Hatchet Women: Back Bay Slayings

by Nick Sconce

Fresh off a major case, Edie Firebaugh and her team are contracted to investigate the fall-out from an office shooting, leaving four Nova Life leaders dead. While a man-hunt ensues, the Hatchet Women must determine who the killer’s next victim will be while uncovering a sickening web of office politics and diseased corporate culture.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary

145 pages, ebook

About the author

Born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma, Nick Sconce now resides outside of Oklahoma City with his wife and three children.
His interests include photography, recording music, cooking, gardening and studying the financial services industry.
Pewter, Murder, and Loaded Dice and Structured Chaos are novels in a series involving Devin Predire
and Alex Vinkler.

His third novel, Hatchet Women, is set for release 4Q 2016.

Edie Firebaugh and her team of young, career-oriented women, are coerced to dye their hair to blend into their insurance company’s event planning department to conceal their real work in special investigations, fraud prevention, and agent termination. As they ascend and infiltrate the company’s hierarchy, they uncover a layered scheme in the private placement annuity unit, which limits pay-outs to customers through mass murders designed to look like tragic accidents. The unit also happens to be the most profitable for their company.

Reviews

[Amanda Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really loved the idea of this book and I really wanted to like this book but alas it was just utterly disappointing.
People that have read my reviews know that I am not a harsh reviewer so I am not going into any nasty narrative about it.
All I will say is, the storyline didn't make much sense to me but I soldiered on thinking that somewhere along the line I would find some redeeming quality....it turns out there wasn't one.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Edie Firebaugh and her team of women work for a national insurance company. Their cover is working in event planning, but they actually investigate agent fraud and then process the agent terminations. In their analysis, they discover a disturbing trend in one of the specialty life insurance markets: every person mysteriously dies in deaths ruled accidents after only receiving a couple of their payments of their million dollar prize. The women start investigating while trying not to let the perpetrators know they’re on to them so the target isn’t on their own backs...

This book was irritating. For one thing, there was waaaay too much insurance jargon. I had no idea what characters were talking about half the time. But then, since a particular type of life insurance was an important plot point later, the women had a meeting in which one of them explained all the types of life insurance to the rest of the team. It was many, many pages long, and it was as boring as it sounds.

And then, this plot they uncover that kicks off the action in the book? Since I was reading an ebook, I can tell you that it didn’t happen until the book was 80% OF THE WAY DONE. Almost the entire book was just following these ladies around as they did their jobs. All of the action was packed into the last little section. No thanks.

The main characters were all likable, and this is totally the kind of book that could have been full of strong language (one character in particular would have felt natural cursing up a storm), but it wasn’t, so I appreciated that. But I have no desire to read any other books in this series. I’d give this 1 1/2 stars, but it wasn’t awful enough to bump down to 1. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise for this book was intriguing, and I really wanted it to work, but for what I believe is the first time ever, I was unable to finish this book. I loved the idea of strong women taking charge, but the book just fell flat and I had to abandon it after the first eight chapters, about a third of the way through. There was also too much insurance-speak, which was clearly from someone who is well acquainted with the industry, but not presented in a way for the layperson to understand or be interested in.

I feel badly for having to leave such a low review, but I just can't see giving any higher for a book I couldn't finish or enjoy on any level.

I was provided an ARC of Hatchet Women by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Mona, Edie, Austin and Becca work for an insurance company as a team that terminates employees. They each have a crucial role to play in the process.

What they uncover is a scam in which annuity recipients die before they can collect. The rate is one in three. They go on a search to discover what is going on. They face danger and excitement along the way.

While the main four characters are engaging and delightful, I had the same problem with this book as another reviewer had. All the insurance company jargon was a turn off. Someone said it was like a foreign language. I second that notion.

I want to thank Netgalley and The National Writers’ Press for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

[Linda Sims · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hatchet Women was about women that work for an insurance company and they get rid of corrupt employees. There was so many technical terms that the book really turned me off. I read 2/3 of the book thinking "something has got to happen", but no and I just had to quit reading it. It was a total waste of my time.

[Bea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd like to thank NetGalley, National Writers Press and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. I tried, I really really tried to get into this book and enjoy it. The premise was what drew me to the book, strong, spirited women taking care of business (and going up agains men) to make a company stronger and more fiscally sound. Sounds great doesn't it? The problem with the book was that it was slow, very slow and full of technical insurance jargon. I know nothing about insurance and although I learned some things, this was way more information than I ever wanted to know about it.

The four lead female characters were fairly well developed although I found much more of the book dedicated to superfluous facts and incidentals. I couldn't even get the characters sorted out for the longest time which I found extremely annoying.

I even found the beginning of the book a bit strange. There is a suicide at the start of the book that led me to believe it would have a place later on, or that Mona (the character that discovered the body) would refer back to it or do something with the suicide but it never happened. Granted, if it happened in the last 30% of the book I missed it as I had to quit reading at about that point. I spent days trying to wade through this book and unfortunately I just never could bring myself to like it.

I supposed if someone were in the insurance industry the book my resonate more with that individual. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

[AmAtHome · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edie Firebaugh and her team are brought to their insurance company HQ's in Minnesota as a special "task force" to uncover and eliminate corrupt agents in the organization. Strong, and sometimes ruthless, they discover more than greed - possibly murder. This book is an odd mix of awesome action and suspense, yet incredibly hard pea soup like detail to wade through.

There were a lot of great characters in this book, and the premise was also good. I felt it got bogged down in "technical" industry information. I come from a similar industry, so it might have been easier for me to push through that part of the story. It took energy to get invested and understand what the Hatchet Women's role actually was, but think it really could have taken off.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my opinion.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hatchet Women by Nick Sconce is a mystery that reminds me of the noir style of PI detective novels in the 40's.

The premise, four women undercover PIs in an insurance company uncovering fraud and murder, is great.

But for some reason the writing and plot go downhill from there. The writing style didn't reel me in. The characters felt two-dimensional, and the plot meandered. I'm not one to believe the author needs to be the same sex as the main characters to write well and convincingly (Wally Lamb in She's Come Undone or Hanya Yanagihara in A Little Life are two of my favorite books written by authors who spectacularly depict their opposite sex main characters). But in this case, maybe that would have helped.

Perhaps Hatchet Women is just not for me. Two stars.

[Voluntarystress · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in return for an honest review. I requested it based on the description, but was unable to read beyond the second chapter or 5% of the book according to my Kindle. What was this book about ? It seemed to be a group of high powered women drafted in to sort out a company. Was it based on the 70s Charlie’s Angels idea ? It was very American. I didn’t understand many of the phrases. Not my sort of book.

[Magda Tomczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great story with plot twist, original set up and characters you have to love. It was my first time I read book written by Nick Sconce but I loved it to the last page. I admit, in first place I wasn't sure if I will survive until the end but I got quickly addicted to it. I was lucky to get it from giveaway with a dedication!

[Neil · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

This book was totally spoilt by to much "Technical insurance speak" which disrupted the flow of the plot.
The plot itself was also slow in places.
If you can get past the above then the story maybe for you.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook for my Kindle.
The book started out ok, but then went into too much insurance lingo and I was bored. Skipped pages and chapters, then read the last chapter which didn't make sense to me. Sorry, it just wasn't a good book for me.

[SherleyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

aka SherleyB.
Tried my best, but the story started of ok thought this might be a good read
as the girls characters where good. After awhile it just went of the boil
and lost the plot, shame really...

[MetLineReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't work for me -- it sounded good from its blurb but I just couldn't warm to it.
Unfinished!

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this book, and will read more in the series. But I have to confess, I skipped a lot of the insurance descriptions in the beginning. The characters are well developed and interesting.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc. Unfortunately this was a no go for me and I couldn't finish it.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honey review. I can not get into this book. It is about 4 women who try to weed out insurance fraud, but it is a bit disjointed, and just not for me.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the synopsis intriguing and digging in there were a couple vagaries to be found that kept things interesting for sure.

The main four characters were fun, strong and just the right amount of sassy making me eager to spend time with them and learn more about their idiosyncrasies.

The only real issue I had with this book was all the insurance industry jargon used throughout it in a manner that felt like I was reading something in a foreign language, it made for a slow going read. It wasn’t until around chapter 16 that real clarity was put on most of the terms and acronyms used in the book concerning “The Company” and exactly what they do there.

Spoiler alert: a few were never cleared up and I made out with Google a bit trying to ease my frustrated curiosity.

Overall I really enjoyed the story and just wish it had been written in a way more engaging for the average reader instead of someone who has multiple years of insurance industry experience.
***********GOODREADS GIVEAWAY WIN***********

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Nick Sconce's previous novels, and this newest edition to his bibiliography exemplifies his continued rise as a masterful storyteller. Nick clearly challenges himself with a cast full of women, but he pulls it off convincingly with keen insight into the specific talents that make each one of his characters tick. He then sets loose this intriguing cast into what at first may sound like a mundane world of insurance, but quickly develops into a world of crime, the depths and breadth of which can only be rivaled by the real world. Watching this cast of strong female characters unravel the dirty deeds of a seedy corporate underbelly is a pleasure almost revengeful. The prose and plot will keep you turning the page. You should also check out the accompanying novella, Back Bay Slayings. Loved it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a compelling read with strong female characters surviving a dark corporate environment .

[Glenda Bixler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangely addicting...at least for me...

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadershea...

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Kindle Copy for Review

A group of four woman works undercover for an insurance company. Their job is to investigate fraud and waste in the system. Basically they decide who to fire due to incompetence and stealing. Not a pretty job as they usually go in undercover for a period of time.

Using their various skills, they learn not to trust anyone except themselves. Welcome to the world of insurance fraud and it is not pretty. Soon they will find themselves in the middle of nasty things.

[Elayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

So 4 women from the forensic accountant team move to Minnesota and have to bleach their hair blonde. Why? Well, they are undercover as part of the corporate events design team who had all made a vow some years past to be blonde.
But their disguises were wearing thin as in their insurance company district the number of dismissals of agents for fraud had increased visibly since they arrived. They are cleaning house.
Now this story had potential I thought as I read it but the insurance speak was difficult to follow and I kept missing whole sections. Also I really didn’t understand how this insurance agency business worked.
I did like the interactions of the 4 women as the story developed and thus I read on. They felt like a strong team bonded together although they often bickered.
I am really glad that I persevered through the insurance ‘speak’ as I was rewarded when Becca’s ability to mine data suddenly produced a startling discovery - which I did understand - and the story took a sudden twist.

[Jordan Stivers · Rating 1 out of 5]

In all honesty, I would not have finished this book if I had not been given a reviewer copy. I dragged myself through it, waiting and waiting to start enjoying it but that moment never came. I sincerely wanted to enjoy it more because of the characters though. While I grew to like some of the characters (Edie and Mona), the rest of the characters feel flat to me and some were borderline obnoxious. The dialogue was good between the ‘core four’ group of characters but anywhere else was stiff. Scene setting was lackluster as well.

The plot description is what sold me on this book in conjunction with strong female leads. But the thriller aspect doesn’t even pop in until nearly halfway through the book and even then gets slowed down repeatedly. This whole novel is severely bogged down by insurance industry jargon. I enjoy business-world books with heavy specialized language but it was much too overdone here to be enjoyable at all. If you manage to follow what’s happening, the writing is so incomprehensible that you don’t care anymore in the end. Even the most interesting story in the world could not survive the onslaught of jargon.

And a last little annoyance: Why are there pictures of axes to indicate time passage between scenes? It’s not cute and doesn’t render well at all on the Kindle version. 1 of 5 stars.

Note: I was provided a Kindle edition of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank them, the publisher The National Writers Press, and the author Nick Sconce for the opportunity to do so.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given a copy of Hatchet Women by Nick Scone to review. I sincerely tried to read this story. I painfully got to 42% read on my Kindle and just couldn't take anymore. Hatchet Women contains a lot of information about how insurance companies work. Much more than I knew or cared to learn.

[Karen Haueisen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow starter...slow enough that I almost put it down. It was technical - so technical that chapters (and meetings, and conferences, and emails and memos) read like an insurance company's marketing brochures and prospectus. It hit me about Chapter 5 that Nick Sconce is to insurance what Victor Hugo was to French history and culture - and out of respect for Hugo, I kept going. Yes, I skimmed over some of the incredibly technical detail about annuities and the district division of the insurance company in search of the plot, but once I found it - I found a John Grisham-esque story worthy of the time reading it. I felt the women were well developed into their own people and their own cogs in the mighty insurance machine, although at times their conversations read like pieces of the last team building and leadership seminar the author may have attended. The level of detail, while tedious, gave me the impression that this story - the actual action underneath the industry - was actually possible; maybe it was even a real, personal experience of the author.

Lovers of crime drama will find enough in Hatchet Women to stay to the end. Lovers of big business will find plenty of fodder for book club conversations. Stick with it - the book does, eventually, deliver.

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hatchet Women grabbed my attention at the start with interesting characters and witty dialogue. Unfortunately, my attention started drifting with all of the insurance company information. While I like backstory and details, especially in the mystery/suspense genre, too much of that takes away from the story. At more than a quarter of the way through the book, I still had no idea what the big mystery was, but I knew plenty about how insurance companies work. Overall, when it finally got to the actual story, the suspense and mystery were good. There was just too much unnecessary info leading up to it.

[Ambre · Rating 2 out of 5]

****I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS BOOK FROM NETGALLEY***
I wanted to enjoy this book but I could not. First, I had to get through 60% of the book to even begin to understand what this book was about. I understand, that this book was maybe trying to be some way to portray how a group of women are able to try and clean up and prove themselves in a male dominated industry. They felt like caricatures of what men think a feminist hero is. You have you first heroine as a demure but tuff as nails who is clean cut and makes it up the corporate ladder the right way, then you have you basic "kick ass" heroine who carries a knife and can kick anyone's ass at the drop of dime, all while burping and farting and being sexually free and obnoxious. Let's not forget the computer geek who can tackle any amount of data but can't handle basic social situations and then the sexpot who every man want's to sleep with.

I don't need the characters to be likable for me to like them, but I just couldn't care about any of them. Then, there were many plot holes that were never explained. Sorry, I just couldn't get into this book at all.