419 by Will Ferguson

419 is the nickname for the Nigerian-run internet scam that preys on people’s natural desire to help someone in need.  Just after reading this book I received an email much like the ones portrayed in this book.   Fortunately I knew enough to just delete it and not respond!

Laura Curtis’ father dies in a car crash that at first seems like an accident and is later ruled a suicide.  During the investigation it is revealed that he has been a victim of an internet scam and has lost all his life savings.    In her grief, Laura decides that the perpetrators of the scam must pay for what they did to her father.    And thus starts a quest for revenge that will have her questioning her beliefs, her lifestyle and her relationships.

Juxtaposed on this plot line is another plot that follows the Nigerian scam artist and his family along with a mysterious woman whose journey across the desert is interspersed between these two story lines.   At times this is a complicated book to follow but the stories do eventually intersect and resolve.

I enjoyed this book although I found some of the descriptions a bit long and boring.  There is a lot of African history which didn’t always add to the flow of the book in my opinion but was interesting none the less.  You won’t find much of the humour that Ferguson is so well known for in this story but the tale is well-told and will convince you to double check your email security.