Scammy Fun

Counterfeit; where you might root for the scammer

I’ll be honest, it was the cover that drew me to this book, the bright colors, the luxe accessories, it just looked like it would be so fun. Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen tells the story of two college roommates who end up reuniting by chance (or was it?) and unit to develop and grow a massive counterfeit handbag scheme.

Ava, a new mother who has recently left her job in corporate law, is finding herself at the end of her rope. Her toddler is constantly throws tantrums, her husband is working long hours in Palo Alto, while she stays in San Francisco, and she’s has no idea what’s in store for her next. Winnie, a college roommate at Stanford who ended leaving early in her freshman year and moving home to China, with rumors of her cheating on her SATs, has been working on a counterfeit handbag scheme, and has a plan to pull Ava in.

What starts as a one-off scam, turns into a large business with Ava drawn deeply into the “seedy” world of counterfeit handbags. Ava is recounting the story to an unnamed detective through the beginning of the book. We, as the reader, have no idea if she’s been arrested, and Ava claims she has no idea where Winnie has gone off to.

Moving into the second part of the book we get some POV chapters from Winnie, with a fun twist that I really loved. I knew there was more to Ava and the story that we had learned, and you’re forced to question if you really know who’s “right” and “wrong” in the story. I found myself rooting for the women and their scams, and devouring the book so I could learn what “really” happened.

While I loved the book, there is one negative I need to call out. Kristen Chen does not use quotation marks when characters are speaking. This is a small thing, but I kept noticing it, so just something to keep in mind.