Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. This week’s featured book is for Stevie Turner’s novella – Scam! A story that will keep you engaged until the end. This story showcases just how easily people are sucked into scams.
Blurb:
Lauren West and Ben Hughes are saving frantically for their forthcoming marriage and mortgage deposit. When Lauren sees an advert online from a firm of brokers extolling the profits to be gained by buying and selling Bitcoins, she is interested enough to pursue it further.
Lauren clicks on the advert. She is soon contacted by Paul Cash, a knowledgeable stockbroker whom Lauren trusts straight away. He is affable, plausible, and seemingly genuinely interested in her welfare. Lauren looks forward to making enough money to be able to surprise Ben and bring the date of their wedding forward, and also to put a deposit down on their ideal house.
What could possibly go wrong?
My Five Star Review:
I enjoy Turner’s women’s fiction stories and Scam!, held me captive to the very end. This story demonstrates just how vulnerable people are to the savvy tech scammers.
Lauren and Ben, both teachers, are saving to buy their own home, in the meantime, they are living with Ben’s parents. Lauren is eager to get her own home as she feels stifled and judged all the time by Ben’s mother. Lauren thinks she’s struck gold when she finds an online opportunity to invest in Bitcoin. The problem is, her and Ben have worked hard to save the $20 K so far for a deposit on a new home, and this opportunity looked tempting to double her money quickly. Lauren is sure everything looks legit and decides to take the plunge without telling Ben because she wants to surprise him when she makes the money – a sure thing says Paul ‘Cash’, her online stockbroker.
What could go wrong is a loaded question. This may be a novella, but as usual, this author knows how to pack in a lot of suspense in her short stories. I do not want to give out spoilers here, so I will just say that a simple scam turns into way more than just the scam itself, escalating into burglary and even murder. That should be enough to tempt. At approximately 100 pages this story reads fast because there’s always something happening, making it hard to put down and not difficult to read in one sitting.
Β©DGKaye2022
Oh dear. Lauren really should have known better – especially with a name like that. π
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No kidding! Lol π
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π
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She saw cash in her dreams, lol.
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π
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I have a couple of Stevie’s books already waiting for me on my Kindle. I like that she doesn’t throw in a lot of superfluous nonsense in her books, and her plots steadily move forward.
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A great summation of Stevie’s books Pete. I always enjoy her books. π
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Thank you, Debby. x
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Just sayin’ π x
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Thanks Pete. I try not to increase the word count for the sake of it. If the story is done at 20,000 words, then it’s done.
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An excellent review, Debby. Stevie’s books are excellent.
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I have to agree Robbie. Thank you. β€
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Thanks Robbie for your comment.
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Sounds like another terrific read from Stevie and thanks Debby for the review will put on next Amazon run…β₯
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Wonderful Sal. No doubt you’ll enjoy. β€
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Look forward to it..β₯
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Thanks Sally. x
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Thank you Debby for such a great review! Sadly there are too many Paul Cash types in this world. x
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My pleasure Stevie. And sadly, you are so right. A great read! β€
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Thanks for your comment, Debby. x
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xx
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Reblogged this on Stevie Turner and commented:
Thanks to D. G Kaye for this 5-star review of ‘Scam!’
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A pleasure Stevie. I’ll put it up on Amazon CA and UK and Goodreads π x
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Thanks Debby, much appreciated. x
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Debby, a superb review and wow, this sounds like a compulsive and thrilling book! Congratulations to Stevie! More than ever I’ll be careful from ever clicking those links! Wishing you a lovely Sunday, my friend! xx
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Thanks Annika. Yes, Stevie can pack a punch even in a short story. Happy Sunday to you too. β€
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Thanks Annika.
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You’re very welcome, Stevie! π
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It sounds great and it is such a current topic. Thanks, Debby and congratulations to Stevie!
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Thank you Olga. Happy Sunday! β€
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A great review of Stevie’s book. She can pack a lot into a few pages.
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Thanks Darlene. She certainly can. π x
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I try, lol.
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It’s easy to fall for a scam if you don’t don your daily body armor. The story sounds great, and I love that it becomes much more than just the scam.
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That is so true Jacqui. Yes, Stevie has a way of keeping the meaty stuff going no matter the length of the book. π
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Thanks Jacqui for your comment.
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Great review, Debby π I got nervous thinking about her getting scammed and will check it out.
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That’s good news Denise. I’ve tempted you. π xx
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Thank you, Denise.
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Wow! This sounds like a great read for me to run out and grab. Scams are everywhere and vulnerable people are sucked in. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Debby, and congrats to Stevie!
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Pleasure Jan. Enjoy! π x
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Thank you, Jan. Yes, scams are indeed everywhere. We must be constantly on our guard.
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This sounds interesting, Deb. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful review. I enjoy Stevie’s books.
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Good to hear! Thanks Lis β€
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Thanks for your comment, Lisa.
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Hi Debby, Stevie’s new book sounds very exciting, and so on point. Those bitcoin traders seem to be everywhere on social media and some people must be falling prey to them. A great review and very tempting. Toni xx
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Thanks Toni. I’m glad I was able to tempt you. Hugs β€
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Thanks Toni. Crimson Cloak Publishing have done a good job with the editing and cover, I think.
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Really enjoyed your review, Debby! Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Bravo to Stevie! π
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Thanks Natalie. Happy to enlighten you. π x
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Thanks Natalie.
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What a topic for a book, Debby. This happens to so many people, and the stories are heartbreaking. It sounds like Stevie has captured the whole ordeal well, and I could feel the tension in your review. Congrats to Stevie. Thanks for sharing, Debby. π
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Thanks Diana. Glad you got the essence of this all too familiar crime. Happy to enlighten and perhaps tempt you. π β€
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Scamming must be lucrative, because it’s everywhere! I’m so sorry that people get sucked in.
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Very lucrative. Sadly.
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Thanks Diana.
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I’ve seen Stevie profile and books promoted here and other venues. It is time I investigate. Her main characters, Ben and Lauren, are teachers who are not known for raking in the big bucks. But they should be shrewd enough not to be drawn in by a Bitcoin scam. That’s the rub, I guess. Tech scammers are getting more and more wily. This is a title I should read, especially since it’s a novella, just my size.
Thanks for promoting Stevie here, Debby, and Stevie–lots of sales coming your way! π
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Thanks Marian. And yes, sadly, these tech scams are happening all too often. Forewarned is forearmed! I know you’ll enjoy Stevie’s books. I also love novellas – a good length with a complete story. Hugs xx
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I love writing novellas and short stories. x
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Thank you, Marian. I’ve already noticed that it’s moving up the rankings on AmazonUS and so thanks to everybody who has bought a copy and thanks to Debby for promoting it. x
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My pleasure Stevie. You know I always enjoy your books. xx
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Oh my! I’ve so often been tempted to dabble in Bitcoin, but I reckon anything that sounds too good to be true probably is. I guess there are a lot of people out there more adventurous (or desperate) than me. What a great topic for a story, and by the sounds of things it escalates into so much more, I might just have to take a look. Thanks Deb.
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I’ve been curious myself Deb, but far from ready to jump in. I’m glad Stevie’s book piqued your interest. I’ve enjoyed every book of hers I’ve read. β€
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Thanks Deborah. I read in the news that scammers are now using Harry and Meghan’s names to try and sound genuine and to entice people to buy Bitcoins. x
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Just another scam!!!!
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The ones I usually get link Richard Branson or the Dragons Den. All sounds very impressive, but for me, definitely too good to be true.
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Oh, this sounds like an interesting book. Thanks, Debby for reviewing it.
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My pleasure Carol π x
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Thanks Carol.
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I just finished reading it, Stevie. Loved it!
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Great, thanks for letting me know, Carol. If and when you have time I’d love a review please!
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I will post one for sure, Stevie.
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Great little review of a great little book, Debby. This sounds very enticing. Stevie knows how to write! π
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Yes she does. Thanks Liesbet. π xx
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