The Big Get-Even

by Paul Di Filippo

A disbarred lawyer and an ex-arsonist cross paths and find themselves organizing an elaborate real-estate scam to bilk a shady rich speculator out of twenty million dollars. The sting is personal for ex-arsonist Stan and for a woman named Vee, who plays an essential role in the caper. Glen, the narrator and former lawyer, finds himself at first just along for the money. Eventually, as bonds deepen among the conspirators, Glen too discovers he has a lot more at stake than simply the loot.This cast of lively eccentrics discovers along the way that getting to the big payoff might just be more scary fun than the monetary prize itself.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Ebooks

Audio CD

First published March 6, 2018

About the author

Paul Di Filippo is the author of hundreds of short stories, some of which have been collected in these widely-praised collections: The Steampunk Trilogy, Ribofunk, Fractal Paisleys, Lost Pages, Little Doors, Strange Trades, Babylon Sisters, and his multiple-award-nominated novella, A Year in the Linear City. Another earlier collection, Destroy All Brains, was published by Pirate Writings, but is quite rare because of the extremely short print run (if you see one, buy it!).

The popularity of Di Filippo’s short stories sometimes distracts from the impact of his mindbending, utterly unclassifiable novels: Ciphers, Joe’s Liver, Fuzzy Dice, A Mouthful of Tongues, and Spondulix. Paul’s offbeat sensibility, soulful characterizations, exquisite-yet-compact prose, and laugh-out-loud dialogue give his work a charmingly unique voice that is both compelling and addictive. He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, BSFA, Philip K. Dick, Wired Magazine, and World Fantasy awards.

Despite his dilatory ways, Paul affirms that the sequel to A Year in the Linear City, to be titled A Princess of the Linear Jungle, will get written in 2008. He has two books forthcoming from PS Publications: the collection entitled Harsh Oases and the novel titled Roadside Bodhisattva. His 2008 novel Cosmocopia is graced by Jim Woodring illustrations.

Paul lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

More like 1.5

It was less than meh. (meh -1?)

The main characters personality and involvement made absolutely no sense in comparison to everyone else's. And it was staggeringly difficult to believe him as a "ladies man"

All the bones of a good story was there but it fell severely short, there were none of the necessary plot points that made it a heist/con story.

Stuff like this doesn't normally get to me but the portrayal of women as just being used for sex and housework was so obvious and made it clear that the author couldn't write female characters.

[Donna Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t do it, don’t do it. Put your wallet away.

I received a galley of this story free and in advance from Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for this honest review. That said, if I’d been given a free copy plus a million dollars, I wouldn’t be able to write this thing a favorable pitch. An indifferent product rates 2 stars, sometimes 3 if there are redeeming aspects; when I give 1 star, it means I’m pissed.

Part of my indignation, to be sure, comes purely from disappointment. The book jacket looks for all the world like an entertaining read is in the offing. I was so certain this would be a rousing good time that I held it away from myself as an incentive to make myself plow through what I thought would be a couple of less promising projects. And the story’s hook, the voice that arrests us at the outset, also promises us big fun. My first reading note to myself says, “Oh hell yes.”

As we move into the story, a tale of a combination of grift and revenge on the part of two ex-convicts, cracks start to form. For starters, Glen, our protagonist, who tells us he is lazy, free of all ambition, and has enough gold buried in the backyard to keep him happy for a good long while, is attacked by a man that has been watching him. Our protagonist is offered two options: to go in with his attacker on a plan to buy land on speculation and fraudulently sell it to a man the attacker hates, or else be robbed. This is the basis for a partnership. Glen agrees to let all of the gold be placed in a bank account bearing the name of the attacker’s girlfriend, a large, fierce woman that doesn’t do much in this story except make out with Stan and at one point, Glen. And at no point does Glen hatch a plan to get his money back and escape; instead, an instant friendship forms. The hell?

So the story doesn’t hang together very well from the start, but a strong writer can get us to believe almost anything, and I am ready to buy this premise in order to move forward.

There are a number of nasty little remarks about “queers” that frankly don’t set well with me, and they have nothing to do with the plot, apart from establishing Glen and Stan as real live he-men. But at this point I am still prepared to breeze past the offending references, make brief mention of them, and look toward a 4-star rating. If the rest of the book had been well-written and as engaging as the first chapter, I could even have seen a 4.5 rating rounded up. I had seen the bad reviews others had written, and I wanted to be the blogger that steps forward to tell the world that those folks are wrong, and that this is a terrific novel. I was primed and ready.

“Oh hell yes” becomes “Oh hell no” when the partners settle into their newly purchased resort and our middle-aged protagonist wakes up to find the barely-legal desk clerk giving him a blow job. Because, you know, she couldn’t stay away from him.

There is one other female character here. Vee also wants revenge against the mark targeted by Stan, and so she is brought aboard. But like Sandy (Stan’s girlfriend) and Nellie (the blow-job clerk), she has to have a roll in the hay with Glen, and as with Sandy and Nellie, Vee’s greatest role in the story is sexual. At this point I feel as if the author cannot decide whether he wants to write a tale of bold adventure and high stakes crime, or soft porn for middle-aged men; my eyes rolled so high they nearly lodged themselves in my hairline. However, there is foreshadowing that lets us know that the women in Glen’s life are “not through with me” and are going to surprise him, so I read to the end, hoping against hope that there will be a second shoe dropping, a colossal punchline in which the three women turn out to have pulled one over on him and his testosterone-laden (but not queer, oh please!) buddy. Maybe this whole absurd fuckathon is actually leading up to the revenge of the women.

No.

As if the whole thing wasn’t a big fat mess already, Di Filippo puts one last, ruinous flourish on this pitiful tale by adding a host of additional information right at the end that makes it impossible for readers to guess the outcome. This hunk of junk is so badly crafted that not only do I not recommend it, I won’t read this author again.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read!!! These guys would have no luck at all if it wasn't for bad luck.

Greg, the narrator and an ex-con, disbarred lawyer, and Stan, an ex-con arsonist, come up with this farce of a plan to make 20 million dollars. The trials and tribulations they go through to read this goal are both scary and hilarious.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this "Keystone Cops like caper" that had me hooked from the beginning.

A fun read that I just sped through. Still laughing thinking back on this read. If your looking for a serious book, this isn't it. However, if you want a fun, cozy read this is for you.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[☆Dani☆ ☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

 I give this book 2 out 5 stars. I hate more than anything writing a negative review! I am always try to be the most enthusiastic person I can be! This book wasn’t terrible and the plot was good, it was just the execution and characters didn’t do well for me. I just felt like it was overplayed and it kept reminding me of films and shows I’ve already seen. The similarities with other con shows/films threw me off base. I think this book will do really well for some people and can have a large fan base. It was just not the book for me but was okay. I enjoyed some of the action scenes and how descriptive the writer was. I just really didn’t do well with the characterization. I still would like to check out more of the author’s works because there was a lot of great writing potential. I was so conflicted on writing this review because I wanted to love it but the characters bugged me too much. I am thankful for this opportunity to review for my honest opinion and do believe this book will still get a great fan base. 

[Rick Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can the crook con the crook. A gripping tale of how one man who saved another man's life embarks on a scam to seek revenge on a criminal mastermind, only for the scales to be tipped. A brilliant con unfolds and true rewards are revealed. It's not often you root for a bad guy. Brilliant read

[Eldon Farrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

**I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review**

When I stumbled across the premise for Paul Di Filippo’s The Big Get Even I was so excited. The book promised a good old-fashioned, fun caper/heist story and I couldn’t wait to read it. Having never read anything by Di Filippo before, I took a chance on this one because, in truth, I’m a sucker for a well done heist story. Unfortunately, this one did not measure up for me.

It started well enough. Glen, our protagonist, checked a lot of the prerequisite boxes for a character who would attempt said heist. He was desperate, lacking in morals, but likeable enough for a certain type of reader to pull for him to succeed. His partner in crime added a nice counter point and I enjoyed the quirky set of circumstances that brought them together. We were off to a good start. And then… the story stalled.

I won’t give anything away, in case you wish to chance this one yourself, but the promised heist did not begin until about the 90% mark and was over within a few pages. The majority of the book was squandered on the describing the minutiae of day-to-day operations of running a resort. More than once I set this book aside in frustration over the lack of progress and the wasted potential. I believe this could’ve been far more entertaining if the author had allowed the story to progress. The classic heist premise does involve showing planning but it also incorporates roadblocks and action points to keep reader interest. Sadly, without those, it doesn’t work.

Once we did get around to the heist, it got good real fast and I considered a higher overall rating until I reached the end. Let me say, I have nothing against cliffhangers. I won’t hold a cliffhanger against an otherwise well written book. But there’s a difference between a cliffhanger and just dropping the narrative. The ending honestly read like the author was out of pages so this is all you get.

Add to all of that the sexist overtones, and I couldn’t rate the book higher than I did. Di Filippo’s female characters need work. They served two purposes throughout the book—used to clean and used for sex. It’s 2017 and discerning readers require more from their female leads. I can accept a certain amount of this is owed to the criminal nature of the protagonist but, there was far too much of it throughout the book.

A disappointing 2 stars.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title implies, "The Big Get-Even" is all about a long con, a sting, how to bait a trap and fleece someone with mighty big pockets. It pits a mismatched crew of con artists against a real estate tycoon. The crew includes a disbarred lawyer recently out of jail, the hard case that the lawyer accidentally saves from an overdose at a traffic light, an Eastern European beauty out to get the guy who did her parents wrong, an Amazonian-size beauty queen, and an eccentric computer nerd. Despite his jail time and crooked ways, you always feel that the narrator is still one of those born-innocents who doesn't really have toughness in his bones. He is just one of those guys who always seems to be over his head. Perhaps that is what makes the story narrative flow so well.

This is a quick, easy read that would probably find wide appeal. Overall, it was a good read for me, not a great one. The con took a long time to put together. Some of the intricacies of the set-up took quite a bit of detail. Some of the dialogue did not feel completely genuine and not all of the characterizations were fully believable.

[Joe Kucharski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woody Allen has always been prolific. Yet like any artist, he can go through times of mountain top enrichment only to plateau for a period.

Or a decade.

In the early aughts, following the jazz-cool Sweet And Lowdown and before the sexy Match Point, Allen cranked out nearly a movie a year; most were entertainingly mediocre.

So what does Woody Allen have to do with Paul Di Filippo’s, The Big Get-Even? Well for one thing, talking about Woody Allen films, even his less-than-enchanting ones, is a helluva lot more interesting than reviewing this unexceptional novel. And for another, the plot here is thematically similar to the charming-if-slightly-forgettable Small Time Crooks. In that one, Allen, Tracey Ullman, and Michael Rappaport plan to rob a bank via a cookie shop they were using as a front… only to blindly figure out that the cookies brought in a higher payroll than the initial bank job. Hilarity ensues.

Here? Not so much. If anything, this comes with a finale so blatant even the blind director from Hollywood Ending (not one of Allen’s finest) could see it 20/20.

No snappy chatter.

No sticking-it-to-the-man.

And you know what else? No likable characters either.

I don’t feel sorry that the arsonist – an arsonist – is cheated out of his ill-gotten gains. I don’t understand how the whining lawyer is elevated to that of a Clooney-esque stud. I don’t appreciate that the contribution of all three women in the story is solely – and only – for sex.

The first part of the story is actually – and surprisingly – interesting. Di Filippo lays out his characters of Glen (the lawyer) and Stan (the arsonist), and builds up the premise of the plot. That journey has merit as the story builds. You could see the lightning preceding the on-set of the storm. The neon lights start to flicker. The jazz music starts to score.

But then? Nothing. Just dark clouds resulting in poor vision and a damp time.

No fun.

No electricity.

And a con so dull it can make the Music Man pop like Hip-Hop.



I would like to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC… I guess. Even though I think I was hustled into providing a review. And without even getting a cookie. Or any of my time back…

But for time well spent, shoot on over to Read @ Joe's for reviews and short stories. And maybe a cookie, too.

[Elite Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lives of two ex-cons cross in extraordinary circumstances tempting them back into a life of crime.

An arrogant previously successful lawyer Glen McClinton, on parole after committing a financial offence finds himself aimlessly living with his uncle with whom he has little in common. In a bizarre situation, he saves the life of Stan Hasso, also an ex-con, from an overdose.

Unbelievably, after he recovers, Stan finds Glen and the two of them team up to con another conman, Barnaby Nancarrow, a shady real estate tycoon. Their plan is to trick Nancarrow out of $20 million in a land deal. Glen’s parole officer is always around watching and directing, getting in the way of their plan. The land on which the scam takes place is called Bigelow Junction. While on the land to implement their swindle many interesting and amusing characters are added to the mix.

The plot gets very complicated and nail-biting. I could not help but like the two ex-cons and their crazy ideas. The plan doesn’t go according to their wishes but the build-up to the outcome is great.

BonnieK

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to preview this book. The story was fairly good, however, the author seemed to be trying too hard, giving his Thesaurus a real workout. Still worthwhile.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

This was a fun read which I finished in a day.
Great.

[Jenic Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read. Thought the ending could have been better but no complaints. But maybe the ending is tied to the second book. Not sure it's worth picking up. Maybe in a free read. Anywho It was an okay read. It features two convicts who are trying to get revenge on another crooked criminal. They set out to set up a big scheme to get even with.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 Stars*

Interesting read, great characters. Things sometimes don't turn out the way you would like them to, or they way you plan them.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.25 of 5

There is really nothing wrong with this book. But there's nothing special about it, either.

The plot is exactly what you might expect, given the title. A group of people want to 'get even' with someone who never seems to get his comeuppance. Does this plot sound familiar? Think The Sting; think Ocean's 11; think any revenge book or film.

So if the plot is not extraordinary (and it's not) then the only thing to redeem it would be the characters and the characters here are a stereotypical average rag-tag bunch of misfits: a disbarred lawyer, an arsonist, and a woman who will sleep with the enemy to keep him off-balance.

Much of my distaste for the novel comes from the heavy-handed misogyny. It's one thing to have characters speaking poorly of women and/or treating them like nothing more than sex objects. That can be a definite means to establish a character (albeit a pretty easy way to do so). It's another thing to have the author doing it. For instance ... our lazy, unmotivated (by his own admission) protagonist wakes up to a blow-job from the nubile front desk girl, because ... well, he's so manly and she's just a stupid, cute young thing - of course she would want to pleasure him!

As you might expect in a one-dimensional story, three-quarters of the book is set-up (and sex). We know what the plan is pretty early on and author Di Filippo doesn't deviate from that. The only question is: will they succeed? There's a lot of story you have to get through before you can find out, and Di Filippo does manage to give us a couple of false endings before the last page, and the last two chapters are actually pretty interesting.

The writing itself was fine, the characterizations lacking, and the plot paper-thin. This does not make me eager to read another Di Filippo novel and I can not give this much of a recommendation.

Looking for a good book? Cookie-cutter characters, poor impressions of women, and a one-dimensional plot make Paul Di Filippo's The Big Get-Even a novel worth missing.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Bryan Nowak · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is little I love more in the literary world than a truly bad protagonist and an even worse antagonist! Enter Glen, a recent ex-con who is trying to figure out what to do with his post prison life. Bad decisions leaves him trying to figure out his next move when onto the scene stumbles Stan, another ex-con who Glen saves the life of one night on his way home. From there, things get interesting quick with the addition of a cast of strange and fun characters.

The two hatch a plan, based on the hatred of a man who had a hand in ruining many of people’s lives.

“The Big Get-Even” by Paul Di Filipo is one of those books I read in three sittings. The story is engaging, characters loveable in an unlikable kind of way. I could not put it down and actually woke up early one morning just to read.

I am a firm believer that not all books need to be so in depth that it buries you in detail after detail until your head is swimming. This is just a fun ride and a great story. The story is well executed and everything I would expect in pulp fiction.

My only complaint, and it is minor, is that I figured out the ending before I got there. However, I want to impress upon the gentle reader of this review that it in no way detracted from the fun ride that I had reading this book.

If you are looking for a good read for a vacation or waiting around the doctor’s office, I can highly suggest “The Big Get-Even” by Paul Di Filippo. You will love the world of Glen, Stan, and the others.

-Bryan the Writer

[Ralph Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Big Get-Even by Paul Di Filippo- I've read several Paul Di Filippo novels, especially the Steam-Punk Trilogy, and a lot of his shorter works as well as his regular book reviews in Locus magazine, but never have I seen him write in crime genre, so this, for me, was a departure. Glen McClinton has recently gotten out of prison and is doing absolutely nothing to get his life back on track. Glen had once been a flashy, successful, flamboyant lawyer, who had stolen millions of dollars from his clients. After prison, he had shut himself off from the world. A life saving encounter with another former prison inmate, just released, opens a new opportunity for him. It's a con, of course, and the payoff is big. Glen is at first reluctant, but inside himself, he can't resist. In the spirit of The Sting, The Grifters and The Ocean Eleven movies, the con is on. Glen becomes part of a group of four individuals, each with their own quirks, and each with their own ax to grind. Things aren't always what they seem as Glen soon finds out. Di Filippo's descriptions and dialogue raise the bar on this caper to a much better result. This is a nice smooth read that I found enjoyable and worth the time.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.

An underdog story at it’s core, The Big Get-Even can come across as quite simple, but maybe that’s a good thing considering how much is delivered throughout this book as the plot unfolds and the story grows.

The development is fantastic throughout this book as the group develop the plan and start putting the scam in place and though it can feel the execution of the finale is pretty fast this book ends with a finale hard to forget and it makes for an exciting ending which slow burns into a fantastic read.

I like that the characters are very human and are cons conning the conner, it’s a group of people that can come across as misfits but they work together, this writer crafting a great group of characters that deliver a very promising story, particularly Stan and Vee who really add so much to this story (and it’s kinda cool to share a name with a character so I might be biased!)

A good read, I recommend if you want an on the edge of your seat (when it gets going) page turner that leaves you wanting more from these characters.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review)

[Christa Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glen McClinton had a drug problem that he was funding by stealing from his clients. He ended up disbarred and after a prison sentence, is out trying to get his life back together. He is out one night and saves a guy from an overdose. Months later, this guy looks him up. Stan is also an ex-con, actually got out the day he ODed. Stan is now clean again and recruiting Glen for a big scam to get even with the guy who allowed him to go to prison. To pull this off, they end up re-opening a lodge that had been closed for years to get their mark to believe the land is worth much more than it actually is worth. The scam ends up being a lot of work and along the way, there is a quirky group of locals who work for the lodge. Everyone keeps moving things forward and having a lot of casual hook-ups. In the end, do they pull off the deal? You will have to read (or listen) if you want to know.

[John Glover · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disbarred lawyer and an ex-arsonist cross paths and find themselves organizing an elaborate real-estate swindle to scam a shady rich speculator out of twenty million dollars.

The sting is personal for ex-arsonist Stan and for a woman named Vee, who plays an essential role in the story. Glen, the narrator, and former lawyer, finds himself at first just along for the money. Eventually, as bonds deepen among the conspirators, Glen too discovers he has a lot more at stake than simply the money.

This cast of lively eccentrics discovers along the way that getting to the big payoff might just be more scary fun than the monetary prize itself.

This was an easy read, but overall it was an average book for me, not a great one.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a copy this book in return for a fair and honest review

[Jennifer Gottschalk · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has a strong opening with the main protagonist acting as an unlikely good Samaritan. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that he is smart, deeply flawed and at times wryly funny.

The key actors in this drama are more than a little unsavoury and I almost gave up part way through as whilst they are rogues, they are not all that likeable. In fact, it would be fair to say they have no redeeming features and blame their ills on drugs and other people rather than taking responsibility for their bad life choices.

Having said that, the story sucked me in just enough to keep going and I was glad that I did. The ending, whilst slightly predictable was quite satisfying.

Think dodgy characters going after a truly evil villain and you have a good idea of where things are headed.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Get-Even by Paul Di Filippo is and fast paced sting aimed at a rich but unethical urban developer who has killed people and framed his hired arsonist in his effort to become rich.

I found this book to be entertaining and also amusing at times. The plot and characters are well developed. The story is narrated by Glen, a former lawyer who stole large sums of money from his former clients. Glen's point of view is often funny and tragic at the same time. I also did not expect the surprise at the end of the book. This is a book worth reading.

I received this book as a B&N serial read where a few chapters are delivered to my Nook until the book is completed. This is a great way to find out about different authors.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This told of quite an elaborate scam.....with a lot of rollicking/frolicking along the way! I kind of got into it thru the 1st third of the book, the setting up of the scam...then wondered how this was going to play out ......then, it seemed like it all tied up too quickly at the end?
It was a real easy, quick read....a fun & entertaining read, for the most part.... I just might not have liked how I thought it ended rather quickly? Short chapters make for a quick transition to the next play/idea/part/subject.... The cover of the book is pretty good/appropriate too.
I received this e-galley from NetGalley, in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Loy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! Can a couple of Cons con another Con?? Glen, an ex-lawyer, gets mixed up in a scam to get even with a man who has wronged many people.
Glen saves the life of another parole who comes to him with a great scam to take down a real estate Tycoon.
The scam takes a most of the book to set up, with many obstacles along the way. Glen is almost a bystander watching things unfold. the story was good. the ending a little rushed. But all and all a fun story. The writing itself was very good. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received this as an ARC from net galley.

I read other reviews prior to starting this and was a little put off...however, this book was a lot of fun. The characters were very quirky and at times almost caricatures of people. While at times the plot could be a little far-fetched and unrealistic, the book was a page turner and held my interest throughout. It was a quick read and entertaining.

While I didn't have high hopes for the book to begin with and it wasn't a great book, it was definitely enjoyable if you suspend a little belief and just go along for the ride!

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3) if you are looking for a light hearted entertaining read, this is a good choice. A classic plot of revenge via con with a boatload of aggravation along the way. A couple of fun twists and turns (but not too many) are here but the real star is the cast of characters. And that is what they are, characters. Bunches of them. Our twin towers, Glen and Stan lead the way, but the supporting cast really makes this story a winner. It started out a little slow and as is the norm with these kind of stories, the ending is a little weak, but either way, a fun experience.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty light read that worked out OK on a long flight. Ultimately though it's just decent. The biggest problem, I think, is that it never really felt like anything might go wrong. That sort of saps tension from a heist/caper what have you. Ultimately was a little predictable and the protagonist a little too good, in that he somehow manages to bang every attractive woman mentioned in the book. The blurb mentioning Chandler is out of place here, as this is miles short of Chandler. Maybe I'm talking myself into a lower rating than 3. I think I'll stick there for now.

[Jeanne Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is a pleasant read about two down on their luck scammers who get together to scam a crime boss. It works quite well until they find out that some of their associates are law enforcement and they realize they are not going to get the payoff they envisioned. The law enforcement folks do not have any need to arrest the scammers - they were after the crime boss, so our heroes got off with no punishment, an only a small portion of the reward that they expected. It was an entertaining story.

[Tonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book we follow Glen, an ex-lawyer, who gets mixed up in a scam to get even with a rich speculator who has wronged many people. The first quarter of this book was exciting, learning about the scam and the characters, but I felt like it got caught up in the drama of the little things and dragged on only to be rushed to a conclusion.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my opinion in any way.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a day--I just couldn't put it down! The funny and edgy descriptions that set up the characters and plot really drew me in, and as chapters went on, the book became a truly entertaining caper to the final finish. The story seemed to me to be smooth, well thought out and plausible, and the characters were very believable and likable. It was a riveting read with a surprising end. A great read that will leave you wanting more! Highly recommended!

[meghann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the Barnes and Noble Nook serial read for the month of March. This turned out to be a very fun read. I was not feeling Stan or Glen in the beginning, but they both grew on me. They were not the best people, but watching them put together a rag tag team to scheme against an even worse person was quite enjoyable. And that ending was nothing like I was expecting. I would definitely read the next book in this series.