Swimming with Sharks

Originally self-published in 2005, Neuhaus’s German debut lacks the polish of her second novel, Snow White Must Die, which was published in the U.S. in 2012. In 1998, talented but naïve investment banker Alex Sontheim, a 35-year-old German, switches jobs from Morgan Stanley to Levy Manhattan, where she soon proves her worth by making three spectacular deals. Unfortunately, she falls for Sergio Vitali, a handsome New York real estate tycoon and brutal mob boss, who is as possessive as he is ruthless. Alex’s desire for independence alone would be an affront to the mobster, but it’s her knowledge of Sergio’s crimes, from insider trading to murder, that makes her a threat that Sergio will do anything to eliminate. Conveniently, Alex also falls for the city’s mayor, a man of operatic flaws and virtues. A fast-paced but often ludicrous plot goes hand in hand with a stereotypical portrait of New York. (June)