Ben Graham, brainy but not so brawny, has volunteered to guard his nineteen-year-old ward, Bessie, at a protest outside the Yorkville Casino, where the German-American Bund holds its Tuesday night meeting. American Nazis in SS-style uniforms and swastika armbands stream into the hall as Ben joins Bessie in the somber line of protesters. But the threat against Bessie’s life still hangs over them. What if her unknown enemy strikes tonight?

A priceless necklace. A ferocious ambition. A dangerous opportunity. In this episode of The Graham Plan, young master jeweler Max Kroeber begins a secret pursuit that could place him in the Führer’s favor. Often disguised and ever determined, Kroeber enters New York’s world of power and privilege, where a towering Nazi figure takes center stage at the Stork Club and threatens to upend his carefully crafted plan.

A hidden dining room at the Waldorf Astoria. J. Edgar Hoover in residence. Dorothy Lamour with a gift from a Nazi admirer. In The Graham Plan’s second episode, Ben Graham begins to assemble a line of defense to protect Bessie, only to discover that keeping her safe will require more than careful thought. Before the day is over, he must decide whether to step into the line of fire.

A Harlem speakeasy, far from Wall Street. A melancholy song called “Lush Life.” The leader of a growing American Nazi movement. In the opening episode of The Graham Plan, my serialized historical thriller set in 1936 New York, Ben Graham’s evening takes an unexpected turn when a friend presents him with a choice that appears ordinary— but could undermine his newfound sense of security and change his life.

Dear Readers, I’m taking a break from writing biographical pieces about my grandfather, Benjamin Graham, to begin The Graham Plan, a serialized historical thriller set in 1936 New York. A brilliant lone-wolf investor named Ben Graham—inspired by the real man—must unite an unlikely band of allies to stop dangerous pro-Hitler fanatics. I hope you’ll join me for the Author’s Note and, soon after, the first episode.