Customer Reviews

A Crime to be Rich

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Shane Turnbull receives a mysterious phone call from a stranger which leads to devastation. In order to cover up one crime, Shane commits many many more. I was hooked from the beginning of this book.

It appears that once a person makes a terrible mistake, he will do almost anything not to be discovered, even if that means committing several more. However, the more things he tries to do to avoid detection the harder it will be to recover if his crimes are discovered.

His problems quickly multiply and become completely out of control. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book to discover the consequences of his actions and to see if he is ever discovered.

It was a little bit difficult for me to understand because the story takes place in England, and the some of the language is unfamiliar. Other than the language issue at times, and that fact that the book was sometimes a bit dry, I really enjoyed this book.

A Crime to Be Rich by David Snowdon reaches in and grabs the reader! This is one book I could not put down. I had to figure out if the main character, Shane Turnbull, would pull off his crime. I felt bad for Shane as his crime was not intentional. I also felt the pain the family was feeling with regards to their daughter.

Of course when all of this turmoil is going on in Shane's life he gets a nice big job promotion. Too bad he really could not celebrate his promotion when he received it as he was understandably stressed out.

From the very beginning the strange phone call Shane receives, to the gripping middle of the book until the very last page of this thriller you will be hooked.

I highly recommend A Crime to Be Rich to both men and women that like all types of books.

Have you ever had such a bad day that you hoped when you woke up it was a dream but realized you never went to sleep? 'A Crime To Be Rich' by David Snowdon is this person. He had it all one minute, the safety, the comfort, the love and then nothing but horror the next. This is a chiller, a suspenseful, on the edge of the seat page turner that is really good! In fact, you can miss a page or you will miss a step in the process. This is one you have to help him keep track of what he has done so he does not do it again. Shane Turnbull is a character to be dealt with at his mid-life crisis. Guys usually go out and buy cars. Nope, this one murders his wife. Ah what web we weave...

"A crime to be rich" by David Snowdon shows the downward spiral that can occur if you make a mistake and try to cover it up. What starts as an innocent, but strange, phone call ends in multiple murders and a haunting that makes The Shining look like a book for kids.

The protagonist is an investment banker living a comfortable life, happily married, with no worries in the world other than what expensive suit and tie to put on the next day. But within the space of a few hours, his world unravels, he becomes a hunted and haunted man that gets in deeper trouble the more he tries to correct the situation. For once, the rich investment banker is probably in a worse situation than everyday Joe and it does make for an entertaining read to see how his life of luxury is coming apart and his worry is not limited to the suits and ties of the people he encounters. The setting are locations on multiple continents and the description of the work of an investment banker are detailed and for me at least were interesting as a tie to the life before and after "the mistake."

This book is a mixture of good old-fashioned crime story thrown in with some romance, ghost stories and travelogue. I had never read a book by Snowdon before, but this will definitely not be my last book by this writer. I actually finished the book in two sittings. It is an entertaining read for the beach or summer holiday. I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes the mystery and crime genre. Besides all the entertaining reading, the book teaches two important lessons, the coverup is always worse than the crime or underlying deed. And things may not always be what they appear to be.

This novel keeps you in the edge of the seat. The story is really suspenseful with lot of mysteries which we cant even guess what would be next. Starts with a mystery, goes like a thriller and ends like a great drama. All the characters are uniquely defined and well placed in the appropriate places. The title looks different, but the story really drives to the title where you can see the whole picture of it in a more crystal way at the end. This is a book where you would like finish it just one single read.

Warning! Make sure you have time to sit down and read this book once you open it. I absolutely loved this book! It immediately hooked me. I could not read it fast enough.

From the beginning the main character, Shane Turnbull, gets a mysterious phone call. He is told to be at a certain place at a certain time. Shane reluctantly decides to listen to the unidentified caller and go to the place he is told to go. He waits and waits. He is getting impatient. Finally, he sees what the caller wanted him to see--his wife of 7 years with another man. Utter shock just as any married man or woman would feel that thought he/she was happily married.

From this point on, there is nothing but trouble...for a man who once had it all. A lovely wife, successful career in investment banking, etc., all lost in the blink of an eye.

This book is now one of my favorites. I highly recommend this fascinating and suspenseful book written by David Snowdon. As mentioned above, you will not be able to put it down!

Often the sound of a good plot pulls readers into selecting a book. so I selected A Crime to be Rich when offered.

Shane Turnbulll, a banker, received an anonymous call who told Turnbull that if he would go to a certain address at a certain time, he would see something of interest...Although the caller had absolutely refused to tell his name, Shane decided to go and found his wife there with another man...

When she got home, an argument started and Turnbull punched her; unfortunately when she fell, she hit her head and was killed. Without much thought, that banker placed his dead wife in the trunk of his car and threw her off the bridge into the Thames River!

Prior to his leaving their home, a friend of his wife had called, helping to give Shane an alibi, as he promised he'd have her return the call as soon as she was home. Later he began to place calls to friends and family, asking if they'd seen her.

Detective Inspector Ray Eubanks was assigned the case; he was the best they had and he almost certain right from the beginning that Turnbull was responsible...

Until another man confessed to the crime...

So Turnbull, taking an old fame with him, went to Miami for a vacation.

Normally, I would have read this type of police crime novel quickly. Days went by and I still wasn't finished due to stopping and restarting. I vowed though to read the entire book, primarily to respond to the commitment I had made, but also to see how the plot ended. But when Turnbull visited a voodoo practitioner, claiming his wife was haunting him and getting the advice to kill another individual, throw the body into the Thames and send him a live white chicken to sacrifice...well, shall I say the plot...thickened "weirdly"...

Actually, if the writing had been great, I could have been more responsive. However, this writer takes page after page to describe eating, sipping, and enjoying music, calling it fun, even though there is little dialogue. The characters match since they are defined by (1) whether they are posh or not, identified for readers by the main character's interpretation of the individual's accent/education. (2) the clothes each and every character wears on each and every day and (3) the fact that, no matter where Snowdon travels, he knows somebody with whom he went to school and they love and host he and his lover for free...and then commiserates for pages and pages while eating and sipping. And, of course, all of them are millionaires or billionaires.

The most troublesome issue about the book for me is the repetition. Totally ignoring the concept of making sure each word carries the story forward, the author states, repeats, and repeats again. Here's an example from just one page (p. 69).

"He stared at me...He stared at me thoughtfully again...We gazed at each other...As we gazed at each other... We gazed at each other again..." or

I picked up my drink, sipped it and continued to eat. I didn't want the meal to come to an end. It was so good. But every good thing has to come to an end eventually. And eventually, we all finished the meal. After we finished the meal, we ordered another round of drinks. That was the most satisfying meal that I've had for a very long time. I sipped my drink...(p. 140)

For me, the power of the plot was not enough to override the author's style of writing. I found it not only boring, but lacking in creativity and too much regurgitation of words such as posh over and over and an endless identification of characters by the clothes they wore, especially when these clothes were elaborately defined and then said to be "nice." Check out other reviews to further consider this one. Sorry, I can't recommend...

Book Received

Via AME

GABixlerReviews

David Snowdon knows how to reel in a reader and get his/her attention. From the mysterious phone call in the very first paragraph to Shane Turnbull witnessing his wife and her boss--walking out of a hotel hand-in-hand--Snowdon wastes no time in getting the action started. A wizard of his craft, David Snowdon's A Crime to Be Rich is a gripping masterpiece page-turner that will have the reader saying, "Wow" several dozen times.

Shane Turnbull, the main character, is a successful investment banker with a healthy family relationship, a gratifying lifestyle and essentially nothing lacking in his life. When Turnbull gets the mysterious call, however, the madness begins. Turnbull, despite being known for his sound reason, sets out on a series of rash actions and spirals down a road of crime. A discussion with his wife turns catastrophic when her infidelity, now exposed, brings out a wave of anger from Shane, igniting a chain reaction, from which it becomes more intricate and increasingly harder to escape.

The saying, "One lie leads to another" is a perfect way to capture the essence of A Crime to be Rich. Instead of seeking out the police and being honest with them, Turnbull devises a plan that requires the disposal of several people--a plan that can't possibly have a pleasant ending for Shane.

A departure from mainstream crime novels, it doesn't take long for the reader to realize that Shane Turnbull is a man of many flaws--the least of which are self-absorption and greed. In a nutshell, the title is fitting as it depicts a man who thinks that letting go of his elegant lifestyle is disturbing enough for which to kill and continue killing. Although he is the main character, and his initial act could be considered accidental, it is undeniable that his true character ultimately surfaces as less than admirable on many levels. In many ways, Shane Turnbull's life before the phone call resembles Dr. Jekyll, while the events thereafter are clearly indicative of a "Hyde" personality.

Sometimes, it only takes a minor lapse of judgment to turn a life topsy-turvy. Shane Turnbull is no exception, and unfortunately he finds this out the hard way. Follow his series of careless reactions as he weaves an unbelievable web of deceit that is full of surprises with every turn of the page.

To be sure, David Snowdon's A Crime to Be Rich is an intriguing suspense/thriller that culminates in one of the most epic endings you'll ever encounter. For all crime/thriller aficionados, A Crime to Be Rich is an absolute must read.

Shane Turnbull is a senior fund manager at the investment bank, Seabank & Turnbull in Mayfair, London. High up in the firm after working for twenty years, Shane is somewhat egotistical in his dealings with friends and co-workers alike. He seems to have it all; an outstanding work ethic, lots of money in the bank and, if you asked him, a wonderful life.

Shane receives an odd phone call from an unknown source telling him to appear at the Seaview Hotel at 12:45 PM and wait there in his car until the caller meets him. Shane, against his better judgement, goes to the address and waits impatiently for something to happen. Unfortunately, something does. He observes his wife, Sarah, coming out of the hotel hand in hand with her boss and looking very happy. Shane is extremely surprised and takes digital pictures of the couple. This guy is certainly prepared for anything. When he arrives home that evening he confronts his wife and she tells him, "You bore me to tears." This is not the answer that Shane expects and they get into a fight. Sarah falls, landing on her back and hitting her head. Sadly, Sarah is dead and now Shane has to figure out how he'll explain this. Instead of calling the authorities and explaining this was an accident, Shane starts a series of events that make your head spin.

He is so self-absorbed that he keeps getting into more and more situations that he can't handle. His first mistake could be considered an accident but, covering that up he gets into more trouble and more bodies pile up in his wake. Shane can't imagine losing his life style and going to prison because his wife made the mistake of not caring enough for him. He becomes the hunted animal. Hunted by ghosts and real people that are sure that he has done some dirty deeds. He will continue to turn his own life into a bad dream that he cannot seem to shake.

This tale begins so fast and furious that you want to keep reading. This man's one sad moment turns into a rash of bad decisions that will be with him forever. A good book to curl up with if you are into mystery, suspense and also a little of good, old fashioned ghost stories.

Reviewed by Mary Lignor, bookpleasures.com

Shane Turnbull receives a mysterious phone call from a stranger which leads to devastation. In order to cover up one crime, Shane commits many many more. From beginning to end I was completely hooked and couldn't put the book down.

One terrible mistake leads Shane to committing several more in order to cover up the first and not be discovered. The problem is that the more he tries to avoid being discovered the harder it will becomes to recover if his crimes are revealed.

His problems quickly become completely out of control. As a woman on bed rest I couldn't wait to get to the end of the of the book and find out what happens. The problem with bed rest I you are no suppose to get excited and i was very anxious to find out what happens to Shane.

The book is set in England and the language may be difficult for some but i had no trouble understanding everything. There are few dry moments but all in all it is a book I will read over and over again.