Get Rich or Get Lucky

Adam #1

by Max Nowaz

Get Rich or Get Lucky is a hilarious Urban Fantasy thriller that follows Adam who finds himself in control of a magic he never knew existed.

After a string of disappointments with his literary career, Adam is not doing well in life, particularly where women are concerned. His last girlfriend left him for somebody taller, and he was sacked from his job at an English Language School for flirting with the boss's wife after a few drinks at the Christmas party.

Adam wants to stand out in a crowd and not be the most unspectacular person in it. To improve his lot Adam decides to ditch his ambition of becoming a writer and embark on a get-rich-quick scheme, by renovating run-down houses.

When by chance he discovers a book of magic in the basement of a derelict property, he can’t believe his luck. Excited by his find, he invites his friends Dick and Charlie, to tell them about it. But things quickly take a turn for the worse when Adam inadvertently casts a spell which turns Dick into a crayfish. Adam is unable to reverse the spell immediately and while searching for the solution, leaves Dick in the garden pond, which gets flooded and Dick disappears.

Dick's wife Rachael reports him missing and the police then suspect Adam of being responsible for Dick's demise. Things continue to spiral out of control when the book is stolen and he discovers that a powerful, evil warlock is looking for the book. Adam finds himself in a race against time, to recover the book and thwart the warlock to stand any chance of bringing Dick back, if he can.

Get Rich or Get Lucky is a dark-humoured fantasy thriller, and may not appeal to the very sensitive reader with a strong conventional bias. It will however be a favourite for open-minded readers who enjoy adult, fun fantasy fiction and also a fast-paced adventure thriller.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Epic, Speculative Fiction, Novels

276 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2019

About the author

Having completed several Creative Writing courses, including at Birkbeck and Faber, I took up writing seriously in 2012.
My first novel ‘The Arbitrator’ was published in July 2016 and 'Get Rich or Get Lucky' was published in January 2017. Both books enjoyed surprising success and great reviews. Updated versions of Get Rich or Get Lucky and The Arbitrator (with two new chapters) along with e-books were published on Amazon in 2019.
My two new novels 'The Polymorph' and 'The Three Witches and The Master' are now ready and hopefully will be published in 2022.
l have also written two plays, one of which, 'Cheating Death' has been successfully produced on stage in February/March 2019 at The Cockpit Theatre, London. It ran for three weeks and enjoyed surprising success. Further novels are at a planning stage.
An updated version 'Timbi's Dream' a children's fantasy story in rhyme was republished in 2019 as an e-book only and features more improved rhymes.

Reviews

[Trevor Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this quirky, very original story, as one was drawn in to Adam’s world which seemed to get more and more complicated as he coped with the various remarkable situations that he found himself immersed in.

[Neliwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed the book all thanks to Booktasters and Max Nowaz I so loved the ending.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Max Nowaz and Booktasters for providing a copy of this book for an honest review. Get Rich or Get Lucky tells the story of Adam. In a scheme to get rich and have social status, he renovates derelict houses than resells them. During renovating, he discovers a cellar with a leather-bound book of spells written in German within it. When he tries out a spell, a heavy downpour occurs soon after indicating that the spell worked.

Inviting his friends, Dick and Charlie, over, he uses the occasion to try out a spell. Thinking it silly, Dick tries out the spell but nothing happens. When Adam uses the spell on Dick, it turns him into a crayfish. When Adam cannot reverse the spell, chaos ensues with Charlie desperate to bring Dick back. Adam, in the meantime, dumps Dick and three other crayfish into a stream. Adam tells a jittery Charlie not to tell anyone about the book or the spell. Misfortune strikes again. Dick and the other crayfish have disappeared, and someone steals the book.

Rachael, Dick's wife, soon turns up looking for her missing husband. Adam spins a web of lies to cover up the reason for Dick's disappearance. The police become involve and suspect that Adam did away with Dick to have an affair with Rachael. Adam's life becomes further complicated when he meets Bruce who knows of the book and wants it back. Adam's love life becomes complicated not only with Rachael but Vera, his ex-bosses wife, Linda, his ex showing up needing his help, and Mary, a tenant who lives in his flat with a connection to Bruce.

Get Rich or Get Lucky had so many twists and turns, it kept me guessing on how the story would conclude. I give this story five stars and recommend adding it to your collection.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy, unpretentious read, truly enjoyable book, couldn't put it down. The author has the ability to mix fantasy with a dash of humour and to create characters that are very realistic in the background of this magical world.

[Francie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, the author took me along with Adam and his many adventures and misadventures when he stumbles upon a magical book. I wish I knew more about how Adam was related to the book and had a better sense of his ancestry, it would have satisfied my curiosity . I hope there are more books , I want to know more about Adam and the three witches.

[James Petre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of Nowaz's books I've read and much as I enjoyed the first one, I enjoyed this one even more. That might be because I'm not really a sci fi fan which was the genre of his first volume, but in any event, this is quite different, for as well as being hugely entertaining a propos its plot, it's also very amusing. The plot twists and turns, pivoting on the discovery, misuse, loss and subsequently a life and death struggle to retrieve a mysterious book of magic containing arcane spells. The initial spell cast, with no expectation that it will work, does in fact work and our demi-hero, the resourceful Adam, thereby accidentally turns his chums into crayfish (hence the image on the cover). One of his chums cum crayfish has a rather delectable other half who comes looking for him and from that arises a dalliance with Adam, who, needless to say, is reluctant to tell what has happened. This is but the first set of twists in this truly absorbing read. I can recommend it wholeheartedly. In fact I liked it so much, I'll read it again...now that IS liking a book!

[Norhan Moussa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light adventure with twist and turns.
A very good read to take on vacation with. I personally hope the next book would add more of Adam’s background and why he got that book.
Thanks for bookster, and the author for giving me the chance to read this book.
Well enjoyed.

[Clive Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly excellent read. Once I started reading it I just didn't want to put it down. It is a very clever combination of a gripping fantasy/thriller and hilarious black comedy moments. I also admired Nowaz's astute portrayal of human characteristics. Thoroughly recommendable!

[Olcay Olcay · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this book over the past month, I fell out of my seat laughing and enjoying the amusing story of a man called Adam. The story goes like this; after a string of disappointments with his literary career, Adam decides to embark on a get-rich-quick scheme by renovating run-down houses. By chance, he discovers a book of magic in the basement of a derelict property, and he can’t believe his luck. Excited by his find, he invites his friends Dick and Charlie, to tell them about it. The urban fantasy gets even funnier when those random female encounters with those characters that are involved with those magical scenes. The book is so easy to read as it has a decent wording and witty black humor. I am certainly impressed!

[Tahir Nowaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get rich or get lucky keeps you hooked from start to finish. It has action, comedy, fantasy and romance all in one with many twists and turns along the way. A great book for a wide range of readers

[ProfessorBuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to Book Tasters and Max Nowaz for the pdf copy of this wonderful novel! From the beginning, this book embarks on an action-packed, dramatic roller coaster. The narrator Adam has seen better days as he works on renovating a derelict house. However, he makes a discovery that completely changes his life! I was glued to the pages and could not get enough. When is the sequel coming out?!

[Swati Tanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A book can completely change one's life", in this story, this quote is best suited (provided change is not always good). 

This fantasy thriller is full of unexpected twists and turns. The interesting characters and storyline kept me hooked throughout. Moments of hilarious black comedy are very entertaining. 

The story is about Adam who found a magical book. The spells mentioned in the book when performed by Adam, things started to go South. When Adam's house is broken into and the book is stolen, things continue to spiral out of hand. He subsequently learns that the book is being sought by a strong, evil warlock. 

The author has used a proper quotient of mystery that will keep the readers intrigued throughout.  The best thing about good fantasy books is they take you along with the characters on their adventurous journey and never fail to thrill you, this is one such book.

Grab your copy here or here.

[Jatto Aishat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read, lots of twists and turns, it was very easy to read, I also love the humor in the book, and the characters were interesting Adam especially was a very interesting character, what I found very interesting in this book especially was the fact that Adam turn his friend into a crayfish LOL, I really recommend this book.

[Pallabi Sarkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I want to thank Max Nowaz and Booktasters for providing me a free PDF copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Get rich or get lucky is a sci-fi novel. It has many black comedy moments. The novel depicts the story of Adam who after a string of disappointments with his literary career made up his mind to get rich quickly by renovating rund-down houses. But then Fortuitously he discovers a leather bound book of spells written in German in the basement of a derelict property and he can't believe his luck.
Excited by his discovery he invites his friends Dick and Charlie to tells them about it. And the story begins. This novel has so many twist and turns. I love the the way the author has written the ending of the book. Adam is really a weird character. I so enjoyed reading the book.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get Rich or Get Lucky by Max Nowaz
This book starts out with Adam and he's a house flipper and has made a nice living at it.
He has friends Charlie and Dick and he looks up to them and he wants to prove to them that he can make something happen.
They meet in his back yard and he turns Dick into a fish and Charlie goes crazy.
Adam is flipping that house and has workmen in all the time. He had found a book of spells written in German and after he says on things happen.
The neighbors are strange and blame him for the uproar in the weather, cops always around, others missing, etc.
Things really get crazy especially with the families. It got to the point I thought maybe he's just dreaming all this cuz it sounds so real.
He gets his job back at the college teaching but the deal to buy into the college gets confusing and plans don't go as they should.
Lots of characters and there's a lot of magic, real good story for just around Halloween. The book is stolen and others end up dying. Others approach him that are of the magic sort...
Interesting book and outcome.
Ends with information about another book the author wrote.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

[Ironlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get Rich or Get Lucky is a Fantasy/Fiction novel that introduces us to main protagonist Adam) as he stumbles across a magical book in the cellar of an old building he is renovating. Whilst Adam is excited by his find, his friends Dick and Charlie, think he's lost the plot!

This is a really well-written book with a quirky plot line that mixes fantasy with humour and well-developed characters that drive the story along at a good pace. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and will definitely look out for more by Nowaz in the future. I recommend reading although I'm not sure to exactly which genre fans as it covers, in my opinion, quite a few: fantasy, magic, drama, adventure, and humour. Well done Nowaz. I look forward to a sequel.

[Will4m · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get Rich or Get Lucky by Max Nowaz is a fantastically quirky book and one that grabs your attention from the first few pages. The story is a great amalgamation of fantasy, science fiction, thriller and plain old fun. What a wild ride indeed as Adam looks into a new business venture of flipping houses. Soon that dream is upended as a book he discovers turns his world upside down. Adam discovers it is a book of magic, and unfortunately, it might not be the kind of magic he wants or needs. There are plenty of magical, quirky, and unexpected happenings in this fun, fast-paced thriller. Dark humor abounds too. You will love this entertaining and fast paced book. Highly recommend.

[Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get Rich or Get Lucky by Max Nowaz is truly a delightful reading experience. The book had a little bit of everything for me from the fast-paced and intense thriller plotline with investigations and secrets to the fantastical elements of the story that made it enchanting escapism to the laugh out loud humor of this book that begins with the main character Adam turning his best friend Dick into a Crayfish on accident. Having read one of Nowaz’s books in the past I knew expected the book to be engaging and imaginative, but this book captivated my attention even more than ‘The Arbitrator.’ I found the main character in the story, Adam, to be a compelling character as he fights through his life’s disappointments and strives to find his place. I also really enjoyed the friendship between Adam, Charlie, and Dick it felt natural and added to the humor of the story. With its misunderstandings, dangerous warlock, and the main character's desperate drive, this is a truly fun read, and I would highly recommend it.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam is in over his head. He is trying to renovate a house, but he is running out of time before his loans are due. When he can’t pay a contractor a high rate, he tackles some of the work himself. In doing so, he discovers a brick wall hiding a basement entrance, and in the basement a magic book of spells. When he tells his friends Charlie and Dick about the book, he inadvertently turns Dick into a crayfish.
With Dick out of the picture, he starts an affair with Dick’s wife. Then he moved onto another married woman, Vera, as well as others. Some of the people he encounters are after the magic book.
He spends time at the Three Witches pub, rumored to be named after the 3 witches that lived in the house he is renovating prior to their disappearance.
A light-hearted magical fantasy, with some funny situations, as well as dangerous situations. Lots of sexual scenes, so beware if that bothers you. Adam is certainly a man with a healthy libido.

[Grymm Gevierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read Nowaz before, and I didn’t hesitate to jump right into this book when I saw it. He’s a skilled writer, which holds for this book full of dark humor. I mean, a crayfish? Haha. Adam is an unfortunate hero that really can’t seem to catch a break. The “get lucky” part of the title is amusing because of how many unfortunate circumstances Adam finds himself in.
Adam struggles to find a way to get out of the dredges of a grinding lifestyle by shooting for a quick house-flipping strategy. This is relatable because I think we all dream of doing something like this to make ends meet and stop punching clocks for others. I almost feel bad for Adam from the get-go; it’s hard to put this book down with all the wild twists. I constantly kept wondering what Adam would get into next, right up until the very end.

I recommend this book. It’s a great read, and the pace will help the time fly.

[Richard Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book recently and found it a very interesting read. The story demonstrates an imaginative author who has carefully considered and threaded this enthralling story together. Would certainly recommend.

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get Rich or Get Lucky by Max Nowaz is a humorous read where chaos and mayhem continue to grow. Adam found his niche in life flipping houses. His first renovation outside London changes his life when he finds an old book bricked up in a hidden cellar. With the magical spells written within the pages; Adam feels he can now get rich and lucky, but his luck turns bad instead of good. He changes Dick into a crawfish, which disappears from the pond. Adam's house gets burglarized, and the old book is stolen. Now he faces a scorned wife, house repairs needed with no cash, curious neighbors, nosy police, and no book to change Dick back. Can it get any worse?

I found Get Rich or Get Lucky mesmerizing as Adam has one problem after another. Max Nowaz skillfully weaves mystique and suspense into his writing. I couldn't help smiling as Adam tries to change his life, but it isn't for the best.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great fantasy story. It certainly didn’t start out like your usual one, and intrigued me from the beginning. There were quite a few moments that had me giggling, but I was always wondering what was coming next. Magic, an evil sorcerer, and a series of somewhat unfortunate events all combine to make this a brilliant humorous yet thrilling fantasy. You can’t help but get attached to Adam, and there are moments I held my breath waiting to see how he’d get out of certain situations. The world building and character development were superb, and I look forward to reading more by the author in the future.

[Arnold Ndiwalana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get Rich or Get Lucky is an interesting fantasy action thriller about Adam whose career doesn't take off as expected and decides to get into a get-rich-quick scheme that takes him down an unexpected path with grave consequences for him and his friends. The lessons taken from Adam's adventures are relatable to the reader but what stands out to me is that the shortcuts taken in life though appealing and attractive as they maybe are paved with unforeseen consequences and like with Pandora's box once opened they can never be shut close. It's a recommended read for those who would like to venture into a fantasy action thriller with a nice dose of humor.

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

After trying to write his novel for nearly 25 years author Max Nowaz decided it was time to sell his business and turn his attention to the completion of his first novel in 2012. Since then he has enjoyed notable success with his books for children, including Timbi’s Dream and for adults including The Arbitrator and Get Rich or Get Lucky.

Get rich or Get Lucky is a magical adventure with twists and turns that keep me on my toes throughout, with plenty of dark humour which I particularly loved. The characters are really well developed, as well as likeable, and the concept of shifts in magic mixed with banter I felt worked really well. I found Get Rich or Get Lucky to be a highly entertaining read, and one that I most definitely recommend to others. The title didn’t exactly deliver the type of book I would have expected, but a great read nonetheless.

[Miglė · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dar niekada tiek nesikankinau su lengvo turinio fantasy knyga. Nemečiau į dnf krūvą, nes vis tikėjausi, kad knygos pasaulėvaizdis ir – nenoriu švaistytis buzzword'ais, bet nerandu geresnio – MIZOGINIJA kažkaip išsispręs? Apsivers į priešingybę, kai knygos herojus kažko išmoks? Ar gal pasakojimas pasidarys toks įtraukiantis, kad nebekreipsiu dėmesio? Nes niekaip negalėjau įsisąmoninti, kam šiais laikais rašyti knygą su VA TOKIU moterų vaizdiniu – juk turi būti kažkokia priežastis, gal reikėjo siužetui? Tai žinokit, tos priežasties taip ir nepamačiau, o knyga nėra tiek įdomi, kad tai atsvertų.

Prielaida: "paprastas bičas" renovuoja namus, viename jų randa burtų knygą ir netyčia paverčia savo bičiulį vėžiu ir nežino, kaip atversti jį atgal.

Moters vaizdinio pvz:
Kitą dieną pas jį pasirodo bičiulio žmona jo ieškoti. Žmona (Rachael), bičiulis (Dick) ir jų visų santykiai aprašomi maždaug taip:

She flicked her long blonde hair back with her expensively bejewelled hand.
Why did it always surprise Adam when women thought of Dick in such glowing terms, as if he was some super-Casanova whose ability to seduce other women was no less formidable than the original? No women would ever run down all this way to check up on him if he ever went missing for a day, and certainly not one as attractive as Rachael. He felt disgusted; Dick has always inspired such feelings in women, and he of all people should be used to it by now.

Rachael įsitaiso ant sofos, laukia vyro ir flirtuoja su pagrindiniu veikėju.

They made small talk and had another few drinks. Rachael mainly talked about herself. She had only knew Dick for a short while before they got married. It had been a whirlwind romance and had taken everyone by surprise. According to Rachael, she had given up a promising career in modelling for Dick.
However, Adam did not quite believe this, as some facts pointed to things being different. Rachael was not nearly tall enough, on the wrong side of thirty and though she had a pretty good figure, it was getting slightly plump around the edges. But she was a real looker. Yes, she was very pretty; indeed she was beautiful.

Jiems nuėjus miegoti, Rachael ateina nuoga pas jį į lovą, o ryte jiedu aptarinėja jos krūtis.

Ne tik Rachael, bet ir kitos (ypač ištekėjusios) moterys pastoviai lenda prie pagrindinio veikėjo, yra ištroškusios sekso ir siaubingos materialistės (pagrindinis veikėjas atvažiuoja pasiimti kitos moters išsinuomota mašina, o ji atvirai pasako, kad jei būtų atvažiavęs su savo sena škoda, ji nebūtų jon lipusi). Pagrindinis veikėjas turi du draugus, vienam kurių siaubingai pavydi, o kitą laiko visišku mėme (maždaug, "jo, aš ne toks krūtas kaip Dick, bet Charlie dar lievesnis už mane"). Visos su burtų knyga susijusios komplikacijos aprašinėjamos su begaline gausa buitinių detalių (Jis galvoja, kur padėti burtų knygą, nusprendžia pasinaudoti banko "safe deposit box", bet pirma turi užsukti pakalbėti dėl buto, užsuka dėl buto, tada važiuoja pavalgyti, tada į banką, bet bake sako, kad užtruks, kol patvirtins jo prašymą, tai jis važiuoja į darbą nusikopijuoti knygos puslapių, tada jam paskambina...), taigi ir rašymo stilius tikrai negelbėja.

Nežinau, daug reviews'ų sakė, kad knyga juokinga, bet knygos pasaulis, kur romantiniai santykiai pasireiškia tik per seksą ir naudą, o draugystė – per nuolatinį lyginimąsi ir nepasitenkinimą, man pasirodė paprasčiausiai liūdnas.

[Rob · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seem to have stumbled across some odd streak of British novels that seem to be written for adult children? This is the second book in as many days that I have found with a 4+ stars rating that I started and couldn't finish. Has someone learned to game the GoodReads system? The dialogue was wooden, the writing was basic and I simply gave up after 30min of scratching my head thinking "why would anyone read this?".

[yel ᰔ]

➺ DNF

I haven't DNF-ed a book in a long time. I saw a lot of 4/5 reviews of this book so I thought, why not give this a try. Maybe I'm not far enough yet to understand where all the good reviews came from, but I don't have a spare time to waste in a book that is personally infuriating. Everything about this book is insufferable and I don't even care if that is exactly the point the author wants to deliver. All I know is that I couldn't stand this anymore.

[Globe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wouldn't normally rat a book I DNFd, and I don't think I've given a 1 star rating to a book before. Apologies to the author, its apparent he's a new/amateur author.

But I've never read a book where four pages in my only reaction was "this is ass". The one constant in my life is a Goodreads books above 3.8 stars never let's me down until today. Great shame. For this, I am marking it down bcs above a 3 rating is way to generous for the writing style I just read.

[Lana · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was like Andrew Tate's fever dream. It felt like in every other chapter, some married woman was throwing herself at the main character. The plot was interesting at first, but just went downhill. It wasn't really funny or exciting at all. Maybe a middle-aged man unhappy with his sex life would appreciate this book more than I did.