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There are currently 35 member reviews
for Mrs. Plansky's Revenge
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Connie K. (Oldsmar, FL)
Light as a Feather
This is my first time to read this author. Being about the same age as the protagonist the predicament was of interest. That is, having your bank accounts cleaned out by heartless scammers. The set-up of her character, as being a somewhat savvy businesswoman/partner with her late husband, was both supported and betrayed throughout the story. There were endearing moments and cute "tags" to hang onto like her preoccupation with footwear, but overall, I think she was dumbed down a bit too much for my taste. I imagined the plot going in a different direction at about page 190, which would have introduced a more business-minded approach to her dilemma. But that, literally, is another story.
The book is a fast read and just for fun. I think some book clubs might enjoy discussion about handling a similar situation or commiserating about the dependent children aspect, for example. I rated it "good," because it's not at all bad.
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Sharalynne P. (Valparaiso, IN)
Mrs Plansky's Revenge
Almost everything in this book was too far-fetched for me . Hard for me to believe a woman as intelligent and resourceful as she was would not question the scam in the first place. Then there was the trip to Romania (by herself) and all of her adventures there involving a crime family and a new love interest. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it. It was a fast read. Don't think I'd recommend it though.
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Krista G. (Louisville, KY)
Fun character, so-so story
Mrs. Plansky is a relatable, fun character, but the book as a whole didn't grab me. Seventy-one-year-old Mrs. Plansky provides care for her father and has children and grandchildren she loves but also struggles with. She battles age-imposed physical limitations and her desire to be physically active. She pushes herself to do more, be more, and challenge herself. I loved her, and my heart broke for her when she became the victim of a cybercrime. But I would have liked to know her more and found the characters in "Mrs. Plansky's Revenge" flat. I never cared enough about any of them to feel compelled to keep reading. I finished because she was fun to watch, but the story was lacking for me. Although I enjoyed Mrs. Plansky's character, the situations she was put in, or got herself into, were beyond farfetched as was her behavior while alone in a foreign country she had never visited. I loved Mrs. Plansky but found "Mrs. Plansky's Revenge" just average.
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Cynthia D. (Cuba, NY)
Don't cheat elderly widows!
Spencer Quinn, author of thirteen popular mysteries featuring Chet (the dog) and Bernie (his owner), has penned a new novel, Loretta Plansky's Revenge, about a widow in her 70s who is scammed out of her life's savings by a late night phone call from someone pretending to be her grandson.
The story takes place both in Florida, where widow Plansky lives in a plush condo, and in Romania, where she goes after deciding the local police weren't doing enough. There she meets the rather sympathetic perpetrator, Dinu, a skinny teenager, who is being groomed for a life of crime by his Uncle. She has quite the adventure in the Transylvanian Mountains…involving old hotels and motorcycles, as well as Dinu's crime family, and a new possible love interest named Max.
Is Mrs Plansky's Revenge possibly the first in another charming series? Quinn is not saying!
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Betty T. (Warner Robins, GA)
Feisty Grandmother
This is a take on the grandparent scam we have all read about. An elderly grandparent receives a call from their supposed grandchild saying he is in trouble and needs money. Next day all the funds from the grandparent's account are gone.
I enjoyed the first half of the book as it laid out Mrs. Plansky's well-to-do life in Florida and how she falls prey to the scam. But the last half of the book where she goes to Romania to find her money was too far-fetched for me. There are some likeable characters, but they are not well-developed.
Seventy-one-year-old Loretta Plansky is feisty and courageous, not one to be messed with. The story takes a surprising turn when she encounters the perpetrators. I would like to have known more about Dinu and Romeo, the young boys who are part of the scam.
It is a fast read and provides some moments to chuckle over.
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Barbara J. (Tucker, GA)
A Revenge Served
In Mrs. Planksy's Revenge, Spencer Quinn serves up a delightful widow, living the Florida condo life of the wealthy elderly. Unfortunately, her wealth ends up in a small Romanian village where she travels to recovery it. It becomes Mrs. Polansky versus the scammers, not all of whom are unlikable, where a series of ploys, a few perhaps too contrived, lead her directly to a contest for justice. An enjoyable read.
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Randi H. (Bronx, NY)
Enjoyable
Mrs. Plansky's Revenge was an enjoyable, light read about an older woman who gets herself into, and out of, trouble. I would have liked more character development as I never felt that I understood the characters' motives. The plot also felt a bit predictable. But overall it was fun to read about an older woman who stood up for herself.
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