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Ripoff
Prison manufacturing is big business—About $800 Million Dollars a year and that is true!
A plan to embezzle millions was going just fine until the mistake was made of hiring three savvy women and the red flags went up.
When they suspect something is afoot, the trio takes things into their own hands by staging an undercover investigation that while successful, is more like bumbling Charlie's Angels. Join Kimberly, Cameron and Kate as they unravel the twists and turns in this clever crime caper and suspicion turns into danger, surprise and unexpected results.
The authors both have experience with marketing furniture manufactured in federal prisons and this book could not have been written without that knowledge. Some of the scenes are inspired by things that really happened, and while it is fiction, every detail was carefully thought out to create a clever scam that actually could have worked in real life according to Best Selling NYT author, former FBI undercover agent Joaquin "Jack" Garcia.
A plan to embezzle millions was going just fine until the mistake was made of hiring three savvy women and the red flags went up.
When they suspect something is afoot, the trio takes things into their own hands by staging an undercover investigation that while successful, is more like bumbling Charlie's Angels. Join Kimberly, Cameron and Kate as they unravel the twists and turns in this clever crime caper and suspicion turns into danger, surprise and unexpected results.
The authors both have experience with marketing furniture manufactured in federal prisons and this book could not have been written without that knowledge. Some of the scenes are inspired by things that really happened, and while it is fiction, every detail was carefully thought out to create a clever scam that actually could have worked in real life according to Best Selling NYT author, former FBI undercover agent Joaquin "Jack" Garcia.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2014
3 people are currently reading
286 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 24, 2014
Kimberly is a thirty-something high flying accountant with a great job, a killer wardrobe, and a hot young boyfriend. That is until the company she works for goes bust and her pretty-boy lover takes off with her bankbooks and most of her worldly possessions. Desperate to regain some stability, she gets a position as comptroller for a division of the government that oversees the production and sale of furniture made by inmates of the Federal prison system. At orientation she meets Cameron and Kate. Like Kimberly, they've tumbled (or been pushed) down the corporate ladder and have now signed on as regional sales reps for furniture operation. The geographical distance between the women doesn't present a barrier to their growing friendship. Nor does it stop them from working together when Kimberly uncovers a massive embezzlement scheme. The trio uses all their skills--from computer knowledge to good cleavage--to entrap the thieves.
The action moves at a nice pace, and the characters are well conceived and interesting. Our heroines have some serious human frailties, which make the women easy to like and to root for. Of the three, Kate is probably the one that could have used just a little more fine-tuning. Cool cougar Kimberly and giggly, plastic surgery aficionado Cameron seriously outshine the somewhat reserved redhead. The novel's villains are nasty and greedy, but the authors also give them plenty of vulnerability. I wanted to see them caught, but I also felt sorry for them.
One aspect of the book was a little rough...The authors obviously have a lot of firsthand knowledge of how this government furniture business works and how it could be exploited. I don't think we the readers necessarily needed the level of detail provided. This is especially apparent when Kimberly shares information about the case with the other two women or with the authorities. The explanations get repetitive and weigh down the middle a bit. A little more summation would have smoothed out these bumpy spots and supported the overall tone of the story, which is light and bright.
In the end, though, RIPOFF: A FUNNY CRIME CAPER lives up to its title. It's a quick, enjoyable read where the good triumph over the naughty and look good while doing so!
The action moves at a nice pace, and the characters are well conceived and interesting. Our heroines have some serious human frailties, which make the women easy to like and to root for. Of the three, Kate is probably the one that could have used just a little more fine-tuning. Cool cougar Kimberly and giggly, plastic surgery aficionado Cameron seriously outshine the somewhat reserved redhead. The novel's villains are nasty and greedy, but the authors also give them plenty of vulnerability. I wanted to see them caught, but I also felt sorry for them.
One aspect of the book was a little rough...The authors obviously have a lot of firsthand knowledge of how this government furniture business works and how it could be exploited. I don't think we the readers necessarily needed the level of detail provided. This is especially apparent when Kimberly shares information about the case with the other two women or with the authorities. The explanations get repetitive and weigh down the middle a bit. A little more summation would have smoothed out these bumpy spots and supported the overall tone of the story, which is light and bright.
In the end, though, RIPOFF: A FUNNY CRIME CAPER lives up to its title. It's a quick, enjoyable read where the good triumph over the naughty and look good while doing so!
September 10, 2014
Kimberly Martin has it all. She is CFO of Solution Technology Corp. a cutting edge finance software development company and is living with gorgeous 25 year old hunk, Ryan Weatherly. Having just returned from the National Software Conference with woman of the year trophy, Kimberly is on cloud 9.
However, her world is about to come crashing down when the company she works for is declared bankrupt. The CEO has embezzled company funds and fled. Packing her things and heading home Kimberly discovers Ryan has taken all her furniture and emptied her bank accounts.
Desperate for any job she takes a much lower paying position with a Government agency that sells furniture, made by prison inmates, to Government offices. The company was recruiting a host of beautiful woman to sell the office furniture, using skimpy uniforms and their feminine wiles. Kimberly immediately clicks with two of the sales women, Cameron and Kate, who have their own sad tales to tell and the three of them become firm friends.
In her new job Kim comes across mismanagement of funds at a top level. After losing one job due to her boss’s embezzlement Kimberly wasn’t going to let this happen again. With the help of her two new friends she will endeavour to find out what is going on, one way or another.
There is also a side story of getting even with Ryan. I think Ryan’s character needed to be developed a little more as I didn’t hate Ryan enough to like how things turned out for him in the end.
A light-hearted crime novel for those that like their chicklit mixed with a bit of mystery and crime.
However, her world is about to come crashing down when the company she works for is declared bankrupt. The CEO has embezzled company funds and fled. Packing her things and heading home Kimberly discovers Ryan has taken all her furniture and emptied her bank accounts.
Desperate for any job she takes a much lower paying position with a Government agency that sells furniture, made by prison inmates, to Government offices. The company was recruiting a host of beautiful woman to sell the office furniture, using skimpy uniforms and their feminine wiles. Kimberly immediately clicks with two of the sales women, Cameron and Kate, who have their own sad tales to tell and the three of them become firm friends.
In her new job Kim comes across mismanagement of funds at a top level. After losing one job due to her boss’s embezzlement Kimberly wasn’t going to let this happen again. With the help of her two new friends she will endeavour to find out what is going on, one way or another.
There is also a side story of getting even with Ryan. I think Ryan’s character needed to be developed a little more as I didn’t hate Ryan enough to like how things turned out for him in the end.
A light-hearted crime novel for those that like their chicklit mixed with a bit of mystery and crime.
August 25, 2014
This is an excellently written spellbinder. There are about 6 different stories going on at the same time to show how peoples lives intersect so easily. The story carries you wonderfully a mystery that I would love to see a sequel about.
October 2, 2014
This was a fail for me. I knew this would be aimed to the Lifetime Channel audience but at least try to be an intelligent read. I still don't understand the main scam in play during the story. Just glad this was a free read. I'd be mad if I actually paid for this.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews