Buying Time

Dre Thomas and Angela Evans #1

by Pamela Samuels Young

Waverly Shaw is a down-on-his-luck lawyer who stumbles upon a potentially lucrative business just when he's about to hit rock bottom. In his new line of work as a viatical broker, Waverly comes to the rescue of people in desperate need of cash. There's a catch, however, his clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they receive a dime. Waverly then finds investors to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker's fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath. The stakes get higher when Lawrence Erickson, who's bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General, hires Waverly to broker the insurance policy of his cancer-stricken wife. But Waverly's clients start dying sooner than they should, and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to hide—is unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail, and murder. With two determined federal prosecutors hot on his trail, Waverly is on the run, and this time he might need some life insurance.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Legal Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Amazon, Mystery Thriller

414 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Award-winning author and attorney Pamela Samuels Young writes mysteries that matter. Dubbed “John Grisham with a sister’s twist” by one reviewer, Pamela’s fast-paced novels tackle important social issues.

Her most recent legal thriller, Failure to Protect, takes on the bullying epidemic and its devastating aftermath. Pamela won the prestigious NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction for her thriller Anybody’s Daughter, which provides a realistic look inside the world of child sex trafficking. Her courtroom drama Abuse of Discretion centers around a troubling teen sexting case. #Anybody’s Daughter and #Abuse of Discretion are young adult editions of the two books. A young adult version of Failure to Protect is forthcoming.

Pamela also writes erotically sassy romantic suspense under the pen name Sassy Sinclair. A natural hair enthusiast, Pamela writes about her own empowering natural hair journey in Kinky Coily: A Natural Hair Resource Guide.

Prior to retiring from the practice of law to write full time, Pamela worked as Managing Counsel for Toyota specializing in labor and employment law. A former journalist, she spent several years as a television news writer and associate producer in Detroit and Los Angeles. Pamela received her bachelor’s degree from USC and also earned graduate degrees from Northwestern University and UC Berkeley School of Law. The Compton native is a frequent speaker on the topics of sex trafficking, bullying, online safety, fiction writing, self-empowerment, and pursuing your passion.

Pamela loves connecting with her fans! To invite her to a speaking engage or a book club meeting via Skype, Facebook Live, FaceTime, Zoom, speakerphone or in person, email her at authorpamelasamuelsyoung@gmail.com. To read excerpts of Pamela’s books, visit her websites at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com and www.sassysinclair.com .

Reviews

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Settling in with Buying Time, I was completely unsure what to expect. This is my first work by Pamela Samuels Young and all I knew was that the synopsis sounded very interesting and intriguing. Once I began reading, I was completely thrown into the story and before I knew it was nearly half finished with the book. Yes, it was that engrossing. Pamela Samuels Young writes with such an intensity that the characters quickly come to life and the storyline simply flows from the pages.

Buying Time deals with a little known, though sadly realistic and true epidemic of taking advantage of the elderly, particular the terminally ill - both elderly and young, known as viatical investments When a company sends people out to broker and convince terminal ill people to sign over their rights to their life insurance policies in return for a small upfront percentage, things seem unsettling enough. When these same people die long before their time, big questions start to rise and startling realizations surface, bringing to light a horrendous practice and manipulation filled with blackmail and murder.

I honestly and highly recommend Buying Time for anyone looking for an engrossing and addicting read that will keep you hooked from start to finish. The smooth flow of story is perfect and the characters realistic. Buying Time is an excellently thought out, researched and plotted story of legal and moral suspense and intrigue. I cannot wait to get my hands on more books by this author!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally don't read thrillers by women, because those that I have read in the past have been, ummm... substandard. Maybe it's just been the books that I've chosen in the past, but they have seemed to lack what most male authors bring to the storyline - something that grips me, makes my heart pound and holds my interest. So, I sat down with this book with that attitude, and was quickly surprised and pleased. This is one gripping story that I couldn't put down.


The characters were wonderful, well developed and quite realistic. They were brilliantly written to allow one to get involved with their lives and caused me to really adore some and hold great disdain for others.


The storyline was exciting and held my interest from the first page. Pamela Samuels Young writes masterfully and with a passion that makes this book really work. She has a series of books out called the "Vernetta Henderson Mysteries" that have made it to the top of my wish list. After "Buying Time", I can't wait to read these. Pamela Samuels Young is definitely a writer to keep an eye on!!

[Arlene♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freaking crazy. I love it. More will come in my monthly wrap-up.

[K2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable

[Midwest Geek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book by Young that I have read, but I was disappointed, especially given its high ratings. The topic of viatical settlements is a good one, with its obvious conflict of interest among those promoting such arrangements. Having read a brief biography of her, I have great admiration for Young's personal achievements. R.C. Bray's narration is very good.

I can accept that the characters all have seriously flawed personalities, but they seemed to be extreme versions of themselves. The following may sound like spoilers, but it is all revealed within the first several chapters. It is very hard to believe that a strong, highly educated senior federal prosecutor like Angela would tolerate subjugation to a control freak like her fiance, Judge Waters. Then there is Waverly, an attorney with ethical issues and a selfish, demanding wife. There is Lawrence Erickson, the head of a distinguished legal firm with his own serious ethical issues and psychopathic personality disorders, as well as his loyal law partner, Becker, apparently willing to do anything to advance his own career. Finally, Dre's sudden turnaround from a drug dealer and felon to Angela's love-struck, noble suitor was matched only by her apparent naivte. Not surprisingly, the actual plot involving such characters is full of loopholes and incredible events, with a resolution involving obstruction of justice.

Wait a minute--I take it all back. Come to think of it, these sound like people in the daily headlines emanating from the Trump administration, if not The Donald himself!

[--karen Green-berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Read- BRAB Online Book Club

This book was very informative as well as entertaining. Until I read this book, I've never heard of a viatical broker, but by the time I finished reading, I was well acquainted with the concept and everything that could and did go wrong.

The two main characters Dre and Angela's story was quite intriguing, as well as the other side characters. Even though their were many characters and a few bi stories, it was not difficult to follow.

I will definitely read the other books by this author, it is a welcome change from the books I normally read.

[Marilyn Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this...but then I enjoy this author's work

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

IF I could I would give this 10 stars. What a novel! I’m bouncing around while waiting for book 2 to download. Where to start? Waverly? Angela, Dre( holy smoke he was cool) Erickson had a story that broke open in the last chapter My mouth was hanging open. Angela with her engagement I can babble on but I won’t do it any justice.

The plot, writing, characters and the legal process was spot on. No mistakes, holes in the plot or typos Just really good police processes

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read by this author and it was pretty decent.

[Karena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book tonight, and my thoughts are was that it was a good read. But, I still think that Murder on the Down Low was a better book in my opinion. With Buying Time, the whole Viatical Insurance business went over my head somewhat, I tried my hardest to understand it. The mystery building within the story was interesting, it was amazing to read about the things people would do to inquire more money even if that meant murdering people. But I really enjoyed the characters of Angela and Dre, if the author were to make a sequel I would hope that she would pair these two together again. Dre was a flawed character throughout the book, Angela was an achiever, career-oriented person who's future was already set. However upon meeting and dating Dre, I liked how her elevated status was brought down because she got caught up. I liked reading about how her flaws were being fleshed out. Which is a weird description and nothing I like seeing in the real world, but since its literature its okay. And as far as Dre is concerned, oh yes, I need a Dre in my life sans his checkered past, but I liked Dre because he was street-smart despite his bad choices, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but for him it was never meant to be permanent. He did it with the goal of stopping after he reached enough for him to live off of. I appreciated as a woman how protective he was of Angela even if he wasn't upfront about his past with her in the beginning, she had some skeletons in her past, and alot of things that kept her hindered including a maniacal fiance'. But Dre was that stand up kind of guy, and not to mention that his analytical skills were off the hook, I loved how he could break things down to its simplest forms. I would love for the author to utilize Dre's street smarts into a detective career if she makes a sequel.
Speaking of the author I got to meet Pamela Samuels Young last month on a book retreat in Savannah, GA and she auto-graphed my book. She's a nice person.

[Ms.Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only guarantees in life are death and taxes, so why not get paid? Recently disbarred with few options and even less time to decide, Waverly Sloan makes a career change and joins the viatical industry. Waverly’s job is to find terminally ill people with life insurance policies and offer to buy their policies for upfront cash, to which he receives a percentage. Sounds crazy, but to someone dying and in need of money, it works. Waverly quickly reaps the benefits from his new job and the money is rolling in for him and his investors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Evans has been assigned to head up a new task force to investigate a company that is pressuring terminally ill people to sell their insurance policies. In addition, their clients seem to be dying too soon. Coincidence? They think not. All fingers point to Waverly Sloan. Operation Buying Time is in full effect.

As Waverly and Angela become further involved, she in her investigation and he in his career, they quickly learn things aren’t always as they seem and their lives are turned upside down.

Going into BUYING TIME by Pamela Samuels Young was a crossroads of sorts. A test, if you will. She’d either pass or fail. More and more so today, many authors can’t seem to write past or outside of one cast of characters. Having read her three previous novels featuring Vernetta Henderson, I was curious and a little worried if she could do it. Well, Pamela Samuels Young passed with flying colors. With a new cast of colorful characters, she has again crafted a legal thriller dealing with a unique storyline.

Admittedly, the plot starts slow but quickly gets stronger with the progression of the novel. BUYING TIME shows Young’s range and skill as an author. Easily recommendable, I look forward to her next novel.

[Nardsbaby Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruthlessly Brilliant

Waverly Sloan is robbing Peter in order to ply his wife, Deidra, with the lifestyle that she's accustomed to. What Waverly doesn't realize is his life is quickly spiraling out of control. On the brink of disbarment and bankruptcy, Vincent, a guy he met at a conference, introduces him to Live Now, a company that invests in dying people. While it sounds too good to be true, it's the best offer that Waverly has and losing Deidra is not an option.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Evans is engaged to be married, evident only by the 3-carat rock on her finger. Struggling to get a hold of her weight, Angela is counting points and working out. What she wishes she could finally get away from is soon-to-be husband Superior Court Judge Cornell Waters III. Instead, she throws herself into work. A case concerning a company that may be killing its insured has crossed her desk.

Lawrence Erickson is on the short list for being named as the U.S. Attorney General. All ready to claim his coveted prize, Erickson has issues at home that may detour his road to the White House. Claire, his wife, is dying from cancer. Not that he cares; in fact, her dying quickly would be greatly appreciated on his part.

Unbeknownst to Waverly, Angela and Lawrence, they are about to cross paths with one another. With so many lies, death, greed, and betrayal, fog is the furthest thing any of them will need to concern themselves with as destruction is set to enter all of their lives like a ticking time bomb. Who will survive?

`Buying Time' by Pamela Samuels Young is definitely one you can picture being played out on the big screen. Shoot-outs, murder for hire and accusations keep this story moving forward with everyone pointing the finger trying to lay blame. Great read!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blurb taken from my full review from my blog review:[return][return]Buying Time is the fourth novel by Pamela Samuels Young, and is a fantastic legal thriller filled with an intriguing plot replete with clever twists and turns involving Live Now, a viatical company. Buying Time is filled with power-hungry people willing to go beyond poor choices to corruption fueled by greed and to some extent extenuating circumstances. While I found all of the characters to be disagreeable at best, their offensiveness works for this novel and would make for an interesting debate. Prior to reading this novel, I had never heard of viatical companies and this novel not only sheds light on viatical companies, but also begs the question of their ethical nature. Buying Time brings up this issue via an extremely well written and thought provoking fictitious legal mystery alleging the viatical company, Live Now, of insurance fraud and murder. A definite page-turner filled with clever plot twists, double crosses and surprises along the way.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book. I was skeptical because it was written by an attorney. Lawyers tend to be long winded and uninteresting but this book kept me interested. Even though I predicted a lot of what was going on, I still read on because Ms. Samuels Young was a strong writer. I liked her phasing. I thought Waverly was hilariously stupid. His wife was the quintessential gold digger. Her father was a snob. Ericksson was predictable but I loved what happened to him. Becker, my favorite character, was interesting. I wasn't sure where she was going with Dre but I think his character could have been better written. Angela, my namesake, was weak in places that I didn't want her to be but it made for a good story. Overall, Pamela Samuels Young did a great job and I have already downloaded her other 3 books for vacation.

[Tulay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nautical settlements.

From the beginning to end well written story and characters. Angela and her family relationship, her choices interesting. Disbarred attorney almost broke gets rich quick. Lawyers, politics and money laundering. Love Dre character, yes it will be good movie. Read Carnage Accounts by Ben Lieberman after this book.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a good plot and storyline but some of the characters were ridiculous and totally unbelievable.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

[Coffee&Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY enjoyed this book! Could not stop reading.

[JayBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was selected by Celeste, our hostess for U.S. G.I.R.L.S. book club August meeting. I always try to read our meeting selections about a week in advance because I want the story line to be fresh in my mind for discussion purposes.

I confess, I started early, believing that I would need three weeks to read because of the number of chapters. To my surprise, this book was so engaging that I read it in one day and will probably read again prior to our meeting.

This story has multiple story lines that begin to unfold and intertwine from the start. There is murder, mystery, sex, lies and even a video tape surrounding an insurance scheme to defraud terminally ill individuals and their families. It is so close to reality that it will have you "crouched" in your seat, reading at warp speed and speaking out loud to the characters (particularly Angela).

This book will make an awesome discussion for our August meeting;
Thank you, Celeste for selecting!!

[Diane Rembert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 of the Dre Thomas series finds attorney Weslyan in a bind, because his unethical practices have finally caught up with him. Worried about maintaining a certain lifestyle established for his wife, he accepts a job as an Viatical Insurance Broker. Once he convinces his terminally ill clients to sell their life insurance policies for cash, he then sells them to an investor. There's only one problem…some of these clients end up dead within days or weeks of the transaction.

Enter Angela, Zach and a group of Federal Agents, determined to take down those who are responsible. This, "Operation Buying Time" is born.

While preparing for a loveless marriage, Angela meets and falls for Dre. Can she see past his troubled past?

This book was a breath of fresh air for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish I could give it more than 💎💎💎💎💎, because it certainly deserves it. If you haven't read anything by @kinkycoilypamela, I would recommend you start here.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Evans has been tasked to look into a insurance company that is buying up insurance policies of people who have terminal medical conditions and can use the money in the near term. She is also having reservations about her impending marriage to contender to the position of Attorney General of the US. A Disbarred lawyer joins the insurance group and becomes quite successful, bringing in large fees to his personal account, but some of his no longer insured seem to be dying much sooner than expected and often in accidents. He then gets dragged into a money laundering scheme and his lie is now in danger. There are even more twists in the plot and more people who have secrets and persona troubles, including Angela herself. So much gong on it took some concentration to keep every one straight in this one, a good read. The last of a box set of tales about women lawyers by women authors.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those books where you’re thinking “This is going to be a tough act to follow?” This is one of those. I had stayed up to find out what happens next and finished this fast-paced who-done-it legal thriller. There was so much going on that kept the light burning and the pages turning. The ending bowled me over.

The only thing I found annoying which didn’t seem to happen until later in the book, was the ghetto speak. Not the “speak” in itself but this was an intelligent man trying to impress an intelligent woman and he spoke like it. Later however, he began dropping hints of his background by his street talk, and she hadn’t picked up on that? After her sister met him, she began speaking like that as well when previously there hadn’t been a trace of that in her background.

[Naika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie, the first half was a bit slow and I wasn’t quite sure what the story was doing or where it was going. But halfway through, it hit its stride and from there it was just a wild experience. I guessed one of the major twists, but found myself doubting my intuition because of all the curveballs. Which is what I like and want from my mysteries. But despite knowing one of the twists, I wasn’t even prepared for how it would unfold. I agree with some other reviewers who mentioned it was unclear who the series was following, as it seemed like many characters shared prominent roles in the story (Angela, Dre, Erickson, Becker, Waverly). I sometimes struggled to keep all the characters straight. But all in all, I enjoyed myself and look forward to book two.

[TitlelistGirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked everything except…

This legal thriller has all the elements that make it stand out: a good mystery, fast pacing, likable enough characters, and a few plot twists.

That said, I knocked off two stars because I just couldn’t get past the description of Dre’s ex. The author channeled just about every anti-Black negative stereotype of Black women to describe his ex: dark skinned, loud, angry, confrontational, unnaturally colored and “busted” weave, bad mother, bitter. Mind you, this is the ONLY dark skinned woman described in the book, so it was especially jarring. A highly disappointing lapse in an otherwise good book.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was an okay book. I was a bit confused because the title when I saws the book on Amazon indicated it as being 'Dre Thomas Series #1' but Dre himself didn't appear in the book until a few chapters in; the title on Goodreads indicates it is 'Angela Evans #1' - definitely an issue for me. The premise was certainly interesting, but the characters left a bit to be desired - all of them being very flawed caused me to not find them believable, and so the story didn't flow the way I had hoped.

[Asha Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book one of the Dre Thomas series

I read Abuse of Discretion which just came out this past Tuesday (9/26) and is the 3rd book in the Dre Thomas series so I figured I should read the other 2 books in the series. I had never heard of viatrical brokers before this book. A good page turning read from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read Anyone’s Daughter next!

[Dee Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I've read a couple of shorts by this author, this is my 1st full length novel. Great info concerning viatical settlements. Storyline held my attention as the suspense built & Angela & Dre's 1st encounter was a memorable one. Good blending of characters & situations. I do believe I'm going to enjoy these series.

[Tangee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read

This novel was great from the beginning! Mrs. Young touched on a subject I never even heard of, that had me intrigued even more. All 416 pages was hard to put down once I started. Definitely will be reading more PSY books :)

[Lindberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story about a little know industry.

The characters were strong and very believable The plot was a real page-turner that kept my attention right to the end of the book

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the 2nd book, Anybody's Daughter, first and liked it
better. The writing and/or characters in Buying Time is a little shaky; not as firm and clear. It was interesting to see how Dre and Angela first hookedup.