Don's Stimulus Package, The

Author's Summary

While robbing a small bank in the Don's area of operation, cousins Stu & Lefty stumble across the twenty million dollars in loot from "The Texas Two Card Hold 'em Heist" and make off with the money, incurring the Don's wrath. When both are captured by the Don's men, Stu informs The Don the purpose of the robbery was to provide funds for the largest con in history; bilking the U.S. Govt out of one Billion Dollars in stimulus money. Intrigued by the plan, the Don calls his son-in-law, Roger Odem Booth and his partner, Carl Jesse James out of hiding to assist Stu in his efforts. With cunning and careful planning, plus the aid of greedy Senator Boehk, nearly one billion dollars is appropriated and the con game becomes a success. When faced with the present economy and the resulting clamor for jobs offered as a front to their actions, Roger and Carl take the Stimulus Package to new heights and once again prove these two con men have hearts as big as Texas. In the end, everyone is a winner, or are they?

MWSA Review

The Don’s Stimulus Package by Karl Boyd takes the reader on a winding trip with both adroit and inept con artists by way of a complex swindle fashioned to bilk billions of dollars from their mark. Engaging and sometimes humorous, the action generally moves quickly with characters seemingly pulled out of The Godfather. Boyd gives these seemingly cold-blooded characters a heart albeit keeping them tightly controlled by the main bad guy, the Don.

The intrigue is sometimes crisp, sometimes slow. Readers need to keep focused upon the action which has an unusual twist near the end. The con artists’ calculated “stimulus package” is successful although readers may not realize its full success until more than half-way through the book.

The Don’s Stimulus Package is a good read that keeps you guessing what will happen next. Boyd ties it all up in a neat bundle at the conclusion that might just make readers wonder if actual swindles have been as successful on such a grand scale. 

Reviewed by: E. Franklin Evans (2012)