Tag: con artists

Payback (Vale Hale #3) by Kristen Simmons #bookreview #YA #thriller

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews22 Comments

The unpredictable truth will be revealed in Payback, the stunning conclusion to Kristen Simmons’ Edgar-nominated thriller series that started with The Deceivers…

Brynn Hilder has conned a lot of people. From the spoiled rich kids of Sikawa City to her mom’s loser ex-boyfriend, from a motorcycle gang to a senator’s son. If there was money to be gained, or a secret to uncover, she figured out how to get it done. And thanks to Vale Hall and its director, Dr. David Odin, she’s found a family of hustlers just like her.

Together, Brynn and her friends have overcome doubt, deceit, and betrayal to unearth the truth–a truth even a group of professional scammers couldn’t have predicted.

And now they must tackle the biggest con artist of them all: the man who brought them all together. 

With it’s clever, fully-fleshed characters and many unexpected twists, I’ve been a fan of this series from the first book. I’m sad to leave Vale Hall, but very pleased with how this adventure ends.

Even though it’s difficult to know who to trust at times since most of them are trained cons, I adore these characters. Brynn makes the statement that she’s finally found her family, and that’s exactly how it feels with these friends who offer unconditional support through some harrowing and life-threatening situations. I’ll miss all of them. I’m grateful to the author for the epilogue that allows the reader a glimpse into what the future holds for these characters.

Taking on Dr. O, the man who brought them all together, is their ultimate challenge, and the author strips away every last hope from them. I had no idea how they’d pull this off. And the secrets that are revealed! Some are pretty shocking and offer an exciting turn of events. When all is said and done, it’s an intricately layered plan that pulls elements in from several areas and plays out like a scene from Ocean’s Eleven. I loved every minute of it.

With a complex plot, a deep well of secrets, and fully developed, magnetic characters, this is a series I’d highly recommend to thriller/suspense fans. I’d be all in if the author decided to do a spinoff featuring some of these characters (Henry and Grayson especially!).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Scammed (Vale Hall #2) by Kristen Simmons #bookreview #YA #thriller #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews16 Comments

Brynn Hilder is living a life she never dreamed possible: She lives in a mansion, getting a top-rate education at Vale Hall. She has friends and an almost-boyfriend. Anything she wants, she can have.

The only catch? To stay in this life, she has to help the director of Vale Hall take down the bad guys of Sikawa City by collecting secrets and running cons.

Getting everything she wants and fighting evil doesn’t seem like such a bad deal. The thing is, she’s not so convinced anymore that Dr. Odin is really going after bad people after all. And the friends and almost-boyfriend that have made her life so different are all liars and con artists—so can she trust that any of it is real?

The stakes are higher. The cons are riskier. And nothing is what you think it is.

The first book in this series, The Deceivers, was a five star read for me last year, and I couldn’t wait to get to the sequel.  And it’s another five stars.

What happens when you throw a bunch of con artists together?  Trained liars, people who insert themselves into the lives of others and fool them completely?  You can’t trust anyone – and that’s the whole premise of this second book in the Vale Hall series.  Brynn doubts her boyfriend, her friends and acquaintances, and even herself.  She’s always prided herself on being a good judge of character – but is she really?  With several plot twists and blind sides, you won’t know who or what to believe.

With the situations these characters find themselves in, parts of this story gutted me, and I wanted to jump into the book and help them.  As in The Deceivers, all of them are so well-developed, and the focus isn’t entirely on Brynn – each supporting character has their own story to tell.

This book is absolutely riveting, and I read more than half of it in one sitting.  The description nails it – higher stakes, riskier cons, and nothing is at it seems.  The third book will be at the top of my list for must reads next year.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.