Mrs. Plansky's
Revenge is bestselling author Spencer Quinn's first novel in a new series since
the meteoric launch of Chet and Bernie--introducing the irresistible and unforgettable
Mrs. Plansky, in a story perfect for book clubs and commercial fiction readers.
Mrs. Loretta Plansky, a recent widow in her seventies, is settling into
retirement in Florida while dealing with her 98-year-old father and fielding
requests for money from her beloved children and grandchildren. Thankfully, her
new hip hasn’t changed her killer tennis game one bit.
One night, Mrs. Plansky is startled awake by a phone call from a voice claiming
to be her grandson Will, who desperately needs ten thousand dollars to get out
of a jam. Of course, Loretta obliges—after all, what are grandmothers for, even
grandmothers who still haven’t gotten a simple “thank you” for a gift sent
weeks ago. Not that she's counting.
By morning, Mrs. Plansky has lost everything. Law enforcement announces that
Loretta's life savings have vanished, and that it’s hopeless to find the
scammers behind the heist. First humiliated, then furious, Loretta Plansky
refuses to be just another victim.
In a courageous bid for justice, Mrs. Plansky follows her only clue on a
whirlwind adventure to a small village in Romania to get her money and her
dignity back—and perhaps find a new lease on life, too.
Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge does not feature dogs—his only book so far that I know of, but I came to love the main character anyway.
She reminded me of Simon Brett’s Mrs. Pargeter, a formidable woman of means, who is not naïve, and who will brook no compromise given her objective—getting back her own.
What the book blurb doesn’t say is that Mrs. Plansky and her husband built a profitable business, having worked their entire lives to earn their fortune. She is a consummate businesswoman, savvy, with a great BS meter, which promises her that the authorities will do nothing to help her. Not a great surprise, but faced with reality, she steps up to the challenge.
Spencer Quinn is the pseudonym of Peter Abrahams, an award-winning author of the Echo Falls mystery series. He has won the Edgar Award, Agatha Award, and the Edgar Allen Poe Award. https://www.peterabrahams.com/
Great to hear a story that actually addresses the "Grandparent Slam" scam. Those calls are common; when we got one, my husband told the person on the other end of the line that if she got herself into that kind of trouble, she could get herself out. Since he was suffering from dementia, I've never been quite clear on whether he realized it was a scam, or if he really thought it was a genuine call for help from someone who should be standing on her own two feet.
ReplyDeleteAmazing the number of people who start to panic and almost forget the cardinal rule of avoiding these scams: hang up and contact the person who's supposedly calling. Usually they are home in bed or at work.
Sounds interesting, added to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea to use scams that are so familiar to us.
ReplyDeleteAnother "silver sleuth" series! Thanks, Elaine, looks like a fun read.
ReplyDeleteIf it's not an "officer from the IRS" on the phone, it's a grandchild in distress, or a debt collection agency about an "outstanding loan."
I can't wait until the grandparent slam gets tried on me--I don't have any! Maybe in the future, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm a fan of Spencer Quinn!
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