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The Stash
People have fantasies about finding buried treasure, but for S arah A ltman it becomes a reality when she convinces herself that it isn't really a crime to appropriate a large stash of money hidden by a meth dealer after he has a car accident. Every dollar will likely add to the time he spends in prison, so she chooses to be a good Samaritan and relieve him of the burden. Already contemplating a divorce, Sarah realizes that the money will allow her the freedom to do so with financial security---so long as no one learns she has it.
Deputy N ate C arlson has been giving protection to the dealer in exchange for a share of the profit from the meth. He's severely injured, but before he dies, he manages to tell Nate where the cash is buried.
Sergeant F rank D evich, Nate's widowed brother-in-law, questions Sarah, triggering a mutual attraction. Frank doesn't recognize her as the young woman he'd left with a broken heart years ago, and he's determined to have her. Sarah, however, resists involvement.
Nate soon discovers that only Frank and Sarah had easy access to the Minnesota gravel pit where the stash had been hidden. Desperate for money, he will do anything to get it.
Deputy N ate C arlson has been giving protection to the dealer in exchange for a share of the profit from the meth. He's severely injured, but before he dies, he manages to tell Nate where the cash is buried.
Sergeant F rank D evich, Nate's widowed brother-in-law, questions Sarah, triggering a mutual attraction. Frank doesn't recognize her as the young woman he'd left with a broken heart years ago, and he's determined to have her. Sarah, however, resists involvement.
Nate soon discovers that only Frank and Sarah had easy access to the Minnesota gravel pit where the stash had been hidden. Desperate for money, he will do anything to get it.
359 pages, Paperback
Published August 25, 2022
About the author
Sandra Sperling
8 books6 followersSandra Sperling was born in Nevada and began her creative life in Minnesosta, where, as a child, she wrote a play and a short story. Eventually, she attempted a horror novel, but it didn't horrify. Her mother, while reading the manuscript, began to laugh helplessly and leaned against a door for support, sliding to the floor like a piece of cooked spaghetti. Deciding she was a failure as a writer, Sandy switched to painting drybrush watercolors. The pull to write, however, was too strong to resist, so while still in Minnesota, she again began to write, publishing some short stories and advancing to novels. She currently lives in Kentucky with her husband, She enjoys taking nature walks, refinishing old furniture and reading.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 27, 2022
Don’t we all fantasize about stumbling upon a huge stash of cash? After Sarah Altman does exactly that, she hatches a complicated plan—both for concealing the money and what she’ll eventually do with it. She’s an unhappily married woman who is able to reinvent herself after her windfall. To tell you this does little to impart the tour de force of 'The Stash.' It’s both serious and comical; both character and plot-driven.
Sarah and Frank (an ex-boyfriend slowly reinserting himself into her life) are both realistically portrayed, though, at times, super-human. Sarah’s a near superhero: she’s tough-minded and more than capable when it comes to self-defense. “Her shoes accurately reflected her personality: practical, uncompromising and virtually impervious to outside influences.” Frank’s super-human in a different way: his passionate and vulnerable nature allow him to tune into a previously unknown psychic side—at least when it comes to Sarah. What’s curious is that he hasn’t a clue that a former girlfriend—Lynn from his past—is Sarah. I kept wondering if he would ever realize this.
My curiosity about this as well as other issues grew along with the tension. I lost count of the comical scenes and situations. Sperling, adept at descriptions, writes this of a woman who Frank’s mother has set him up with: “She stood in front of him, the bright tangerine roses on the bodice of her dress rising and falling rapidly. She rubbed the nicotine patch on her arm and popped a piece of gum in her mouth, chewing viciously. She reminded him of a timber wolf devouring a deer carcass.” What a strong and funny mental picture this creates!
Similar to Elisabet’s Will, the first novel I’ve read by Sterling, we follow a rich cast of characters, as they go about their daily lives. Both novels beautifully depict Sisu—the strength of the human will. However, it’s amped up in Sarah. As I flipped the pages of The Stash, I kept wondering what would happen to reveal a crack in Sarah’s armor. Not to give a spoiler alert: life proves to be a leveler. I really came to care for the characters here and can well-imagine a sequel. Great storytelling! As in the case of the earlier novel, justice is served and the ending is tremendously satisfying!
Sarah and Frank (an ex-boyfriend slowly reinserting himself into her life) are both realistically portrayed, though, at times, super-human. Sarah’s a near superhero: she’s tough-minded and more than capable when it comes to self-defense. “Her shoes accurately reflected her personality: practical, uncompromising and virtually impervious to outside influences.” Frank’s super-human in a different way: his passionate and vulnerable nature allow him to tune into a previously unknown psychic side—at least when it comes to Sarah. What’s curious is that he hasn’t a clue that a former girlfriend—Lynn from his past—is Sarah. I kept wondering if he would ever realize this.
My curiosity about this as well as other issues grew along with the tension. I lost count of the comical scenes and situations. Sperling, adept at descriptions, writes this of a woman who Frank’s mother has set him up with: “She stood in front of him, the bright tangerine roses on the bodice of her dress rising and falling rapidly. She rubbed the nicotine patch on her arm and popped a piece of gum in her mouth, chewing viciously. She reminded him of a timber wolf devouring a deer carcass.” What a strong and funny mental picture this creates!
Similar to Elisabet’s Will, the first novel I’ve read by Sterling, we follow a rich cast of characters, as they go about their daily lives. Both novels beautifully depict Sisu—the strength of the human will. However, it’s amped up in Sarah. As I flipped the pages of The Stash, I kept wondering what would happen to reveal a crack in Sarah’s armor. Not to give a spoiler alert: life proves to be a leveler. I really came to care for the characters here and can well-imagine a sequel. Great storytelling! As in the case of the earlier novel, justice is served and the ending is tremendously satisfying!
September 30, 2022
This is a marvelous story! I love it. The stash is a suspenseful, romantic comedy or is it a comedic, romantic suspense story or is it a romantic, suspenseful comedy? Whatever! I can’t figure it out but I do know this was a lot of fun!
I loved the action and the dialogue. Sarah is strong, sassy and sharp as a tack! I wouldn’t want to have a battle of wits with her. I really like Frank also; he is steady as they come and committed to his job. Nate is a couple of fries short of a happy meal but he tries hard if mainly in the wrong direction.
5 stars from me!
I loved the action and the dialogue. Sarah is strong, sassy and sharp as a tack! I wouldn’t want to have a battle of wits with her. I really like Frank also; he is steady as they come and committed to his job. Nate is a couple of fries short of a happy meal but he tries hard if mainly in the wrong direction.
5 stars from me!
September 28, 2022
What a story
What a story. This book is part romance, part comedy, drama galore, and tossed into all of that is drug deals, stashes of money, and murder. Then more is added to give the story and turns.
What a story. This book is part romance, part comedy, drama galore, and tossed into all of that is drug deals, stashes of money, and murder. Then more is added to give the story and turns.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews