The Find

by Gregg Bell

What can a mother do when she has no money and a dangerously sick kid?

She can make a mistake.

In a moment of desperation, cleaning lady Phoebe Jackson tries to pawn the diamond-bejeweled Rolex she found in a mobster’s locker. Turns out the watch is a fake, but the mobster isn’t—and he’s on to her.

Genres: Thriller

Unknown Binding

First published June 18, 2013

About the author

THE PERFECT PROSECUTOR (Book 2 in the Ike Thompson Legal Thriller Series and the sequel to THE PERFECT LAWYER) is released!

Successfully defending an alleged baby killer restored Ike Thompson’s reputation as “the perfect lawyer.” But it also destroyed his practice. Now, a seemingly random attack on a powerful CEO hints at a truth so horrifying, it could cost him everything.

The story was buried on the back pages of a fringe news website: a mentally ill woman randomly attacked the CEO of one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies outside its Chicago headquarters. At first, Ike dismisses it as just another disturbed person roaming the streets, but further investigation reveals that the woman was not mentally ill, the incident not an attack, and that it was not at all random.

As Ike delves deeper, he uncovers evidence of a monstrous scandal that has caused untold thousands to needlessly die agonizing deaths. Exposing the outrage will take him from a search for truth to something much darker than he'd ever imagined—a fight for survival against powerful forces willing to sacrifice anyone to keep their secrets buried.

Get a free legal thriller ebook short story "The Perfect Client" by signing up to Gregg's newsletter: https://bit.ly/ThePerfectClient

Gregg's other books:

THE PERFECT LAWYER (Book 1 in the Ike Thompson Legal Thriller Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPDLLZ92

THE FIND, a thriller, is on Amazon at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DH4KRAE

MAN OF GOD, a thriller, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DH4SSY6

BLOODY SUNRISE, a thriller, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07215WLG5

I LOVE YOU I KILL YOU, a thriller, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076DS4ZFF

SAVING BABY, a thriller, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTK3KQS

ONE SLIP, a literary thriller, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TD9CQ27

THE TEST, a romance, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U3XKZ86

A WOMAN UNHINGED, a thriller, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7YR7P6

JAMIE'S GAMBLE, a thriller/romance, is on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DH4KP9C

OOPS-A-NAVY, a humorous thriller, is the first book in the Navy SEAL Misadventure Series. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F24WDW9

DUPES-A-NAVY, the hilarious follow-up to OOPS-A-NAVY, the second book in the Navy SEAL Misadventure Series. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JKHQMVZ

YIPPEE KI YAY-A-NAVY #3 in the zany Navy SEAL Misadventure trilogy. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPF9QYR

BETRAYED HEROES, a thriller, is on Amazon at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JWV4VCL

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Gregg Bell spent his formative years playing 16" softball, hanging out, and trying not to get into too much trouble until college when he absconded for the University of Florida. There, he took creative writing classes and spent his free time bodysurfing at St. Augustine's gorgeous beach. After his sojourn in the sun, he was drawn back north and attended the University of Notre Dame. Through jobs ranging from laying asphalt to working in corporate America, the one constant in his life was writing. It still is. A lifelong Midwesterner, he lives in suburban Chicago and, like everyone else who lives there, complains about it being too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

Visit Gregg's website https://greggbell.net/

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Gregg Bell for approaching me and suggesting I read for an honest review THE FIND.

This book has it all.

Romance, life's troubles and worries, an ex, a new lover who happens to be a BAD BOY.


Phoebe really does get herself into a HUGE scrape, doesn't she!

She has a very sick child who needs help. She's a single Mom.

{Now this is where I had a thought....why didn't she go to the father of her child asking for help [Brent] he is an ex cop, surely he could help financially towards the costs? or did I miss something here?]


She happens to find an expensive watch. Good one!
She now can get money for this and use it for helping her child.

Desperate measures.
No one can question desperate measures as we never know what we would do when faced with situations that Phoebe had.
So no comment from me there.


In days the owner of the watch finds out who found it. He happens to be the Leader of a mobster gang. Hence the BAD BOY.

He's an attractive bad boy who Phoebe ends up lushing after.
She gets in quite deep [from all angles]

The thing is Brent [her ex husband] knows of this bad boy known as Michael "Fingertips" Contini and he needs to 'save her' before its too late and something happens......


MY THOUGHTS:

This made for an interesting read I thought.
Personally, I am no author no expert, I just am an avid reader who happens to review books and read over 400 books last year....and almost 200 so far this year.
I like what I like I guess.

I LIKED this one.

Its just that, the story was excellent, the concept of it, but Phoebe did get on my wick at times, at one time she is bad ass Phoebe, the next she's timid and scared. Be one or the other I'd say.

Another thing, although it was quite fast paced, it lulled in some places with unnecessary long drawn out substances that I was saying 'ok ok enough already' give some logic to the reader. They can read between the lines.

Not everything has to be spelled out.


*I am being as honest as I can be, true to myself and mean no upset, this afterall is MY take on the book and no one else's*

Its a hard market out there now that there are heaps and heaps of potential authors publishing for themselves, so a book has to be the best it can be to stand out. I think this can STAND OUT just a bit of rounding out.


+I took a peak at others reviews, and I see a couple have mentioned the same as me, so I don't feel so bad now+

Gregg Bell is someone to definitely keep your eye on though, there is the substance, just needs developing.
Like I say, I am not expert! Just my POV from the amount of books I read.

Nice one Gregg :)

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out my other reviews at Little Miss Bookmark!

When I was approached to read The Find, I was intrigued. What would I do if I didn't have any money and one of our boys was sick? Would I do something out of character and risk everything? Absolutely. No questions asked. I knew I needed to read this one and find out if the main character, Phoebe, would do the same thing.

The premise of The Find was interesting and for the most part, I enjoyed it. Everything that was happening on the pages was exciting, there's no doubt about that but sometimes, the story would just take a long, meandering loop around the action rather than just a straight shot. Now, this is fine sometimes, but I want things to surprise me. I want some of the action to happen so fast that my head spins! I think that it just needed to be a bit more direct at times.

The main character, Phoebe, was a bit of a conundrum for me. I mean, you know that she loves her girls but sometimes, she felt a bit detached from them. Her interactions with them were just not as heartfelt as I thought that they should be at times. And then when you get further into the story, there are times when she is this timid little mouse and then in the next breath, she's got this big brass pair and she's ready to take on the world. The shifts in her character were almost polar at times and for me, it read as disingenuous.

You know, the ending really made me enjoy the book that much more. The last portion of the book redeemed the novel for me (even though I still didn't get Phoebe) and made all the difference in the world. It was interesting, exciting, gripping and a bit romantic. I'm excited to see what else this author has in store for the future.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoebe Jackson has a very sick child and no money. When she finds a Rolex watch that a mobster hid. She tries to sell it only to find out its not real its a fake. Soon her life along with her Daughter and her Best Friend are in danger. A fast paced read Phoebe was a bit gullible but likeable. She made the plot a little more interesting.

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be careful of what you wish for? Phoebe is a single to two girls and one has diabetics and she never has enough money for anything. One day she finds a little velvet bag at her workplace and she knows that she must hand it in but something comes up and she takes it home. She is so worried that someone will find out but she knows that this find can help her financially but can she really keep it?
Michael knows that she took the bag and he has his hooks into Phoebe's life now. He spoils her with gifts, a car and even health insurance for the girls but there is a catch.
Can Phoebe do what Michael asks or will she just leave it alone? The more Phoebe gets sucked into his world the more danger she brings to her family & friends. Can she ever get away from the madman before it is too late?
A great story of courage, stupidity and a strong love of a mother.

[Leslie Bakke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Find is a thriller written by Gregg Bell. The book is different than the other thrillers that Mr. Bell has written. It starts as a story about a woman who finds something at her job and tells her friend about it. This woman is a single parent and she is hard up for money. Add a sick kid into the mix and you have the makings of a good book. The story picks up when the owner discovers who took his property. Unfortunately, he is not a nice man. From this point the story starts on a thrilling journey. The characters get entangled in a murderous mess with the story ending with twist. I received an ARC [advance reader’s copy] of The Find from the author. I enjoyed the book, but I must say I liked Mr. Bell’s other books better. If you are a fan of the Thriller genre, The Find should be one of the next books that you read.

[Uma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another astounding book!!!

As with the other Gregg Bell books, even this one held me in its grips from the first page to the last. Even when I was in a quandary about putting the book.down to take a break because I was feeling scared and nervous I held on to the book and kept.reading it! Phoebe, her daughters Jasmine and Cessie along with Lexus Alexandra are characters that embed deep in one's mind along with Brent and other appealing characters. Added to them is Michael who the readers don't know what to do with!!!

The book carries the reader along until the end which is definitely unpredictable!! And the one fact it does not tell us is what really happened to Lexi!! I think I will read the last few pages again to make sure I didn't miss anything!!

Thank you for another spellbinding book, Gregg!!

[Hazel *Craves the Angst Reviews* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.

A gifted copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Riveting, Entertaining Stars!
Once I Picked This One Up, I Just Couldn’t Put It Down!

The Review:
Let me start off by saying, for the most part, I’m all about romantic reads (dark or sweet) with a huge side of angst so this isn’t my usual type of read. I like a good thriller/suspense but I dont read a lot of them so I was curious how I would like this one. However, I’d read another book by this author and really enjoyed it, so when he asked if I’d read and review this one, I readily agreed.

Well... once I started reading The Find, I absolutely COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN!

It was thrilling and suspenseful and it completely sucked me in, keeping me engaged and greedy to know what happened next. It was well written and it was thought provoking, leaving me thinking about what I was reading, the motivations behind the characters and what desperation can do to a person. And what happens when desperation turns to self serving excitement. Its not often I come from a read thinking about what I’d do in the same situation, but here I am, an entire two days after finishing it, and I'm still wondering about the characters and their story.

Characters/Story...
This story starts out with our heroine, Phoebe Jackson, working as a cleaning lady for Players, a well known gentlemen's club for mobsters. While cleaning out a locker, she finds a velvet bag thats been left behind by its owner. Curious over what's inside... and after much deliberation of weather she should turn it in or keep it, she ultimately decides to steal the bag and its contents. She’s a single mother with two young daughters, one of which is sick and she’s in desperate need of money.

However, that one impetuous act leads her on a hair-raising roller coaster ride as she’s lead down a dark path filled with more bad decisions, dangerous situations and interacting with people she should have stayed far away from and ending with a life changing event I'm sure she never would have chosen if she knew what she was in for.

There are other characters at play here. Her best friend Dana, who initially is responsible for pushing Phoebe into the mess she found herself in. She meets up with Michael Contini, aka, Fingertips, who could either be her lifeline or her complete downfall. And then there's the street thug hell bent on getting his way and then there's the ex-cop who might be to late. All these characters come together and make for one exciting read!

Thoughts About Phoebe Jackson...
What started out as altruistic reasons to earn quick money in an attempt to provide a better life for her children, turned into something more self serving. Phoebe kept saying, over and over, how she was doing all these things for her girls. But it was evident she was being lulled in by the excitement, the intrigue, the danger. And in the end, she paid a high price for her adventure, as did the people around her.

Phoebe was naive, delusional and obviously didn’t have a firm grasp on her situation. For most of the book, I didn’t care for her because she came off as simple minded and just refused to see facts. She had indisputable proof of the kind of man she was getting involved with, but she clung to the illusion of doing it all for her kids, having a glamorous life at the end of it all and was literally sucked into Contini's world by manipulation and strategically placed events that set her on the wrong path.

And this is why, even though I didn’t like Phoebe’s character, I could forgive her. She was in a horrible situation and she wanted something better for her life and the lives of her kids, but she let those wants and the events happening around her, cloud who she really was at her core. It's happened to us all at some point in our lives. Maybe not to the extreme Phoebe found herself in, but we’ve all been there, wanting to believe in something too good to be true. She was easy to connect with and her struggle was real.

I also liked the little bit of romance that was added to this book. Phoebe has many options laid out before her, many paths she could have taken and there were some sweet moments mixed in with all the trickery.

And I can’t conclude this review without saying how exceptional the ending was! The whole book kept a constant, steady pace but that ending was fantastic! It was heart-stopping, wild and down right scary. And Phoebe? That chick stepped up and took care of business! Wow!

The Wrap Up:
I was impressed with this read. There was some predictability in it but also a thrilling mystery because you really couldn’t pinpoint who the bad guy was for the first half of the book. You wonder at everyone’s motives and you wonder who you can trust and who’s really just out for themselves. And what I loved most was, not everything was answered and I'm still playing scenarios out in my head about how this all started, how and why it was all set in motion and what happened to some of the other characters in the story we don't get closure on. All in all, I really enjoyed this fantastic read!

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Find’ is a story about thirty two year old Phoebe Jackson. Phoebe is a single mom with two young daughters, Jasmine and Cessie. After Phoebe’s ex-husband left her ‘to find himself’ she has been taking care of her daughters all by herself. But it’s really hard. Cessie is a diabetic and unfortunately Phoebe has no health insurance. Phoebe works as a cleaning lady at Chicago’s exclusive Players Health Club but this job doesn’t pay very much. When Phoebe finds an expensive looking Rolex in one of the mobster’s lockers she decides to take it with her. But soon Phoebe is ridden with guild and tries to find a way to return the watch without anyone finding out.
Than Phoebe meets Michael. Michael is charming and handsome and a little dangerous (but let’s face it, that’s half the charm). And most of all Michael is nice to Phoebe. But soon Phoebe finds out that Michael isn’t how he seems to be. But still Phoebe can’t seem to stay away from him. And unfortunately Phoebe soon finds out that one decision can change everything.

Although ‘The Find’ didn’t seem my kind of book at first, I was completely hooked from the first page. This book was exciting and really thrilling and I just really had to know what would happen next. Phoebe is a likeable character and even though she made a big mistake I could really relate to her. Reading this book you can really understand why she made that mistake. All Phoebe wanted was to give her two daughters a better life. And through the book you really learn that Phoebe will do everything for her two girls. At times it was really frustrating to see how that one mistake changed everything and sometimes I just really wished Phoebe would just take her girls and run like hell.

What I really liked about this book is that you read what Phoebe is thinking. So every time she does something or makes a decision you read about her thought process. This really made the book interesting. Although I sometimes wanted to scream ‘NOOOOOOOO!!!’ you still kind of understand why Phoebe makes her decisions. Not always very smart, but still kind of understandable.

I really was pleasantly surprised by ‘The Find’. Last night I just had to find out how this book would end so I read till late at night, just to finish this book. That is definitely something ‘The Find’ will make you do. Gregg Bell’s writing pulls you in and you just have to finish it. I’m very honored to have received this book for my honest review and I would recommend this book for everyone who loves to get pulled into an exciting book full of suspense.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gregg Bell has created a very interesting novel, one that will get your attention and keep it. For those of you who enjoy action, this book has plenty. There's a mother who will do anything to help/keep her kids safe and a mobster as well as a gangster. That's pretty much guaranteed to cause trouble of the gun toting kind. Not only that but the plot is fascinating. It shows Phoebe, who at first, does what she does in order to help her children, one of who is diabetic. But then she seems to be more into the adrenaline rush or feeling of adventure she gains through her actions. You're not even sure how far she's willing to go to keep the rush going and you're not sure that the book will have a happy ending. Gregg Bell keeps you guessing about whether the ending will be happy until the very last page. That was something else I enjoyed. I usually read books in which the happy ending of the main character(s) is pretty much guaranteed. So reading a book in which the reader is full of doubt over the ending, it filled me with a desire to read and read quickly. I wanted to know if Phoebe would have a happy ending. Than add in scenes of shootings and a violent mobster as well as a sick child and the reader is being kept on their toes.


Then there was Phoeb. In The Find, Gregg Bell is displaying, and quite well, I might add, a mother's desperation and willingness to do whatever is necessary so that her children are safe and happy. She's dragged into the life she was because of this. But then her motivation seems to change. The reader begins to doubt the sincerity of her motives. It's an interesting twist, and one that readers can understand because they can hear some of Phoebe's thoughts. It makes things intriguing and innovative.

Read this review and others on Reading Shy With Aly

[Hebe Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to be given the chance to review this book as I have read one of Gregg Bell's other books (Jamie's Gamble) and I really enjoyed it. The synopsis also really drew me in, it's short yet gripping and I was highly anticipating this read.

The first thing I loved about the book was how clever the plot was. At the start the plot seemed to be pretty simple, it wasn't until you were nearing the end where I realised quite how complex and difficult the situations had turned out for the characters and this unexpected depth was really intriguing.

The second thing I liked was that it wasn't predictable *Hallelujah chorus* ! I find with so many books with crime/thriller genres that they are so predictable and with this style of book, this can totally ruin it! I was delighted to find that this certainly wasn't the case here and Gregg Bell really managed to keep twisting bits of the plot here and the to throw you off course just enough to keep you guessing.

I also adored the characters, especially the main character, Phoebe As a female protagonist she was brave, down to earth, loyal and she always wants what's best for her girls. Other characters were cleverly done also and I loved how contrasting some were (I'm trying my hardest not to spoil you so i'm sorry for being vague!)

If I had to criticise the only thing I could say was that I thought at some points it was slightly repetitive in that when something happened, often rather than moving on and making the book even more action packed and fast-paced it seemed to me, that at points it was backtracking a bit.

That being said, I thought the book was magnificent and I definitely recommend it to anyone!

Happy reading,
Hebe x

[Diane Coto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review located at http://www.fictionzeal.com/find-gregg...

Most parents will do anything, ANYTHING, for their child. Phoebe Jackson is a single mom and her youngest daughter has severe problems with diabetes. She doesn’t have insurance, so when her child needs medical attention, her doctors send her right back home. Phoebe has gotten used to this ‘revolving door’ policy, but she doesn’t like it. She knows that if she had money, or at least insurance, the doctors would give her daughter the attention she needs.

Phoebe is a cleaning lady at Players Health Club in Chicago and one evening, she finds an expensive looking Rolex by the lockers. Initially, she turns it in, but then grabs it before she leaves and takes it home. She is planning to return it – key word ‘planning’. However, we never know what’s going to happen, and instead of returning the watch the next day, she was in the emergency room with her daughter. Now she’s desperate to come up with a reason for why she had not turned in the watch. Worse yet, she finds out the person looking for the watch is the mobster, Michael Contini, aka, ‘Fingertips’ because … well … you can guess!

While it is believable that a mother would do anything for her child, what seems unbelievable to me is the drastic change in Phoebe’s personality from the outset of this story to the end. Also believable is that people tend to question their own judgment but that questioning becomes constant throughout the story to the point of appearing whiny and repetitious. Still it pulled me in and I wanted to know what Phoebe would finally decide. I rated The Find at 3 out of 5.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The female lead irritated me to no end. She did SO many dumb things and then just whined about it. While I understand SOME of the things she did and why, I just wanted to slap her about 90% of the book.

Toward the end there were some legal and logical inconsistencies IMO, and her failure to inquire about a particular individual at the end made no sense to me at all. But all in all, I could not stop reading. I don't know if it was to see what dumb thing she did next or how she was gonna dig herself out of her mess, but I just kept right on reading (ignoring a few typos and grammar misses). Interesting read.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Find by Gregg Bell

Phoebe Jackson is in a desperate situation, she has a very sick child and no money. When he finds a Rolex watch hidden by a mobster, she tries to sell it only to find it is a fake. Soon her life along with her best friend and daughters are in danger.

Fast paced read. Phoebe was likable I found her a bit gullible, which makes the plot more interesting. I liked how the story unfolds.

[Euphonos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had interest in reading thrillers. Nevertheless, I read woman authors. The author has done excellent job in articulating the characters so perfect and the whole time I read this book, I was thoroughly enjoying a ride full of curiosity, excitement and raw emotions that are felt by the Protagonist Phoebe. There's taste of romance coupled with situations that threaten sometimes far more intriguing. I was given a copy in exchange for a honest review.

[Brenda Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregg Bell is on my A+ list for sure. He has a talent for making his characters very human. What lengths would any of us attain for those we love? What EVIL depths would someone go to get revenge? A very real and possible scenario in the world in which we inhabit today makes this story come to life and believability. A must read for all who love thriller/suspense books. Gregg Bell, keep em coming!