3.5 out of 5 stars
On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads
How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.
In a Nutshell: Vigilante justice to avenge scammers.
This is book 4 in a series; a look back at my reviews tells me that I read and liked Book 1 back in 2018. I can't remember anything about it, as I read a lot and we're talking five years ago, so this was like being introduced to a completely new scenario.
Did it work as a stand alone? Yes and no. I felt there were far too many characters mentioned in the first few chapters, to the extent that I couldn't keep straight in my head who they all were, and many of them were introduced with a quick backstory, but it was all too much information. It was like starting to watch a film half way through and having to keep nudging the person next to me and saying, 'So who's he again?'
Main character Kyle is at the centre of a raggle-taggle group who operate outside the law, targeting scammers and other crooks. This time, they're up against some Indian call centre cheats and the extremely suspect Sweat Equity, a crooked pyramid scheme disguised as a great opportunity for those down on their luck. I loved reading about this, and the ghastly pair who run the outfit; I actually thought the story could easily have centred just around this. As it was, I felt there was almost too much plot, which necessitated much of the book being in dialogue, as one character explained stuff to another, and thus to the reader.
Having said that, I did find all the scam info fascinating; how they operate, how Kyle's mate VP worked out systems to foil them. Also, I very much liked the writing style, which is conversational, intelligent and often amusing; it just needed a bit of paring down and sorting out, I think.
Thank you Terry.
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