The Scheme

by Amethyst Drake

Katherine Carson, a former intelligence operative turned private detective, has never been in it for the money. But when a desperate CEO offers double her usual fee to find his missing daughter, she can't refuse.

Set in Baltimore, 2009, what begins as a simple missing person inquiry transforms into a complex case of espionage, financial crime, and deep-seated grudges. For Katherine, this case strikes a personal chord, stirring up haunting memories from her own past. As unexpected connections emerge, she must confront her unresolved guilt.

Can Katherine and her team of private detectives solve the case before it's too late, or will the turmoil of her past consume her?

Genres: Mystery

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2024

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scheme is the first book in the Carson Crime Files series by Amethyst Drake and follows a Private Detective team headed by former intelligence operative Katherine Carson.

In this first book, the team is approached by a rich CEO whose daughter, science student Olivia, has gone missing. Initially, the team believes that she has eloped with her boyfriend without telling her father but the more the team digs into her whereabouts the more they realise something is definitely off about her disappearance.

The Scheme is a short novel at just 210 pages and as such it is a fast-paced one as there is a lot to pack in. The chapters are short and snappy and the characters are realistic and mainly likeable too.

The plot revolves around the team trying to locate Olivia with a few secondary plots filtered in. It is believable for the most with a few far-fetched scenes, but who wants believable all the time!! My only tiny and I mean tiny criticism is that some of the characters are described in basic details such as ‘the tall, thin man’.

Overall, The Scheme is an enjoyable action/adventure mystery read that holds you to the pages. It is a great start to a new series and I now can’t wait to read book two.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a crime novel and the first book in the Carson crime file series. The book follows our main character named Catherine Carson who is now a private detective and she has a team of other people who research and solve cases. This is the case of a CEO whose daughter has gone missing and’s the team starts looking into the case and they think that certain things happen first but then start realizing there’s something amiss with the disappearance of the daughter.
This was an interesting read as it’s a short crime novel which I love and the characters are well written and the story itself was really engaging. There is a lot of detail involved in this book by the author and also as with all crime novels there is unexpected plot twists and turns. If you want to find out what happens to the daughter you have to read the book!

[Jacky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book on a The Storygraph giveaway.

The premise seemed interesting and it was an okay read with some fun twists, but there were just some things that annoyed me a little, such as why Katherine felt like “there was more to the story, possibly a lot more”, after like 3 minutes with what seemed like an overprotective rich entitled father. Also many of the conversations and actions of the characters seemed unnatural. Especially that downstairs neighbour. Not to speak of the incompetence of these detectives sometimes 😂

There were also quite a few editing mistakes unfortunately, from sentences missing words to the main character’s name being misspelled.

Overall it is not a bad mystery read and it is easy and fast to read, but there are some quirks that I just could not get over.

[Sabrina Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 1 of Carson Crime Files series. This book has twist and turns in every corner. Over halfway through and I was still trying to figure out what was going on. Which makes this book even more interesting for me. The story is very well written that keeps the reader involved and wanting more. The characters are formed to were the reader will understand them and feel their feelings. I look forward to see what else happens in this PI book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[AMBER CLARK · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scheme is the first book in the Carson Crime Files series by Amethyst Drake. It's a fast-paced mystery. Former intelligence operative Katherine Carson and a team of private detectives are hired to locate missing science student Olivia.
Can Katherine find Olivia? Where is she? Did her boyfriend take her? Or was it someone else? What is going on? Is this a simple case of a missing person? Or is something far more sinister going on?.

[Big Fat Hairy Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine is a retired intelligence operator who is currently running her own P.I. team. Her new client wants her to find his missing daughter. As Catherine an dher team follow the trail of clues, they find themselves in an ever increasing web of espionage, crime and grudges. This book is full of suspense and mystery that engages the reader till the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pretty much knew who did it from the start...BUT having said that, it was a good story to figure out who else was involved and why. Everyone seemed to have an agenda and nailing all of them was a job. The characters are good. Strong but flawed. I think the way it left off for the next one will be a good one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was packed with mystery, family secrets and intrigue! Katherine Carson, Pl, took on the case of the missing heir/graduate student with an eye roll and near empty pockets. There's no way anything was actually wrong, just a young adult wanting to go off on her own without telling her rich Dad. Hop on this rollercoaster of mystery and you'll realize nothing is as it seems.
Loved the sneak peek at the end to glimpse at her next book! Looking forward to it!

[Kristie Richey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amethyst Drake's story is very entertaining on her first outing as a mystery novelist—believable characters in a narrative that proves possible and plausible. No spoilers here. Take the time to read it and find out about Baltimore in 2009 and make friends with some new personalities who will make you smile, laugh, and contemplate. Enjoyable! Looking forward to Book 2.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The people and events are so easily pictured with the detailed descriptions. The plot takes some unexpected turns as every good mystery does. The Carson Investigation Team is a likable group with great instincts. I am so looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Cia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via Storygraph giveaway.

Honestly it was pretty boring. The mysteries were contrived and predictable, and none of the characters were interesting at all. The dialogue was very stilted and unrealistic. There were also a large number of typos.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We proudly announce that THE SCHEME by Amethyst Drake has been honored with the B.R.A.G. Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG. This award is a testament to this book's quality and its impact on readers.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! It was easy to read and I love how the detectives worked together to solve the case. It had a few twists and turns and I love a good mystery.

[Lori Elbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

great new author

I loved this book! Just the right mix of mystery, adventure, and heart. I can’t wait to see what else the Carson detectives do!

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is an excellent private detective investigation with multi-dimensional characters, plenty of action and suspense, and unexpected revelations. I enjoyed the balance Ms. Drake achieves between narration and dialogue. I've had the importance of that balance brought home in a couple of the last few books I read that were heavy on narration. The relationship between the main characters comes across as realistic and caring. IThis is the first book I have read by Ms. Drake, but I will be looking for more of her stories.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scheme is the first book in Amethyst Drake's great new series, Carson Crime Files. The Scheme pulled me deep into its world of espionage, financial crime, and deep-seated grudges the moment I read the first page.

Katherine Carson a former intelligence operative turned private detective is hired to find a man’s missing daughter. Jonathan Ames and his daughter Olivia were supposed to spend the weekend together at their home in Delaware. Olivia is a student at Johns Hopkins University and comes home on the weekends. But this one weekend Olivia called to say she wouldn’t be able to make it home this weekend as she would be busy with her research.

Jonathan didn’t think anything about Olivia canceling but when he had a business meeting in Baltimore he called her to see if she had time for dinner. When she didn’t answer he went to her apartment she wasn’t home. Jonathan became suspicious about her disappearance and called Katherine Carson to find her.

The evidence from Katherine’s investigation into Olivia’s disappearance makes it appear that the boyfriend did it. After further inquiry into Olivia's missing things start to take a deeper turn that takes Katherine back to her past involving cases she worked on before.

Can Katherine find Olivia before it is too late? Where is Olivia? Did her boyfriend take her? Or was it someone else? What is going on? Is this a simple case of a missing person? Or is something more sinister going on?

The Scheme is filled with suspense and mystery that keeps the pages turning with many twists and turns. It will have you racing to the end wondering where Olivia is and why she is missing. I can’t wait to read more about Katherine and her cases in the next book in the Carson Crime Files.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Scheme today if you love a great mystery!

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and fun read for a vacation. In general it's not to complex, but still tense and mysterious. However, sometimes there are jumps in the story and logic that I couldn't follow and seemed to happen out of nowhere. Nevertheless, I would read the second book as well!