Scam

Stanley Hastings #12

by Parnell Hall

When actor-cum-sleuth Stanley Hastings investigates the complicated conspiracy an investment broker claims is being hatched against him, all fingers point to the broker himself, and players begin falling one by one

Genres: Mystery

426 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Robert James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been 20+ years since I've read a Stanley Hastings book. I've really missed out. I forgot how clever the stories are and how snappy the dialogue is. Hall is a master at keeping the story moving while circling back so that the reader keeps up in time for the ultimate conclusion. I won't be waiting another 20 years to read another Hastings book.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scam

This storyline was serious but almost comical. Stanley a private investigator for Attorney Richard gets hired by an officer of an investment firm because he thinks somebody’s trying to run a scam on him. One thing leads to another and Stanley finds himself framed for three murders by a zealous cop Belcher. Good book.

[Brian O'Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The same as the rest, which is both a good thing and a bad thing.

[dianne Snow-Posner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

Now this book kept me
Reading until the end. I wanted to know more. I won’t give it away in case you want to read it. But the ending was not what I expected

[Milt Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot okay, dialogue dopey.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4.0

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was about a tall man 6'6" that came in to hire stanly to find out what happened to him. he was at a bar and a woman with big chest had drinks with him and then he cant remember the rest of the night. there is a stockholders meeting and he thinks hes being set up for something

stanly actually finds her quickly, too quickly it turns out. then he finds the agent that hired her to see why someone paid her to have drinks with him and leave

then the man is found dead, by stanly of course, at his work. then the girl and the agent are both dead and stanly is arrested for all three murders. his lawyer boss gets him out on bail so he can find out who really did it and clear himself

the cop hes friends with mcgruff, is a enemy of the cop that that is charging stanly and they think he is framing stanly.

turns out it was the girl major stockholder who did it and stanly figured it all out cause the girls that answer the phone at the lawyers office that he could never figure out who is who went on vacation and the one lady mary was good and he knew he was talking to her, changed her name and thats what triggered in his mind that the girl framed him by putting the gun in his car, not the cop. tho the cop did frame him with the photo with his fingerprint on it from one crime scene to the other

another good book!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The other side of Parnell Hall, August 13, 2012
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida)

This review is from: Scam (Stanley Hastings Mystery, #12) (Kindle Edition)
This was my first Stanley Hastings mystery by Parnell Hall. I've read all of the author's puzzle lady books and enjoy that series very much.

So it came as quite a surprise, being a mostly cozy mystery reader, that I could not stop reading this book. Poor Standley Hastings is not you typical P.I. He just isn't that independent at all. He has to go to his boss for advice and of course to MacAullif at the police dept for all his feed back.

Stanley and MacAullif make quite a team. In fact, their dialogue had me laughing out loud. The book was just that funny.
All in all I will be reading more of P.H.'s Stanley Hastings series. It is so different from any other mysteries I've read whether cozies or straight mysteries. The story flows, okay so it flows with Stanley's incompetence, but I found him to be a likable chap.

I can easily recommend this book and series to mystery lovers as long as you know...this is not a cozy. Just try page one and you're hooked.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Stanley Hastings classic written by Parnell Hall. The self-deprecating, insecure P.I. who chases ambulances and signs up clients for Rosenberg and Stein, gets scammed by a client who wants him to find the buxom blond who sat with him over drinks at a local bar. Supposedly enmeshed in a proxy battle in his investment firm, Cranston Pritchert is worried that information could be used in the battle to control the firm. Hastings soon learns the client was setting him up. When Hastings discovers Pritchert’s body in the man’s office, things really get weird, bodies begin to pile up, and Stanley finds himself facing multiple murder charges.

Some of the dialogue between Stanley and his friend Sergeant MacAuliffe are sure to bring a grin to your face. Good mystery, funny dialogue, great price for the ebook.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun mystery.
Stanley Hastings has again gotten mixed up in a murder investigation.
His client appears to have set him up when he has him investigate who wanted to involve the client in a bar entanglement right before the proxy vote at his place of employment. Stanley checks into the witnesses and thinks the client has set up the meet, but when the client is killed, and so are other people involved in the arrangements, Stanley is arrested and charged with the murders.
I always enjoy taking a ride with Stanley Hastings, as he is a very likeable fellow and the plots are involved.
I received a free copy of this in ebook format for a fair and honest review.

[Jeannine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the plot and the characters. In reality, the detective in this novel, Stanley Hastings, is more of an ambulance chaser working for a litigation firm that a private detective, however, a real customer walks into his agency and the storey begins. The plot gets a little slow in the middle but it picks up and ends well. I will read more in this series.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Stanley. He's always getting himself mixed up in trouble, and the folks who are supposed to be his friends are more frustrating than helpful. But it does make for some good laughs for us readers. :)
Another enjoyable puzzle from Hall, with good humor along the way.

[NVTony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read all of authors puzzle lady books so familiar with style. Really enjoyed creative approach to story. Found characters to possess substance thus making story up to quality of authors other mystery writings. This is a must read for anyone looking for a mystery.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

That it was almost all dialogue took some getting used to. An odd mix of humor and hard boiled with a detective who, had he been a she, would have been labeled TSTL. Except that, I assume, that was intended to be humorous. I doubt I'll read more of this series.

[Maryjane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but it had a little too much "talking" in it. I would still suggest it for reading - it was a fast read.

[Jakenv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found funny & entertaining. Stanley is one of my favorite characters from authors writings. Looking for some light enjoyable reading you will not be disappointed.

[Albert Belcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

He named a character after me. Then he got him good!

[Ron Judenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

read

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much ado about nothing