on Saturday. In particular, I was impressed with how skillfully the author depicted the negative aspects of corporate life, especially the issue of sexism at the office.

[Rebecca Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan G. Bell's novel about the financial industry in the '80s is as timely as if she had written it in 2013. The drama, intrigue and nefarious plots ring true, and the characters are beautifully rendered. In reading her bio, Ms. Bell was the first woman to be promoted to managing director at J.P. Morgan Securities, and we are fortunate that she has put that experience to good use in this fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining novel.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I read it in less than 2 days. It is an easy and fun read. Woman who have worked on wall street would like this book because Bell identifies many of the difficulties faced by women in all male work environments.