Bamboozled

by Jane Flagello

What if you had the courage to live fully in all the remaining days of your life? No settling. No guilt. No regrets. Meet Rachel Resnick, a woman eager to do just that - live fully, no regrets. Widowed, she ditches her safe, comfort zone life in Brooklyn and sets off to explore new possibilities in Williamsburg, Virginia. Alas, she gets dragged back to Brooklyn upon the sudden death of her favorite aunt. Rachel inherits all her possessions and finds eight uncut walnut-size diamonds hidden in an old suitcase in the attic. When it rains it pours - men that is. Three handsome suitors enter Rachel’s world. Each one charming in his own unique way. Each one vying to kindle a love affair. Each with private plans of his own. Are any of them really who they claim to be? Will the diamonds hold the key to Rachel’s future life or doom her to her own untimely death? How can Rachel use her newfound wealth in ways that honor her Aunt’s memory? More importantly, can she finally experience the kind of love she’s only read about in stories - a love that makes your toes curl and your heart sing.

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 14, 2015

About the author

Change is what life is all about! It's the shoe that pinches when we ignore its urgings.

Jane shifted from professor and personal coach to mystery / romantic suspense writer when she moved to Virginia Beach. She shines the spotlight on hard to discuss subjects with love and integrates many of her coaching insights into her stories.

Four stories are ready for your reading pleasure - BAMBOOZLED, GOTCHA!, COMPLICITY, and her newest story, MERCY. While not a series, these stories follow the lives of a cast of characters who experience the daily dramas and challenges of life. Nothing is easy - nothing goes smoothly. But isn't that what life is all about!

Reviews

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel is sixty, widowed, retired and ready to start a new chapter in her life-- to be the person she always wanted to be, rather than who others told her to be. She's just getting settled in her new life when her dear Aunt Lil dies. As executor of her estate, Rachel returns to New York City to attend the funeral and sort through her aunt's worldly belongings. What she discovers sets her off on a journey of self discovery, excitement, danger and perhaps even new love. This book is well-written and has a nice blend of suspense and romance. I particularly liked how there were chapters that focused on characters other than Rachel; it gave a depth to secondary characters that many books don't have. I enjoyed the book, but I felt a bit distanced from Rachel, primarily, I think, because I'm a little too young to quite connect with where she is in her life right now. That said, I can appreciate what she's going through and still found her story interesting. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes romantic suspense with an uplifting and positive message-- nothing dark and dreary here.

[Marion Marchetto · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the story opens, we meet 60-something widow Rachel Resnick who has returned to New York City for her Aunt Lillian's funeral. Since Rachel has recently moved away this is a time not just for mourning her favorite aunt's passing but for reconnecting with the dear friends who form her support network. Enter Jimmy Raconti, her aunt's next door neighbor and erstwhile handyman who seems just a bit shady. He lives with his mom Millie who was recently keeping Aunt Lil company in the evenings. The plot thickens when Rachel finds a cache of uncut diamonds that her aunt had alluded to but that no one had ever seen. Since Rachel is the sole heir of her aunt, these now belong to her. What follows is a twisty story of several con artists and scammers who try to get their hands on the diamonds. With each passing day Rachel is in every-growing danger from these underworld types. But our hero, Detective Daniel Berger, arrives on the scene. Being of the same age as Rachel he is drawn to her and her to him. And a good thing, too. Because things are getting precarious for Rachel.

This story of mature love wrapped in a suspenseful cop and robber story read like the script to a 1980s Rockford Files or Magnum, P.I. episode. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed both of those shows. However, as a novel that tried to engage the reader I think it fell a bit flat. Granted there was a lot of activity going on but none of it was compelling in a page-turning way. There were times when I had to force myself back to reading just to make sure the character of Rachel turned out okay. My one major criticism, however, is that the ending seemed rushed. In one chapter we have the two detectives trying to put together a sting operation and in the very next, and last chapter, we are given a summary of what has transpired and how the story ends. I tried to like the characters but none of them were well-defined and they didn't stay with me. Sadly, this could have been a great read with some more in-depth character building and a bit more tension.

Bamboozled has earned three stars from this reviewer for its effort to entertain.

Note: I received a copy of the ebook from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Susan Werby]

Interesting read that kept me wanting more! Well-written and filled with intrigue straight to the end!