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The Anonymous Man #1
The Anonymous Man
What if one day you could become anonymous, free of obligations, free to do what you have always wanted to do?
That's exactly what Jerry Shaw pulls off after faking his death to collect on a $4 million life insurance policy. But just when Jerry thinks he has escaped his former life, he is betrayed by his co-conspirators, his wife and best friend, and learns that a tenacious insurance company investigator is hot on his heels.
You won't be able to put down this twisting and suspenseful novel, wondering if Jerry will ultimately get to do what he has always wanted, to become anonymous, just like the hero of his comic book creation, The Anonymous Man, and then not only draw his further adventures, but live them.
Thank you for your interest,
DigitalFictionPub.com
That's exactly what Jerry Shaw pulls off after faking his death to collect on a $4 million life insurance policy. But just when Jerry thinks he has escaped his former life, he is betrayed by his co-conspirators, his wife and best friend, and learns that a tenacious insurance company investigator is hot on his heels.
You won't be able to put down this twisting and suspenseful novel, wondering if Jerry will ultimately get to do what he has always wanted, to become anonymous, just like the hero of his comic book creation, The Anonymous Man, and then not only draw his further adventures, but live them.
Thank you for your interest,
DigitalFictionPub.com
266 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2013
443 people are currently reading
796 people want to read
About the author
Vincent L. Scarsella
55 books41 followersVince Scarsella has ten (10) published novels to his credit, including Amazon bestselling crime/mystery novels, "The Anonymous Man," and its sequel, "Still Anonymous," as well as "Lawyers Gone Bad," "Personal Injuries," "Winning Is Everything," and "Pardon Me," of the Lawyers Gone Bad series.
Scarsella's fantasy novel, "The Messiah," tells the story of a modern Jesus-like preacher whose rising popularity threatens the ruling elite known as The Supremacy.
"Mind Plague," is a dystopian thriller about surviving in a world after most everyone has lost their ability to think and remember.
Scarsella has also had published two books in the Psi Wars Series, "Escape From The Psi Academy," (Book 1) and "Return To The Psi Academy" (Book 2). Book 3, "The World At Psi War," is forthcoming.
In addition, in December, 2017, Scarsella's fantasy novella, "Within A Dream," for readers of all ages, was published.
Lastly, he has published two collections of short stories, "Unusual Suspects," released in March, 2018, crime stories, and "Spectacular Fictions," speculative fiction stories, published in March 2021.
His plays, “Hate Crime,” “Practical Time Travel,” “The Penitent,” "The Cards of Unknown Players," and “The Walrus Was Paul – A Beatles Sing-Along,” and "Land of the Greedy Mouse," have been staged at colleges and community theatres.
Vince also has published numerous short stories in print magazines such as The Leading Edge, Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature, and Fictitious Force, short story collections, and in several online zines. His short story, "The Cards of Unknown Players," was nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
His non-fiction work, "The Human Manifesto: A General Plan For Human Survival," was favorably reviewed by the Ernest Becker Foundation. Its follow-up, "Beyond The Lie," has also been favorably received.
Vince's complete writing credentials can be accessed at: http://www.vincentscarsella.webs.com.
Vince retired in September 2010 after a long career as an attorney with the State of New York. In May, 2011, he and his wife, Rosanne, moved to Florida and now reside in Venice, Florida. Since 2012, Vince has been an adjunct professor at Polk State College teaching business law courses. He and Rosanne have three children and six grandchildren.
Scarsella's fantasy novel, "The Messiah," tells the story of a modern Jesus-like preacher whose rising popularity threatens the ruling elite known as The Supremacy.
"Mind Plague," is a dystopian thriller about surviving in a world after most everyone has lost their ability to think and remember.
Scarsella has also had published two books in the Psi Wars Series, "Escape From The Psi Academy," (Book 1) and "Return To The Psi Academy" (Book 2). Book 3, "The World At Psi War," is forthcoming.
In addition, in December, 2017, Scarsella's fantasy novella, "Within A Dream," for readers of all ages, was published.
Lastly, he has published two collections of short stories, "Unusual Suspects," released in March, 2018, crime stories, and "Spectacular Fictions," speculative fiction stories, published in March 2021.
His plays, “Hate Crime,” “Practical Time Travel,” “The Penitent,” "The Cards of Unknown Players," and “The Walrus Was Paul – A Beatles Sing-Along,” and "Land of the Greedy Mouse," have been staged at colleges and community theatres.
Vince also has published numerous short stories in print magazines such as The Leading Edge, Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature, and Fictitious Force, short story collections, and in several online zines. His short story, "The Cards of Unknown Players," was nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
His non-fiction work, "The Human Manifesto: A General Plan For Human Survival," was favorably reviewed by the Ernest Becker Foundation. Its follow-up, "Beyond The Lie," has also been favorably received.
Vince's complete writing credentials can be accessed at: http://www.vincentscarsella.webs.com.
Vince retired in September 2010 after a long career as an attorney with the State of New York. In May, 2011, he and his wife, Rosanne, moved to Florida and now reside in Venice, Florida. Since 2012, Vince has been an adjunct professor at Polk State College teaching business law courses. He and Rosanne have three children and six grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 23, 2016
Wow what a read that was! Jerry Shaw, his wife Holly and friend Jeff decide to stage Jerry's disappearance to claim a $4 million dollar life insurance policy. The plan is for them to stage an accident which supposedly kills Jerry and then for him to hide away in a property he has previously purchased far away from home. Once things settle, Holly will join Jerry, they will split the money and Jeff will take his cut and in time will buy the ranch he has always dreamed of. Problem one: they need a corpse to replace Jerry so they do a deal with a guy in a morgue, problem solved or so it will seem at the time. Problem 2: Jerry had also not thought of how faithful Holly may be while away from him. I have to say the scene in the bedroom where Jerry is in wardrobe had me quite on the edge of my seat. Problem 3: an insurance investigator who thinks this case all seems a bit neat and a little off. How could this not lead to a really great yarn. Thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to more books by you Vincent. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
What is the price to taking the risk of becoming ananymous? Will it be worth it?
What is the price to taking the risk of becoming ananymous? Will it be worth it?
January 8, 2015
Great little murder mystery with a twist! Most of his life Jerry has wanted to do something other than what he is doing, be someone else, and now he might just get the chance to recreate his life as an anonymous man. That is if he can get away with it.
I liked the plot twists and turns in this book, certainly not what I expected. It held my attention the whole way.
I received this book as part of a good reads giveaway but the opinions are my own.
I liked the plot twists and turns in this book, certainly not what I expected. It held my attention the whole way.
I received this book as part of a good reads giveaway but the opinions are my own.
June 30, 2016
I like this book a lot better than another book by this author, Lawyers Gone Bad. The flow, pacing, and characters were all better plus there was more action, description and less info dumping. That said, this book still had some problems which caused the "it's okay" rating instrad if "I liked it" rating.
My main issue with this book is that it drags. Books like this should clip along rather quickly because otherwise it's too easy to lose interest, identify the twists long before they happen and get frustrated which is not the emotion I want to feel when reading this kind of story.
Although there was more description and action in this book, at times it was rather vague and didn't do enough to enhance the story, deepen your understanding of the characters or drive the action. There were a couple of continuity issues that kind of bothered me. For example, someone's described action and thought shouldn't take a complete change shortly thereafter just to serve the plot instead of being a true reflection of the character, no matter how minor the character.
My other major problem was the ending. For one thing, it was unsatisfying. A book like this should have you smiling at the end or chuckling to yourself and this didn't. The other problem with the ending is that one of the characters acted completely contradictory to how the character had been described throughout the book. While that can work, there needs to be a believable justification for it, and in this case there wasn't. While it was insanely easy to guess what the ultimate resolution for the main character would be, I was more or less okay with that. But when this other character acted out of character, I just felt frustrated and annoyed. This author is good at coming up with concepts that really intrigue me, but the follow-through isn't quite there. I did receive this at a free or discounted rate in exchange for my honest review.
My main issue with this book is that it drags. Books like this should clip along rather quickly because otherwise it's too easy to lose interest, identify the twists long before they happen and get frustrated which is not the emotion I want to feel when reading this kind of story.
Although there was more description and action in this book, at times it was rather vague and didn't do enough to enhance the story, deepen your understanding of the characters or drive the action. There were a couple of continuity issues that kind of bothered me. For example, someone's described action and thought shouldn't take a complete change shortly thereafter just to serve the plot instead of being a true reflection of the character, no matter how minor the character.
My other major problem was the ending. For one thing, it was unsatisfying. A book like this should have you smiling at the end or chuckling to yourself and this didn't. The other problem with the ending is that one of the characters acted completely contradictory to how the character had been described throughout the book. While that can work, there needs to be a believable justification for it, and in this case there wasn't. While it was insanely easy to guess what the ultimate resolution for the main character would be, I was more or less okay with that. But when this other character acted out of character, I just felt frustrated and annoyed. This author is good at coming up with concepts that really intrigue me, but the follow-through isn't quite there. I did receive this at a free or discounted rate in exchange for my honest review.
June 2, 2016
Such a good story.
This story is written very well. While reading it you are sure they are going to get caught. There are several different situations where they could get caught. Through out this book I was constantly wanting to yell at Jerry. He keeps trusting Holly even when she doesn't deserve it. I was really glad with the ending and I feel like it brought everything full circle. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest unbiased review. This has not influenced my opinions on the book.
This story is written very well. While reading it you are sure they are going to get caught. There are several different situations where they could get caught. Through out this book I was constantly wanting to yell at Jerry. He keeps trusting Holly even when she doesn't deserve it. I was really glad with the ending and I feel like it brought everything full circle. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest unbiased review. This has not influenced my opinions on the book.
May 8, 2016
How much can you trust...
Very good story, well written with characters that you can hate and those you just want to smack because they are doing stupid things. And it proves that you really have to be careful about whom you trust with your life (literally)!
Very good story, well written with characters that you can hate and those you just want to smack because they are doing stupid things. And it proves that you really have to be careful about whom you trust with your life (literally)!
October 22, 2017
Clever Witty Fun!
This is a great book. It was a fun fast read. The book reminded me of n old B&W classic detective movie, which is a rare outstanding piece of work.
Ali enjoyed the plot, and the good guys prevail. This was an enjoyable read. What a great find!
This is a great book. It was a fun fast read. The book reminded me of n old B&W classic detective movie, which is a rare outstanding piece of work.
Ali enjoyed the plot, and the good guys prevail. This was an enjoyable read. What a great find!
April 7, 2016
Writer Vincent Scarsella is a tricky guy. If he disappears one day nobody will ever find him. I know this, how? The Anonymous Man is a handy guide to absconding with a ton of loot and rebooting your present mundane existence. Couple things, though. Don't attend your own funeral. And make sure you really, really trust your wife and best friend.
Jerry was pretty sure he could handle it; fake his death, hide out til the insurance policy pays out for double indemnity for accidental death, and bingo! Home free. But it's lonely out there on your own. Your mind starts playing tricks on you. One little late night trip home can't hurt anything, right? Even prisoners get conjugal visits.
Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Every time he was thinking about doing something stupid I was yelling at him, "No, not a good idea." But did he listen to me? Maybe he'll listen to you.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jerry was pretty sure he could handle it; fake his death, hide out til the insurance policy pays out for double indemnity for accidental death, and bingo! Home free. But it's lonely out there on your own. Your mind starts playing tricks on you. One little late night trip home can't hurt anything, right? Even prisoners get conjugal visits.
Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Every time he was thinking about doing something stupid I was yelling at him, "No, not a good idea." But did he listen to me? Maybe he'll listen to you.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2016
Copy courtesy of NetGalley
The introduction captured me, I mean and become anonymous to the world? I'd love it -- would get up to unbelievable mischief for which there are no consequences!
Really a 4.5 star, but cannot make it 5 stars as the protagonist is a bit of a pussy-whipped putz who sort of toughens up and causes ructions, but eventually succumbs to feminine charms again. I mean, really!
Great novel with an interesting storyline, well-developed characters and realistic occurrences. Read it!
The introduction captured me, I mean and become anonymous to the world? I'd love it -- would get up to unbelievable mischief for which there are no consequences!
Really a 4.5 star, but cannot make it 5 stars as the protagonist is a bit of a pussy-whipped putz who sort of toughens up and causes ructions, but eventually succumbs to feminine charms again. I mean, really!
Great novel with an interesting storyline, well-developed characters and realistic occurrences. Read it!
April 16, 2016
Thank you Netgalley and Digital Fiction Publishing Corp for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a great fast paced book this is that had me hooked from the first page. Jerry Shaw fakes his own death in collaboration with his wife and 'friend' to receive a 4 million dollar insurance payout. The book starts with Jerry observing his own funeral and then goes back to tell the preceding events. What follows twists and turns with an investigator hot on their heels - I don't want to ruin the story but would highly recommend this book and will look out for this author in the future.
What a great fast paced book this is that had me hooked from the first page. Jerry Shaw fakes his own death in collaboration with his wife and 'friend' to receive a 4 million dollar insurance payout. The book starts with Jerry observing his own funeral and then goes back to tell the preceding events. What follows twists and turns with an investigator hot on their heels - I don't want to ruin the story but would highly recommend this book and will look out for this author in the future.
August 20, 2016
Good suspense thriller.
I very much enjoyed this book about the fake dying of a young man who was very unhappy with his life. The book flows along nicely with a lot of suspense and adventure.
I very much enjoyed this book about the fake dying of a young man who was very unhappy with his life. The book flows along nicely with a lot of suspense and adventure.
January 6, 2017
Good Story!!
This was a great story. It was well written, had an excellent storyline, and was fast paced. I rooted for Jerry throughout the story, and I was happy about the way things ended. Great read
This was a great story. It was well written, had an excellent storyline, and was fast paced. I rooted for Jerry throughout the story, and I was happy about the way things ended. Great read
July 10, 2016
A cleverly written book. There was a hokey/unrealistic part in the middle but having enjoyed the first part I kept reading. This ended up being a 3.75 on the 1-5 scale, for me anyway.
Read
February 3, 2017Fast read... Held my interest the whole way thru
May 18, 2017
Interesting read.
Fairly well written, with a few good surprises. I was not familiar with the unusual plot and I have read mountains of stories. Enjoyable story.
Fairly well written, with a few good surprises. I was not familiar with the unusual plot and I have read mountains of stories. Enjoyable story.
March 12, 2019
Jerry Shaw puts a plan into motion to fake his death. Jerry is a mildly misanthropic individual who concocts this plan with help of his wife, Holly, and their friend, Jeff. The plan is for Holly to take out a $1Million life insurance policy on Jerry and then for the 3 of them to split the money after Jerry is "dead" and with the idea that Jerry could remain hidden for the rest of his life, with assistance from Holly. Jerry would then become the "Anonymous Man"
The plan unravels after Jerry's funeral, as he discovers that Jeff and Holly are involved with each other, plan to kill him in reality, and keep the $3 million life insurance (which Holly had increased without telling him). An investigator for the life insurance company suspects that all is not kosher in Jerry's death, and Jerry discovers Holly and Jeff's plan to kill him.
The plot remains moving and entertaining throughout the book. Well done, and would like to read another work by Scarsella.
The plan unravels after Jerry's funeral, as he discovers that Jeff and Holly are involved with each other, plan to kill him in reality, and keep the $3 million life insurance (which Holly had increased without telling him). An investigator for the life insurance company suspects that all is not kosher in Jerry's death, and Jerry discovers Holly and Jeff's plan to kill him.
The plot remains moving and entertaining throughout the book. Well done, and would like to read another work by Scarsella.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2021
I had trouble getting into this story, and stuck with it just because I really hate to give up on a book. I ended up skimming through portions, so I have missed something relevant, but to me the book never lived up to its potential. I liked the basic premise. But the story just became way too unreal for me. SPOILER ALERT: How could Jerry not see what was going on between Holly and Jerry? How could be be SO DUMB as to put in an appearance just as things were going his way? Why did Holly and Jerry decide to stick with a murder charge instead of confessing to insurance fraud -- which most likely would have been a lesser offense with lesser penalties? Why did Fox let Jerry skate at the end? Again, I may have missed things since I ended up skimming through portions, but that in itself speaks to the weirdness of this book!
March 13, 2018
Wow!
Vincent L. Scarsella writes about an average couple who agree to defraud their insurance company along with a friend. They conspire to fake Jerry's death. The plan seems to go off without a hitch. The old saying " Be careful what you wish for." Is so apt when you look at the circumstances of this book. The writing is so flawless I was compelled to keep reading. This book was well worth my time and the ending was funny, too. No spoilers here, just a suggestion that you are in for an amazing read.
Vincent L. Scarsella writes about an average couple who agree to defraud their insurance company along with a friend. They conspire to fake Jerry's death. The plan seems to go off without a hitch. The old saying " Be careful what you wish for." Is so apt when you look at the circumstances of this book. The writing is so flawless I was compelled to keep reading. This book was well worth my time and the ending was funny, too. No spoilers here, just a suggestion that you are in for an amazing read.
December 29, 2024
Caution: a lot of very modern swearing.
These well-written books reminded me of Donald Duck comics of my childhood, Spy and Counter-Spy. The plots are woven around three main characters, and at some point add two other characters who are trying to catch the first three. A death, and then everyone is threatening everyone else with murder.
There is non-stop action, including Jerry who can't keep his brain out of his pants, and a lot of traveling and hiding.
I read books 1 and 2, and figured I'd had enough, but there's a book 3. Enjoy!
These well-written books reminded me of Donald Duck comics of my childhood, Spy and Counter-Spy. The plots are woven around three main characters, and at some point add two other characters who are trying to catch the first three. A death, and then everyone is threatening everyone else with murder.
There is non-stop action, including Jerry who can't keep his brain out of his pants, and a lot of traveling and hiding.
I read books 1 and 2, and figured I'd had enough, but there's a book 3. Enjoy!
November 10, 2018
A little lame
I never really liked Jerry. He was mostly stupid throughout. The original crime was well thought out and executed, but that was not Jerry's doing. Never could warm up to him, which meant I didn't really love the story. However, it was interesting enough for me to read it through.
I never really liked Jerry. He was mostly stupid throughout. The original crime was well thought out and executed, but that was not Jerry's doing. Never could warm up to him, which meant I didn't really love the story. However, it was interesting enough for me to read it through.
September 23, 2018
Not so anonymous now
I was trolling around Amazon looking for a new genre to read. Saw this book and thought this looks interesting. It was not only interesting it was GREAT. Read it all at in one sitting. Thank you Vincent L. Carmella for entertaining me today.
I was trolling around Amazon looking for a new genre to read. Saw this book and thought this looks interesting. It was not only interesting it was GREAT. Read it all at in one sitting. Thank you Vincent L. Carmella for entertaining me today.
November 15, 2021
Disappointed by vaguely defined characters
The author’s characters were not well-defined and, unfortunately, the main protagonist was evil. I really dislike the failure to correct clear typos and grammatical errors.
The author’s characters were not well-defined and, unfortunately, the main protagonist was evil. I really dislike the failure to correct clear typos and grammatical errors.
January 26, 2018
Great
A lot of suspense. Carmella does a good job bringing his story to life. The intriguing plot is easy to follow without giving away the whole story before its time.
A lot of suspense. Carmella does a good job bringing his story to life. The intriguing plot is easy to follow without giving away the whole story before its time.
July 3, 2018
Crime fiction
This reminded me of Perry Mason episodes. The lengthy description of sexual encounters were boring and unnecessary. I would not recommend this book.
This reminded me of Perry Mason episodes. The lengthy description of sexual encounters were boring and unnecessary. I would not recommend this book.
June 16, 2020
I absolutely loved this book! There were so many twists and turns. I could imagine vivid and intimate danger/fear/relief as the main character did. An absolute marvel!
April 15, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It was so well written and easy to read. Great opening to the story though, I can’t imagine going to my own funeral. You have to wonder if Jerry really thought this through properly. Faking your own death for an Insurance pay out, doesn’t sound easy. Especially if you have an Investigator like Jack Fox investigating you. It also shows the old adage - who can you really trust when it comes to large sums of money. One of the standouts for me is the detail the Author has put into the characters. I would definitely recommend this book. It is very entertaining.
April 20, 2016
I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I made the mistake of reading other peoples reviews before starting this book so I was expecting a lot more than I got. It irritated me how the author kept explaining who everyone was, each time they were mentioned. Holly was Jerrys wife. For example, everytime Holly is mentioned it is followed swiftly with, his wife. Other than that, the story was decent enough but quite stupid at times.
I made the mistake of reading other peoples reviews before starting this book so I was expecting a lot more than I got. It irritated me how the author kept explaining who everyone was, each time they were mentioned. Holly was Jerrys wife. For example, everytime Holly is mentioned it is followed swiftly with, his wife. Other than that, the story was decent enough but quite stupid at times.
July 6, 2016
While it was an okay read, I had some issue with the constant (first half of the book) repeats of the "plan". Seemed like every chapter had the "plan" copied and pasted into it with only slight deviations to reveal a small detail that was important to explain for the current or following chapter. Once the "plan" had been set up and executed, there were far fewer references to it and the story flowed much better. Liked it.
July 13, 2016
Interesting premise and a quick read. Not very deep although I did want to see how it ended.
Read
July 20, 2018The one African American character I do not believe had to be so negatively stereotyped. And the saying nigger boy was totally unnecessary. It didn’t fit the dialogue rant. And why the body guy couldn’t have used the money to buy a new car since he was driving a rust bucket and then decided he wanted to move his family to a better neighborhood and blackmailed them for that. Apparently, you don’t have any black family or friends to read your book.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews