Margin Play

The Eckart Mysteries #1

by Eric Plume

Librarian's Note: An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here

Amber Eckart is a Seattle investigator with a nose for truth and red ink in her books; bills are piling up, and the creditors are starting to get nasty. So when a downtown lawyer drops a big check on the table and asks her to poke at a dodgy foreclosure, it looks like the easy money she needs. But in the world of twenty-first century finance, little is simple...and less is sacred.
Hot on the trail of a stolen home, Amber finds a complex web of big money and shady deals - a development project with millions of dollars at stake and a cabal more than willing to play fast and loose with the law. With a trio of tech-savvy misfits riding shotgun, Amber must brave the margin between commerce and crime - a place where the shadows are deep, the dying is easy and the only way out is further in...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 10, 2013

About the author

Born and raised in the San Juan Islands, Eric Plume is a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest. He has worked in a variety of fields ranging from construction to casino security; currently, he works as a writer-for-hire while furthering his career in mystery fiction.

He lives near Bellingham, Washington with his girlfriend in a house full of cats, computers and books.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sacrifices had to be made."

Amber Eckart, private investigator, is struggling to keep her business afloat. The bills are piling up and there's no end in sight.

Except, a mysterious lawyer shows up with a check large enough to perk anyone's interest.

There's a foreclosure on an old woman's house that seems a bit...suspicious. The lawyer wants it checked out and Amber needs money - a perfect match, right?

Wrong.

What seemed like a simple open-and-shut case has fractured into a million pieces.

"So what did you do to get this shit dropped on you?"
"My guess would be I found out something someone doesn't want me to know."
"What was that?"
"Wish I knew."

There's suspicious dealing, money from offshore accounts and plenty of thugs surrounding this case.

"But he could have killed you," Julian said.
"He could have," I said, "but he didn't, so I'm not going to fret about it."

Luckily, Amber has her loyal employees and an old college friend to help out...but she'll soon realize that even that may not be enough.

It's easy to fall down the rabbit hole...and not so easy to crawl out.

Overall - I really enjoyed this one.

The mystery had perfect pacing and a fabulous storyline.

So many times, I feel like these books have outlandishly unbelievable twists and turns just so the author can "trick" the audience - but that was not the case here.

Every time there was a new twist, I was surprised but also had an "aha! it makes sense now!" moment - which made the book all the more enjoyable.

Amber was a great main character - she had the perfect blend of snappy one-liners and general badass.

Honestly, her wit and sass is my spirit animal. How could you not love a character who drops lines like this:

"Fuck you," he said.
"Under no circumstances."

Or this:

"What happened to your face?"
"Bizarre gardening accident," I said.
"You live in an apartment," he said.
That's what makes it bizarre."

Though, to be honest, all of the characters in this book were pretty freaking great.

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't following you," I said.
"In this case someone is," he said.
"Indeed."

All in all, it is a rare thing where everything in the book just clicks perfectly - but when you find one, it's truly a wonderful experience.

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[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars. Review posted September 25, 2015




Color me surprised. This was actually bloody good! The crux of the matter is, however, that I'm not the perfect target audience for this book. At my core, I'm a die-hard romance reader and Margin Play is a compelling mystery. So while this is no romance at all, a relationship sub-plot is used to make the story and especially the heroine, Amber Eckart, more relatable. Margin Play would have gotten a higher rating from me if the great plot and engaging mystery had been combined with a really sexy and deep romance. The story already provided some spicy and thrilling ingredients, it just lacked…well…the romance.

When author Eric Plume contacted me, he did it in a certain way that I found equally pleasant as well as entertaining. I think Margin Play did have a recall value. Check out his pic. A fedora played a role in Margin Play and the dialogue in this story did remind me of his PM. I guess he's transferring something of himself into his characters. Well, that's what I call a distinctive voice.

I really liked the writing in general and the narrative and dialogue in particular.

The Gridiron turned out to be a dive in the great American tradition, a cheap bar patiently grown from the preserved tissues of that one Patrick Swayze movie. The influence showed. Greasy roots-rock swaggered out of sub-par speakers. Leather-faced cougars armored in cosmetics glittered and posed beneath flickering neon, their eyes as blank and brittle as marble glass. Blustery college boys swilled beer and fondled tramp-stamped coeds in tight pants and halter tops. Hard-core regulars drank their way through another wobble in their personal burnout cycle. Long spirals of unfocused conversation crashed into each other, each contributing to the noise they were trying to be heard over. The place reeked of beer and body fluids and Lysol. There was no danger, just glazed-over lust and curdled hope and artless frustration. I wanted to walk out before I'd come through the door.

I don't want to talk too much about the plot because it'd be easy to give away too much. Suffice it to say that Margin Play is the first book in Plume's The Eckart Mysteries series. The heroine is a private investigator who gets hired to prove that a mortgage foreclosure is fraudulent. The story is set in 2012, during the robo-foreclosure scandal.

"You think I'm not smart enough to put a dead man switch on the career-seeking drama missile I've got dialed in on you? That's so cute I could fold it up and wear it in my hair."


Minor quibbles
Margin Play needs better editing. I started to highlight mistakes late into the story (only around the 42% mark), so my list is not complete. Here are a few examples for your perusal:

…and I started reading though the articles.

…down where it it had to stay.

I dialed Julian voice.

Then I dug out the cigarettes I and lit one.

…was apparently the straw that the broke my ego's back.

…no doubt about that. clipped to my ear…

He's smart businessman…

"For what she's cost me, It'll be…


German polizei.

Correct is German Polizei with a capital P.


There are plenty of missing commas, i.e.

"No it doesn't but it gives…

It's direct speech and after "Yes,…" or "No,…" you have to use a comma.


The French translations

Darling in French means chérie (a woman) or chéri (a man). Amber's friend, Candace, called her cherie which is wrong. It should have been spelled chérie (with a capital C at the beginning of a sentence).

"Bonne," she said and hung up.

That's wrong.

Correct is "Bon," she said and hung up.



Dear Authors,

Please, for the love of God, check in with someone who commands a foreign language.

Thank you.


BTW, I don't speak Russian, so I have no clue if the translations in Margin Play are correct.


The story starts off interesting and events escalate fast and get dangerous. Very well-written, the story made me turn page after page. Sprinkled with a generous helping hand of grit, Margin Play takes a couple of surprising turns. PI Eckart doesn't shy away to operate in grey areas either and takes advantage of her skills and wits and her usually very reliable instinct. And, sometimes you just have to push your luck, too. Endowed with plenty of competence, Amber is a very likable, tough, no-nonsense PI and woman all the same. She's got brains and courage to boot. Yet she's neither model-thin nor an out-of-this-world beauty, but someone you can relate to and empathize with from a female POV. Though I think that men will really like her, too. Besides, there are enough (strong) male characters incorporated that should entertain a male readership as well.

Bottom line
There's a lot to like about Margin Play, including the interesting investigative work. The story is well-paced and the buildup well done. Even though the story is quite character driven, the suspense and action make for a great and balanced read.

Recommended to fans of mysteries. There is no explicit sex in Margin Play. Again, keep in mind this is no romance.



**Review request of author Eric Plume**


P.S. With Margin Play, I completed my 2015 Reading Challenge! *fist pump*

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads ate my review..so let's try this again.

This book ate my Saturday. I kept thinking I would do something besides read all day and these characters had sucked me in and I couldn't help but glance at my kindle. They kept calling my name.

Amber Eckert is an almost broke private investigator. She is barely making ends meet month to month. In walks a lawyer with a case that promises to put her in the black for a couple of months so she jumps on the chance.


Once she starts digging she realizes that things aren't like they seemed and the dick-wad lawyer was lying to her. She umm well she convinces him to change the error of his ways and she stays on the case.
The book is one of those big rich guys taking advantage of the little guy. Which I can totally relate too. So I'm eating it up.
The whole time I'm reading this book I'm simply amazed that this is a self published book. Upon finishing it I stick by my opinion that this is one of the best self pubbed works that I've read.
The writing is amazing. Plume takes the private eye noir and makes it fresh and new.
Amber is a amazing female character that doesn't have the perfect life, body or that perfect man in her life. Awesomeness. She is totally bad-ass. She faces down a group of punks and never bats an eye. Even though she is completely freaking out on the inside. I kept shaking my head that a guy wrote this.



I did receive an copy of this book from the author. He is my friend on Goodreads. That changed nothing. This is my honest review.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"That's a nice camera," he said, putting one hand on his nightstick. "It'd be a shame if it got broken."

"That's a slick badge," I said. "It'd be a shame if it got revoked."

His pale skin flushed a little. He grabbed the microphone on his collar and muttered alphabet soup into his radio. I wondered if his company had a radio code for 'wiseass bitch' and whether or not he was using it. "Look lady," he said, "this is private property. You need to leave."

"SPENSER WITH TITS"

That 'wiseass bitch' is Amber Eckart, a Seattle P.I. She is laughingly referred to as "Spenser with tits" once in the novel, and I would say that is pretty accurate with a few glaring differences. Plume is obviously a fan of Robert B. Parker (so am I!) and this shines through in his work. Amber is capable, scraping by in her job, employing people she actually is friends with and cares for. She has a tendency to drink too much - it's implied that this is because she's lonely. She's 33, single, in debt, and tough as nails. Like Spenser, she always has a smartmouth comment about everything.

Amber is very smart. But not in the way Spenser is - a college way, a "let's quote Faulkner and Frost all the time" way - but instead in a very bureaucratic and 'street' way. She comes from a family of cops through 6 generations and it really shows. Despite never having served on the force herself, Amber knows all the ins and outs of both the legal system and the world of crime. She's fiendishly smart and always has all her bases covered.

She's also brutal. Usually I would say, "She's not afraid to get violent if the situation warrants it," but actually there is something a lot darker going on here. We really don't get the feel for it until about midway through the novel, but our heroine has a bit of a penchant for violence. She enjoys it, and once the fur starts flying she wants more of it - to take it farther. This scares her a bit when she takes the time to think about it, but she rarely does. Plume also has a tendency to equate violence - or at least the rush violence gives you - to sex, which only made me worry more about Amber's willingness to mix it up. I have no idea if this is a general idea or if he is using it specifically to shape Amber's worldview. Since we are in Amber's head, I'm going to assume it's an Amber-thing.

Now, I'm not trying to paint Amber as some sort of superwoman who is strong and tough and infallible here. She is obviously human - most noticeably when she's interacting with her loved ones, her "found family" - Drake, Izzy Alphabet, Candi, and Julian. Her most touching scenes are with Drake - the only person she really lets her guard down around. Amber's violence and wisecracking and knowledge of the world was very realistic. Her insanely amazing smarts were less realistic - but something I enjoyed, so I'm not complaining. Plume does a good job of making the reader anxious. I was very worried and on the edge of my seat numerous times. Especially when Amber was getting the crap beat out of her in the beginning. Wow. So scary.

SUPPORTING CAST

"MUSCLED-UP SLICE OF HIPPIE BEEFCAKE"
Amber's loneliness comes to and end when an old college study-buddy shows up at her door. This is Drake, a man whose life is in shambles basically because he's being screwed by the system. Driven to living on the streets, Drake is a man of many skills. He and Amber really help each other out on this case. Also, not to give any spoilers, but when you've been alone for a long time and suddenly there is a shirtless man in your kitchen making you bacon and eggs... well. ;)

I liked Drake. Definitely a good man and also the kind of man I like: kind and patient. He makes a great foil to the more volatile and dangerous Amber.

CANDI
Thanks be to God that Plume isn't one of those writers who denies a woman MC her female friends. I hate when books pull that crap. For 'girl talk' and a female Amber can trust and confide in who is unconnected with her work (absolutely essential in my view) we have Candi. Candi is a colorful character - polyamorous, bisexual, into BDSM, and about 10 years older than Amber. One of my favorite scenes is when Amber goes downtown to meet Candi for a drink, and they talk about their love lives. My best friend is polyamorous, and it was easy for me to imagine this conversation taking place between me (Amber) and her (Candi). Plume does a great job of being realistic about polyamorous relationships and the problems that can sometimes crop up. Although he does make Candi a little wild (she's polyamorous AND bisexual AND into BDSM), I don't feel like he plays it up to the point of ridiculousness.

Also, extra points for having Candi in two scenes in the book - not just one. One would be a throwaway - proof that Amber has a friend and nothing else. But by bringing Candi into the book later, she becomes a real character instead of just a throwaway show of authorship.

IZZY ALPHABET
Amber's obese research assistant - dubbed Izzy Alphabet because her real Polish name is something Amber gave up on long ago. I really enjoyed this character and how she was handled. Izzy is sweet, smart, funny - and Plume gives us hints at a tantalizing back story which might come out in later books. Complete points to Plume for handling a fat character with respect. Y'all remember how angry I was with Sue Grafton and her fat-hating ways after reading A is for Alibi. I never bothered finishing that series, and that was part of the reason.

JULIAN WU
This character made me laugh. Young, naive, and often confused, beautiful receptionist Julian Wu is passionate about the things he believes in and has a strong sense of justice. He is getting a hard and fast education from the world-weary Amber. Quite the ladies' man, Amber often puts Julian's good looks and silver tongue (LOL literally) to work for her.

"Shelly," he (Julian) said. "She likes a guy with a tongue stud. Y'see, it's good for - "

I held up a hand. "I know what a tongue stud is good for."

He blinked. "How?"

Yes. How could she possibly know that? <--- sarcasm. Also, what kind of discussions are you having with your boss, Julian? Jeez.

THE MYSTERY
I'm not going to get into the details about the mystery or the bad guys. Y'all know that what REALLY interests me is people and relationships and psychoanalyzing the characters. The only thing that could possibly bother me about a book's mystery is if it were stupid. Luckily, Plume has woven an amazingly well thought out and well-crafted mystery here. It makes sense, there's no gaping holes that I could see, and it all was set at a wonderful exciting pace. There were parts I was a bit confused by for instance, why does Amber beat up Kasey at the end? That seemed... extreme. but I am chalking it up to my being very ignorant about "the tough life of criminals/underworld/cops etc." which I freely admit I know little to nothing about. Or perhaps she was just feeding her ever growing need for violence, what do I know? :)

I do know one or two things about process serving, however, and I liked the process serving scene near the beginning of the book. Very good.

DESCRIPTIONS
Plume is great with descriptions. Most notably the excellent description of where Thom was hiding out in the first scenes, and in his occasional weather descriptions. I liked:

Outside, rain leaked out of the low clouds in the petulant drizzle endemic to the Pacific Northwest, a sort of lazy downpour that soaked a person caught out in it much faster than it seemed like it should.

And

The rain had stopped but the sky had started to turn dark, not dusk or evening, just the dimming that occurred at the tail end of daytime.

THINGS THAT ANNOYED ME
Amber calls everyone "good girl" and "good boy" all the time as praise, as if they were Golden Retrievers. No one seems to mind it, but it drives me up the wall.
...

In summary, a gripping, fast-paced mystery that was enjoyable and well-crafted. Plume's writing is faintly reminiscent of Ian McEwan's in Sweet Tooth, except unlike McEwan, Plume doesn't screw up the ending.
...

DISCLAIMER: I know Eric Plume vaguely through GR. I bought the book myself, no free copy exchange here. Boo-yah!

[Sean Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I am friends with the author on Goodreads, though that fact didn’t affect my review in any way, other than that it prompted me to read a book in a genre that I don’t habitually frequent, sort of like that one time I tried to eat sushi, though I’m happy to report that this foray outside my comfort zone didn’t result in any gagging or a need to sandpaper my tongue afterward.

Not being an habitual reader of hard-boiled investigator noir (nor an habitual consumer of hard-boiled eggs, though I don’t think that has any bearing on anything), I’m not well-versed in the nuances of the genre. That said, I know that any good detective story should have a plurality of the following elements: a down-on-his/her-luck lead character who’s got brains to spare but money problems galore; morality that highly favors varying shades of gray over stark black and white; shady good guys and bad guys with a backbone; a quirky supporting cast; a villainous scheme that features the rich getting richer at the expense of the poor; and lots of rain.

On all counts, Margin Play delivers in (Sam) spades.

PI Amber Eckhart is one tough daughter of a gun, and she navigates a world of sleazy real estate developers, crooked officers of the law, unscrupulous federal agents, and cloudy Seattle skies with aplomb. Sure, she’s tough as nails, but believably so, and she cares deeply for her eccentric employees, socially awkward computer whiz Izzy (Whizzy?) and fresh-faced pretty boy smooth talker Julian, not to mention her strangely ripped homeless college-acquaintance-cum-significant-other Drake (as far as I can tell, he is not the Canadian rapper of that well-known nom de plume, though it’s entirely possible he could be doing something weird, as Drake does).

Plume keeps the story moving with a combination of escalating stakes, a tangled web of corporate malfeasance, sharp dialogue (particularly between our heroes), and budding chemistry between Amber and Drake, leveraging the Seattle setting to add ambiance and flair. (I’m a regular work visitor to Seattle—I’ve visited more than 30 times—but never get out of downtown, so hadn’t really considered it as an ideal setting for this kind of tale; but, as Plume himself pointed out, lots of large corporations and sketchy deals mixed with an eclectic mix of neighborhoods and a tendency toward gray and rain make for a pretty good cocktail of detectory, which is a new word I have just coined and I insist enter into the common lexicon, if only in this particular use case: “Do not make up stupid words like ‘detectory’ lest people think you are a douche nozzle.*”)

Whether and how this stands out from the crowd of similar works I’m not well-positioned to opine, but I do know that the pages turned quickly and I enjoyed the hell out of the story, the writing, and the characters. Well worth a read.


*The jury is still out with respect to whether it is worse to be a douche bag or a douche nozzle; the former is a soft, gaping emptiness given shape only when filled by a substance used to clean naughty bits; the latter is the nozzle through which said substance gets released and must do the dirty work of actually cleaning said naughty bits. I’ll let the voting public decide—please kindly weigh in below.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book I really didn't know much about it, other than the information in the blurb and that some of my GR friends liked it.

Once I started it I didn't want to put it down, I was immediately drawn into the story.

Amber is tough, but in a way that is very human and realistic. She cares about her friends. I related to her and liked her. The other primary characters are well fleshed out and feel like real people I got to know. The story flows and drew me in, I never felt it dragged, but also didn't find it so quick that I didn't get a chance to get a good feel for the characters.

There is a lot of action and tension in this book, but also humor and a bit of romance. And I enjoyed it very much. I ended up spending much of my weekend reading rather that the many things I should have been getting done. I will definitely be picking up the next book.

For fans of suspense and drama of PI type novels this is a great story. But I think others may enjoy it too. A story that stands up for the little guy being squashed by the big and powerful resonates for so many of us.

I feel it's usually unwise and unfair to make comparisons to well-known and popular books, but I will say this most reminded me (in the best of ways) to the types of stories William Bernhardt writes. Characters we can care about and root for with danger, action and plenty of bad guys.

I was also very pleased the author did not forget the cat! It's one of my pet peeves that I've noticed in some books where the MC owns a pet the pet is mentioned, and then it isn't. That some books have the MC going off or something happening to them, and there's no mention of the pet. Being me I always wonder, "But, what about the cat?!" In this book Amber acts like a pet owner and doesn't forget the cat. I appreciated that.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in consideration of an honest review. Thank you Eric for the opportunity to read this book, I enjoyed it.

[Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Amber Eckhart is one badass bitch. She is a private investigator doing her damnedest to keep her practice out of the red when a job falls into her lap that is, quite simply, too good to be true. Shit gets ugly fast and Eckhart finds herself in the middle of a game she had no interest in playing…



Amber Eckhart is not a lady you want to mess with, she is ballsy, tough and she has A LOT to lose. I love the way Plume made her strong and commanding without making her fearless. It is one thing to face an impossible situation with bravado and swagger, quite another to face it knowing it’s a gongshow but doing it anyways because there is no choice. Amber does a lot of the latter, which I appreciate. You don’t have to be fearless to be brave, sometimes the bravest people in the world are just the people who refuse to give up despite their fear.

This is a fun little mystery novel with likable characters and a compelling story. I really enjoyed that Amber was not a bombshell beauty, but considered beautiful in her own right by those who knew her.

It suffers from being a bit more convoluted than necessary, in a few areas, and some spotty editing at points. The beginning was a bit slow, however once I got to the meat of the story I found it all but impossible to put down.



I look forward to future adventures with Amber and also Drake being cleared so they can make with more of their super-cuteness

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make no secret of the fact that I adore self published authors.

Okay wait let me amend that real quick.

I adore GOOD self published authors.

You may take your unedited poorly disguised Hunger Games fanfiction that you slapped up on Amazon and go fly a kite. But find me an author with a real gift and the sheer gumption to move heaven and earth to get their work out there and I will move heaven and earth to get that book into as many hands as possible.

This is a good goddamn book and it needs to be in your hands right now. Yeah you've seen the author, Mr. Eric Plume, commenting on a few of my reviews and in the interest of full disclosure I only found it because of that but if you follow me and you've read, well, any review I've ever written you know I do not give compliments let alone five star reviews lightly and I certainly don't do it cause somebody laughed at my jokes.

(Though I appreciated you laughing at my jokes Mr. Plume. Seriously that was really cool of you.)

Margin Play is a super intelligent, incredibly tightly plotted thrill fest that's as much a love letter Seattle and to its downtrodden and victimized as it is a slam bang shoot 'em up with just a teensy bit of sexy times to keep the 'ol blood pumping.

I do enjoy me some sexy times.

Amber Eckart is a down on her luck PI. A gifted thirty something investigator who seems just a tad out of place in the world of staking out philandering husbands and money laundering bank tellers she's barely making ends meet and she's got two assistants to worry about. Just when its looking like she may have to start sleeping in her office a dream case that will solve literally all her problems falls straight into her lap. What a coincidence! Fortunately for Ms. Eckart (and the reader) she is way, way, waaayyy too smart to believe in coincidences.

It seems like a fairly clear cut case of fraud at first. An evil bank is foreclosing on the hard earned homes of local residents and a local law firm wants to retain Amber's services to figure out how they're getting away with it.

With her assistant Izzy, an eastern European tech whiz with a shadowy tragic history and protege Julian, a metrosexual ladies man possessed of a keen investigators mind and a pretty face, she's soon embroiled in something that goes way beyond shady foreclosures. Cue the arrival of a mysterious, easy on the eyes man from her past, a roving gang of violent teenagers, and possibly the Russian mafia and it starts to look like Amber's latest case may be her last.

I'm honestly a bit in awe of writers who can pull this kind of thing off. I've been known to dabble in fiction from time to time and its all I can do to keep one plot line straight let alone five. But Plume keeps all his balls in the air without missing a beat and while I pride myself on seeing plot twists coming a mile off he blew me out of my seat more than once. His dialogue is sharp and keeps things moving, you're never bogged down in pointless "character building" conversations, every word has a purpose. He treads that fine line between laying enough groundwork for future stories and giving the reader enough to supply a satisfying ending to this one and does it with great panache.

I'm a sucker for a tortured hero and that's the other thing that makes this such a standout read. Rather then populating the book with a bunch of caricatures; the sassy secretary, the hard nosed hitman, the nerdy analyst who never leaves the lab Plume takes the time to give us actual people to get invested in. I was on the edge of my seat not just because of the tense action sequences but because I didn't want anything to happen to my friends!

There's also an air of melancholy threading through the story that sets it apart from the pointless adventures of Stephanie Plum and her ilk. Plume's Washington has seen better days and the reader never escapes the reality that even if Amber saves the day there's a hundred more scumbags waiting in the wings to wreck the lives of hardworking folks without missing a beat. Its a hard reality but it grounds the story and balances out the more fantastical thrills of the investigation in a way that really, really works.

I don't want to reveal much more about the story here because it was such fun and such a pleasure to watch it all play out I wouldn't want to spoil that enjoyment for someone else. Do yourself a favor and grab this up. Its got romance, and ladies kicking ass, and espionage, and stake outs, and gun fights and great characters and who doesn't love all that?!

This was a high octane trip on the cyclone at a carnival that's seen better days that left me dizzy and slightly sick and just a tiny bit sad but above all else chomping at the bit for Eckart Mystery numero two!

Sometimes it's just an absolute pleasure to give a five star review. Now bring it on Plume!

[ShellTheBelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Well Written Conspiracy Stars!!

*Free copy given by Author in exchange for an honest review*

**Disclosure: I am a friend on Goodreads with the Author but do not know him personally.**

When I received the very polite request from Eric Plume, the Author, to read and review this book, I was indeed very hesitant for several reasons, and I outlined these to the Author himself;

1. It is not my usual genre. I like YA/NA/PNR. I don’t usually or ever really read Crime Fiction or Detective Stories – I like to watch them on TV or as a film, but I don’t like to read them. Much the same as I don’t like reading ScyFy – but I love to watch the films.
2. I am a harsh reviewer. Some would say too harsh at times. My star rating is mainly based on how I felt about a book. Whether I liked it and enjoyed reading it or not. I am however, very honest, and will state why I did or didn’t like a book.

The Author’s request was steadfast, he wanted my honest opinion anyway, and so I accepted the challenge.

Let me start by saying that my Husband, who is a real life Police Detective of some considerable standing, service and rank, also read this book; and my review and star rating is a combination of both of our opinions. Said Husband does have an account on here, and the review will also be posted there, but he only has two friends!!

For me, I would have said 2.5-3 stars, (based on enjoyment of the story – as I said, Detective stories aint my thing) and my Husband would have given it a 4.5 – so I figure 4 stars is about right combined.

This book is the perfect example of Self Publishing done correctly. There were very few typos (I’ve seen more on books that have gone through a publisher) and the grammar is absolutely spot on. Unless the typos/spelling and grammar are particularly bad I tend to easily overlook that if the story is good enough anyway. But it wasn’t an issue with this book.)

Those readers who say they never read self published books should really take note: There are some very bad ones out there but there are also little gems like this one. A lot of readers bang on about editors etc but they fail to realise that an editor for book of approximately 100 thousand words costs anything from £3,000 upwards – most aspiring writers do not have that amount of money to spare.

About the book

I have to say that this book has some of the best writing I’ve seen in a long time. Eric Plume creates fantastic scenes with his writing, check this out;

" Candace Andrea Marie Estermont was one of those lucky women for whom ageing had meant trading a pinch of youth for a pound of dignity. Forty two years had only added a few lines to her cheeks and a dusting of silver to her hair; otherwise when was as glossy and sleek as a witch's cat. She sat with a glass at her elbow and a Kindle under her fingers, a black Djarum cigarette smouldering in the ashtray before her"


His style reminds me of the old black and white Detective films where the main star narrates throughout.

The MC of this book is a female P.I. Amber Eckheart. She is, for once, a strong and feisty female, with balls of steel and nerves to match. Amber is reliant on no-one, and gets the job done with minimum fuss. She runs her own P.I. business, however, said business has been tough the last few years, and although she is managing to keep the business going with the minimum of two employees, it is barley scraping by.

Which is why, when a seemingly very lucrative job lands in her lap, even though she is of course suspicious, she takes it on as she really does need the work.

She has a love interest who appears near the beginning of the story, who is black guy from her college past. I found that really refreshing, in most books I read, there are not many (in fact I don’t think I’ve read one at all In the last few years?) that have inter-racial relationships, or that have a black male MC.

It starts of with what seems like bad bank practice, whereby an elderly lady is looking very likely to lose her house because of a supposed shortfall in one payment, causing a shortfall of just $4.52 somewhere along the way, her house is foreclosed on and about to be bulldozed.

Enter our Amber.

Amber investigates and soon ruffles the feathers of some very nasty people, and learns that it is not so simple as merely a bank error, but that there are some very shady goings on that could represent a whole load of trouble for some very influential people but also the likes of the Seattle Police Department, with connections somewhere along the way to the FBI. The more she digs, the more danger she and her co-workers find themselves in.

I shall say no more, other than it does have quite a different ending/twist to the one that you are likely expecting.

Who are the true bad guys? Who is really on her side? Can she trust anyone?

There were a few things I didn’t like too much about the story; for example, I got bored during the part of the stakeout. Although my Husband (The real – life Police Detective) said that he enjoyed that part, and that it was very realistically written, that stakeouts are dead boring!!

There were a few other things, such as I never really knew what Amber looked like, I mean, I got that she was a “curvier” woman, as in not a lean mean slip of a girl, but one who had little or no time to work out and keep in shape, such as the majority of us at some point in our lives, and it tells on the body. I know she’s thirty-three. But I didn’t know if her hair was blonde, brown or black, or whether she was short, medium or tall, as I don’t think we are not told – I certainly don’t remember reading it anyway. I like to be able to picture my characters as I read, but that’s just me.

Anyway, this is how I picture Amber;



Also, the love interest for Amber, Drake. Now, as I mentioned earlier, he is a black guy, but at first I was picturing him as white – here is why;

“I found my cat at the base of my stairs, being petted by someone I did not recognize; a rangy man about my age with a head of sun-bleached dreadlocks.”

Now see I was picturing him like this:



But at 72% Drake says this,

He pinched the skin on his arm. “All I know for sure is that I’m not white”

So actually he was like this:



Now, my Husband said he WAS reading him as a black guy from the moment he was introduced, so maybe it is my fault due to my own conditioning/ignorance and expecting everyone to be white unless told otherwise.

Come to think of it, Amber herself might even be a black girl?

Whatever. What this book did for me was to scare the hell out of me and put me off living in America to some large degree, I could not see the banks getting away with this in Britain, (This is apparently based on a true story!!) nor could I see Drake being pursued they way he is through the civil courts to the point of destroying his life. It scared me.

Anyway, all in all it was a good read, and if you like conspiracy theories, this is one that you will definitely enjoy!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by author in exchange of honest review

Margin Play follows up on a private female investigator, Amber Eckert as she was hired to take upon a case of bank fraud but as she dives into the case, things begins to get unraveled and soon Amber finds herself in the crossfire of a big company that is involved in fraud and shady dealings. What awaits Amber in this book that is full of twist and turns?

Typically, I tend to read contemporary romance or romantic suspense but I also love to read books from other genres. So when I was contacted by the author if I wanted to read his debut crime/mystery book, I said sure why not since I love a good mystery book. Well as I read Margin Play by Eric Plume, I was actually surprised on how well-written this book is. The attention to detail and the progression of the story line was engaging. The characters were so developed that as a reader you can relate to each one of them. I did enjoy this book and look forward to awaits in the next book.

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[Jen Mccorkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually one for mysteries, but I am glad that I took a chance on Margin Play. Definitely a lesson in not judging a book by its genre!

Amber Eckart is one of the best examples I have ever seen of a female protagonist written by a male author. It's hard to make a character feel truly three-dimensional but Eckart feels real, inside and out, in a way that makes the story come alive on the page. The supporting cast is just as satisfying - I was actually disappointed that the book wasn't longer, I'd have loved to have seen some of the secondary characters get more face time.

Speaking of making the story come alive, I love this author's dialogue style. Each character has a very distinct voice of their own. When he braids those voices together in a scene it leads to something vivid and immersive that keeps you up reading far later than you intended to be.

I don't do spoilers, so all I really have to say about the plot is that between the plot and the pacing I found it very hard to put the book down. If you want to find out why, you're going to have to read it for yourself. ;)

I gave it four stars. Margin Play was a little short for my taste, but that won't stop me from giving Plume another chance to convert me into a mysteries reader with the next Eckart novel.

[Kerry Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber Eckart is a PI who uncovers a case that takes her on a pretty wild ride. This book starts out easy to read and builds in intensity until the final climax. When it’s all said and done, it leaves you satisfied and yet still desiring to pick up the next book in the series, and perhaps a cigarette... This book does not require a suspension of belief to enjoy. Instead you find yourself identifying with and admiring the cast. Well… except for when it said Drake was better looking than David Tennant. THAT I didn’t believe. Heh

The main drawback this held for me was the language. That could have been toned down a bit for my preferences but unfortunately this does seem to be the trend in most modern books. But I’m a good skimmer so it was easy for me to bypass these parts and still enjoy the storyline and I will say that it did have a lot less than some of the other books I’ve read recently. Your call on that, just want you to be aware that it’s there.

Overall, I’d read it again AND I’ll be snagging the next one in the series as soon as it hits the market.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amber Eckart is a P.I. who is not doing as much business as she would like and in debt up to her eyeballs. She works with Izzy (her computer whiz) and Julian a young man who answers her phones and does paperwork. All three of these characters are very likable and make a great team. Into Amber's lap drops a case that is a lot more than she bargained for. It starts out as bank fraud, then Russian Gangsters get involved, the lawyer who hires her is not who he says he is and there is more life threatening situations than she bargained for. A friend from college shows up, Drake, who provides a little romance to the story. Amber is tough, smart and at one point is referred to as "Spenser with tits". She has law enforcement in her family and often refers to the fact that this is not television it is real life. A great read and I will definitely look for more in this series.

I did receive an copy of this book from the author but that changed nothing. This is my honest review

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those rare books - outside my usual genre, but with a main character I could really identify with and a story that kept me hooked until the end. The locations really brought strong images to my mind, without the heavy use of long descriptors. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

about 3.75 stars

This is a thriller more than a mystery. Some private investigators who dig too deep into something fishy and end up in a very dangerous situation. It was realistic in that our heroes don't face danger without getting fazed. (They are very fazed.) The characters are well defined and unique, and that's what keeps the story engaging. Overall, I'm interested in reading more about them. I also enjoyed how the writing was carefully crafted: Certain sentences were just artistic.

"My stomach petulantly informed me breakfast was out of the question, but eventually I negotiated a settlement which allowed for coffee and antacids."

" 'What happened to your face?' 'Bizarre gardening accident,' I said. 'You live in an apartment,' he said. 'That's what makes it bizarre.' "

There are some typos and issues with spelling and punctuation and occasionally grammar.

I received a free copy from the author.

[Leona Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual sort of reading, but I've been working through some gritty westerns recently and this crime/mystery came highly recommended.

The writing reminds me in some respects of Robert B Parker: terse, pared-to-the-bone and yet full of description - sometimes by what is not said rather than the words on the page.

It's first person, past tense. First person is hard to do successfully, but the author manages it here. A competent crime/mystery with engaging characters. I found myself wanting to flick to the end - not because I was bored, but because I was desperate to find out what happened. Always a good sign.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. There was lots of suspense and action and the characters were great. I look forward to more books featuring Amber Eckart, private investigator and her employees, Izzy and Julian. They were a great combination and the possible love interest made it interesting. I recommend it to any mystery lover.

[Gaufre · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I found the characters relatable, the plot well woven, and the humor refreshing.

Plot: Private investigator Amber Eckart took on what appears to be a straightforward case, just to find out that her client's identity is false and there are many dangerous factions at play. The level of detail (the legal language, the tidbits about gun usage, the realistic and necessary violence) helped ground the story and the events are convincing except for one I can't really buy that Amber could talk Govrolev into giving her a key piece of evidence he worked hard to obtain.

Character: We have a female investigator who is smart and makes rational decisions. YES!!! (how hard is to write? Apparently very because I haven't found too many of those...) She is tough but we also see moments when she is overwhelmed by the responsibility to keep her employees and friends safe. I can get behind that kind of character!

Writing: I loved the conversations. They are interesting and full of humor. Amber does not let herself get intimidated and she can talk herself out of situations. But I did not like the descriptions. They were overwrought. Even though I liked the cleverness in the conversations, it was just too much to have it all the time. It is only a quibble. The book is enjoyable and I will probably read the next in the series.

P.S.: I know the author slightly through a few interactions on GR. He did not talk about this book or ask me to read it. I got it and decided to give a go on my own.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margin Play is a smart, engaging detective/crime noir romp. Our protagonist, Amber Eckhart, is a down-on-her-luck Private Investigator who gets trapped in an elaborate scheme full of shocking twists. Eckhart was a well-fleshed out character with realistic reactions. I enjoyed her wit and toughness.

My only stroke of criticism, and it's very minor, is that some of the bad guys and secondary characters were over-the-top, caricatures of their intended persona. The bad guys were very bad, the henchman were laughably... Henchy? Not a word, I know, but you know what I'm getting at. And there were 2 characters who could've been clones in the way they acted that both had names that started with H (it's been a few weeks since I read this). I got them confused on a couple of occasions. With so few characters, it would've been a smoother read to differentiate their names a bit.

The plot is engaging and compels you to keep turning the page. The writing here was superb, well beyond the $1.99 I paid for the book. I will definitely be purchasing the 2nd book in the series. I'm surprised this isn't more popular - only a little over 40 ratings on GR.

Eckhart's comebacks and random thoughts were just the right amount of comedic flare a story like this needs. For example: "It's amazing how glasses of wine tend to have children. I had three more after what I'd intended to be my last." I know how you feel, Amber. Cheers! 🍻

[Carbonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great bite of Seattle Mystery

I am so sick of Stronk Female Guuuurl Power "heroes" I almost gave this a pass when it turned out that "Eckart" was "Amber Eckart". I'm glad I stuck with it. The 30-something P.I. working a real estate case that goes sideways is a just capable decent human being. Other women - and men - are also shades of capable and decent, bent and foolish, and not just because of what kind of genitals they sport. I love the sense of place: It really feels like you're in Seattle and the outlying towns to the South. Also the romance " hooker with a heart of gold" switcheroo with the sexes reversed amused me. Very noir cliche, but with a twist. I'm definitely buying any other stories by Mr. PlumePlume.

[Eugine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn’t have read this book had it not been my book club. It was a quick and entertaining read with a strong “real” main character - Amber. Because the author was the brother of one of the book club members we got to hear from him. When asked how you decided to write this he said he wanted to write about a strong female character who is business savvy like his mom. What I love about this book is the character. She is incredibly brave yet vulnerable. Would have made an awesome movie too!

[A.J. Downey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have easily been a 4 or even 5 star read for me, however, the lack of freaking contractions really killed me. People day didn't and don't not did not and do not... It really took away from what was a great story, fantastic characters and a great plot. This was a mystery with enough twists and turns that just when you thought you knew where it was going, it noped you right into a WTF just happened!?

I highly recommend giving it a go. I finished it despite the annoyances, and I think you should at least give it a go. The lack of contractions and typos might be less of an issue for you than it was me.