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The Facilite Con
Captain Famen Striker has one shot to pay off a galactic debt or lose her ship for good.
The plan: con the galaxy’s most dangerous magistrate and pull off an impossible high-tech heist.
The problem: her crew.
To survive, Famen must rely on a double-thumbed pilot who can’t fly... and a doting companion-bot whose glitches suggest he might secretly be a weapon of war.
The Facilite Con is a sci-fi heist comedy packed with double-crosses, breakneck fun, and the kind of crew you only trust when there’s literally no one else left.
The plan: con the galaxy’s most dangerous magistrate and pull off an impossible high-tech heist.
The problem: her crew.
To survive, Famen must rely on a double-thumbed pilot who can’t fly... and a doting companion-bot whose glitches suggest he might secretly be a weapon of war.
The Facilite Con is a sci-fi heist comedy packed with double-crosses, breakneck fun, and the kind of crew you only trust when there’s literally no one else left.
- GenresScience Fiction
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 20, 2026
About the author
Dick Wybrow
32 books148 followersDick Wybrow is a Canadian author. His novels are mainly set in the US, where he grew up. A former stand-up comedian, Wybrow is a humor writer who crafts thrillers that incorporate elements of suspense, horror, mystery, science fiction and fantasy.
At the age of six, Dick was given his first book by his father. It was Wind in the Willows. Naturally, that put Dick off reading for several years.
After discovering Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the love of reading returned. And with it came the compulsion to get lost worlds like Douglas had created.
Dick lives in Auckland, New Zealand with one wife and two cats.
At the age of six, Dick was given his first book by his father. It was Wind in the Willows. Naturally, that put Dick off reading for several years.
After discovering Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, the love of reading returned. And with it came the compulsion to get lost worlds like Douglas had created.
Dick lives in Auckland, New Zealand with one wife and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 7, 2026
A fast-paced sci-fi heist with double crosses, triple crosses and lots of twists and turns. That said, I think there was so much in there that it actually detracted from my enjoyment of it - the quickly moving plot actually felt interminable at times. Perhaps more care could have been made to flesh out the cast; the main character got some great development at the end, but at that point it was too late for this to become a favorite for me. The audiobook narrator was superb and really brought the story to life.
The author provided me with a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The author provided me with a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2026
Look...I don't NEED complicated science to enjoy a sci-fi novel. But I need, like, SOME science.
So facilite "amplifies." Everything. Makes things stronger, faster, better, whatever it might be. How, you might ask? WHO KNOWS? It's never explained...not even a little. And also we're making copies of things that will scan like the original and making the originals scan as fakes. How, you might ask? WHO KNOWS??
Again, I don't need my sci-fi to be completely believable...but you've got to give me SOMETHING.
This was a story with great potential. Likable characters (L-Mac the sex robot is, of course, my favorite) and a fast-paced heist. Unfortunately it just fell short.
So facilite "amplifies." Everything. Makes things stronger, faster, better, whatever it might be. How, you might ask? WHO KNOWS? It's never explained...not even a little. And also we're making copies of things that will scan like the original and making the originals scan as fakes. How, you might ask? WHO KNOWS??
Again, I don't need my sci-fi to be completely believable...but you've got to give me SOMETHING.
This was a story with great potential. Likable characters (L-Mac the sex robot is, of course, my favorite) and a fast-paced heist. Unfortunately it just fell short.
August 29, 2026
A woman sees her space-faring colleagues destroyed in an explosion. She survives and is now captaining a spaceship, The Glass Spider. But, to pay off her massive debts, she must undertake a dangerous mission to steal a set of extremely rare and valuable faciilte stones. Good thing she has a plan. She also has an engineer with four thumbs and a bodyguard/sex robot without legs. There's a real story here (albeit with a few holes), and a lot of laughs and amusing situations! I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading more in this series. 4.6 rounded up. Ideal for sci-fi space opera and humor lovers!
The audiobook narration is excellent, with various accents well handled. My thanks to the author, @DeedubPublishing, and #NetGalley for an electronic copy of #TheFaciliteCon for review purposes. It is now available.
The audiobook narration is excellent, with various accents well handled. My thanks to the author, @DeedubPublishing, and #NetGalley for an electronic copy of #TheFaciliteCon for review purposes. It is now available.
August 20, 2026
Funny science fiction heist 🤣
Received an ARC from the author
Must say I didn't think I would enjoy a funny science fiction story about a impossible heist with the captain an engineer and companion-bot. This story has lots of twists and turns and will take you on a journey of discovery as well as some surprises. I can't wait to see where these characters are going in the next book.
Received an ARC from the author
Must say I didn't think I would enjoy a funny science fiction story about a impossible heist with the captain an engineer and companion-bot. This story has lots of twists and turns and will take you on a journey of discovery as well as some surprises. I can't wait to see where these characters are going in the next book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was an entertaining space-opera heist with a few flaws, including what seemed to me to be a huge plot hole.
A magistrate on a former convict planet has left the planet to avoid the insurrection that's currently going on, and wants someone to "steal" his prized collection of gems and get them off the planet for him, while apparently leaving them in place. The heist crew's plan is to duplicate the gems and give him the fakes, leaving with both his payment and the real gems.
And here the issues start. The gems, which only come from this planet, are essentially magic; whatever something does, they make it do it more so. Heaters heat better, lights light better, anti-gravity shields shield better. That in itself is nonsense. Even more so is the plan: they are going to quantum entangle the real gems and the fake gems so that the fake gems, when tested, will appear to be real. Which is absolutely not how quantum entanglement works; first of all, it's between fundamental particles, not macroscopic objects, and secondly it's between particles that are essentially identical in the first place, not between magic gems and fake gems made from a completely different substance.
Finally (and this is the plot hole), there are a certain number of these gems, and even though, for the purposes of her complicated plan, the heist mastermind uses two of them, there are still the original number left. Which, obviously, is not how mathematics works.
If you can ignore all of that - and I couldn't, which is why I dropped it to three stars - it is an entertaining story, with strong emotional beats, a complex heist plot that (apart from the big issues I've already mentioned) makes sense and features plenty of dramatic reveals, an appealing main character and many amusing turns of phrase.
In terms of editing, it's largely clean, except that the past perfect tense is missing a few times when the past-tense narration covers something that happened further in the past, prior to the narrative moment. This is a common issue with current books. Apparently schools have stopped teaching the past perfect at some point.
I received a pre-publication copy via Netgalley for review; further changes may or may not be made before publication.
A magistrate on a former convict planet has left the planet to avoid the insurrection that's currently going on, and wants someone to "steal" his prized collection of gems and get them off the planet for him, while apparently leaving them in place. The heist crew's plan is to duplicate the gems and give him the fakes, leaving with both his payment and the real gems.
And here the issues start. The gems, which only come from this planet, are essentially magic; whatever something does, they make it do it more so. Heaters heat better, lights light better, anti-gravity shields shield better. That in itself is nonsense. Even more so is the plan: they are going to quantum entangle the real gems and the fake gems so that the fake gems, when tested, will appear to be real. Which is absolutely not how quantum entanglement works; first of all, it's between fundamental particles, not macroscopic objects, and secondly it's between particles that are essentially identical in the first place, not between magic gems and fake gems made from a completely different substance.
Finally (and this is the plot hole), there are a certain number of these gems, and even though, for the purposes of her complicated plan, the heist mastermind uses two of them, there are still the original number left. Which, obviously, is not how mathematics works.
If you can ignore all of that - and I couldn't, which is why I dropped it to three stars - it is an entertaining story, with strong emotional beats, a complex heist plot that (apart from the big issues I've already mentioned) makes sense and features plenty of dramatic reveals, an appealing main character and many amusing turns of phrase.
In terms of editing, it's largely clean, except that the past perfect tense is missing a few times when the past-tense narration covers something that happened further in the past, prior to the narrative moment. This is a common issue with current books. Apparently schools have stopped teaching the past perfect at some point.
I received a pre-publication copy via Netgalley for review; further changes may or may not be made before publication.
September 4, 2026
This was the year I read all of Dick Wybrow's Wolfwere series. That began an abiding interest in all of his works. Kane was a fantasy series and it brought big laughs and sometimes a little tear. The new Love Machine Files beginning with The Facilite Con is sci-fi, but not like any I've read before. That is because Wybrow imbues ALL his characters with so much real emotion that you feel a fondness for them. This is one sci-fi book that doesn't bore me to tears. (I'm talking to you, Frank Herbert.)
Famen Striker is a 23ish heroine who is morally grayish (think pale gray - she is a nouveau con artist) who has experienced more heartache and trauma than anyone should go through. She finds herself the captain of a space ship, but doesn't know how to fly it. Her ship The Glass Spider is home to a killer/cleaning drone who reminds me of a rumba, a 4-thumbed engineer named Burt who may or may not know how pilot, and a wonderful 'companion' robot named L-Mac who is one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends. In order to fix up her badly damaged ship she makes a deal to run a big con job where the risk is huge and the reward is huge...er. What follows is a madcap wild rumpus with a heavy dose of insanity. And I can't wait to see where she and her 3-man crew go from here.
Famen Striker is a 23ish heroine who is morally grayish (think pale gray - she is a nouveau con artist) who has experienced more heartache and trauma than anyone should go through. She finds herself the captain of a space ship, but doesn't know how to fly it. Her ship The Glass Spider is home to a killer/cleaning drone who reminds me of a rumba, a 4-thumbed engineer named Burt who may or may not know how pilot, and a wonderful 'companion' robot named L-Mac who is one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends. In order to fix up her badly damaged ship she makes a deal to run a big con job where the risk is huge and the reward is huge...er. What follows is a madcap wild rumpus with a heavy dose of insanity. And I can't wait to see where she and her 3-man crew go from here.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Famen needs an entanglement engineer, only Candidate One is in prison, Candidate Two is Dead and Candidate Three needs rescuing. And that’s the easy part.
With her reluctant engineer proving to be an inept pilot, Famen gets the crew to their target mining planet. That’s her, the engineer, and L-Mac, her love machine (an android who stops short at the knees). And once they land, all they have to do is convince the authorities that insurance inspectors arrive in beaten-up ex-warships, and that they are an experienced team.
What they really are is a team of con-artists there to steal some extremely valuable stones for the owner of the stones, which sounds weird to start with, but go with it. Then Famen’s past comes back to haunt her, and some of it seems deadly. Not just to her, but to all those around her.
This book has action and humour. It will fit well for anyone who liked things like Red Dwarf (TV Show), Lou Scannon (comics), or The Stainless Steel Rat (books), this book has the kind of humour that you might like.
While I found this book to have a slow start, by the end I really wanted to jump straight into the next book.
With her reluctant engineer proving to be an inept pilot, Famen gets the crew to their target mining planet. That’s her, the engineer, and L-Mac, her love machine (an android who stops short at the knees). And once they land, all they have to do is convince the authorities that insurance inspectors arrive in beaten-up ex-warships, and that they are an experienced team.
What they really are is a team of con-artists there to steal some extremely valuable stones for the owner of the stones, which sounds weird to start with, but go with it. Then Famen’s past comes back to haunt her, and some of it seems deadly. Not just to her, but to all those around her.
This book has action and humour. It will fit well for anyone who liked things like Red Dwarf (TV Show), Lou Scannon (comics), or The Stainless Steel Rat (books), this book has the kind of humour that you might like.
While I found this book to have a slow start, by the end I really wanted to jump straight into the next book.
August 21, 2026
The Facilite Con by Dick Wybrow
Love Machine Files Book One
Famen Striker, captain of the Glass Spider, has a job. After losing all of her team, she’s on her own. Well, she does have L-Mac, her sexbot, but he’s not much help when it comes to needing an engineer to help with her airship.
So, in comes Burt. He was raised in wealth, but he lost it all instead of making more. With bad dudes after him because he owes money, he agrees to join Famen. Of course, she hasn’t told him everything about the job. Like how she plans to con the man they’re working for out of his precious gems.
A humorous and yet serious story at times. The story takes place in space. Their job sends them to a planet that was once used to exile criminals. Famen flashes back five weeks earlier, remembering what happened before she lost the crew she worked with.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...
Love Machine Files Book One
Famen Striker, captain of the Glass Spider, has a job. After losing all of her team, she’s on her own. Well, she does have L-Mac, her sexbot, but he’s not much help when it comes to needing an engineer to help with her airship.
So, in comes Burt. He was raised in wealth, but he lost it all instead of making more. With bad dudes after him because he owes money, he agrees to join Famen. Of course, she hasn’t told him everything about the job. Like how she plans to con the man they’re working for out of his precious gems.
A humorous and yet serious story at times. The story takes place in space. Their job sends them to a planet that was once used to exile criminals. Famen flashes back five weeks earlier, remembering what happened before she lost the crew she worked with.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...
August 20, 2026
This author is amazing! From his Hell inc. books, his Kane books to this!
The tale is set in a future time circling different planets, a space craft, L-Mac, courageous and not so courageous characters and the ultimate con. What could go wrong?
Quite a lot can go wonky, does it? You need to read it to find out. It is quite fast-paced so you are with the captain and crew and rooting for them every step of the way. Even if what they are doing may touch on the illegal side a tad.
I never used to be into space opera, but this dragged me in by the roots of my hair and made me never want to leave. The humour is good, the storytelling is brilliant - no less than expected from this author - and I can’t wait for the next instalment!!
The tale is set in a future time circling different planets, a space craft, L-Mac, courageous and not so courageous characters and the ultimate con. What could go wrong?
Quite a lot can go wonky, does it? You need to read it to find out. It is quite fast-paced so you are with the captain and crew and rooting for them every step of the way. Even if what they are doing may touch on the illegal side a tad.
I never used to be into space opera, but this dragged me in by the roots of my hair and made me never want to leave. The humour is good, the storytelling is brilliant - no less than expected from this author - and I can’t wait for the next instalment!!
September 1, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Deedub Publishing Limited for this ARC! All thoughts are my own!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧ ⋆ ˚｡⋆──────୨୧────── ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆
Right, I'm confused. Did I read the same book as all the other five-star reviews? I'm just not sure.
This was a DNF for me—time of death: page 112 ☠️
I just could not get into this at all. I was completely bored, and nothing really seemed to be happening. And then the sexbot situation... it's just not my vibe, guys. I know no one will be surprised about that XD
🤖=❌
Sorry to those of you that loved it! This was a "thank you, next" for me.
🤍🤍🤍 Thank you for reading! 🤍🤍🤍
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧ ⋆ ˚｡⋆──────୨୧────── ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆
Right, I'm confused. Did I read the same book as all the other five-star reviews? I'm just not sure.
This was a DNF for me—time of death: page 112 ☠️
I just could not get into this at all. I was completely bored, and nothing really seemed to be happening. And then the sexbot situation... it's just not my vibe, guys. I know no one will be surprised about that XD
🤖=❌
Sorry to those of you that loved it! This was a "thank you, next" for me.
🤍🤍🤍 Thank you for reading! 🤍🤍🤍
Review of advance copy
Listened to the book as the narrator Amelia Hugh was live recording her working session of the book, with permission from the author/publisher. I enjoyed listening to this book and the idea of space pirates 🏴☠️ just brings me back to my childhood and watching Treasure Island. We got to see how Famen Striker goes about making a name for herself as she takes on the role of Captain of her own starship after the misfortune of loosing her entire crew.
Cute little start to the beginning of this multi-book series and I can’t wait to read about more of her adventures in the future.
Cute little start to the beginning of this multi-book series and I can’t wait to read about more of her adventures in the future.
Review of advance copy
From "Kane" to "Hell Inc." to "Facilite Con", I have spent the last 6 months reading Dick Wybrow books at 5 hospitals and 4 nursing homes, and even at a geriatric psych ward while my husband with Alzheimer's and 2 broken hips tried to recover. Those have been the worst months of my life except for the absolute joy that Dick Wybrow has given me. I was so honored to receive an ARC copy of "Facitite Con" and loved it. I fell in love with a robot and cheered for a con artist and got a lot of strange looks from people while laughing out loud at those facilities. If you need a little relief from the drudgery and grief of life, give it a try, you won't be sorry if there is any whimsy left in your soul.
August 21, 2026
This is how it’s DONE!!
It just amazes me how Dick Wybrow brings us these fantastic worlds and pulls us in to a whole new dimension!! He’s taken us to “ down below..” , he’s introduced us to some very intriguing unusual characters and now he’s taken us to space!! What a wonderful adventure and yes unusual situation he has Famen and her crew in and now I can’t wait to see what happened at the end of this book!!!! Definitely a must read , I have loved all of his books and am looking forward to more!!
It just amazes me how Dick Wybrow brings us these fantastic worlds and pulls us in to a whole new dimension!! He’s taken us to “ down below..” , he’s introduced us to some very intriguing unusual characters and now he’s taken us to space!! What a wonderful adventure and yes unusual situation he has Famen and her crew in and now I can’t wait to see what happened at the end of this book!!!! Definitely a must read , I have loved all of his books and am looking forward to more!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Absolutely loved this. Just the right balance of world-building, adventure, skulduggery and humour for me. A cast of complete characters - crazy, conniving, complex with varying degrees of competence. Felt for Famen – limited by her crew choices whilst trying to run her con. Absolutely adored L’Mac – snort laughed at part of the fight scene iykyk ; I can’t wait to find out more about him. My only complaint is I’ll have to wait for the next book to continue adventuring on the Glass Spider.
August 20, 2026
Douglas Adams would be proud
Great story with a strong human (and robot) element to it. The humor is easily some of the best I’ve ever read in a science fiction book. Unlike Adam’s, it’s not subtle or reserved (meaning it’s not British in any way) but rather bright and easily grasped. This author is one of my new favorites and I read everything he produces. Give him a try, and when you do, prepare to read it all.
Great story with a strong human (and robot) element to it. The humor is easily some of the best I’ve ever read in a science fiction book. Unlike Adam’s, it’s not subtle or reserved (meaning it’s not British in any way) but rather bright and easily grasped. This author is one of my new favorites and I read everything he produces. Give him a try, and when you do, prepare to read it all.
August 25, 2026
I received an ARC. I got caught up in the characters and the story. Famen is a captain who is trying to save her ship as well as learn to captain the vessel. Burt is a fantastic engineer as well as being in over his head a bit.L-MAC, he was as steadfastcand loyal as they come. The story has many twists and turns it kept me enaged. It has the right amount of humor and action. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book
August 27, 2026
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I started reading the Facilite Con. Now that I’ve read it, I’m still not sure! This fast-paced story of cons conning cons keeps you on your toes, trying to guess what comes next or, for that matter, what just happened?
Never a dull moment as a young, female first time spaceship captain tries to prove her merit as both a captain and a con artist.
This is the first book I’ve read by Dick Wybrow. It won’t be the last.
Never a dull moment as a young, female first time spaceship captain tries to prove her merit as both a captain and a con artist.
This is the first book I’ve read by Dick Wybrow. It won’t be the last.
September 19, 2026
I really enjoyed this one! It was a very entertaining listen, and Amy Hutchins did a fantastic job with the narration.
I really liked the characters, and I thought the plot was well executed. My only issues were that some of the flashbacks were a little confusing at times, and a few of the action sequences were somewhat difficult to follow.
Overall, this was a fun and engaging audiobook, and I’m glad I listened to it.
I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.
I really liked the characters, and I thought the plot was well executed. My only issues were that some of the flashbacks were a little confusing at times, and a few of the action sequences were somewhat difficult to follow.
Overall, this was a fun and engaging audiobook, and I’m glad I listened to it.
I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.
August 24, 2026
Received ARC from author
This was a little slow to start, but the pace picked up as it went along leaving me wanting more when it ended. I've been looking for good heist story, and this scratched that itch. It was suspenseful and well thought out with plenty of twists along the way. L-Mac was my favorite character and had the best lines.
This was a little slow to start, but the pace picked up as it went along leaving me wanting more when it ended. I've been looking for good heist story, and this scratched that itch. It was suspenseful and well thought out with plenty of twists along the way. L-Mac was my favorite character and had the best lines.
August 27, 2026
Mind blowing. On so many levels.
Classic Wybrow. Wildly funny, roller coaster plot and characters that work their way right into your heart. Also, sort of a surprising and bittersweet love story lurking just below the surface to keep us begging for the next one, although I would not call this a romance novel by any stretch of imagination. Looking forward to the next one!
Classic Wybrow. Wildly funny, roller coaster plot and characters that work their way right into your heart. Also, sort of a surprising and bittersweet love story lurking just below the surface to keep us begging for the next one, although I would not call this a romance novel by any stretch of imagination. Looking forward to the next one!
September 7, 2026
What an entertaining and captivating way to start a new series! Humorous, wild, sci-fi adventure, bad guys, a wonky spaceship and a ragtag band of misfits assembled.. some literally... by the feisty, tenacious and inexperienced Famen Striker. A compelling cast of characters. What could go wrong? I finished this in one day and am so looking forward to the next addition to this series!
August 20, 2026
A Delightful Romp
I had such fun with this new series! The action starts immediately, no waiting for you Wybrow fans. Great characters, carefully crafted. I tried to limit myself reading just a bit every day...HA HA HA!
That didn't happen. Gulped it right down. More, please.
I had such fun with this new series! The action starts immediately, no waiting for you Wybrow fans. Great characters, carefully crafted. I tried to limit myself reading just a bit every day...HA HA HA!
That didn't happen. Gulped it right down. More, please.
October 27, 2026
Sci Fi adventure
This book is a wild ride. There is humor, action, and so many twists and turns it will make your head spin.
This book is a wild ride. There is humor, action, and so many twists and turns it will make your head spin.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Sci-fi, heist and finding family - even if most of the family are robots; which in some ways is the crux of the matter.
Famen Striker needs money, to keep ownership of her space craft. So she decides to pull off a heist to get it. But with lots of people after her, she will need to be really resourceful.
Which she is, along with being really clever, and having a really good sense of humour.
Nothing to worry about then?
Thank you to Deedub Publishing Limited and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
Famen Striker needs money, to keep ownership of her space craft. So she decides to pull off a heist to get it. But with lots of people after her, she will need to be really resourceful.
Which she is, along with being really clever, and having a really good sense of humour.
Nothing to worry about then?
Thank you to Deedub Publishing Limited and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews