The Con Before Christmas

During the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, Arthur Beautyman and his mother Ruth are spotted by a long lost friend of Ruth's, who miraculously produces Ruth's wallet, which had been lost in the crowded mall.

Despite Ruth's waning memory of her old friend, in the spirit of the season Ruth invites her and her adult son into her home for the night. Only the next morning—when the con artists have fled and Ruth's identity and entire life savings gone—do Ruth and Arthur realize they have mere hours to find them before they forever slip out of their grasp.

Through the challenges of their own relationship as mother and son and their combined wit, bravery, and techie know-how, Arthur and Ruth discover a web of betrayal, drama, and crime that pits them against a dangerous and destructive family feud … just in time for Christmas.

This novella is approximately 22,000 words (roughly 90 pages).