At 8 years old, Tanya Smith is desperate to meet Michael Jackson. If Tanya was an ordinary child this would mean posters on her wall and maybe a concert if she was lucky. Tanya manages to scam the phone company into giving her grand father's Samuel Jackson's number which leads to an address in California. Tanya, her and a friend manage to fly to California by themselves. You'll have to read the book to hear the rest of that story!

Tanya Smith eventually turns her phone company scam into wire fraud. Stealing as much as $40,000,000 before being tried and convicted. Her story is extraordinary and hard to believe, but I believe it.

The book follows Tanya through her life of crime and subsequent time in prison and her fight for justice. The book is well written and Tanya is a great narrator. I would love to see her memoir as a movie or tv series.

I was so excited to read this book until I started reading this book. I like that the author narrates as well. However, when she spent an entire chapter talking about her scheme to meet Michael Jackson, I felt like she had no regard for my time. The stories were not interesting enough and made it dreadful returning to the book. I honestly forgot about it until I got emails from NetGalley about my shelf. Her story is interesting, if you can endure the lackluster, adolescent period to get to the banking scheme.

I liked this book for the most part. For such a smart character she sure doesn’t use her brain when she meets men. I loved listening to the audiobook. Thanks NetGallery!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Never Saw Me Coming” by Tanya Smith is a riveting true-crime memoir that chronicles the exploits of a woman who outsmarted the FBI and the banking system, amassing a staggering $40 million. Narrated by the talented Robin Miles, this audiobook brings Smith’sstory to life with a blend of suspense, wit, and emotional depth.

From the outset, Smith’s narrative captivates with its blend of ingenuity and defiance. As a young girl from Minneapolis, Smith’s journey from a tech-savvy teenager to a mastermind of white-collar crime is nothing short of extraordinary. However, keep in mind this is an anti-hero who is seeking admiration for her villainy.

Robin Miles’ narration is a standout feature of this audiobook. Her voice effortlessly captures the nuances of Smith’s personality, from her cunning intelligence to her moments of vulnerability. Miles’ performance adds an extra layer of engagement, making the listener feel as though they are right alongside Smith in her high-stakes game of cat and mouse with the authorities.

The audiobook’s pacing is impeccable, with Smith’s encounters with the FBI, her daring escapes, and the eventual consequences of her actions narrated with a sense of immediacy and tension that makes it hard to pause the audiobook.

What sets “Never Saw Me Coming” apart is its exploration of the personal and societal implications of Smith’s actions. Her story is not just about the heist; it’s about using systemic prejudices to her benefit and proving her worth in a world that underestimated her. This deeper layer adds a thought-provoking dimension to the narrative, making it more than just a thrilling caper.

“Never Saw Me Coming” is a must-listen for fans of true crime and memoirs. Tanya Smith’s story is a testament to the power of intelligence and determination, and Robin Miles’ narration elevates it to an unforgettable listening experience.

Whether you’re a seasoned true crime aficionado or new to the genre, this audiobook promises a thrilling and thought-provoking journey.

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 was not sure what to expect when I picked up this book but this story that was equal mix a memoir, True Crime, and commentary on the racial inequities in America. The story was fascinating and heartbreaking interns. It was like watching a reality TV show, except all the more wild knowing that it was a true story. Tanya Smith lived a wild life. She was brilliant and resourceful and while questionable decisions were made, her story was ultimately about finding your own space in the world and your community.

If the title doesn't get your attention and peak your curiosity, I hope I do.

Tanya Smith is a force to be reckoned with, demonstrating that brilliance can come in all ages, genders, races and geographical locations and can be used for both good and bad. She is a living example that brilliance can also be drastically underestimated.

Sometimes core school teachings can be mundane and irrelevant in the eyes of students (and frankly, at times, adults). Tanya exemplifies an underperforming student that was bored, not lacking intelligence and sought stimulation in another way. Unfortunately, her clever ways honed in on an illegal operation, involving the US banking system. An operation that started out with the determination to help others who were less fortunate, but yielded to greed and naiveté. I was invested in this story. I wanted to hear about the origins of her scheme and the inner operations, as well as how she got caught and the repercussions of her actions. I was amazed by the moral "grey areas" that she felt justified her initial actions. You will find yourself in awe, while equally wanting to scream at her throughout the entire story.

The audio version of this book was wonderful, allowing the listener to connect to a voice that makes the experience more personal. Thank you to Hachette Audio for gifting me this audio copy via NetGalley. Opinions are entirely my own.

Tanya Smith is incredibly talented and highly intelligent. From a young age, Tanya was able to manipulate phone companies and the banking industry to get the information she needed. Whether that be a phone number or large sums of cash, she was able to obtain it. She outwitted both the FBI and the prison system, and she mounted her own defense resulting in her eventual release. As smart as she is, I felt she had a very blind eye to men that were very bad for her. I listened to the audio book version and Robin Miles did a great job narrating Tanya's amazing white collar crime spree and life story. This is true crime that reads like a good fiction book!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Never Saw me coming was awesome! I liked the wild stories and the writing was propulsive. I would read more from this author.

Wow, this was a fantastic memoir by Tanya Smith. Hearing about her life trajectory was so fascinating and inspiring in a lot of ways. She really humanizes the prison experience and shows how many flaws the justice system has. I was so happy to hear the ending of the book. She is a brilliant and clever woman with such a perfect voice to tell her own story. This is probably the best memoir I've ever read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Personal Stories/Writing: C
Narration: B
Best Aspect: Gives insight into how a thief works.
Worst Aspect: Over the top in so many spots it was not enjoyable to listen at times.
Recommend: If you are really interested.

I had never heard of Tanya Smith before reading the synopsis of her book and knew this woman was a force not to ignore and I wanted to know more. As I listened to this memoir, I was awed and amazed and even respected how she used her supreme intelligence to manipulate the system over and over and over without getting caught… until she did. . Her writing is gripping making the listener eager to know what she would do next.

Tanya began her “career” in the early 80’s using telephone tricks while still a child. Between the ages of fifteen and sixteen,” she writes, “I managed to void people’s utility bills, at least temporarily, around three hundred times. I also handled a few overdue mortgages.” Then her desires to help others moved to wanting the money for herself, this desire added with the thrill of making her illegal transactions, and by what money could do and the men it could attract consumed her life. Over one summer and fall, she made more than $2 million. She showered men with gifts, including designer clothes, expensive cars, jewelry, and cash. Whenever she fell in love and became close to a man, she discovered that every one without fail cheated on her and stole from her.

Tanya’s shenanigans could only go undetected for so long and soon the police and FBI got wind of her scams. They were sure, though, that she worked for a white mastermind. No way a black person let alone a woman, was smart enough to pull off the scams. As one racist detective said, “Neeee-grroes murder, steal, and rob, but they don’t have the brains to commit sophisticated crimes like this.” Smith was eventually convicted of bank and wire fraud, incurring a longer sentence than some famous white-collar criminals. Her lawyer told her the system hassles her because she is Black and a genius.

It wasn’t until the end of the audio that I learned the narrator was read by someone other than Tanya Smith herself. Robin Miles' stellar performance convinced me that this was her very own story! She read as if she lived through these experiences herself.

Back to Tanya… while living a life of luxury she was caught, and she did serve quite a few years in prison. I felt bad that she was sentenced so harshly and felt she spent too many years behind bars. Prison was pretty horrible for her as you might imagine, although it seems like Tanya Smith was frequently able to make the best of it. The worst part was the precious years away from her family. She wasn't with her parents during their final years. She wasn't able to participate in the growing up of her two oldest children. She was forced to give up both babies at birth since they were born during her incarceration.

I highly recommend this action-packed fascinating account of deceit, betrayal, and greed.

I’d like to see Tanya’s complex life story played out in a television mini series.

This was frustrating. There was so much lead in when I just wanted to get to the crimes. Like chapters on her trying to meet Michael Jackson… okay. She seems like she had a hard time admitting she was ever wrong, ever dumb (esp. when it came to men) and even when she got caught started whining about how much time she was going to get. Like she didn’t actually do the crimes.
Frustrating.
This was read by Robin Miles who did an amazing job voicing 12 hours of mostly unbelievable nonsense.

You go, girl!

O.k., o.k., so maybe white collar crime isn't cool, isn't victimless, and totally isn't something I would want one of my nieces engaging in. Using your natural intelligence to research and experiment, discovering how the system can be exploited for personal profit-- what's the real difference between Tanya Smith and Charles Schwab? She's no Michael Milken (who-- minor spoiler alert-- makes a cameo appearance) and she's certainly no Madoff. Just like with The Imposter Heiress: Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age, I'm unapologetic in my admiration of a smart, savvy woman.

Not that I have any plans on waking up tomorrow morning and dedicating my life to bank fraud. Tanya Smith is realistic. Yes, it sounds great to buy brand-new luxury cars with cash, be treated as a high-roller in Las Vegas, and know that you can afford whatever you want whenever you want it. Those luxury cars make you stand out in traffic, though. A humble Toyota would be easier to hide in than an Aston Martin. Watch out throwing too much money around in Vegas; you don't want to attract the attention of the mob. Speaking of, you can't do this alone. You're going to need trusted associates. They're going to need trusted associates. Somewhere along the line those "trusted associates" may end up being the kind that could get you robbed, get your loved ones killed, turn state's evidence against you.

One of the biggest lessons I learned from Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System—and Pocketed $40 Million is why it is so important to have a support network capable of violence. Women get reputations as gold diggers, but men can be just as bad. Furthermore, and I've checked with some males on this, men have a greater tendency to break the Santa Claus Machine. That's a kind of stupid that can't be fixed. I now totally get why the mob needs muscle to keep people in line. Another moral is one that I always heard working in the law: it's your friends and family that will get you disbarred. That truism is applicable to all of life. Those closest to you will be your downfall. Maybe accidentally. Maybe purposefully.

Tanya Smith's story isn't all wine and roses. She was caught, and she did serve quite a few years in prison. Prison did not sound at all pleasant to me, although it seems like Tanya Smith was frequently able to make the best of it. The worst part was the time away from her family. She wasn't with her parents during their final years. She wasn't able to participate in the lives of her two oldest children. (Tanya, I hope they come around, at least a little. I see where they're coming from. I don't know how I'd feel towards my parent if I were in their situation.) For all the living she was able to do while making her transactions, there was so much more she wasn't.

I would like to thank Hachette Audio | Little, Brown & Company for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. Robin Miles, as always, is a narrator par excellence. Thank you, Tanya Smith, for sharing. Now, Issa Rae, hurry up with that film adaptation!

This is a story you will look up, research, and immediately want to know more about- there's no way it can be true, you'll think to yourself. Turns out, Tanya Smith is a genius. A pathological genius, but genius nevertheless. The ways she outsmarted the system, her multiple escapes from jail, the lives this woman has led, all sound too outrageous to be true. If you liked the story 'Catch me if you can', you'll love this book. Additionally, I'm convinced she had some of that money hiding somewhere...

Wow! The boldness of it all…

Let me start by saying this narrator Robin Miles is phenomenal. She narrated this story as if she was telling her own story. I’ll be looking for other books featuring her as the narrator.

It’s hard to imagine that a woman so young would come up with such an elaborate scheme from having her neighbors utilities reconnected to all out bank fraud. I guess you never know what people are capable of. Although criminal and something I wouldn’t even think of doing the story was interesting and the narrator brought it to life. There were times I felt sorry for Tanya.

My suggestion would be to enjoy this book as it’s intended a memoir and don’t try to do any of the crimes she committed.

Thank you NetGalley and Hackett Audio for the opportunity to preview this audiobook.

Where do I begin… First let me just say they picked the perfect narrator for this biography, Robin Miles is perfection. While glistening I had to keep reminding myself this was a biography, the story was so engaging. It reads so much like a novel in all the best ways. The story of how Tanya Smith outsmarted the FBI and stole millions is intriguing in itself, but this story is thrilling filled with romance, complex family dynamics and scandal. I was inspired by Tanya’s brilliance, confidence, and determination. I was also irritated at her naïveté when it came to picking and trusting men. Many times I found myself saying out loud, “Girl!!!”.

This book also highlights flaws and inconsistencies in our judicial system. All around this was such a great listen. An incredible story of resilience. A must read!

Thank you to Hachette Audio and Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

This was an intriguing story that kept me enthralled throughout. The author/protagonist is endearing and you root for her throughout the story. An interesting look at a scam and how it played out.

I very interesting book about a real life Tonya Smith and how she was able to cheat the banking system for years. The book was very well narrated and very enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the audio ARC.

To my surprise this was a very good read to me. I understand that Tanya did something that she shouldn’t have but her heart was in the right place. I became emotional about how her twin sister treated her and how her kids became attached to other people because of the time that she was away from them. Highly recommended!!