A woman terrorized by fake news.
As I read the latest novel by Patricia E. Gitt, I couldn’t help thinking about what I would do if I were faced with the dilemma that Taryn Cooper Walsh and her three co-founders of 4G Investments face when a series of shocking salacious letters sent to Taryn threatens the success of their hedge fund. About to restructure their business into a Venture Capital firm, the women are blindsided by the thought of possibly losing everything they’ve worked so hard for.
Seemingly coming from nowhere, this new threat leaves them wondering who and why anyone would try to destroy what they had built up through the years starting from the age of eight years old, and earning extra money from the 4 Girls Baby Sitting Service. The $1200 they earned back then grew into a source of pride and financial success for all of them. So who would want to hurt them now? Was it Taryn’s husband, Jesse’s ex-wife, who still wants to be part of his life? Could it be their lawyer’s gay lover? Or could it be someone from their past who is looking for vengeance for an old unremembered injury?
Searching for the culprit, Taryn works her way into the solution that paves the way to keep the business on track while mending fences she didn’t know she had damaged. I found “FYI – An Unexpected Consequence” a very engrossing tale that leaves one wondering about the many twists and turns we take that can make or break our lives. Ms. Gitt is to be commended for creating a suspenseful story that leaves you holding your breath till the very end.
~ Elinor Ruskin
As I read this thought-provoking book, it struck me how easily what occurred to the protagonist could happen to anyone–that some tiny, forgotten event way back in our past could have such significant repercussions that they reverberate all the way through to the present. Cause and effect plays dominoes with us all. Without spoiling the story, let me just add that there were some excellent red herrings embedded in the tale that had me suspecting a different culprit entirely. Suspense with a twist! Definitely recommended.
~ Kindle Reader
Edition #92 – May 6, 2018
FYI An Unintended Consequence
By Patricia Gitt
As she looked at the ordinary number ten envelope, Taryn replied, “Let’s see what we have, shall we? You never know who is looking for money.”
It was common for her to receive requests for funding. She welcomed these requests, always on the lookout for the next investment opportunity.
As Taryn carefully slit the envelope open with a brass letter opener given to her by a favorite aunt, she withdrew the photocopy of a news clipping. FYI was scrawled on the upper-left corner of the page in heavy black marker. There was no other notation.
It was part of a business roundup from her hometown paper in Dunkirk, New York. After giving it a once over, Taryn sat back in her chair and then refocused on the offensive item and read every word to her assistant.
“4G Investments is reported to have been cheating its clients with overstated fees. Information was obtained from an anonymous source. Rumor or fact, we will be following up with the firm for comment.”
“What the hell?” Taryn said as she picked up the envelope and looked for a return address. Not finding one, she looked at her assistant, stunned.
“Ms. Cooper?” Bobbie said. “Are you all right?”
“Bobbie, this is probably some crackpot. I don’t want you to say anything about this. Promise?”
“Of course, Ms. Cooper. I promise not to say anything.”
“Here.” Taryn handed over the offensive paper. “I want you to check online for this particular issue of the Dunkirk Clarion and see if this…this article actually ran in the newspaper. If you can’t find it on this date, check each day for two weeks before and one week after. I also want the name and contact information of the columnist. That’s if it is an actual article and not some prank.”
Bobbie quickly glanced at the article, folded it, and replaced it in its envelope. “On it.”
What she needed was Arthur Mallory’s advice and keyed in his extension. After years in banking and helping to found 4G Investments, he was her most valuable counsel. “Arthur. Can you come in? I need to show you something.”
“Sure. On my way.”
“Bobbie,” Taryn called out to her assistant sitting by the open office door. “Show our little surprise to Arthur when he gets here.”
As she swiveled her chair to face the window, Taryn tried to think of who might want to spread a rumor casting doubt about the way she managed her firm. A competitor? Had someone read the interview and wanted to cause trouble?
Regardless, she had to prevent this from being leaked. Even a hint of something of this kind would make her investors nervous. Was this the premonition of trouble she’d experienced two nights before?
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Patricia E. Gitt is the author of novels featuring women, mystery, crime and success.
As a former executive in public relations she worked with many outstanding women in finance, healthcare, fashion and pharmaceutical industries. She says, “I wanted to read novels featuring their strength, qualities that made them successful, and how they balanced dynamic careers with their private lives.”
Patricia earned her B.S. from the University of Vermont, and her MBA from Fordham. During her career as an executive in public relations, she served as Chapter President of American Women in Radio and Television, and was listed in editions of “Who’s Who of American Women”, “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry”, and “Who’s Who in Professional and Executive Women.”
Previous Corporate Crime Novels:
CEO
Gitt’s debut novel, CEO, is a story of how one woman reorganized an international but staid industrial corporation, building it into a new level of profitability for the coming decade, while fighting one man who felt she stole his job. The novel asks whether being the chief executive officer empowers the woman, or does being a woman empower the CEO.
ASAP -as soon as possible-
A mystery featuring the cofounder of a technology company, who is the mother of a preteen son and daughter, and the wife of a Wall Street attorney. Already overscheduled, Suzanne Moss’s life is thrust into warp speed with the threatened theft of her company’s state-of-the-art home based medical technology. To resolve her business challenges she travels from New York City to Macau and back battling to save her company. On her return, she is confronted by a personal crisis that forces her to rethink her marriage and reprioritize her life.
TBD
About to quit her job as VP of corporate communications, Katherine Cunningham risks all agreeing to assist Thomas Sweeney, CEO of Marathon Nutritionals, in a rush to resolve a corporate crisis of blackmail, money laundering and embezzlement.