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The Phisherman
489 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2026
About the author
Steven Marks
20 books23 followersMy readers are always welcome to email me at whatifnovels@gmail.com whether it's to discuss plot points, or to yell at me because the story took an unexpected turn, or whatever... feel free! You can also join my email list at stevenmarksbooks.com!
When I was eight, I wrote my first book — eighty‑seven pages, one paragraph, and a sci‑fi story called The Bird of Time. I handed it to my mother, hoping she’d read it. She didn’t even open it. She just said, “Nobody is ever going to read what you write.”
I threw the book away. I didn’t throw away the writing.
My mother struggled with addiction, and I was too young to understand that her words weren’t really about me. But they stuck. For decades, I wrote in secret — twenty‑plus novels that lived in drawers and folders because I was afraid she might be right.
When I turned sixty, I realized something simple and brutal: the only way she’d be right is if I never tried. So I started publishing. And readers found me. And they asked for more.
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this is the story I was supposed to write all along.
When I was eight, I wrote my first book — eighty‑seven pages, one paragraph, and a sci‑fi story called The Bird of Time. I handed it to my mother, hoping she’d read it. She didn’t even open it. She just said, “Nobody is ever going to read what you write.”
I threw the book away. I didn’t throw away the writing.
My mother struggled with addiction, and I was too young to understand that her words weren’t really about me. But they stuck. For decades, I wrote in secret — twenty‑plus novels that lived in drawers and folders because I was afraid she might be right.
When I turned sixty, I realized something simple and brutal: the only way she’d be right is if I never tried. So I started publishing. And readers found me. And they asked for more.
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this is the story I was supposed to write all along.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 9, 2026
The beginning of this book was amazing! Especially for those like me who have worked in a warehouse situation. The online description says this book is 450 but, what was given to me to review for the ARC is actual 750. Which matches up in length chapter wise for what you purchase. Point being, it is extremely long and frankly, does not need to be. Mr. Marks is a creative and interesting writer and the storyline was funny though quite dues ex machina throughout it.
June 7, 2026
Everyone who’s ever received a scam call or text will be able to relate to this story. Dean was being bombarded by these calls and texts. He finally started talking to them and figured out how they work. He jumped in when he finally had enough and it felt Everyone who’s ever received a scam call or text will be able to relate to this story. Dean was being bombarded by these calls and texts. He finally started talking to them and figured out how they work. He jumped in when he finally had enough and it felt good to finally make a difference but it wasn’t enough. He was angry, could see what was coming and had very little self control.
Overall, I really liked this story but it was a little too long, it could have been cleaned up and shortened up a bit. I would love to see a second book where Steven Marks and Dean delves a little further up the chain.
Overall, I really liked this story but it was a little too long, it could have been cleaned up and shortened up a bit. I would love to see a second book where Steven Marks and Dean delves a little further up the chain.
June 3, 2026
This book is for every person who's ever felt pi$$ed off by the constant calls, emails, and messages that flood your phone, the harassment that invades your life on the daily, those annoying intrusions that you never even invited in to your life. This is for you...
Dean is not a likeable guy. He's an alcoholic, a loner with anger issues, and a bad attitude, but somehow he grows on you, and he becomes the anti-hero we needed.
The author's first person POV puts the reader squarely in Dean's corner. We learn what it's like to think like him, feel like him, process our surroundings like him. We start to roughen our edges, answer the phone more gruffly, stop wasting our words...
Immerse yourself in this realistic story where the line between vigilantism blurs with criminality, especially as the stakes get higher, and scammers hit closer to home.
Dean is not a likeable guy. He's an alcoholic, a loner with anger issues, and a bad attitude, but somehow he grows on you, and he becomes the anti-hero we needed.
The author's first person POV puts the reader squarely in Dean's corner. We learn what it's like to think like him, feel like him, process our surroundings like him. We start to roughen our edges, answer the phone more gruffly, stop wasting our words...
Immerse yourself in this realistic story where the line between vigilantism blurs with criminality, especially as the stakes get higher, and scammers hit closer to home.
July 11, 2026
Steven Marks’s The Phisherman is a crime thriller about scams, anger, family loyalty, and the dangerous comfort of having a target. Dean Rourke is a warehouse worker in Ocala whose life is already worn thin by night shifts, spam calls, and the steady pressure of getting by. When his mother becomes involved with a suspicious man named Martin Hales, Dean’s irritation turns into investigation, and that investigation pulls him into a wider network of fraud, stolen pets, gift cards, burner phones, and people who know exactly how to use loneliness as bait. The book understands scams not just as crimes, but as intrusions. They get into homes, phones, routines, and nerves until ordinary life starts to feel rigged.
What makes Dean such a compelling lead is that his concern is real, but so is the appetite that grows out of it. Marks doesn’t write him as a clean hero chasing bad guys. Dean is tired, sharp, funny in a sour way, and increasingly drawn to the sense of purpose that anger gives him. Early on, the narration says, “pressure worked whether or not it had a name,” and that line captures a lot of what the novel is doing. Dean wants to name the pressure, trace it, hit it, and make it answer for itself. The trouble is that once he starts moving, stopping becomes harder than starting.
The supporting characters give the story its weight. Gloria, Dean’s mother, is more than a victim of a romance scam. She’s lonely, stubborn, embarrassed, and still very much her own person. Deputy Morales is one of the book’s best steadying forces, not because he softens the story, but because he keeps reminding Dean that being right doesn’t make every choice acceptable. Aunt Marlene also brings a needed kind of grounded care, especially when the book turns from investigation into a study of restraint. Even Pickles, Dean’s cat, adds texture to the domestic side of the novel, giving Dean’s apartment a little warmth while everything else gets colder.
Marks’s prose has a bruised, observant rhythm that fits Dean’s state of mind. The book is full of Florida heat, cheap parking lots, county offices, vibrating phones, and rooms where people are waiting for the next bad thing to happen. It’s especially strong at showing how modern crime can feel both faceless and intimate. A scam call can come from nowhere, but it still lands in someone’s kitchen, someone’s bank account, someone’s family. As the story escalates, one line hits especially hard: “Waiting changed him faster than blood had.” That’s the heart of the book. The suspense isn’t only about whether Dean can find Martin. It’s about what the hunt is doing to him.
The Phisherman is a tense, character-driven novel about a man who follows a fraud case so deep that it starts following him back. It’s angry, funny in dry flashes, and deeply interested in the moral cost of wanting punishment to feel personal. The ending doesn’t offer Dean an easy victory, which feels right for this story. Instead, it leaves him facing the people who know his name, especially his mother, and the question of what he’s let himself become while trying to protect her. That’s what gives the book its staying power: it’s a crime story where the real hook isn’t only the scam but the part of Dean that keeps biting.
What makes Dean such a compelling lead is that his concern is real, but so is the appetite that grows out of it. Marks doesn’t write him as a clean hero chasing bad guys. Dean is tired, sharp, funny in a sour way, and increasingly drawn to the sense of purpose that anger gives him. Early on, the narration says, “pressure worked whether or not it had a name,” and that line captures a lot of what the novel is doing. Dean wants to name the pressure, trace it, hit it, and make it answer for itself. The trouble is that once he starts moving, stopping becomes harder than starting.
The supporting characters give the story its weight. Gloria, Dean’s mother, is more than a victim of a romance scam. She’s lonely, stubborn, embarrassed, and still very much her own person. Deputy Morales is one of the book’s best steadying forces, not because he softens the story, but because he keeps reminding Dean that being right doesn’t make every choice acceptable. Aunt Marlene also brings a needed kind of grounded care, especially when the book turns from investigation into a study of restraint. Even Pickles, Dean’s cat, adds texture to the domestic side of the novel, giving Dean’s apartment a little warmth while everything else gets colder.
Marks’s prose has a bruised, observant rhythm that fits Dean’s state of mind. The book is full of Florida heat, cheap parking lots, county offices, vibrating phones, and rooms where people are waiting for the next bad thing to happen. It’s especially strong at showing how modern crime can feel both faceless and intimate. A scam call can come from nowhere, but it still lands in someone’s kitchen, someone’s bank account, someone’s family. As the story escalates, one line hits especially hard: “Waiting changed him faster than blood had.” That’s the heart of the book. The suspense isn’t only about whether Dean can find Martin. It’s about what the hunt is doing to him.
The Phisherman is a tense, character-driven novel about a man who follows a fraud case so deep that it starts following him back. It’s angry, funny in dry flashes, and deeply interested in the moral cost of wanting punishment to feel personal. The ending doesn’t offer Dean an easy victory, which feels right for this story. Instead, it leaves him facing the people who know his name, especially his mother, and the question of what he’s let himself become while trying to protect her. That’s what gives the book its staying power: it’s a crime story where the real hook isn’t only the scam but the part of Dean that keeps biting.
June 13, 2026
The ultimate revenge thriller for the digital age! Couldn't put it down.
If you have ever received a spam call or a phishing text and wished someone would give those scammers exactly what they deserve, this book is going to be your absolute favorite read of the year. It is the ultimate cathartic revenge story.
Steven Marks has written a lightning-fast, incredibly addictive thriller. The premise is brilliant: a regular guy snaps after a scammer ruins a life close to him, and he decides to use his tech skills to hunt them down.
If you have ever received a spam call or a phishing text and wished someone would give those scammers exactly what they deserve, this book is going to be your absolute favorite read of the year. It is the ultimate cathartic revenge story.
Steven Marks has written a lightning-fast, incredibly addictive thriller. The premise is brilliant: a regular guy snaps after a scammer ruins a life close to him, and he decides to use his tech skills to hunt them down.
June 14, 2026
I received an advance review copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. The Phisherman grabbed my attention from the very beginning. The storyline feels timely and realistic because so many people have been affected by online fraud in one way or another. The protagonist's transformation from an ordinary person into someone willing to fight back against digital predators is well written and interesting to follow. The book offers a good balance of action, suspense, and thought-provoking themes.
June 14, 2026
I received an advance review copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. This was a compelling thriller with a modern edge. The author takes a common real-world problem and turns it into a gripping story about justice, loss, and the consequences of taking matters into your own hands. I liked that the book didn't just focus on action but also explored the emotional impact of scams on victims and their families. If you enjoy books about cybercrime, vigilantism, and moral dilemmas, I would recommend giving this one a try.
June 14, 2026
I received an advance review copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. This was an entertaining and unique thriller that tackles a problem almost everyone has experienced online scams and phishing attempts. The main character is easy to root for, especially as he decides to fight back against people who prey on innocent victims. The pacing is solid, and there are plenty of tense moments throughout. I appreciated that the story also explores the cost of revenge and how far someone should go in the name of justice.
June 14, 2026
I received an advance review copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. The Phisherman is a fast-paced techno-thriller that feels incredibly relevant in today's world of scam calls and online fraud. The idea of an ordinary person taking on digital criminals is compelling, and the story kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The author does a great job blending suspense, action, and moral questions about justice and revenge. If you enjoy modern vigilante stories with a technology twist, this is definitely worth reading.
June 14, 2026
I received an advance review copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. I really enjoyed the fresh concept behind this novel. Instead of the usual detective or spy story, the focus is on the dark side of modern technology and the scammers who exploit it. The author creates a believable atmosphere and delivers enough twists to keep the story engaging. It's a quick, suspenseful read that will especially appeal to fans of cybercrime and vigilante thrillers.
June 23, 2026
I loved the premise of the story but not the way it was delivered. I'm not a fan of the writing style, I found it tedious often and skipped over parts often. I liked the way Dean talked to the scam callers, I do it myself when I'm bored, not quite the same way, though.
I liked the cast of characters, they added something to the story, especially the cat.
I received a free advance review copy and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
I liked the cast of characters, they added something to the story, especially the cat.
I received a free advance review copy and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
August 10, 2026
Great concept. Really enjoyed the plot, felt it doesn't get pushed as far as it could potentially go.
It's good, good message to make you think.
Great if you like mild violent with a basic wish someone would deal with these #$#@, plot, with revenue motivations with ego and a good helping of self-loathing.
Worth a read and would pick up what next the author writes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It's good, good message to make you think.
Great if you like mild violent with a basic wish someone would deal with these #$#@, plot, with revenue motivations with ego and a good helping of self-loathing.
Worth a read and would pick up what next the author writes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 9, 2026
I so much loved this book! I was daunted by how long it is, but the story didn't lag and I was actually sorry it ended. I really wanted to see more scammers get theirs. I know many people will find Dean's transformation to be disturbing, but since it's fiction, I was ok letting him become more of a vigilante hero! Definitely worth the read!!
June 10, 2026
Received this as an ARC and leaving this voluntarily.
My sister got caught in a romance scam so this hit close to home. We’re sick to death of scammers, thank you Dean Rourke (protagonist) for vicarious justice. Great book, make a movie of this!
My sister got caught in a romance scam so this hit close to home. We’re sick to death of scammers, thank you Dean Rourke (protagonist) for vicarious justice. Great book, make a movie of this!
August 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews