The Swap
The Swap begins when Nicole Lewis, young woman living in Los Angeles, arranges a summer-long swap of her condo for a London couple’s house. She thinks it’s the perfect arrangement. She’s always dreamed of seeing the real London, not just the tourist spots. She’ll be able to accompany her husband, Brad, on his out-of-town work as a trouble-shooter for his company. It will also give her a chance to keep an eye on Brenda, Brad’s assistant, who seems to be getting a little too chummy with her boss. But things don’t turn out the way Nicole expects. She soon discovers that Freddy and Muriel Lowry, the Londoners, failed to arrive in L.A. and appear to be missing. Then people start following her and making threats, demanding information she doesn’t have. Nicole realizes she’s in serious trouble. But she can’t get Brad—busy working—or the police to believe her. Somehow, it’s up to her to extricate herself from the mess the Lowrys have left behind.
WINNER OF THE 2018 ERIC HOFFER AWARD
WHAT REVIEWERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE SWAP
Mary Higgins Clark meets London in the first novel from Nancy Boyarsky. The pace of Boyarsky's story and the thrill of surprising new developments lead to a nail-biting adventure whose thralls are difficult to escape. Nicole's evolution places her amongst the most intriguing leads in the genre. The Swap contributes to the women-driven mystery field with panache.
—Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Reviews
"I loved this Hitchcockian thriller of a woman who innocently swaps houses only to find herself caught up in a web of mystery and intrigue. (Not to mention a bit of romance.) Taut, suspenseful, and fast-paced, THE SWAP is a terrific read. I recommend it highly."
-- Laura Levine, author of the Jaine Austen Mystery series.
"Well written, non-stop, can't-put-it-down suspense."
--Charles Rosenberg, author, best selling mystery "Death on a High Floor"
"The Swap is a twisty, carefully plotted tale of a young American woman plunged into a high-stakes game of criminal intrigue. The biggest treat is watching Nicole Lewis transform herself into a resourceful amateur sleuth who finds surprising depths of courage--and even a little romance. First-rate suspense."
--Edward Wright, Shamus Award-winning author of "From Blood" and other mysteries.
The mysteries that really send a shiver up your spine are the ones set in the most ordinary places and the most familiar circumstances. Nancy Boyarsky delivers just that in "Swap," when a perfectly routine vacation home switch quickly goes sideways. And even if the heroine finds it's not her dream holiday, her English adventure gone sinister gives us not only a plot with unexpected hairpin turns, but some top-of-the-bus [or trunk-of-the-car] glimpses of the best English and Scottish sights.
-- Patt Morrison, Southern California journalist, broadcaster and author.
"Delightful. Set amidst the quaint neighborhoods of London and the wild lochs of Western Scotland, this tale of a house swap gone criminally wrong will appeal to mainstream mystery fans. Skulking strangers, assumed identities, and the protagonist's increasingly distant husbandamp up the paranoia and suspense."
-- Denise Hamilton, bestselling author of "Damage Control" and editor of the Edgar Award-winning short story anthology Los Angeles Noir.
This is a hold-onto-the-bar roller coaster of a mystery with murder, missing persons, drugs and a little romance. Characters are cheeky, crazy andsome are even lovable. The plot is fast paced, with surprises aroundeach corner. Nancy Boyarsky has written a fine debut novel. This is afirst book in a series, and readers will be waiting for the nextinstallment to see what is in store for Nicole Graves.
---Patsy Glans, RT Book Reviews
