Review: SCAM at Five Mile Road by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite
- Mike Mackay
- May 18, 2023
- 1 min read
Reviewed By Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite October 29, 2025
In Scam at Higgins Canyon Road, a crime novel by Mike Mackay, Jack Rhodes, a computer forensics expert, is hired to manage construction contractors building student housing in San Francisco. Jack is not convinced that two employees who died in work-related accidents and the bodies discovered in a renovated home are coincidences. Jack’s girlfriend, Stella, a hacker known as “Numbers”, helps decipher the accounting data that could unlock the answers he needs to see how money is being spent. Gloria, an elderly neighbor, identifies some of the bodies. The information she provides convinces Jack and his investigative team that a highly organized cult exists that plays dangerous swindles and sex games.
Scam at Higgins Canyon Road is a highly suspenseful, engaging thriller by Mike Mackay. The story is mildly graphic and gripping in parts due to the nature of the crimes. This is what made it exciting to read, as the author intended. Jack is strong-willed and sharp-witted. He pays keen attention to details and is observant of his surroundings. I admired Gloria, Stella, and Kenny, and found Madam Li amusing. Although it's fiction, Scam at Higgins Canyon Road is realistic because there are a few similarities to actual crimes committed in our current society. Real estate and insurance swindling are two of the major scams that exist. The story shows how criminals lure gullible or vulnerable people into doing what they want. Scam at Higgins Canyon Road by Mike Mackay is a highly recommended read.
