Newport Beach, California is an epicenter of rich and powerful people with more than their share of secrets behind their mansion walls. Guy Spear’s life is on the downslide, but when he’s not boozing hard, he’s got a real talent for planting bugs and tracking devices. So he decides to set up shop there. His business plan? Record infidelities and get cheaters to pay him extortion money. He promises to keep the secret and you’ll never hear from him again. Easy money, right? Only until he meets his match.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bill Larkin is the author of several short stories, including The Highlands, OC Confidential, and The Deep End. He is a mystery and thriller enthusiast who previously served as a Reserve Deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, then the Los Angeles Police Department where he last worked in a detective assignment. He lives in Orange County, CA and is a member of the Mystery Writers of America
"Fun, fast, and easy-to-read. Crime or urban fans should look this up, especially while it is free."
Reviewer: Reader for Bookangel.
A light fun read, with some adult content, a definitely noir tone and a nice twist.
Former US solider Guy Spear uses his surveillance skills to gain information he can use to blackmail people for money. His latest target, however, might be his match.
The characters are lively if not likeable, the pay-off satisfying, and the story fun to read. It is definitely a modern adult story, given the themes and content, and not for children. This is a full and self-contained short story, but it is wide open for a sequel, and if it received one I'd look it up.
Formatting, spelling, and grammar are the best kind of unobtrusive with no errors that draw attention. There are a few sentence fragments but these are used as a stylistic, as the scene is written from the point of view of a character with a hangover. The author has a nice, tight writing style with no padding, and conveys a lot of information in very few words. The pacing keeps moving well throughout, and there's nothing to complain about in the plot.
Turning the tables is not a new plot but when it is done well, it is always enjoyable to read. My only small complaint is with Guy's method since, like most blackmailers, if he chooses a victim with the "publish and be damned" attitude he'll be going to jail for a very long time. However, I'm not sure the character has realised this, so it doesn't really harm the story.
Fun, fast, and easy-to-read. Crime or urban fans should look this up, especially while it is free. Rating:4
