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    Sink or Swim
    Sink or Swim
    Sink or Swim
    Ebook239 pages3 hours

    Sink or Swim

    By Ross Collier

    4.5/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Harry Gordon, sports hero and merchant banker, finds that despite is best efforts, a year after taking over the family steel business it is on the brink of collapse. Then he discovers that the seemingly random events leading to this point are not simply related to market forces. In a race against time that becomes a matter of life and death, Harry is forced to draw on all his skill and courage to avoide certain disaster.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRoss Collier
    Release dateAug 6, 2011
    ISBN9781465795656
    Sink or Swim
    Author

    Ross Collier

    Ross Collier lives on a small farm central Victoria. He writes part time and has published several books all in the thriller/mystery genre.

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    Reviews for Sink or Swim

    4.5/5

    33 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Cassidy Novak was a contestant on a reality show, who came in second. When she returns home she finds she has acquired a stalker. Her life is disrupted and she doesn’t know how to turn it around or who to trust. Well written story that reflects the terror of being stalked.
    • 5/5
      Cassidy Novak loses on a reality television show to return home to find out that she has won the attention of a stalker who begins to send her letters and gifts. She has dreams of opening up a nationwide chain of exercise studios and hopes that the exposure she received as the runner up on the Sink or Swim show will help to achieve those dreams, but the stalker puts a halt to her rise.With different people entering her life at different times she had difficulty figuring out who her stalker is and the police seem to have their hands tied. She wants to fight back but the stalker is always in the shadows and she does not have know when or where he is going to strike again. It could be a letter under her door, a present left on her car, or hurting someone close to her. Two of the contestants from the show are murdered while she is wrestling with her finding out who her stalker is. The reader will find him/herself switching from one person to another as a suspect.It all comes to a quick conclusion when the stalker presents himself to her. Will she be able to talk him out of his obsession or will it end badly for her or him? There are some very interesting twists in the story. A very good read. Good job.
    • 5/5
      Personal Trainer Cassidy Novak returns home after failing on a hit reality television show. Not only has she gained fame from appearing on the show, she also discovers that she has acquired a stalker. Now, as Cassidy's former contestants are being killed off, she refuses to play by the stalker's bizarre rules. As she is being shadowed by photographer Zach Gallagher, assigned to capture her private moments for the local newspaper, she wants to confide in him but is afraid he's not as nice as he seems. When the stalker forces a showdown with her, Cassidy must "walk the plank" - this time for her life.I really enjoyed this story. I must admit that I am not really into the reality show craze, but this held my attention throughout. I give it an A+!
    • 5/5
      What happens when that realty series you love ends? Former ‘nobodies’ have to cope with fans, a new-found popularity, and sometimes an unwanted marriage proposal or two. Cassidy is an average woman, a personal trainer who hopes to win the realty show Sink or Swim so that she can open a chain of gyms around the country. She reluctantly settles for second place and heads back to the Boston area to try and live under the radar. This is impossible, as Cassidy is thrust into stardom and cannot get a break even at her job. Soon, though, the popularity becomes something darker, and before she knows it, Cassidy fears for her life as letters and gifts from a stalker hit closer to home and become more obsessive. Plus, two of Cassidy’s co-stars on Sink or Swim have been murdered. Are their murders linked to Cassidy’s stalker? This is a great psychological mystery with plot twists and action on every page. The author throws in a romantic element that is believable, and while not necessary, it does not take away from the book. The characters are solid, realistic, and fighters. I would love to see Sink or Swim turned into a series that follows different reality stars after they’ve been ‘booted off the island’ so to speak.
    • 5/5
      Cassidy is a contestant on 'Sink or Swim', a reality show - when she returns to regular life, the transition is not as smooth as she expects. Life is further complicated when she realizes she has a stalker and that her castmates from 'Sink or Swim' are being killed off. I really enjoyed reading "Sink or Swim", the initial 10-15 pages start out slow, but soon I was so engrossed I couldn't put it down!!The blurps from Juba's other books are interesting to read as well as her guest writing for Darcia Helle, both have given me ideas of other books I would like to read!
    • 4/5
      After appearing on a reality show Cassidy finds herself getting attention she didn't expect. Cassidy has a stalker and he is willing to do anything to be with her. Will Cassidy's stubbornness catch her stalker or will it put her and those she loves in harms way? I really enjoyed this book!
    • 4/5
      This book held my interest from beginning to end. The main character, Cassidy, is very believable – flaws and all. The stalker was a surprise to me, always good in a suspense novel. The characters were well developed. I found myself cheering for Cassidy and hoping her dreams would come true.
    • 4/5
      Being a fan of "Survivor," I was really interested in reading this book so that I could get a sense of what life is really like when a reality star returns home. The main character is Cassidy Novak who came in 2nd place on the reality tv show, "Sink or Swim." Cassidy doesn't have much peace and quiet when she gets home because she is now recognized when she goes out in public.Cassidy soon finds out that she has a stalker. That is where the story takes us.... on the trail of the stalker and finding out who it is. I thought this book was very well written and very engaging. Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. The main character, Cassidy, is flawed and human and that is what makes her interesting. How she handles her stalker and her new fame kept me interested. I would definitely recommend this book!
    • 4/5
      Interesting main character and of course disfunctional family. The good part is that they all love her and try to help. The story really has a lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing as to who the bad guy is.At the end of the book you will be shocked at who it turns out to be.Getting to the end is a interesting and enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      This book hooks you from the beginning. It starts of with the heroine, Cassidy Novak, in a what seems like a life or death situation. Then, we learn that she is part of a reality show called 'Sink or Swim', which she thinks will change her life. She has been cut off from society for three months, and is desperate for the prize money. Since Cassidy goes home runner-up, with her financial situation, you can't help but sympathize with her. And that's just in the first chapter. With a flirtatious mom. a star-struck little brother, and a potential love interest, the book flows very well. Cassidy, in her fifteen minutes of fame, has started to receive gifts and letters from someone calling himself 'Miles'. When the winner of the show is found dead, Cassidy must find out who killed him before he continues to kill. Stacy Juba has mastered the art of flirty, harassed, and funny banter. My advice: don't buy the book, check it out of the library.
    • 5/5
      Sink or Swim is a very interesting book. It seems like a pretty simple premise. Cassidy, the main character, returns from being on a reality show and of course her life changes. Some changes are for the better but it seems she has picked up a stalker along the way. But the book is not just the mystery of who the stalker is and what will happen. It's also about Cassidy and watching her grow and change during the course of the book. I really enjoyed the character development from Cassidy. She's not one-dimensional, the author really brings her out through the book. As she is set against different characters that come into her life I learned more and more about her as she does so herself. I think the characterization is very important to this book and made it even more enjoyable to me.The mystery element is also well-done. I kept trying to guess through the book who the stalker was, then I would change my mind. I have to say I didn't see the end coming and I'm glad. I like that enough options were presented that even when you thought you knew who it was suddenly you changed your mind. Ms. Juba does an excellent job of plotting this book out. It never lagged. From the first page until the last I found it hard to put down. It went at just the right speed, I never felt things were hurried or too slow.If you enjoy a good mystery with great characters then Sink or Swim is the book for you. The reality show element is really in the background so if you hate reality shows don't let this put you off of an excellent book. If you love reality shows, this is a great book with the reality show in the background. Either way - it's a good book and will entertain you for several hours. I cannot find fault with this book at all, the writing is well-done, the characters interesting, and the mystery stimulating. An excellent book for a weekend or weeknight read!
    • 4/5
      Taking a page out of the popular reality series, Sink or Swim is a fun and sometime unnerving novel about the stalking of celebrities, and even pseudo celebrities including reality stars. Often, just being in the public eye for a moment can cause a tailspin. That is the case of Cassidy Novak, the contestant and second place winner of the game show Sink or Swim.Mortified and unaware of the amount of people she has affected, she leaves the show in the most undignified of ways, by walking the plank. Knowing she will have to go back to a job she does not care for, she is surprised when a publicity agent wants to sign her up. As she drifts back into her usual routine, she finds that her life is anything but usual. Creepy and unusual people begin to follow her. One young girl wants to be her, to remake herself in Cassidy’s image. However, even worse is the stalker that leaves her gifts and steals personal items from her parent’s home. More than unnerved she brings in the police and shares her horror. As the notes and gifts continue to show up, the stalker is getting closer and closer. The real terror begins when the winner of Sink or Swim is found murdered. Cassidy fears that her stalker could have the same designs on her. When another member of the popular cast of contestants to Sink or Swim is murdered, Cassidy no longer knows what to do. Initially she hides out with her parent’s friends, but decides she will not be driven away. Will she come home only to be the next body on the list?Stacy Juba has put together a story about the reality game shows that are popular currently. She takes the celebrity status of the cast and creates a real life murder and mystery. The characters are well written and priceless. You either love them or hate them, as is the way of reality TV. Trying to figure out in this cast of characters who is the most sinister is thrown off balance, when the one most odd is the first one murdered. Throw in a red herring or two with the wacky personalities now following her after the show, and twist in another few people that are new to her and yet she feels compelled to trust.You get a mix for a possible disaster where not everything is what it seems. The surface of those you think you know is often a façade. This is a great whodunit mystery with a thread of romance throughout. Be careful what you wish for, it may not be what you expect when you are gifted just that. This is a wonderful and fast-paced, with a cast of characters that could rival Survivor or the Amazing Race. The contestants could not be more real. The romance is just right and tagged as an aside to the actual story with is about the dangers of celebrity. A satisfying read. This book was recieved as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
    • 4/5
      You always hear how great reality TV is, turning ordinary people into celebrities practically overnight. I’m sure we have all watched one reality TV show or another. But what happens when those ‘stars’ return back to their normal lives? In Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba, Cassidy Novak fought her way to the finals on the reality TV show Sink or Swim. She is disappointed when she realizes that she has lost the show, including the million dollar prize money that would help pay off her debt and open a chain of fitness centers. Being the character that everyone loves, she bravely walks the plank and plunges into the cold water below, all while staying strong for the sake of appearances. Once back to her small hometown, she realizes that her days in the lime light are far from over. Not only does everyone recognize her, but Cassidy must also deal with a crazed stalker who will do anything to win her love, even if that means murder. When things can’t seem to get any more confusing for Cassidy, she must also struggle with feelings for the handsome photographer who is doing a story on her and a previous contestant on the show who happens to be engaged. Can Cassidy trust her instincts to save not only herself but those closest to her, or will she end up a loser in reality? Sink or Swim is a quick read and is one of those books that sucks you in and won’t let you stop reading until the very end. Will you guess right as to who the stalker really is? Read Sink or Swim to find out!
    • 5/5
      I had the opportunity to read Ms. Juba's first book (Twenty Five Years Later) back in March and I was incredibly impressed with her writing so I was truly looking forward to her next book. When I was offered the opportunity to read her new book I jumped at the offer. To be honest I actually stopped what I was reading to read her new book Sink or Swim. I was not disappointed! It is about Cassidy, a fitness trainer, who goes on a reality show and finishes second. On returning to the real world she becomes the vicitim of a stalker. I read the book in a single sitting - it had all the key ingredients of a great mystery novel. The characters were interesting, the story was intriguing (and too realistic) but most importantly the writing made you feel as if you were actually part of the story. Be careful of jumping to conclusions on the identity of the stalker. If you love mysteries this is a must read! I will look forward to Ms. Juba's next book.
    • 5/5
      What motivates a stalker? And what do you do once you have one? Cassidy Novak finds out when she goes on a reality TV show. Cassidy hopes to win the million dollar prize so that she can start her own chain of businesses. After the show, she is shocked to find that she has gained a few obsessed fans, as well as a stalker. With Sink or Swim, Stacy Juba takes a look at our reality TV craze. Whether you enjoy reality shows or not, it's hard to miss the famous and the infamous that these shows create. Sink or Swim takes us behind the scenes and shows us what happens after the cameras have stopped filming. Stacy Juba has a knack for showing us, rather than telling us, a story. In find myself easily getting lost in her fictional world. This is a fun read, with mystery, suspense and a little romance. And it would make a great movie!

    Book preview

    Sink or Swim - Ross Collier

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