Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy of this book.

This book was a wild and entertaining ride! Tanya and her twin sister stressed me out every step of the way! This story was a prime example of no matter how good you are as a parent, and the opportunities you try to align to help your children do well in life, does not guarantee they won't go down the wrong path.

Tanya was a very smart young lady with a very promising future ahead of her. She literally had the intelligence, and her parents had the links to direct her life towards the best outcomes and her highest achievements. Instead, from a very young age, she chose to apply her abilities to achieve very outlandish schemes in criminal behavior. What started off as her being a modern-day Robinhood, developed into widespread ego driven criminal activities.

This book made me laugh out loud several times, as the storytelling was very engrossing. At others, I was screaming at the pages for Tanya to have some sense regarding the men she kept entangling herself with. I kept wanting her to apply some of her smarts to see them for who they truly were before it was too late. In the end, Tanya had a very interesting, exciting, and sometimes dangerous life, but her story was never boring.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend this story to others.

Thanks, Little, Brown, and Co., for the advanced review copy via NetGalley.

Unfortunately, this promising memoir was a DNF for me. I couldn't connect to the author or her bragging tone.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System—and Pocketed $40 Million by Tanya Smith is a riveting true-crime memoir that reads like a high-stakes thriller. Smith’s account of her audacious white-collar crime spree is both fascinating and chilling, offering readers a rare glimpse into the mind of a master manipulator.

The book chronicles Smith’s journey from an unsuspecting woman to one of the most notorious figures in the banking world. Her scheme, which involved manipulating the Federal banking system to siphon off millions, is described in meticulous detail. Smith’s narrative is both candid and unapologetic, providing a firsthand look at the ingenuity and audacity required to pull off such a heist.

One of the most compelling aspects of Never Saw Me Coming is Smith’s ability to humanize her story.  Her reflections on the personal costs of her actions—losing everything that mattered most to her—add a poignant layer to the narrative, making it more than just a tale of crime and punishment.

Smith’s writing is sharp and engaging, with a pace that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. She skillfully balances technical details with personal anecdotes, ensuring that the story is both informative and accessible. 

The memoir also offers a critical look at the vulnerabilities within the banking system that allowed Smith to exploit it so effectively. Her insights into the systemic flaws and the ease with which she manipulated them are both eye-opening and alarming. This aspect of the book serves as a stark reminder of the need for robust safeguards and oversight in financial institutions.

Never Saw Me Coming is a gripping and thought-provoking memoir that will appeal to fans of true crime and financial thrillers. Tanya Smith’s story is a testament to the power of ingenuity and the high stakes of white-collar crime. Her candid reflections and detailed account of her exploits make this book a compelling read from start to finish.

Whether you’re fascinated by the intricacies of financial fraud or simply enjoy a well-told true-crime story, Never Saw Me Coming is sure to captivate and intrigue.

At times, it's hard to believe this is a true story. I hope to see a film or TV adaptation one day because Tanya Smith's story is remarkable.

I actually enjoyed this story of how a woman learned to fool the system. It started with her obsession with Michael Jackson. She was able to scheme her way into getting his phone number. Then she started getting the numbers of other celebrities.

Then she started her financial crimes. Greed consumed her. She did get prison time but she is now free. She also escaped prison too. This is perfect for fans of the film, Catch Me If You Can.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and Tanya Smith for the opportunity.

This book talks about Ms. Tanya Smith, a Minnesota native who becomes curious and allows her intelligence get the best of her, finessing the banking system. I for one can say, I turned a blind eye for Ms. Tanya. She outsmarted everyone and used the money for good things, instead of being greedy. The suspense and storytelling had me wanting more and wondering what’s to come. The justice system let her down giving her that harsh statement for a white collar crime. But I’m glad she’s out now and telling her story. This book just showed me that no matter what, society will ALWAYS underestimate black women. Don’t allow that be discouraging. Just prove them wrong and go after what your heart desires. This book will be added to my physical collection. It’s just that good.

Such a good book!!

Tanya grabbed my interest from page one and simply never lost it. I can't believe Tanya's story didn't have more coverage around it.

Never Saw Me Coming is a true crime story of a young Black woman who created a scheme to manipulate the banking system out of millions. Tanya Smith was a computer-savvy wiz. As a young girl, she used technology to acquire the phone numbers to celebrities such as Michael Jackson. She gradually worked her skills and deposited money into her grandmother's bank account. Seeing how unsuspecting and easy it was, she took bigger risks. By the age of 18, she had stolen millions in cash. Eventually she is caught, sentenced and released thanks to her own brilliant defense.

I struggled through reading Never Saw Me Coming. I questioned the credibility of the narrator within the first few pages. In fact, I was tempted to stop reading but I wanted to see just how outlandish the story would get. Simply put, it was not believable. It was contradicting. It was not factual—and I base this on my own personal knowledge of working in financial institutions from the teller line to a Banker and management position to back office operations.

I am in disbelief that parts of the story and name drops were approved in the editing process. Nonetheless, this is not what bothered me most about Never Saw Me Coming. It was the author's lack of remorse and pride of her financial crimes. She was bragging about defrauding banks pocketing millions of dollars, writing about an extravagant lifestyle while complaining about her and her family being harassed by the FBI as if it were unwarranted.

I could have tolerated this memoir if Tanya's story ended with using her smarts for greater good. But nope, it ended with more selfish pride and an unforgiving air of "look what I got away with." All I can say is wow unbelievable!

Happy Early Pub Day, Tanya Smith! Never Saw Me Coming will be available Tuesday, August 13.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

When Tanya Smith was a teenager, she was obsessed with Michael Jackson and determined to meet him. She started calling the phone company and asking to be transferred between departments, eventually doing this enough times that her call appeared to be coming from inside the company--at which point she pretended to be an employee and sweet-talked other employees into giving her the Jacksons' phone number and address. Thus began her life of crime, not started with any malicious intentions. But as she grew older and her schemes got more sophisticated, she was soon stealing millions of dollars every month. When the FBI started to catch on, they were convinced she couldn't be behind the crimes, as they didn't feel a young Black woman could mastermind such a sophisticated scheme. Eventually Tanya's luck had to come to an end, and this is the story of her criminal history.

This is perfect for fans of "Catch Me If You Can"--the story and personalities feel very similar. The action in this book starts from the first page and doesn't let up the entire time. Tanya is a really funny narrator and the book is told very conversationally, making it easy to get through. Your blood will boil at some of the treatment she goes through at the hands of law enforcement, but I'm amazed at the mature perspective she has on everything looking back. Fantastic true crime caper.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest reveiw.

Let me start off by saying I was pulled in after the book started off with how she ended up flying all the way to LA to chase Micheal Jackson. Also I was amazed by the fact that she carried on the scheme for as long as she did and how young she started. On a personal note, it also makes me wonder what kind of impact this had on her family, now I will say she started out trying to help folks who were just down and out. Which I can respect. The book overall is great. I wish the flow of the stories were a little more smooth. Other than that great job! Great read.

💰Non-Fiction
💰Con Artist

I enjoyed how she started out with her childhood obsession with Michael Jackson and having her eyes set on meeting him and how she used some of those tactics that lead her the fraudulently transferring millions of dollars to fake accounts. It made me wonder how much longer she would have gotten away with it if she hasn’t gotten involved in relationships the continuously only wanting to be with her so they could be in on the money and ending up screwing her in the end. The book also went over her time in prison and an epilogue for life after prison.

read if you like:
📔 non-fiction
💁🏻‍♀️ con artists
💰financial crimes

summary:
This is a rare nonfiction for me, which I picked because the plot looked interesting. It’s about a woman named Tanya Smith (the author), who runs a multi-year scam to defraud banks of millions of dollars. She starts the book by telling us about her escape from prison, and then goes back to the start to tell the story of how she found herself in jail, and everything she gained as a result.

Maybe I’m someone who cares a little too much about justice, but it was hard to read an entire book about someone bragging about defrauding banks. I’m certainly not on the side of large banks, but I can’t imagine there was no impact on the average person as a result of this crime, and the reality is — she didn’t face nearly as much jail time as she could have for her long-running scheme. The book itself is decently written, but focuses more on the life she lived as a result of this wealth rather than her time in prison. She also details the FBI and government investigation of her in detail, acting like their tailing of her and her family was unnecessary and unfounded. It was hard to go from her complaining about that to then discussing the expensive cars she purchased without reflecting on that juxtaposition. She also didn’t spend a lot of time discussing the impact this had on her immediate family, which I felt like was a miss, because it focused more on the benefits of her crimes, rather than the consequences she faced with her relationships.

The story itself is interesting, especially since it doesn’t get much/any media attention given it took place back in the 80’s. However, it’s hard to read about someone who doesn’t seem to have a lot of remorse, and instead focuses more on the pride of her crime, rather than those impacted as a result.

I hope I do this justice, it’s not my normal go to genre (autobiography)
It’s fast paced, you can see the world she describes, you can feel the heart wrenching anxiety she felt.
I try not to give any spoilers but anyone who can Robin Hood the government and live to tell the tale deserves the world