My Impression: This a delightful feel-good story that makes perfect summer reading. I really enjoyed Mrs. Plansky’s feistiness and commitment to family, although I did not like the freeloaders to whom she is related. On the other side of the world is Dinu, a teenage Romanian boy being tutored in English. The reader soon learns that Dinu is being trained to scam American senior citizens, taking advantage of the fact that they love their grandchildren but don’t hear from them enough to be sure of their voices on the telephone:
“Hello?” she said again.She is so used to being the problem solver (she was even the inspiration behind her husband’s business concept that funded their lifestyle) that it does not occur to investigate – plus, it’s the middle of the night, which the scammers are relying on – just sends the money along, only to be humiliated and horrified the next day when the scam is revealed to her.
“Yo. It’s me, Grandma, Will. Your grandson, Will.”
Right away she knew he didn’t sound good, his voice higher than normal, maybe nervous about something, although since they hadn’t spoken in some time she couldn’t be sure.
“I’m aware of the relationship,” she said, with a little laugh, hoping to settle the kid down a bit . . . .
A pause, and then Will said, “Oh, yes, the relationship. Grandparent and grandchild.”
This was new: a kind of dry, offbeat, humor. But the connection was still bad.
Mrs. Plansky doesn’t have a plan when she buys a plane ticket to Romania but her anger and desperation give her energy and impetus. Fortunately, she has the gift of friendship, which is essential as she arrives and sticks out in a small town that does not attract tourists in the winter, as it helps her get the help she needs. Her perspective on family, husband, international travel, and even aging is amusing and I did not want the book to end. By the way, can you find Romania on a map?
Title: Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge
Author: Spencer Quinn
Narrator: Petrea Burchard
Publication: Macmillan, audio, 2023
Genre: Fiction/Suspense
Source: Library
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
5 comments:
My tastes have certainly changed. Two years ago I would have rejected this book, now it sounds like a fun read. I admit I would have problems with the relatives but the rest of it sounds good. Very good. Especially the parts in Romania.
When I saw the author was Spencer Quinn I assumed it was the same author that writes the Chet and Bernie stories. I have read the first book in that series and enjoyed it.
It is the same author, although I hadn't heard of that series until I saw it mentioned elsewhere. Should I try them?
I have to admit that it might not have appealed to me years ago either but I really enjoyed it. The relatives are mostly in it at the beginning. Also, as I was reading it, I thought, "I bet Tracy would read this for the Romania setting!" Ha!
Sounds like an interesting book. Some years ago my book club read the first of the Chet and Bernie books soon after reading The Art of Racing in the Rain. I don't remember details, but I do remember rather enjoying Chet and Bernie and thinking the dog whose thoughts we were reading more realistic than the one from Art of Racing. I remember that when his human partner was conducting interviews or watching someone the dog would be listening/watching and in many cases seemed to show more understanding of the situation until someone dropped a few french fries or a bit of sausage and suddenly that was all the dog was thinking about, and so the reader had to try to figure out what the dog missed. I tried the 2nd one as an audiobook, but the voice kept putting me to sleep, so like the dog, I missed important bits of plot!
I've got to find this one. I've heard of this scam and how effective it can be now that AI can be so easily used to mimic voices and mannerisms over the phone. I remember getting a text from someone claiming to be a grandson of mine in trouble with the law a couple of years back. I responded with a very private question to him for identification purposes and the scammer never responded to my enquiry. Even then, I began to wonder if I had been hasty and had to call my grandson to make sure he was OK. It can be really scary sometimes - and that was just a low-tech probe in my case. I can only imagine how it would feel today.
I think the Chet and Bernie series are worth a try. As Jerri mentions above, the reader knows what the dog is thinking but the dog acts like a dog, which I liked. If I run into more of the early books at the book sale I will try more of them.
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