OFF-THE-WALL STREET

(Reviewer) John Rothchild’s point, “You could almost make a case that Wall Street has been ignored in literature,” is well taken and amusingly argued (“Rascal Money,” Book Review, Jan. 7). Rothchild carefully limits himself to “important novels,” so perhaps he may be forgiven for not mentioning the work of John D. Macdonald.

To mention only one of many Macdonald books that turned on money issues, the Travis McGee mystery “Pale Gray for Guilt” explored a real estate syndication scam and a stock manipulation in the development of its plot.

Macdonald earned a Harvard MBA, as I understand. And he certainly didn’t limit himself to “baseball, fishing, adolescence and being Jewish” in his choice of interesting subjects.

I’ll mention this, too. Two years ago, my agent put me in touch with a book packager who asked me to prepare a proposal for a series of mysteries to be called “Wall Street Undercover.” Nothing came of it--the packager didn’t have his ducks all in a row, as the Wall Streeters might say--but I can vouch that the interest in Wall Street fiction is out there.

LAWRENCE HENRY

BEVERLY HILLS