Nicky Sandler is a con man who finds himself a wanted man when he is set up by some unknown party, and given his past, the possibilities are endless, but he had better figure this mystery out before he is locked up for the rest of his life. He ends up working with some colorful characters to try to figure this out, and hilarity ensues.

I really enjoyed this book. It was light and funny and suspenseful, and everything I needed in a book. It moved along at a rapid pace, which made it a quick read. The characters were interesting and varied as well.

In summary, I enjoyed this con man story very much and can definitely recommend it.

5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Advance Review Copy.

The story is smart, energetic, and full of unexpected plot twists. Nicky Sandler is a conman and swindler of the extremely rich, he seems like a nice guy. He is trying to protect his family and friends. The story is a fast moving adventure!

I thought I would enjoy this book but I didn't. Swindler and Son is confusing and odd. I had no idea what was going on most of the time. Unfortunately, I did not connect with this book. It's just a matter of taste. It's just not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

There were times that I didn't think they would make it, being that these characters got themselves in some pretty hairy situations., I enjoyed this read.

Nicky, the Swindler’s cohort, is caught up in a web of chicanery that has him running from Paris to the Middle East, chased by law enforcement and fellow crooks, as well. The authorities think he is responsible for a terrorist bombing. He needs to find out who is responsible to defend himself. Along the way, he must face a major problem: could that person possibly be himself? Nothing is as it seems in this book.

The way the book is written almost guarantees that you will be confused yourself, possibly even after the book ends. The first several chapters are written in a choppy way—short sequences edited much like a music video. The story is a simple, extended chase—or quest to find an answer, if you want to look at it that way. It could very well have been plotted on an Xbox or a PlayStation. Plot complications are simply dropped in, here and there. Characterization is simple: Nicky, the main character, is a swindler. That’s it. His mentor, The Swindler, is a one-dimensional figure on the verge of dementia. The book would probably be better as a graphic novel than a print book.

In short, this is a confusing book that is a waste of time to read—if you can finish it. I’ve not read anything else by Ted Krever, so I don’t know whether this is his normal writing style, or an experiment. Deserves a one-star rating in my book, but I’ll give it two on the off-chance that there is an actual audience for a book like this.

There were times that I didn't think they would make it, being that these characters got themselves in some pretty hairy situations. Despite that, I really enjoyed this read.

The subtitle of the book, "A Heist Misadventure," sums it up perfectly. The narrator, Nicky Marsh, is partners in a firm that's nicknamed Swindler & Son. The nickname of the firm should give you a good idea of what they are -- con men.

It's Christmas and life sucks for Nicky. He's been mugged on his way home and finds his way to his apartment blocked by high-end police looking for him. That's before the plot thickens.

Over the course of only a couple of days, Nicky's attempts to prove his innocence, get to the bottom of who framed him, and make things right involve him with a rogue's gallery of great characters, improbable situations, and delightful vignettes.

I really loved the humor of this book.

Since I have been reviewing books, I have always been honest when writing them. So I have to be honest here with Swindler & Son by Ted Krever. I couldn't even make it half way through the book. I felt like I was starting to understand the book and then bam, it was like it went out into left field. I picked it up and tried to get through it a few times, but unfortunately I had to just give up. It was way too off beat for me. I was offered this book by the Author for an honest review.

This was an odd book to read because of the format, but I got used to it pretty quickly. Nicky Sandler is a conman who is trying to find his partner/father figure who has disappeared. I liked the premise of it but I read through it fairly quickly as the story just didn't hold my interest as much as I expected. I assume it's a case of "It's not the book; it's just me" as many people have raved about it.

I was confused from the beginning. I had to put it down and pick it up a few times before I finally gave up.

Nicky Sandler is a con man in trouble. He's in the midst of a divorce from a woman he still loves, the French authorities want him in connection with something horrible, and his "father" and mentor Harry is slipping, which may be the reason he's in trouble in the first place.

I'll admit that I was confused by the course of the story on more than one occasion. The first person narrative style was a little bit jarring at times because Nicky Sandler is telling his story during an interrogation, which isn't evident at first. But give the narrative a chance. Once I got used to the rhythm of it, I found the interrogator's interjections and equally confused interruptions quite useful.

What I really enjoyed about the story was characterization. I grew to love Nick as a person and Mr. Krever made me feel like I knew and understood him on a personal level. He resonated, as did Harry and Sara and a host of others. But Nick carries the story by his manner of telling it, and he tells it well -- even though I was left a little confused at times.

Overall, an enjoyable read. (less)

Despite Nicky Sandler being a conman and swindler of the extremely rich, he seems like a nice guy. He does his best to protect those close to him, such as his partner/mentor, who is showing clear signs of dementia, and his newly ex-wife. He may know kidnapping assassins, but he'd never murder anyone and only wants to keep out from under the nose of the law. That all goes wrong when he's accused of shipping a bomb into Paris.

Things quickly go downhill from there, in this fast moving adventure that makes the most of the tools of the rich at Nick's disposal. Off Nick and crew go, to a small foreign country, searching for his mentally declining partner, who appears to be kidnapped. Never mind that a nuclear weapon is missing and probably in the wrong hands. Nick has to think fast and even faster than the other shady folks that he encounters.

Thank you to Little David, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for this Advance Review Copy.

I was in the mood for something light and quick and this did the trick. So it’s a microwaveable burrito of a book. But seriously, I’ve always enjoyed a good con artist story (particularly cinematically), the name is apt because a good con is an art form of a sort, requiring meticulous understanding of psychology among other things. Sandler and Son (unrelated) are a team, (yeah, the Sandlers are Swindlers, how cute is that) and their business is high stakes cons and all is magic until Sandler starts forgetting things in the most inconvenient manner. Old age is no joke, but for a confidence man the lack of confidence is a real killer. So when Sandler disappears, it is up to the Son to find him…cue in thrilling soundtrack to an international adventure, political intrigue and some creative interpretation of the facts. All in the name of the game, love and friendship…although no one says no to money either. Fun story and yes, it would have made a fun movie also. A mindless sort of fun, which is totally ok if you’re in the mood for it, plus made for a nice introduction to a new author, who’s apparently been around, but this is the first time I’ve read him. Thanks Netgalley.