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El Gardener #1
The Debt
ASIN moved from less recent edition with a different Author's name
Who do you trust, when everybody lies?
El Gardener is used to telling lies – as a con-artist, she’s made a career of it.
But when she takes on what seems to be a routine job as a favour to the woman who trained her, she finds herself plunged into the most personal con of her career – taking down the man who killed her mother 20 years before.
Joining forces with a team of talented but enigmatic con-women, all with their own reasons for wanting payback, El plots his downfall. But it isn’t long before she’s questioning their motivations, the secrets they’re keeping… and what she thinks she knows about her past.
How much is she willing to gamble for revenge? And how far can she trust the women she’s thrown in with?
Who do you trust, when everybody lies?
Who do you trust, when everybody lies?
El Gardener is used to telling lies – as a con-artist, she’s made a career of it.
But when she takes on what seems to be a routine job as a favour to the woman who trained her, she finds herself plunged into the most personal con of her career – taking down the man who killed her mother 20 years before.
Joining forces with a team of talented but enigmatic con-women, all with their own reasons for wanting payback, El plots his downfall. But it isn’t long before she’s questioning their motivations, the secrets they’re keeping… and what she thinks she knows about her past.
How much is she willing to gamble for revenge? And how far can she trust the women she’s thrown in with?
Who do you trust, when everybody lies?
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2021
About the author
Natalie Edwards
3 books17 followersNatalie Edwards is also known as T.C. Parker.
I'm a writer and researcher based in the fox-ravaged wilds of Leicestershire, where I live with my partner and two extremely energetic children.
I've been a copywriter, a lecturer and, very briefly, an academic; now I run a semiotics and cultural insight agency by day and dream up horror and crime fiction at night, when the kids are asleep.
As Natalie Edwards, I write crime - primarily the ongoing El Gardener series. As TC Parker, I write horror - including the novels Saltblood and A Press of Feathers.
I'm currently at work on the final part of the El Gardener con-artist trilogy, as well as a very early draft of what may turn out to be a horror Western.
Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WritesTc or visit my website at: https://www.tcparkerwrites.com/
I'm a writer and researcher based in the fox-ravaged wilds of Leicestershire, where I live with my partner and two extremely energetic children.
I've been a copywriter, a lecturer and, very briefly, an academic; now I run a semiotics and cultural insight agency by day and dream up horror and crime fiction at night, when the kids are asleep.
As Natalie Edwards, I write crime - primarily the ongoing El Gardener series. As TC Parker, I write horror - including the novels Saltblood and A Press of Feathers.
I'm currently at work on the final part of the El Gardener con-artist trilogy, as well as a very early draft of what may turn out to be a horror Western.
Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WritesTc or visit my website at: https://www.tcparkerwrites.com/
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 25, 2022
At first, The Debt is reminiscent of heist movies, more specifically Ocean’s 8 and its cast of kickass women, but as the story develops, the light and fun feeling evaporates into a much darker story.
A lot of what El knows as a con artist, she learned from Ruby, who took her under her wing as a teenager. So when Ruby asks El for a favour, saying no isn’t an option. The favour turns into a much bigger, much more personal, and much more perilous job.
Told mostly from El’s point of view, with a few press clippings and some scenes recounted by other characters, The Debt begins in a seemingly straightforward manner but, very quickly, twists multiply. While I found all the characters fascinating and wish I could write about them all without spoiling, the real star of the book is the plot. It’s intricate and unreliable in the best way, nothing is what it seems and danger hovers all along. The pace is excellent and my heart kept beating faster and faster as the story developed. The bad guy is truly terrifying, and since I don’t often recommend books with violence, be aware that this is one. There’s nothing gratuitous about it however, it’s necessary for the story and brings insight into both the villain and the women going after him.
I’m going to need a lighter read after this but the next books in the series are going on my TBR right away.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
A lot of what El knows as a con artist, she learned from Ruby, who took her under her wing as a teenager. So when Ruby asks El for a favour, saying no isn’t an option. The favour turns into a much bigger, much more personal, and much more perilous job.
Told mostly from El’s point of view, with a few press clippings and some scenes recounted by other characters, The Debt begins in a seemingly straightforward manner but, very quickly, twists multiply. While I found all the characters fascinating and wish I could write about them all without spoiling, the real star of the book is the plot. It’s intricate and unreliable in the best way, nothing is what it seems and danger hovers all along. The pace is excellent and my heart kept beating faster and faster as the story developed. The bad guy is truly terrifying, and since I don’t often recommend books with violence, be aware that this is one. There’s nothing gratuitous about it however, it’s necessary for the story and brings insight into both the villain and the women going after him.
I’m going to need a lighter read after this but the next books in the series are going on my TBR right away.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 7, 2023
4,5 - 5 ⭐️
Another delightful read by Parker with strong female characters. Very entertaining book with some twists I didn’t see coming.
But “the evil” in this story really is horrible as a person and the things he did. So beware of that.
Highly recommend.
Another delightful read by Parker with strong female characters. Very entertaining book with some twists I didn’t see coming.
But “the evil” in this story really is horrible as a person and the things he did. So beware of that.
Highly recommend.
October 26, 2022
I don’t think I can write a review that will do this book justice, to be honest. It was soooooooo good! Think Oceans 8 (GIRL POWER!!), but darker, and with the dash of Sapphic we all wanted. Sounds perfect, right?
Initially, the timeline took some getting used to and I had to flip back a few times to confirm which years held which events, but rather than disengaging me from the story – as that sort of thing normally does – I actually was MORE intellectually engaged with it. It really read like an Oceans film where it frequently bounced back and forth between the present and past events, giving you the necessary background information about characters and events as you needed it. The times that really, unrepentantly, reminded me of the Oceans films were when the crew would be gathered and planning their con with flashback scenes interjected of individual prep jobs that had been completed already. You’ll know what I mean when you read it. It was great. I loved the narrative style, the way it vacillated between characters’ retelling of events and flashbacks of those events – the way I describe it sounds odd, but it gave an effect like you see in movies/television where a character starts telling a story before the scene transitions into a flashback of that story. Parker managed to weave in and out of these different styles so seamlessly, it was really quite impressive!
Another aspect of the writing style that I found very impressive was the amount of detail. Everything in the book, from background characters to historic events, is described so well that it was nearly impossible not to believe it was real; there were times I was tempted to google characters and events because they were written so thoroughly that I thought they must be real (okay, I admit, I did google a few…). On top of that, each persona that the main character adopts was given so much detail and background that they could have been real people. As someone who dabbles in writing in my spare time, I just couldn’t get over how insanely much thought and work had to go into writing a book so replete with intricate detail.
The plot was fantastic! It wasn’t long before I was so drawn into the story that I had a tough time putting it down (I don’t think I would have if I weren’t doing a buddy read!). The manner in which Parker unfolds the story, peppering in backstory and the POVs of side characters, really serves to crank up the intrigue and tension. With a villain you love to hate, and a plot laden with twists and turns and just the right amount of off-the-page brutality (and a little bit on the page as well) to keep you invested in the end goal, it’s a definite page-turner!
I’ll admit that normally books without at least a romantic subplot tend to score a bit lower for me, but there was so much going on and so much to enjoy in this book that I really didn’t miss it. It was still Sapphic enough to make me happy, but there’s definitely no romance to be found here (though I did feel a bit of a potential connection between two characters that I was definitely rooting for; my fingers are crossed for the sequel!). I definitely recommend giving this one a read, and I’m definitely hoping for an audiobook!
Initially, the timeline took some getting used to and I had to flip back a few times to confirm which years held which events, but rather than disengaging me from the story – as that sort of thing normally does – I actually was MORE intellectually engaged with it. It really read like an Oceans film where it frequently bounced back and forth between the present and past events, giving you the necessary background information about characters and events as you needed it. The times that really, unrepentantly, reminded me of the Oceans films were when the crew would be gathered and planning their con with flashback scenes interjected of individual prep jobs that had been completed already. You’ll know what I mean when you read it. It was great. I loved the narrative style, the way it vacillated between characters’ retelling of events and flashbacks of those events – the way I describe it sounds odd, but it gave an effect like you see in movies/television where a character starts telling a story before the scene transitions into a flashback of that story. Parker managed to weave in and out of these different styles so seamlessly, it was really quite impressive!
Another aspect of the writing style that I found very impressive was the amount of detail. Everything in the book, from background characters to historic events, is described so well that it was nearly impossible not to believe it was real; there were times I was tempted to google characters and events because they were written so thoroughly that I thought they must be real (okay, I admit, I did google a few…). On top of that, each persona that the main character adopts was given so much detail and background that they could have been real people. As someone who dabbles in writing in my spare time, I just couldn’t get over how insanely much thought and work had to go into writing a book so replete with intricate detail.
The plot was fantastic! It wasn’t long before I was so drawn into the story that I had a tough time putting it down (I don’t think I would have if I weren’t doing a buddy read!). The manner in which Parker unfolds the story, peppering in backstory and the POVs of side characters, really serves to crank up the intrigue and tension. With a villain you love to hate, and a plot laden with twists and turns and just the right amount of off-the-page brutality (and a little bit on the page as well) to keep you invested in the end goal, it’s a definite page-turner!
I’ll admit that normally books without at least a romantic subplot tend to score a bit lower for me, but there was so much going on and so much to enjoy in this book that I really didn’t miss it. It was still Sapphic enough to make me happy, but there’s definitely no romance to be found here (though I did feel a bit of a potential connection between two characters that I was definitely rooting for; my fingers are crossed for the sequel!). I definitely recommend giving this one a read, and I’m definitely hoping for an audiobook!
August 7, 2020
El is a con artist. She began this vocation as a 12 year old orphan, being raised by her reluctant aunt. El was smart, bored, and angry when a library book of cons led her to being taken on as an apprentice by Rose. Now, she's established her own reputation as a woman who can get things done, and she's able to live out her life in a secluded house in the countryside, just taking the jobs that interest her. When Rose asks her for a favour, she has no idea that this chain of events will lead her to joining a team of women bent on revenge.
The Debt is a crime thriller set in England in the late 1990s: part heist story, part revenge plot. At first, I wasn't quite sure what was happening. We're thrown into El's world, where nothing can be taken at face value. It's told mostly from her perspective, but we also get excepts from newspapers and magazine articles, and some flashbacks--including the first chapter. Because this is a story about con artists, you're never sure what's real, and everyone has a secret. Reading the first chapter, I thought it would be a mystery solved by con artists. Soon, it felt more like a heist story, with a team of very different women joining together to take down a common foe. As I kept reading, I realized that this was darker than that would suggest: it's fundamentally a revenge story against someone who seems to have no bounds to his cruelty. While a heist story is usually about getting away with a prize, none of these women will be able to regain the people that were taken from them. They can only hope to stop it from happening again, and enact some blunt force justice.
Even before I had acclimatized to the tone and focus of the story, I immediately liked El. She is self-assured and skilled at what she does. She seems to always have things under control, which makes it all the more interesting when she is forced to deviate from her plans. I also found it interesting that she isn't motivated by money: even when she was a child, she had spending money, and we meet her when she's already well-established. She does cons because she's good at them, and because she wants to. Unfortunately, this isn't a profession that easily meshes with having a relationship. We learn that she's had a string of short-term girlfriends, but the relationships all ended when they began asking questions about her work. There isn't any romantic subplot here, but we do see multiple queer characters, and get some insight to what that meant at different time periods in the UK.
The whole appeal to me of a heist story is the ragtag crew of characters. There's something very satisfying about a group of talented, motivated women teaming up to bring down a rich, misogynistic, violent man. Although we don't spend a lot of time with each character--the plot takes up most of the page time--we do get enough to have a sense of them all as distinct personalities, and I wanted to spend more time with them. Of course, that would have slowed down the pacing some, so I'm satisfied with what we got, but Edwards managed to make each of their personalities intriguing enough that I wanted to get to know them more. They all have their own reasons for getting involved in this, and as their plan comes together, we begin to see how their stories intersect.
One character I did not want to see more of was Marchant. He is the villain of the piece, and almost over-the-top in his cruelty.
Marchant, despite his corporate successes, had one, deep-seated ambition that remained thus far unfulfilled: he wanted to get into office. Not buy his way to a peerage or sit on the non-exec board of a policy institute, but actually get elected--to have people want to vote for him. It wasn’t even really about power, Rose had said--he had more than enough of that already. It was about ego. He had a narcissist’s appetite for veneration.
Marchant is a powerful figure, a businessman whose success comes down to being given loans by family early on. He has "connections" that make him untouchable, despite the long list of despicable acts in this past. This power isn't enough, however: he's egotistical enough to run for office... (This is England, by the way.) It's not hard to get behind the women's plan to take him down. Because each of these characters has a connection to him and has personal reasons for wanting him to fall, it lends the revenge plot a lot of weight--especially considering that he has no qualms at having any potential threats "taken care of."
The dark tone of this story comes with some content warnings you should be aware of. There is violence, murder, and gore, including familicide as well as child abuse. There's also mention of hatred of sex workers, but this is pushed back on by the text. There was also offhand mention of a schizophrenic person murdering someone (equating being schizophrenic with violence), and fatphobia in the narration of the story, which felt like rare missteps in this novel. While I'm discussing flaws, I did have one questions about the ending:
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by The Debt. I don't read a lot of crime novels, so I wasn't sure how the reading experience would go. I ended up being invested in the characters and discovering their backstories, and I couldn't help but root for Marchant being taken down. This is also possibly the most well-edited self-published book I've ever read--it wasn't a surprise, then, to find out that Natalie Edwards is (along with being a "cultural researcher with a long-standing interest in cons and con artists") a former copywriter.
If any part of "all-women heist team, con artists, and a revenge story against a wealthy misogynist" interests you, definitely pick up The Debt by Natalie Edwards!
[This review also ran on the Lesbrary]
The Debt is a crime thriller set in England in the late 1990s: part heist story, part revenge plot. At first, I wasn't quite sure what was happening. We're thrown into El's world, where nothing can be taken at face value. It's told mostly from her perspective, but we also get excepts from newspapers and magazine articles, and some flashbacks--including the first chapter. Because this is a story about con artists, you're never sure what's real, and everyone has a secret. Reading the first chapter, I thought it would be a mystery solved by con artists. Soon, it felt more like a heist story, with a team of very different women joining together to take down a common foe. As I kept reading, I realized that this was darker than that would suggest: it's fundamentally a revenge story against someone who seems to have no bounds to his cruelty. While a heist story is usually about getting away with a prize, none of these women will be able to regain the people that were taken from them. They can only hope to stop it from happening again, and enact some blunt force justice.
Even before I had acclimatized to the tone and focus of the story, I immediately liked El. She is self-assured and skilled at what she does. She seems to always have things under control, which makes it all the more interesting when she is forced to deviate from her plans. I also found it interesting that she isn't motivated by money: even when she was a child, she had spending money, and we meet her when she's already well-established. She does cons because she's good at them, and because she wants to. Unfortunately, this isn't a profession that easily meshes with having a relationship. We learn that she's had a string of short-term girlfriends, but the relationships all ended when they began asking questions about her work. There isn't any romantic subplot here, but we do see multiple queer characters, and get some insight to what that meant at different time periods in the UK.
The whole appeal to me of a heist story is the ragtag crew of characters. There's something very satisfying about a group of talented, motivated women teaming up to bring down a rich, misogynistic, violent man. Although we don't spend a lot of time with each character--the plot takes up most of the page time--we do get enough to have a sense of them all as distinct personalities, and I wanted to spend more time with them. Of course, that would have slowed down the pacing some, so I'm satisfied with what we got, but Edwards managed to make each of their personalities intriguing enough that I wanted to get to know them more. They all have their own reasons for getting involved in this, and as their plan comes together, we begin to see how their stories intersect.
One character I did not want to see more of was Marchant. He is the villain of the piece, and almost over-the-top in his cruelty.
Marchant, despite his corporate successes, had one, deep-seated ambition that remained thus far unfulfilled: he wanted to get into office. Not buy his way to a peerage or sit on the non-exec board of a policy institute, but actually get elected--to have people want to vote for him. It wasn’t even really about power, Rose had said--he had more than enough of that already. It was about ego. He had a narcissist’s appetite for veneration.
Marchant is a powerful figure, a businessman whose success comes down to being given loans by family early on. He has "connections" that make him untouchable, despite the long list of despicable acts in this past. This power isn't enough, however: he's egotistical enough to run for office... (This is England, by the way.) It's not hard to get behind the women's plan to take him down. Because each of these characters has a connection to him and has personal reasons for wanting him to fall, it lends the revenge plot a lot of weight--especially considering that he has no qualms at having any potential threats "taken care of."
The dark tone of this story comes with some content warnings you should be aware of. There is violence, murder, and gore, including familicide as well as child abuse. There's also mention of hatred of sex workers, but this is pushed back on by the text. There was also offhand mention of a schizophrenic person murdering someone (equating being schizophrenic with violence), and fatphobia in the narration of the story, which felt like rare missteps in this novel. While I'm discussing flaws, I did have one questions about the ending:
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by The Debt. I don't read a lot of crime novels, so I wasn't sure how the reading experience would go. I ended up being invested in the characters and discovering their backstories, and I couldn't help but root for Marchant being taken down. This is also possibly the most well-edited self-published book I've ever read--it wasn't a surprise, then, to find out that Natalie Edwards is (along with being a "cultural researcher with a long-standing interest in cons and con artists") a former copywriter.
If any part of "all-women heist team, con artists, and a revenge story against a wealthy misogynist" interests you, definitely pick up The Debt by Natalie Edwards!
[This review also ran on the Lesbrary]
August 1, 2022
Fantastic heist with heart - can't wait to read the next installment!
March 13, 2024
Ohhhh but i LOVED this. Ladies!! Heists!!! Truly VILE men getting what they fucking deserve!! A hint of smth sapphic brewing on the horizon!!
Immediately goes to start book 2.
(This is also making me want to rewatch Oceans Eight soon).
Immediately goes to start book 2.
(This is also making me want to rewatch Oceans Eight soon).
November 26, 2022
I’ve long admired T.C.Parker’s writing, having discovered it through Salvation Spring (within pages I was thrilled at what was in store for me and loving the voice– justifiably so), so I’ve had The Long Con - in its three individual parts - long on my radar. I was fortunate enough to be on a mini holiday – so its time had come.
The debt is a setup. I say that in the best possible way, its primary function is to immerse the reader in the world that T.C. then expands, and to do so with a bang. Something to grab the attention of the reader and make them want to read the rest of the series. And it achieves its goal – consider me hooked and biting at the bit, wanting more of El and her co-conspirators. A quick perusal of the comments on Goodreads shows the same sentiment – everybody rushing on into the next book, wanting to know how the story expands. Leaving that aside, however, I wanted to focus this review on the character work in The debt – its core strength. The plot is good, and the twists are all nice and dark and turny, but that feeling of wanting more is a direct result of Nat’s investment in her characters.
The Title character, El Gardener, is introduced in her early days, in the middle of a con. It’s got a nice feel to it, the reader becomes aware of the addiction the character feels, and how that feeling is going to shape her life. There are elements in this book that I think were left unexplored but the characters' motivations, backgrounds, and relationships with one another were all covered perfectly.
There are obviously going to be comparisons to Oceans Eleven, (but with women) – but it’s undeserved. The turn of this book swings sharply toward horror (though it doesn’t dwell there too long). There’s threat, here. One of the characters is beaten sufficiently to receive brain damage, so what starts off as a happy-go-lucky con quickly turns into “are the stakes worth it?” – and that element of fear remains throughout the remaining chapters.
I’d say this skirted the edges of my favorite genre, but I knew that going in, and it didn’t dissuade me from the book at all – character is king and the plot happily delivers on your fears, there’s enough violence, when it happened, to have had me wanting that bloody touch in the remaining books.
I’m giving this an enjoyable 4⭐ ‘s out of 5, and I look forward to seeing where it is all going to go wrong in the next book. And I’m guessing it is going to go very, very wrong.
The debt is a setup. I say that in the best possible way, its primary function is to immerse the reader in the world that T.C. then expands, and to do so with a bang. Something to grab the attention of the reader and make them want to read the rest of the series. And it achieves its goal – consider me hooked and biting at the bit, wanting more of El and her co-conspirators. A quick perusal of the comments on Goodreads shows the same sentiment – everybody rushing on into the next book, wanting to know how the story expands. Leaving that aside, however, I wanted to focus this review on the character work in The debt – its core strength. The plot is good, and the twists are all nice and dark and turny, but that feeling of wanting more is a direct result of Nat’s investment in her characters.
The Title character, El Gardener, is introduced in her early days, in the middle of a con. It’s got a nice feel to it, the reader becomes aware of the addiction the character feels, and how that feeling is going to shape her life. There are elements in this book that I think were left unexplored but the characters' motivations, backgrounds, and relationships with one another were all covered perfectly.
There are obviously going to be comparisons to Oceans Eleven, (but with women) – but it’s undeserved. The turn of this book swings sharply toward horror (though it doesn’t dwell there too long). There’s threat, here. One of the characters is beaten sufficiently to receive brain damage, so what starts off as a happy-go-lucky con quickly turns into “are the stakes worth it?” – and that element of fear remains throughout the remaining chapters.
I’d say this skirted the edges of my favorite genre, but I knew that going in, and it didn’t dissuade me from the book at all – character is king and the plot happily delivers on your fears, there’s enough violence, when it happened, to have had me wanting that bloody touch in the remaining books.
I’m giving this an enjoyable 4⭐ ‘s out of 5, and I look forward to seeing where it is all going to go wrong in the next book. And I’m guessing it is going to go very, very wrong.
March 21, 2022
3 Stars - Kindle Unlimited
I wanted to like this one better then I did. It is a genre right up my alley - lady grifters, smart bad ass chicks running a con on a dirt bag. There are a lot of players and a lot of things happening currently and in flash backs. I took extensive notes in order to keep the story straight as things were revealed. It helped me stay up with the significant revelations and what not. My main issue is with the way the story is resolved. I found it very disappointing. It was not satisfying. I am not sure I will read the next one.
I wanted to like this one better then I did. It is a genre right up my alley - lady grifters, smart bad ass chicks running a con on a dirt bag. There are a lot of players and a lot of things happening currently and in flash backs. I took extensive notes in order to keep the story straight as things were revealed. It helped me stay up with the significant revelations and what not. My main issue is with the way the story is resolved. I found it very disappointing. It was not satisfying. I am not sure I will read the next one.
April 2, 2021
Note: this book was originally published under the name “Natalie Edwards,” but is currently being published under “T.C. Parker.”
T.C. Parker’s thriller The Debt: El Gardener Book 1 is a wonderful heist-type novel. When El was just a child, her mother was murdered. Although the man who presumably killed her was dealt with, it turns out he might have been framed. El, who’s a con-woman extraordinaire, is brought onto a team by her mentor, Ruby. Rose, who’s bankrolling the whole thing, wants to take down a wealthy, influential man: James Marchant. Each person she brings on to the team has a reason to hate Marchant, a manner in which he ruined their lives: missing parents, dead husbands, and so on. It seems Marchant has much to answer for, and Rose is determined to use her team to ruin his life in turn. Unfortunately, Marchant isn’t just cruel and misogynistic; he’s also very smart and has a lot of resources to call on.
I love the formation of a team of strong, almost fearless women who are all very good at what they do. There’s an expert in surveillance tech, a journalist, an actress, and more. El is an “inside woman,” who turns herself into whoever is needed to get close to their mark. (There are good-guy men around the edges, such as Ruby’s sons who are lawyers; they’re just not part of the main ensemble cast.)
El can’t help thinking that the whole situation is a bit too perfect. There are little details around the edges that seem too ideal a setup for a con, and it seems like everyone is keeping secrets. But there’s convincing evidence that Marchant killed her mother, and she won’t back down from getting revenge.
My only problem with this book is that it switches around in time a lot. Relevant things happen in 1976, 1978, 1993, 1996, 1981, 1990, 1995, 1998, 1994, 1975, and 1966. It seemed impossible to keep track of it all. I think a few of the flashbacks to past events could have been handled in other ways to keep them from confusing the issue so much.
If you’re looking for a detailed and satisfying (but also dark and tense) con job story, especially one with multiple strong women, I highly recommend this one!
Content note for child death, violence, drug use, and sexual situations.
Original review posted on my blog: https://www.errantdreams.com/2021/04/...
T.C. Parker’s thriller The Debt: El Gardener Book 1 is a wonderful heist-type novel. When El was just a child, her mother was murdered. Although the man who presumably killed her was dealt with, it turns out he might have been framed. El, who’s a con-woman extraordinaire, is brought onto a team by her mentor, Ruby. Rose, who’s bankrolling the whole thing, wants to take down a wealthy, influential man: James Marchant. Each person she brings on to the team has a reason to hate Marchant, a manner in which he ruined their lives: missing parents, dead husbands, and so on. It seems Marchant has much to answer for, and Rose is determined to use her team to ruin his life in turn. Unfortunately, Marchant isn’t just cruel and misogynistic; he’s also very smart and has a lot of resources to call on.
I love the formation of a team of strong, almost fearless women who are all very good at what they do. There’s an expert in surveillance tech, a journalist, an actress, and more. El is an “inside woman,” who turns herself into whoever is needed to get close to their mark. (There are good-guy men around the edges, such as Ruby’s sons who are lawyers; they’re just not part of the main ensemble cast.)
El can’t help thinking that the whole situation is a bit too perfect. There are little details around the edges that seem too ideal a setup for a con, and it seems like everyone is keeping secrets. But there’s convincing evidence that Marchant killed her mother, and she won’t back down from getting revenge.
My only problem with this book is that it switches around in time a lot. Relevant things happen in 1976, 1978, 1993, 1996, 1981, 1990, 1995, 1998, 1994, 1975, and 1966. It seemed impossible to keep track of it all. I think a few of the flashbacks to past events could have been handled in other ways to keep them from confusing the issue so much.
If you’re looking for a detailed and satisfying (but also dark and tense) con job story, especially one with multiple strong women, I highly recommend this one!
Content note for child death, violence, drug use, and sexual situations.
Original review posted on my blog: https://www.errantdreams.com/2021/04/...
January 16, 2021
When I hear as many good things about an author as I’ve heard about Natalie Edwards/TC Parker lately, good luck keeping their work out of my bookmail. Word of mouth regarding Edwards as a terrific author and human being made this an easy choice for Ladies of Horror Fiction’s “Ladies First 21” campaign to get people to make their first read of the new year a book by a woman.
My typical read these days is around 200 pages or less, and even though The Debt comes in at double that, it moves fast and like any good thriller, doesn’t feel anywhere close to its length. Edwards has created an outstanding and nuanced lead in El Gardener, only enhancing how intriguing the reader will find her by surrounding her with a supporting cast, each presented with enough depth to lead their own story. In the early pages I worried about having the big main cast, mixing up some of the women, but Edwards gives each one their own distinguishing strengths, traits, fears, and even sprinkles in backstory sparingly to assist the reader in not only keeping them straight, but become individually invested.
The story has an Ocean’s Eleven flavor to it, and even though Ocean’s Eight might be more apt due to the all-female cast, the 2001 version of the movie had a cleverness to it that the others never seemed to match. The interplay between what the reader knows and what each character knows as the threads unravel make for a compelling, and at times surprising story. Edwards included a truly despicable, yet believable villain who we love to root against, only exacerbated through his direct involvement in the story.
There are two more books in this series, and after being drawn into The Debt, I’ll be making them a priority. This book is fast and fun with deep, compelling characters and leans into all the best aspects of a heist movie.
My typical read these days is around 200 pages or less, and even though The Debt comes in at double that, it moves fast and like any good thriller, doesn’t feel anywhere close to its length. Edwards has created an outstanding and nuanced lead in El Gardener, only enhancing how intriguing the reader will find her by surrounding her with a supporting cast, each presented with enough depth to lead their own story. In the early pages I worried about having the big main cast, mixing up some of the women, but Edwards gives each one their own distinguishing strengths, traits, fears, and even sprinkles in backstory sparingly to assist the reader in not only keeping them straight, but become individually invested.
The story has an Ocean’s Eleven flavor to it, and even though Ocean’s Eight might be more apt due to the all-female cast, the 2001 version of the movie had a cleverness to it that the others never seemed to match. The interplay between what the reader knows and what each character knows as the threads unravel make for a compelling, and at times surprising story. Edwards included a truly despicable, yet believable villain who we love to root against, only exacerbated through his direct involvement in the story.
There are two more books in this series, and after being drawn into The Debt, I’ll be making them a priority. This book is fast and fun with deep, compelling characters and leans into all the best aspects of a heist movie.
March 12, 2022
The biggest plot-twist in the book was ‘About the Author’ section at the very end where it said “The Debt is her first novel”
I do not know if this counts as a heist plot. It does not really fulfil that definition but it feels like a heist plot. There’s a con and a group of con artist undertaking a job and an intricate plan years in the making. The main character is El (short handle for Epsilon which I thought was a joke until the very end) but the book is weaved so well that the other casts are important and not merely supporting. It really is a testament of a good writing. It is at the heart a very emotional drama filled with tragedy. You root for them. Our heroes. The con women.
I am ultimately an impatient reader. The kind that speeds through words to get to the point. I would properly digest the words only after the second read. But this book grabbed my focus and did not let go. You know the trend of ppl making list of books they wish they could read for the first time again. The Debt easily goes in that list.
First Book by the author? Damn
I do not know if this counts as a heist plot. It does not really fulfil that definition but it feels like a heist plot. There’s a con and a group of con artist undertaking a job and an intricate plan years in the making. The main character is El (short handle for Epsilon which I thought was a joke until the very end) but the book is weaved so well that the other casts are important and not merely supporting. It really is a testament of a good writing. It is at the heart a very emotional drama filled with tragedy. You root for them. Our heroes. The con women.
I am ultimately an impatient reader. The kind that speeds through words to get to the point. I would properly digest the words only after the second read. But this book grabbed my focus and did not let go. You know the trend of ppl making list of books they wish they could read for the first time again. The Debt easily goes in that list.
First Book by the author? Damn
December 5, 2020
A clever plot, flawless interweaving of different character perspectives, fluid writing. This was a brilliant page-turner and was, for me, a literary version of BBC's The Hustle which I used to enjoy watching. A real plus for this book, are the main characters, women who, whilst they have suffered, are strong enough to gain their own revenge for those wrongs. They are women we can all relate to and despite some slightly shady aspects to their characters, they draw you in and you really get to like them. As good as any crime fiction from the big publishing houses, Natalie Edwards is certainly one to watch in this field. I'm about to start on the second in the trilogy, The Push and I will most definitely be getting the third when it's completed.
June 22, 2023
You know that one book you bought ages ago but decided to postpone reading because you're 100% certain it will be so good it will fry your brain and render you speechless?
The Debt is exactly that, I can't spoil the plot because I won't ruin the pleasure of unveiling every mistery it has to offer, suffice to say the cast is wonderful, the pace won't leave you bored and the prose is simply perfect.
If intelligent women plotting revenge on a super evil villain via a really complex, brainy and exciting heist is your thing, pick up this amazing trilogy.
The Debt is exactly that, I can't spoil the plot because I won't ruin the pleasure of unveiling every mistery it has to offer, suffice to say the cast is wonderful, the pace won't leave you bored and the prose is simply perfect.
If intelligent women plotting revenge on a super evil villain via a really complex, brainy and exciting heist is your thing, pick up this amazing trilogy.
Read
March 18, 2024Dnf
I just was not feeling it
I just was not feeling it
April 24, 2024
I think this book was very action focused. It heavily involved a lot of plot that had to do with their con against Marchant. The interactions between the characters had more to do with the plot itself than trying to get to know each other. So i didn't really feel any connection between the characters at all? But i loved reading about the way they executed their plans and their backstories.
El was a cool a character and the others have distinctive personalities.
I just felt like there could be more personal development than the actual plotline. Beacuse it doesn't have side plots, and it was all super focused on just one singulat plotline. So, a bit sad that it could have been more than it is. There were no scenes where we see explicitly how the dynamics between the characters are like.
The plot twist was also plot twisting, it actually shocked me.
Overall, It was a refreshing plotline, and I enjoyed it quite well.
4 stars.
El was a cool a character and the others have distinctive personalities.
I just felt like there could be more personal development than the actual plotline. Beacuse it doesn't have side plots, and it was all super focused on just one singulat plotline. So, a bit sad that it could have been more than it is. There were no scenes where we see explicitly how the dynamics between the characters are like.
The plot twist was also plot twisting, it actually shocked me.
Overall, It was a refreshing plotline, and I enjoyed it quite well.
4 stars.
October 15, 2023
Love how the twists unfolded here, the pacing was just rightfully structured for the build up and resolution of the heist. Situations and backstories and exchanges of dialogue were believable to build this team of women as grifters who've been in rough circumstances.
The beats in the writing (how it maneuvered from timelines) was for me the highlight of the novel, it's intriguing and unreliable enough to keep the page turning.
But if one is expecting to read it for the sapphics, all I can say is the heist is what mainly drives the plot forward. Which for me is not a bad thing with how the writing was composed. A really good crime/heist book and could imagine it also as a well done series. Oh I need someone to adapt this on screen. Looking forward in reading the rest of the trilogy!
The beats in the writing (how it maneuvered from timelines) was for me the highlight of the novel, it's intriguing and unreliable enough to keep the page turning.
But if one is expecting to read it for the sapphics, all I can say is the heist is what mainly drives the plot forward. Which for me is not a bad thing with how the writing was composed. A really good crime/heist book and could imagine it also as a well done series. Oh I need someone to adapt this on screen. Looking forward in reading the rest of the trilogy!
July 28, 2023
This was a wild ride from start to finish. I loved the oceans style of this book, the team of women behind this setup were fascinating and I loved each of their stories and the parts they played in the setup. I happened to start this while on vacation in the UK and it was a lot of fun to have recently visited some of the London locations mentioned. The surprise at the end genuinely shocked me and I loved it. The chapters are short but engaging and give just enough detail to keep you wondering. El and team had great chemistry and I'm really looking forward to seeing whatever shenanigans they get up to in the next one.
November 19, 2025
Wow. Didn't see that plot twist coming. And they weren't lying, it really has an ocean 11 or 8 vibe to it. Solid writing. Interesting Cons. Yup these ladies are good.
* Mains: Varies in age
* Plot: Con artists and Revenge
* Romance: Low and not missed
* Suspense: Had me turning pages fast
* Twists: Yup, didn't see it coming
Never thought I'd like this kind of book but I was pleasantly surprised. If you're looking for something different, try it.
* Mains: Varies in age
* Plot: Con artists and Revenge
* Romance: Low and not missed
* Suspense: Had me turning pages fast
* Twists: Yup, didn't see it coming
Never thought I'd like this kind of book but I was pleasantly surprised. If you're looking for something different, try it.
August 25, 2023
I’m a fan of English suspense novels and this is a good one. It starts out strong and twists and turns up to the end. El is a character I really came to like and she’s surrounded by some others that were also interesting. Revenge can make a great motivator.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
October 24, 2024
Interesting
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I read it all the way through but still struggled to thoroughly enjoy it. It feels scattered and disconnected which is probably due to the number of characters who have various personas.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I read it all the way through but still struggled to thoroughly enjoy it. It feels scattered and disconnected which is probably due to the number of characters who have various personas.
August 5, 2020
A thoroughly thrilling and entertaining read. Great to have a storyline based on strong, clever and fearless females for a change. The twist near the end helped to make this un-put-down-able. Would love to read more from this author and/or see how these excellent characters might develop.
July 6, 2022
Review to come
October 13, 2023
3.5 Stars
July 1, 2020
Thrilling storyline and great characters that kept me guessing..
With a twisting and thrilling storyline that crosses space and time, this is a great read to get coiled around and fully immersed in. Hope the author will give us more from these fierce con women!
With a twisting and thrilling storyline that crosses space and time, this is a great read to get coiled around and fully immersed in. Hope the author will give us more from these fierce con women!
January 10, 2023
This was so twisty and good!! I can definitely see this being made into a TV show -- the pacing and way that the story flips around in the timeline would work really well on a serial drama type of thing, and I'd love watching all of the twists unfold.
I went into this not fully knowing much about the plot itself, but with the understanding of the general subject matter - con artistry with a big sort of heist going on - and an ensemble cast of characters. I didn't expect how fully immersive it'd be - I finished this chunky book in just a couple days! Once it got going, it was hard to put down; I just kept wanting to know where things would lead and end up.
I loved that we got bits of backstory on each character as we went on - not everything was just thrown in your face at first, and the bit of unreliable narration from some of the characters shouldn't have been unexpected (hello, it's a book about con artists!!), but STILL took me completely by surprise. I think at one point I legitimately just like yelled "WHAT!!" after a particular chapter toward the end, haha.
So good and twisty, would definitely recommend for fans of women-led and focused casts, especially fans of mothers / women in general getting revenge on terrible men who have done terrible things.
I went into this not fully knowing much about the plot itself, but with the understanding of the general subject matter - con artistry with a big sort of heist going on - and an ensemble cast of characters. I didn't expect how fully immersive it'd be - I finished this chunky book in just a couple days! Once it got going, it was hard to put down; I just kept wanting to know where things would lead and end up.
I loved that we got bits of backstory on each character as we went on - not everything was just thrown in your face at first, and the bit of unreliable narration from some of the characters shouldn't have been unexpected (hello, it's a book about con artists!!), but STILL took me completely by surprise. I think at one point I legitimately just like yelled "WHAT!!" after a particular chapter toward the end, haha.
So good and twisty, would definitely recommend for fans of women-led and focused casts, especially fans of mothers / women in general getting revenge on terrible men who have done terrible things.
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