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Scheme
A detective tracks a poetry-obsessed serial bomber—meter by deadly meter—in an explosively clever short story by international bestselling author Jeffery Deaver.
When an improvised explosive device is found outside a hospital, the understaffed Middleton PD knows it’s up against a pro. No one takes credit for the sophisticated device—all that Detective Jake Sloan has to go on is a poem. The cryptic rhyme surfaced shortly after the bomb scare. But ex-soldier and football player Sloan has never been much of a poetry buff. When a second verse turns up, containing a message in code, he solicits the help of English professor Ciara Hawkins. Together, they rush to read between the lines and stop the countdown to tragedy. But as the clock ticks, Sloan senses that beneath this complex case is a motive that is simpler and more disturbing than anyone could have anticipated.
When an improvised explosive device is found outside a hospital, the understaffed Middleton PD knows it’s up against a pro. No one takes credit for the sophisticated device—all that Detective Jake Sloan has to go on is a poem. The cryptic rhyme surfaced shortly after the bomb scare. But ex-soldier and football player Sloan has never been much of a poetry buff. When a second verse turns up, containing a message in code, he solicits the help of English professor Ciara Hawkins. Together, they rush to read between the lines and stop the countdown to tragedy. But as the clock ticks, Sloan senses that beneath this complex case is a motive that is simpler and more disturbing than anyone could have anticipated.
91 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2022
2737 people are currently reading
783 people want to read
About the author
Jeffery Deaver
513 books11.8k followers#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
April 24, 2022
A bomb outside a hospital. But that’s only the beginning…
With the FBI working on one end of the investigation, local Police Detective Jake Sloan brings in an English Professor whose specialty is poetry. Why, you ask? Because the bomber apparently has an artistic side – He leaves poems as clues. The police department is frustrated, unable to decipher the meaning behind these cryptic poems. Hopefully the good professor can help.
Can Detective Sloan and his crew find the bomber before it’s too late?
This was a short story by the very talented Jeffrey Deaver. I’ve read most of his works over the years so this was a fairly simple decision to pick up his latest.
Although short stories aren’t normally my cup of tea, the author did an amazing job of filling the pages with everything you’d want in a high-octane thriller.
I really enjoyed Detective Sloan. We’re provided plenty of background to get a good feel of who this detective was both in his professional and personal life. Perhaps we’ll have a full length book featuring Sloan in the future!🤞
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories
With the FBI working on one end of the investigation, local Police Detective Jake Sloan brings in an English Professor whose specialty is poetry. Why, you ask? Because the bomber apparently has an artistic side – He leaves poems as clues. The police department is frustrated, unable to decipher the meaning behind these cryptic poems. Hopefully the good professor can help.
Can Detective Sloan and his crew find the bomber before it’s too late?
This was a short story by the very talented Jeffrey Deaver. I’ve read most of his works over the years so this was a fairly simple decision to pick up his latest.
Although short stories aren’t normally my cup of tea, the author did an amazing job of filling the pages with everything you’d want in a high-octane thriller.
I really enjoyed Detective Sloan. We’re provided plenty of background to get a good feel of who this detective was both in his professional and personal life. Perhaps we’ll have a full length book featuring Sloan in the future!🤞
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories
April 16, 2022
This is a terrific suspenseful short story, from the well known and prolific crime writer, Jeffery Deaver. When an improvised explosive device is discovered and defused by Tony Kleppe outside a hospital, Middleton PD feel sure it is the work of Patriot Militia 12, a white supremacist group with their anti-government agenda. What is strange, however, is that the email identifying the location to the bomber is in the form of a poem serving as a baffling secret code, and the police now have another email with another poem to decode. Which is how heavily scarred, ex-footballer, ex-military, 41 year old, senior gold shield MPD detective Jake Sloan ends up working with a poetry professor, Ciara Hawkins, enlisting her help in their desperate efforts to get to the latest bomb to prevent a nightmare of a tragedy. This is a stellar short crime read, of misdirections and twists, beautifully plotted from a talented crime writer. Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories for an ARC.
April 28, 2022
A bomber, a detective, an English professor and some bad poetry - so more than one bomb! Who am I kidding, I wouldn't know good poetry from bad!
I really need to quit pouncing on these short stories because I usually don't enjoy them much. I guess this one was okay but I doubt if I'll remember it tomorrow. The subject matter isn't something I'd normally search out on purpose so perhaps I'm not the intended audience for this one. Most of the other reviews rate it much higher so don't go by me. It was a fairly quick read and I suspected who the perpetrator was which is highly unusual. Not sure if the ending is a cliffhanger for an upcoming novel or if we're supposed to solve the riddle but, either way, count me out!
My thanks to Amazon Original Stories via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novella. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: April 28, 2022
I really need to quit pouncing on these short stories because I usually don't enjoy them much. I guess this one was okay but I doubt if I'll remember it tomorrow. The subject matter isn't something I'd normally search out on purpose so perhaps I'm not the intended audience for this one. Most of the other reviews rate it much higher so don't go by me. It was a fairly quick read and I suspected who the perpetrator was which is highly unusual. Not sure if the ending is a cliffhanger for an upcoming novel or if we're supposed to solve the riddle but, either way, count me out!
My thanks to Amazon Original Stories via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novella. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: April 28, 2022
May 24, 2022
Scheme is a short story written by well known author Jeffery Deaver. It is well worth reading.
The story is clever and absorbing. A bomber who is smarter than the average terrorist is threatening well known and busy places in the town. The culprit appears to be a poet who passes information about his next attack via poems. Eventually facts turn out to be rather different and there is an amazing twist at the end.
I enjoyed the main characters. Detective Sloane is investigating, Tony Kleppe is the poor man who has to risk his life disabling the bombs, and Professor Ciara Hawkins is the expert called in to analyse the poems. I thought the whole thing was interesting, tense and finished off well. Basically what we would expect from this popular author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The story is clever and absorbing. A bomber who is smarter than the average terrorist is threatening well known and busy places in the town. The culprit appears to be a poet who passes information about his next attack via poems. Eventually facts turn out to be rather different and there is an amazing twist at the end.
I enjoyed the main characters. Detective Sloane is investigating, Tony Kleppe is the poor man who has to risk his life disabling the bombs, and Professor Ciara Hawkins is the expert called in to analyse the poems. I thought the whole thing was interesting, tense and finished off well. Basically what we would expect from this popular author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 4, 2022
3★
“Sloan’s patrol-cop father had said on several occasions, ‘Reality’s simple. Fiction’s complicated.’”
Somebody has planted an IED, (an improvised explosive device) in an awkward spot that can’t be reached by the usual robot, which means there’s a guy crawling on his belly to have a look.
“He’d had four IED calls since he’d been on the force. The first was a suspicious package in front of a women’s health clinic (the ‘bomb’) was a sheaf of Christian literature and an alarm clock).”
This one is more tucked away, so it’s up to Kleppe to defuse it . . . he hopes.
“Kleppe was in a bomb suit, a ghastly outfit that weighed nearly a hundred pounds. It protected his head, his chest, torso, legs and arms. But not hands. Officers on this detail knew that if the thing went off they might survive, but their hands would be appendages of the past. Disability payments were now electronic, so one wouldn’t have to worry about signing the checks.”
Grim humour. The story is centred around Detective Sloan and the investigation into who and why. The only clue has been a strange poem which isn’t at all helpful, but he figures someone may be able to interpret it and winkle out a reason.
The search is on for a poetry expert, and the local college has just the woman. She becomes part of the search team and more than that to Sloan.
What begins as a straight-forward police story, with some discussion of “domterrs” (domestic terrorists) and other possible suspects, takes a very different turn as Sloan begins to understand the motive.
“Like everyone else at the first hint of an IED, he’d gotten caught up in the frenzy of the case. Nothing else had existed but figuring out who was behind the plot, how they were going to strike, how to stop them.”
It was a curious premise and I wanted to know what happened. There is a lengthy explanation at the end by way of flashback that I would rather have seen worked into the story somehow, to raise a little tension.
It was interesting enough to finish and the writing is fine, but it’s not one I’d recommend unless you’re a Deaver fan.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the copy for review.
“Sloan’s patrol-cop father had said on several occasions, ‘Reality’s simple. Fiction’s complicated.’”
Somebody has planted an IED, (an improvised explosive device) in an awkward spot that can’t be reached by the usual robot, which means there’s a guy crawling on his belly to have a look.
“He’d had four IED calls since he’d been on the force. The first was a suspicious package in front of a women’s health clinic (the ‘bomb’) was a sheaf of Christian literature and an alarm clock).”
This one is more tucked away, so it’s up to Kleppe to defuse it . . . he hopes.
“Kleppe was in a bomb suit, a ghastly outfit that weighed nearly a hundred pounds. It protected his head, his chest, torso, legs and arms. But not hands. Officers on this detail knew that if the thing went off they might survive, but their hands would be appendages of the past. Disability payments were now electronic, so one wouldn’t have to worry about signing the checks.”
Grim humour. The story is centred around Detective Sloan and the investigation into who and why. The only clue has been a strange poem which isn’t at all helpful, but he figures someone may be able to interpret it and winkle out a reason.
The search is on for a poetry expert, and the local college has just the woman. She becomes part of the search team and more than that to Sloan.
What begins as a straight-forward police story, with some discussion of “domterrs” (domestic terrorists) and other possible suspects, takes a very different turn as Sloan begins to understand the motive.
“Like everyone else at the first hint of an IED, he’d gotten caught up in the frenzy of the case. Nothing else had existed but figuring out who was behind the plot, how they were going to strike, how to stop them.”
It was a curious premise and I wanted to know what happened. There is a lengthy explanation at the end by way of flashback that I would rather have seen worked into the story somehow, to raise a little tension.
It was interesting enough to finish and the writing is fine, but it’s not one I’d recommend unless you’re a Deaver fan.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the copy for review.
April 29, 2022
Renowned thriller writer Jeffery Deaver newly published novella, Scheme is the tale of a poetry loving serial bomber. When a sophisticated incendiary device is discovered outside the local hospital, the only clue left is a cryptic poetry verse. Police Detective Jake Sloan struggles to make headway as a second message is received and the countdown is on. Jake seeks out English Professor Ciara Hawkins to assist. A short sharp tale with the usual Deaver twist and a five star read rating. Hopefully there will be more Sloan adventures with the punchiness of this surprising ending.
August 26, 2023
Mysterious who done it
Another great short story by Jeffery. I believe this is my favorite so far. I never saw the end coming.
Another great short story by Jeffery. I believe this is my favorite so far. I never saw the end coming.
November 1, 2025
Jeffrey Deaver has always interested me with his short stories, though I had never tackled a full-length novel by the author until recently. I find his current writing quite addictive and found this short piece to tide me over before my next large read. After being alerted that an improvised explosive device (IED) has been found outside a hospital, the Middleton PD knows it is in for quite the adventure. Understaffed and not ready for such a large ask, Detective Jake Sloan will have to use what little he has to make sense of the case. He has a poem left by the bomber and little else. A second IED with another poem leaves Detective Sloan at the end of his rope. He obtains the assistance of English professor Ciara Hawkins, who schools him on the nuances of poetry and helps shed some light on the bomber’s thinking. Working to find themes and a definitive solution, Defective Sloan and Professor Hawkins soon take an easier approach to identify a bomber with a mission before someone dies. Deaver delivers an entertaining piece for all to enjoy.
Jeffery Deaver is a stellar storyteller, as I have come to realise over the last while. This narrative proved educational and entertaining in equal measure, placing the reader in the middle of the action from the opening pages. The story soon gains momentum and the reader must race to conclusions before the final page. As things climax, truths emerge and put the story in its place, while leaving the reader highly baffled and yet impressed.
Characters work well from the outset and pave the way for a great piece. There are a few memorable ones who grace the pages of this short piece and Deaver knows how to craft them well. Jake Sloan does well in the protagonist's seat, though he is never sitting still for long enough as the case is red hot. The reader can make connections alongside Detective Sloan, learn from Professor Ciara Hawkins, and find others who impress them with their talents. Impact of these characters helps to shape the larger story and the reading experience.
Plot points work to surprise the reader from the start and Jeffrey Deaver is able to do so with ease in this quasi-mystery. There is much going on, with surprises, twists, and even a few revelations that come to the surface by the last pages. I like the sporadic nature of Deaver's reveals and it left me eager to forge onwards to get answers, even when they seemed to be right in my face.
Kudos, Mr. Deaver, for a great read that left me wondering, though not as much about poetry.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Jeffery Deaver is a stellar storyteller, as I have come to realise over the last while. This narrative proved educational and entertaining in equal measure, placing the reader in the middle of the action from the opening pages. The story soon gains momentum and the reader must race to conclusions before the final page. As things climax, truths emerge and put the story in its place, while leaving the reader highly baffled and yet impressed.
Characters work well from the outset and pave the way for a great piece. There are a few memorable ones who grace the pages of this short piece and Deaver knows how to craft them well. Jake Sloan does well in the protagonist's seat, though he is never sitting still for long enough as the case is red hot. The reader can make connections alongside Detective Sloan, learn from Professor Ciara Hawkins, and find others who impress them with their talents. Impact of these characters helps to shape the larger story and the reading experience.
Plot points work to surprise the reader from the start and Jeffrey Deaver is able to do so with ease in this quasi-mystery. There is much going on, with surprises, twists, and even a few revelations that come to the surface by the last pages. I like the sporadic nature of Deaver's reveals and it left me eager to forge onwards to get answers, even when they seemed to be right in my face.
Kudos, Mr. Deaver, for a great read that left me wondering, though not as much about poetry.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
May 5, 2022
Wow
I’ve been in a reading rut lately and this audio book just revived my enthusiasm for reading 😊. This was so much fun to listen to. The story was just gripping, the narration was also so good, I didn’t want it to end
I’ve been in a reading rut lately and this audio book just revived my enthusiasm for reading 😊. This was so much fun to listen to. The story was just gripping, the narration was also so good, I didn’t want it to end
May 12, 2022
Jeffery Deaver's latest short story is about a bomber & poetry, & being a Deaver story nothing is quite what it seems. A brief & fun short read.
April 17, 2022
4.5★s
Scheme is a short story by best-selling, award-winning American author, Jeffrey Deaver, published under the Amazon Original Stories banner. An IED that threatens Middleton General Hospital is disarmed by a young cop, and soon after, MPD Tech Services intercept what appears to be the bomber’s “go ahead”, a coded email. Detective Jack Sloan is puzzled: what is he to make of a poem? The FBI has no answer, yet.
The next morning, another poem: the clock is ticking. Quantico recommends a local expert: Professor Ciara Hawkins teaches English at Mercer College, specialising in poetry. She enters the MPD pen a little wide-eyed: there’s a lot going on, what with a meth haul going into evidence and a drug dealer being brought in. Jack takes Ciara under his wing and, some hours later, they have a success. But next morning, there’s a third poem, so a third bomb…
Deaver is equally at home with short or long fiction, and the master of the twist. Plenty of misdirection and a few red herrings before the reveal. A quick light read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.
Scheme is a short story by best-selling, award-winning American author, Jeffrey Deaver, published under the Amazon Original Stories banner. An IED that threatens Middleton General Hospital is disarmed by a young cop, and soon after, MPD Tech Services intercept what appears to be the bomber’s “go ahead”, a coded email. Detective Jack Sloan is puzzled: what is he to make of a poem? The FBI has no answer, yet.
The next morning, another poem: the clock is ticking. Quantico recommends a local expert: Professor Ciara Hawkins teaches English at Mercer College, specialising in poetry. She enters the MPD pen a little wide-eyed: there’s a lot going on, what with a meth haul going into evidence and a drug dealer being brought in. Jack takes Ciara under his wing and, some hours later, they have a success. But next morning, there’s a third poem, so a third bomb…
Deaver is equally at home with short or long fiction, and the master of the twist. Plenty of misdirection and a few red herrings before the reveal. A quick light read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.
June 27, 2022
Poetry in Crime
Review of the Amazon Original Kindle short story, released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook edition (March 31, 2022)
This is of the fantasy 'criminal who provides intentional clues to the police' sub-genre. When detectives are stymied by a bomber who is leaving poetry clues about the location of their bombs, they call in a poetry expert from a local university to assist them.
The variety of the clues was entertaining, even if the whole situation was somewhat ridiculous. By Ebert's Law of the Economy of Characters the identity of the criminal mastermind becomes rather easily guessable.
Review of the Amazon Original Kindle short story, released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook edition (March 31, 2022)
This is of the fantasy 'criminal who provides intentional clues to the police' sub-genre. When detectives are stymied by a bomber who is leaving poetry clues about the location of their bombs, they call in a poetry expert from a local university to assist them.
The variety of the clues was entertaining, even if the whole situation was somewhat ridiculous. By Ebert's Law of the Economy of Characters the identity of the criminal mastermind becomes rather easily guessable.
April 16, 2022
Another Deaver dud from Amazon shorts collection. I’ve come not to expect much from the author and at that he seldom disappoints. And while I wouldn’t read a novel of his, for a quick mindless read his stories are fine. Fine as in denoting extreme but acceptable mediocrity.
A bunch of clichéd characters, a mystery, and a convoluted twist at the end. Check, check, and check.
This time the plot has incendiary devices and poetry. Yes, poetry. Pretty crappy poetry, in with the rest of the production.
A detective sets out to investigate and gets involved with a poetry expert. Sparks do the thing sparks do…cause, you know, incendiary. And then, Deaver does his best to dazzle you with his surprise ending. Tada. The scheming of this tale is nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is, but Deaver does always seem to be playing for the cheap seats.
Short, readable, forgettable. Thanks Netgalley.
A bunch of clichéd characters, a mystery, and a convoluted twist at the end. Check, check, and check.
This time the plot has incendiary devices and poetry. Yes, poetry. Pretty crappy poetry, in with the rest of the production.
A detective sets out to investigate and gets involved with a poetry expert. Sparks do the thing sparks do…cause, you know, incendiary. And then, Deaver does his best to dazzle you with his surprise ending. Tada. The scheming of this tale is nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is, but Deaver does always seem to be playing for the cheap seats.
Short, readable, forgettable. Thanks Netgalley.
May 2, 2022
Very short, somewhat clever and best of all a very quick read. Basically, a war-torn experienced police detective gets fooled...resulting in a death.
Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited
November 8, 2022
Slow and not that interesting, only the poetry part was good, i guessed the killer and bomber long before story tells you so this was not that much as it should have been.
Writer tried to make an impact with the love angle including poetry and all but that was all absurd.
My first by this writer by I’ll try some other book by this author as well.
Writer tried to make an impact with the love angle including poetry and all but that was all absurd.
My first by this writer by I’ll try some other book by this author as well.
August 13, 2022
Another great short story from Jeffery Deaver. Many authors would have three or four times the pages and yet fail to deliver the quality of story here.
Sloan is a detective; not quite like anyone we’ve met in other works of fiction but quintessentially everything we need or believe should be in an American cop.
His work; relationship with his partner and chaotic domestic arrangements are portrayed with such meaning and clarity you immediately feel you know him. This is great writing as already stated the word count is low but the images created so real and grounded. Nothing stereotypical in the community, the police squad or Sloan.
Before all that we get a remarkable personal insight into trying to defuse a IED.
There is action on nearly every page in this Adrenalin pimping thriller until we find a bizarre and confusing poetical intervention.
The anti-government organisation seeking to cause mayhem and death around the City, planting bombs in highly populated and sensitive venues seems to be communication in code through emailed poems.
Sloan and his partner are assigned to try to make sense of these and identify the target before the next device explodes.
You feel safe with this author. Great storytelling. Filled with characters you understand and resonate with but not a completely linear piece. Indeed, the denouncement reveals that with a magician’s slight of hand the author has allowed misdirection to run through the short crime story.
You don’t feel cheated; it doesn’t detract from the emotional ride you’ve been on. It isn’t a cheap trick in any case. Rather it adds and cements the intense pleasure reading this book brings.
Enjoy it for yourself.
Sloan is a detective; not quite like anyone we’ve met in other works of fiction but quintessentially everything we need or believe should be in an American cop.
His work; relationship with his partner and chaotic domestic arrangements are portrayed with such meaning and clarity you immediately feel you know him. This is great writing as already stated the word count is low but the images created so real and grounded. Nothing stereotypical in the community, the police squad or Sloan.
Before all that we get a remarkable personal insight into trying to defuse a IED.
There is action on nearly every page in this Adrenalin pimping thriller until we find a bizarre and confusing poetical intervention.
The anti-government organisation seeking to cause mayhem and death around the City, planting bombs in highly populated and sensitive venues seems to be communication in code through emailed poems.
Sloan and his partner are assigned to try to make sense of these and identify the target before the next device explodes.
You feel safe with this author. Great storytelling. Filled with characters you understand and resonate with but not a completely linear piece. Indeed, the denouncement reveals that with a magician’s slight of hand the author has allowed misdirection to run through the short crime story.
You don’t feel cheated; it doesn’t detract from the emotional ride you’ve been on. It isn’t a cheap trick in any case. Rather it adds and cements the intense pleasure reading this book brings.
Enjoy it for yourself.
April 27, 2022
This is a short story that will keep you engaged from start to finish. A terrible band wants to attack using bombs and their clues are just terrible and tasteless poetry letters.
When detectives Perez and Sloan are hitting a wall, they ask for help from the college professor Ciara Howkins.
Getting different narratives was really helpful to see what's happening and to make up my theory of who are these criminals.
A fast-paced and suspenseful story, Scheme is a great police procedural thriller that many readers will enjoy.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy
When detectives Perez and Sloan are hitting a wall, they ask for help from the college professor Ciara Howkins.
Getting different narratives was really helpful to see what's happening and to make up my theory of who are these criminals.
A fast-paced and suspenseful story, Scheme is a great police procedural thriller that many readers will enjoy.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy
August 8, 2025
I would have given SCHEME a 3.5 or even 4.0 star rating if not for the ending. It was a fairly typical Jeffrey Deaver short story, involving a series of bombs set to go off in places where multitudes of people would be killed and/or maimed. The first one is discovered and defused by Tony Kleppe before it can harm anyone. Then Detective Jake Sloan receives an email describing where another has been set, but its location is in code, a code that only be deciphered by a poetry expert. (Jake is a stereotypical male action hero, but I found that I enjoyed hanging out with him.)
We follow Jake as he works with poetry professor Ciara Hawkins to locate each bomb. Then comes the first twist and it really isn't a surprise to anyone who has paid close attention to the characters and their actions. Then comes a second twist, which again is not totally a surprise.
Then comes the ending sequence, which occurs some time after the second twist. Jake finally locates the place where the culprits hid while planning their scheme—and finds nothing, just a cryptic note that made no sense to me.
Justice was not served. Several nefarious characters escaped any repercussions for their crimes. I didn't understand the final note. I wondered if this was the first part of a two-part story but discovered that it wasn't. Consequently, the ending so disappointed me that I felt it was at most a two-star read.
We follow Jake as he works with poetry professor Ciara Hawkins to locate each bomb. Then comes the first twist and it really isn't a surprise to anyone who has paid close attention to the characters and their actions. Then comes a second twist, which again is not totally a surprise.
Then comes the ending sequence, which occurs some time after the second twist. Jake finally locates the place where the culprits hid while planning their scheme—and finds nothing, just a cryptic note that made no sense to me.
Justice was not served. Several nefarious characters escaped any repercussions for their crimes. I didn't understand the final note. I wondered if this was the first part of a two-part story but discovered that it wasn't. Consequently, the ending so disappointed me that I felt it was at most a two-star read.
September 6, 2022
A very nice novella with everything that makes a good story a good story: good plot with lots of surprises and engaging characters. I also liked the fact that this was not a longer novel; there was just enough going on for this length.
December 3, 2022
Puedes encontrar esta reseña en español al final.
Hmm, this novella is difficult to review. Every single word I think of could be a spoiler. So, I´ll go in with the basics:
It was short.
It was fully developed.
It was unexpected (this is an understatement if I ever wrote one)
It was engaging, enjoyable and got my attention from the start.
And at the end, I´m not sure if I need to know anything more or… not.
I don´t really remember the last time an author left me so lost and so utterly entertained.
***
Uff, esta historia tan corta es difícil de reseñar. Cada una de las palabras que se me ocurren podrían ser un spoiler. Así que empezaré con lo esencial:
Ha sido muy corta.
Ha estado totalmente desarrollada.
Ha sido inesperada. (Y me quedo corta)
Ha sido interesante, entretenida y me enganchó desde el principio.
Y al final, no estoy segura de si necesitaba saber más o… no.
La verdad es que no recuerdo la última vez que un autor me dejó tan perdida y la vez tan me entretuvo tanto.
Hmm, this novella is difficult to review. Every single word I think of could be a spoiler. So, I´ll go in with the basics:
It was short.
It was fully developed.
It was unexpected (this is an understatement if I ever wrote one)
It was engaging, enjoyable and got my attention from the start.
And at the end, I´m not sure if I need to know anything more or… not.
I don´t really remember the last time an author left me so lost and so utterly entertained.
***
Uff, esta historia tan corta es difícil de reseñar. Cada una de las palabras que se me ocurren podrían ser un spoiler. Así que empezaré con lo esencial:
Ha sido muy corta.
Ha estado totalmente desarrollada.
Ha sido inesperada. (Y me quedo corta)
Ha sido interesante, entretenida y me enganchó desde el principio.
Y al final, no estoy segura de si necesitaba saber más o… no.
La verdad es que no recuerdo la última vez que un autor me dejó tan perdida y la vez tan me entretuvo tanto.
May 9, 2022
Reality’s simple. Fiction’s complicated.
A serial bomber or bombers are targeting Middleton. A 911 call alerts the police before it can be detonated. Nearby, a burner phone is found with what looks like a clue - a poem that may reveal the next target. Sloan, the officer in charge of the investigation, decides to call in a professor and expert on poetry to try to interpret it. But this is a short story by Jeffrey Deaver, the master of the plot twist, and, of course, nothing or no one is quite what they seem and both the police and the reader are sent haring of in too many possible and possibly fatal directions’
Scheme is a fun fast short story with an interesting and compelling plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. Although the story is mostly tied up satisfactorily, there is enough loose ends to suggest we haven’t seen the end of Sloan, the bomber, or the poetry expert and I, for one, can’t wait to see where they will lead us in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Short Stories for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
A serial bomber or bombers are targeting Middleton. A 911 call alerts the police before it can be detonated. Nearby, a burner phone is found with what looks like a clue - a poem that may reveal the next target. Sloan, the officer in charge of the investigation, decides to call in a professor and expert on poetry to try to interpret it. But this is a short story by Jeffrey Deaver, the master of the plot twist, and, of course, nothing or no one is quite what they seem and both the police and the reader are sent haring of in too many possible and possibly fatal directions’
Scheme is a fun fast short story with an interesting and compelling plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. Although the story is mostly tied up satisfactorily, there is enough loose ends to suggest we haven’t seen the end of Sloan, the bomber, or the poetry expert and I, for one, can’t wait to see where they will lead us in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Short Stories for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
April 16, 2022
A fast, intriguing read. Full of police procedure, some interesting bomb information and a good mystery as they ran after the poetry writer. I liked the multiple perspectives and the peak into who they were chasing. I'd read more of this, if it's a series.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
January 27, 2023
Jeffery Deaver has always been a favorite author of mine and this short story didn’t disappoint. He managed to write a concrete, excitement filled tale that wasn’t that long but mighty. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review
April 18, 2022
This is a short story. I like Deaver, but I find that I prefer his novels.
While the story is interesting, it falls a little ‘short’ (sorry). I thought the crime was strange, the reason behind everything really convoluted and the loved the characters. I do not *think* these are characters from any of the books (if they are, I missed that), but I think they should be.
This was an okay read. It’s certainly fast paced and I did enjoy the cat-and-mouse aspect of it.
But, for me, Deaver’s longer reads are superior.
*ARC via Publisher
May 6, 2022
This one was pretty straight forward for me and good until we got to the twist and then I really loved it. I found myself admiring Ciara and what she did and hope that the last poem is the last that Jake sees of her.
May 4, 2022
The problem with Jeffrey Deaver’s Scheme is the same problem a lot of these ultra-short works of fiction have. Deaver crafts a very nice mystery here, but all his efforts are self defeating due to a concept I call economy of characters. When the author has only introduced a very limited number of people in his narrative it becomes too easy to pick out the Big Bad. No I won’t tell you who it was but I promise you will know. Still entertaining.
October 24, 2025
This is a two hour audible book that also has a e-book. I don’t know how I happened upon it. It is twice as clever as it needs to be but fun anyway with a little bit of smartness and knowledge. I think I made a comment about not being a fan of soaps, so I didn’t know if this Was a likely soap story. I meant that to be a disparaging remark for the most part. But all in all it was good enough and short enough to pass the time and earn four stars honestly.
May 9, 2022
When you want to read a short mystery with fast pace and gripping story, you can grab this Novelas. The characters are well written and memorable. Plotline interesting enough and how the author can fits so many stuff in short pages number is kinda amazing. I don't know if this book is a part of series, but let's we hope.
Thanks Netgalley for my copy.
Thanks Netgalley for my copy.
June 5, 2022
Audible Review
Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
Kept me guessing!
Scheme's not my typical read anymore, but when I saw Aaron Shedlock was narrating I couldn't resist! I just love his voice and would listen to him narrate just about anything, He did a terrific job bringing this story to life.
This was an entertaining read, but it left me wanting more- that ending! I wonder if this will become a series with Detective Sloan? I'd definitely read more, especially if there was a follow-up to this story, I need a resolution!
Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
Kept me guessing!
Scheme's not my typical read anymore, but when I saw Aaron Shedlock was narrating I couldn't resist! I just love his voice and would listen to him narrate just about anything, He did a terrific job bringing this story to life.
This was an entertaining read, but it left me wanting more- that ending! I wonder if this will become a series with Detective Sloan? I'd definitely read more, especially if there was a follow-up to this story, I need a resolution!
January 3, 2023
Another Deaver short mystery. Detective Sloan needs help identifying the person placing IED’s around the town, so a local poetry professor comes to help out. A parallel storyline is a CI is taken into custody to be placed in the Witness Protection Program. This plot has some twists, as is Deaver’s style, but I was able to put the pieces together on this one.
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