About the Author

Cristina Alger received her B.A. from Harvard College and her J.D. from NYU Law School. She has worked as an analyst at Goldman, Sachs, & Co. and as an attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale, & Dorr. She was born and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. This is her first novel.

Reviews

Alger, who has worked at Goldman Sachs as well as at a white-shoe law firm, knows her way around 21st-century wealth and power, and she tells a suspenseful, twisty story.
"Wall Street Journal"
What happens to the Darling family in the course of a weekend is what carries this tale along, but it s Alger s description of quintessential New Yorkers, and how they survive, that adds the extra layer. . . . Alger has what it takes, in the best sense of the phrase.
"USA Today"
Forget Gossip Girl: If you really want a peek into the scandalous lives of New York City's elite upper class, Alger's debut novel set during the financial downturn of 2008 gets you pretty close. . . . "The Darlings" moves so fast that it feels more like a thriller than a social drama.
"Entertainment Weekly"
Penned by a former banker, this is a dishy yet thoughtful portrait of greed gone too far . . . A page-turner.
"Good Housekeeping"
Two parts "Too Big to Fail," one part "The Devil Wears Prada," Alger s debut is taut and compelling.
"Publishers Weekly"
Probably the most compulsively readable fiction to come out of the Wall Street financial scandal so far. . . . Alger knows the ins and outs of both Wall Street and an upscale NYC lifestyle, nailing all the details . . . Delicious reading.
"Booklist"
A financial thriller with a tone that fits somewhere between the novels of Dominick Dunne . . . and Tom Wolfe s "The Bonfire of the Vanities."
"Library Journal"
Cristina Alger is so good, you just know she s an inside trader as intimately familiar with the inner workings of Wall Street investment banks as she is with haute Manhattan social life. She s also a gifted storyteller. "The Darlings" is an utterly compelling novel, as knowing about family as it is about money and social status, and may be the best literary product of the financial crisis to date.
Jay McInerney, "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Good Life"
For those who have only gazed up at the palatial residences of Manhattan, this is a glimpse from the penthouse down.
Tom Rachman, "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Imperfectionists"
Cristina Alger s debut novel offers a fresh and modern glimpse into New York s high society. I was hooked from page one.
Lauren Weisberger, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Last Night at the Chateau Marmont"
A rare, glittering glimpse into Manhattan s banks, bedrooms, and private clubs, a material and psychological world rendered with extraordinary detail. A smart, gripping tale . . . complex and mesmerizing.
Sarah Houghteling, author of "Pictures at an Exhibition"
Cristina Alger has written a racing, vivid, multi-vocal chronicle of the new gilded age, with equal shades of Jay McInerney and Bernie Madoff. Start reading it and in three hundred pages or so you'll feel like a consummate New York insider, too.
Charles Finch, author of "A Burial at Sea""

"Alger, who has worked at Goldman Sachs as well as at a white-shoe law firm, knows her way around 21st-century wealth and power, and she tells a suspenseful, twisty story."
--"Wall Street Journal"
"What happens to the Darling family in the course of a weekend is what carries this tale along, but it's Alger's description of quintessential New Yorkers, and how they survive, that adds the extra layer. . . . Alger has what it takes, in the best sense of the phrase."
--"USA Today"
"Forget Gossip Girl: If you really want a peek into the scandalous lives of New York City's elite upper class, Alger's debut novel--set during the financial downturn of 2008--gets you pretty close. . . . "The Darlings" moves so fast that it feels more like a thriller than a social drama."
--"Entertainment Weekly"
"Penned by a former banker, this is a dishy yet thoughtful portrait of greed gone too far . . . A page-turner."
--"Good Housekeeping"
"Two parts "Too Big to Fail," one part "The Devil Wears Prada," Alger's debut is taut and compelling."
--"Publishers Weekly"
"Probably the most compulsively readable fiction to come out of the Wall Street financial scandal so far. . . . Alger knows the ins and outs of both Wall Street and an upscale NYC lifestyle, nailing all the details . . . Delicious reading."
--"Booklist"
..".A financial thriller with a tone that fits somewhere between the novels of Dominick Dunne . . . and Tom Wolfe's "The Bonfire of the Vanities.""
--"Library Journal"
"Cristina Alger is so good, you just know she's an inside trader--as intimately familiar with the inner workings of Wall Street investment banks as she is with haute Manhattan social life. She's also a gifted storyteller. "The Darlings" is an utterly compelling novel, as knowing about family as it is about money and social status, and may be the best literary product of the financial crisis to date."
--Jay McInerney, "New York Time

."..A financial thriller somewhere between the novels of Dominick Dunne...and Tom Wolfe's "The Bonfire of the Vanities"."--"Library Journal
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"Forget "Gossip Girl" If you really want a peek into the scandalous lives of New York City's elite upper class, Alger's debut novel--set during the financial downturn of 2008--gets you pretty close. The hedge funds, designer clothes, and lush Hamptons homes are all on display. But Alger also deftly juggles a complicated and myriad cast of characters who orbit around an It Family, the Darlings, who are at the center of a Madoff-like Ponzi scheme. "The Darling"s moves so fast that it feels more like a thriller than a social drama." --"Entertainment Weekly"
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"Penned by a former banker, this is a dishy yet thoughtful portrait of greed gone too far...A page-turner."--"Good Housekeeping" Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name: "Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom: .0001pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-fareast-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: #0400;}
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"Probably the most compulsively readable fiction to come out of the Wall Steet financial scandal so far...Alger knows the ins and outs of both Wall Street and an upscale NYC lifestyle, nailing all the details, from the plush, hushed atmosphere of high-end law firms to the right tennis togs for a "casual" weekend in the Hamptons. Delicious reading."--"Booklist""

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"Two parts "Too Big to Fail", one part "The Devil Wears Prada", Alger's debut is taut and compelling."--"Publishers Weekly"
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"What happens to the Darling family in the course of a weekend is what carries this tale along, but it's Alger's description of quintessential New Yorkers, and how they survive, that adds the extra layer...Alger has what it takes, in the best sense of the phrase."--"USA"" Today""
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"Alger has written one of the first novels about the 2008 financial crisis, saying she wanted to get into the 'hearts and minds' of the people who had a front-row seat on the world-changing crisis. She succeeds. What happens to the Darling family in the course of a weekend is what carries this tale along, but it's Alger's description of quintessential New Yorkers, and how they survive, that adds the extra layer...Alger has what it takes, in the best sense of the phrase."





--USA Today

"Alger introduces us to flawed but sympathetically drawn characters and depicts socialite parties, luscious dinners, exquisite clothes, and holidays in the Hamptons...A financial thriller somewhere between the novels of Dominick Dunne (though not as flippant) and Tom Wolfe's "The Bonfire of the Vanities" (though not as serious)."
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"--Library Journal