Erotic options, by Alasdair Whyte

“Naked Option is not a book that I expected (or actually wanted) to enjoy. After all, who wants to read novels about an industry they spend all day dealing with, especially when you are on holiday? But much to my surprise, Joe Kolman, a former derivatives journalist, now working at fund manager AllianceBernstein, has actually managed to write an enjoyable and very readable book focusing on options fraud. While it is genuinely gripping at times, the best scenes are the ones involving Ackerman and his relationship with his female colleague, rather than the ones tracking down a killer. Kolman makes you care about the relationship and adds an interesting cultural dimension. Having finised the book in two days (it was hard to put down), I had a slight sense of disappointment. The book ends suddenly and a bit too clearly. But the biggest disappointment is professional envy. Financial journalists are not meant to write good novels.”