The Dish Dog
By Peter Davidson
ISBN: 9798351893662
324 Pages
Available in Paperback and on Kindle
Synopsis:
Someone is operating the largest stock market insider trading scheme in the history of the United States, that is making millions of dollars in illegal profits. Whoever it is has access to secret information about numerous major corporations before the information is made available to the general public. Perhaps it is a nationally-known radio or TV host of a financial program, a financial journalist, or maybe even a Pulitzer Prize winner.
The perpetrator of the insider trading scheme has hidden their identity and covered their tracks through layers of elusive actions that all seem to lead nowhere. But, the perpetrator may not have planned on a brilliant FBI forensic accountant, Dr. Kimberly King, doggedly leading the investigation to uncover their identity and to put them out of business.
My Thoughts:
The Dish Dog is a whirlwind tale told from a few different perspectives. It opens with a thirty-something busboy, Harley Ross, receiving a letter from the mysterious "Emerald Investment Strategies" with a hot tip on a stock to buy to make loads of money. These missives come sporadically and nobody knows who is behind the elusive investment newsletter, but they always pay out. Another narrator is the secretive stock tip sender. However the highlight character of this book is Dr. Kimberly King, known as K.K. to her peers. K.K. is a forensic accountant for the FBI, and has been tasked with investigating this case of potential insider trading and market manipulation.
And so we get to follow K.K. on her first major investigation, as she follows leads to try to suss out who exactly is behind Emerald Investment Strategies. She has to struggle to get information from participants like Harley, who are reminded with every newsletter that "loose lips sink ships." At the same time, we get to learn more about the EIS prodigy, including how they have operated for so long without being caught, and why they are doing what they do. The adversaries travel around the country (sometimes further) trying to stay ahead of each other and intrigue abounds. Will K.K. crack the case and become a successful forensic accountant? Will EIS get their happily every after? Will Harley be stuck as a busboy forever?
When I started reading The Dish Dog, I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to feel about it. First of all, the setting and topic was something that I am mostly unfamiliar with. I've traded penny/partial stocks here and there, but pretty much everything I learned about the stock market was from playing Wall Street Kid on the Nintendo as a youth. That's actually the first video game I ever beat, which probably says a lot about how boring I was as a child. But I digress. As expected of a book focused on the stock market and financial crime, there were a lot of numbers. And I mean a LOT. At some points, my dyslexic brain had to take a pause, or re-read a portion multiple times.
Another reason I was unsure about this book is that while I have read other books that I would consider light thrillers and enjoyed them, mystery and thriller are not my go-to genres. Mostly because I always figure out the twist or surprise reveal before it happens. (And indeed I did.) So the non-favored genre choice combined with the unfamiliar setting - not to mention the abundance of numbers - could have been a recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised. It did not take too long for the story to pull me in and it kept me invested - pun intended. ^.^
Overall, The Dish Dog was an enjoyable read. Despite figuring out the reveal before it happened, the story that gets you to that point was entertaining, and the characters were mostly likable. (I'm still on the fence about the dentist...)
The Dish Dog was released on January 30, 2023 and is available at Amazon. I received a complimentary copy from the author Peter Davidson in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Parent's Guide:
This book is complex, but the story is interesting. There isn't any real questionable violence, or any adult themes that would be seen as controversial - other than in the crime sense - but it is a mature topic. The setting could be seen as real world relatable for much older kids, especially those interested in finance or criminal investigation. I would consider this book as upper teen friendly in complexity and entertainment value.