Winner: Best Novella, American Writing Awards 2025 Winner: Literary Titan Gold Book Award 2025
Against the backdrop of an earthquake-ravaged Los Angeles, 'Get Rich Quick' follows one man's desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. Marlon, grappling with a personal tragedy, is enticed by a mysterious financial advisor promising a surefire path to wealth. But as Marlon's high-stakes gambles spiral out of control, the line between salvation and destruction blurs.
Unfolding over a single tension-filled day, Marlon must confront not only his financial ruin, but the dark secrets haunting his family.
A pulse-pounding descent into the dangers of unchecked ambition and the real-world costs of chasing the dream.
About the Author :
Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, WGA is an award-winning feature film director and screenwriter, shaping some of the most visually striking films of the past 40 years. His work on the Academy Award-winning film Monster and on Like Water for Chocolate has earned global recognition. He is a recipient of the American Film Institute Award, the Sloan Award (for writing and directing), the Cannes Golden Lion (for commercials), and is an ASC nominee for outstanding cinematography. He has worked on over 50 feature films. He wrote and directed several groundbreaking feature films with major talent (John Malkovich, Samantha Morton, Helen Hunt and many more). His podcast Filmmakerandfans, about the creative process in film production, is listened to by millions.
Review :
'Very rarely have I come across a book as riveting and thoroughly engaging as Steven Bernstein’s GRQ. The characters are so vivid and compelling that it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I were to encounter them in real life. An absolute must-read.' - Gale Anne Hurd, Executive Producer of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD; ALIENS
'*This little book of wisdom is an iChing for the mid 2020s. Marlon is the infernal dumbass in his schemes to Get Rich Quick, to the despair of his darling Viola. The problem is that there's a Marlon in all of us. Well, most of us. Not me, obviously.
A brilliant evisceration of debt and delusion.*' - JP Maxwell, author and award-winning filmmaker
'For me, it feels like it fits right in with where we are as the human race in the 2020's. In the main, a capitalist world where all that matters is making money, profits and people don't matter, as long as more and more money can be made. It's a tale of ambition, greed and aspiration, with an undertone of desperation and intemperance. I read this in one sitting.' @fatguyreading
"The storyline zipped along at pace: funny, worrying and the characters definitely got under my skin. Would make a good movie. Happy to recommend this very quirky read" - Fiona Sharp, Waterstones Durham
'Author Steven Bernstein builds this sneaky domestic thriller with addictive, vignette-like chapters narrated by voices that alternate between self-justification and raw emotion. Marlon himself offers absurd rationalisations for his lies while trying desperately to mask his own shame. Passages describing Viola’s actions, meanwhile, sharpen the emotional core of the novel, showing how grief distorts truth as much as deception does.
Bernstein’s strength lies in how he seamlessly layers humor, suspense and sorrow. On one page, we’re laughing at Marlon’s ridiculous schemes and evasions. On the next, the ground shakes — literally, as Los Angeles is rocked by earthquakes, and figuratively, as the family fractures under pressure.'
'GRQ (Get Rich Quick) by Steven Bernstein gets really quirky fast. Part stream-of-consciousness and part suspense, where the narrator continually breaks the fourth wall, it is the story of a manipulative financial advisor, a get-rich-quick opportunity, and his desperate client, Marlon, on the day his house is being repossessed.' - Boys' Mum Reads
'Our unnamed narrator is a schemer. He explains earnestly that he is not a sociopath, not a thief, not a bad person–he’s proud of his moral anchor–all the while describing times he stole, cheated, and in general refused to consider anyone else’s feelings. Raised by his aunt after the death of his parents, he now sells cryptocurrency, provides financial advice, and ruminates on life. And while he may not be admirable, he’s engaging and funny.' - 5 minutes for Mom
'Author Steven Bernstein writes with panache, framing the literal collapse of Marlon’s world around the figurative one. And, quelle surprise that he does it suspensefully; we can’t stop watching this train wreck, and we can’t stop wondering if or how it will all resolve itself. He writes so cleverly and evocatively that readers have concerns and GASP feelings. In GRQ, Bernstein doesn’t allow us to go “lurching off willy-nilly,” of course; not even the reader gets off scot-free. Amidst the humor, he also takes us to some dark and painful places, and he leaves us thinking. Eek.' - @hall_ways, Kristine Hall
'The entire story unfolds in one day, which is perfect, because so do most of my bad decisions. Marlon, dealing with personal tragedy and a wallet emptier than my New Year’s resolutions, meets with a mysterious financial advisor you know, smooth talker, fancy suit, promising “guaranteed wealth,” and almost definitely has “crypto consultant” in his Instagram bio. Naturally, rather than try to run away, Marlon does what any desperate human would do: he listens.' - Sudeshna Blogs
'Gritty, morally ambiguous, and uncomfortably plausible, GRQ by Steven Bernstein is a sharp cautionary tale about the seductive danger of easy money and the personal reckonings it can never truly erase. Fans of satire, dark humor, and psychological tension will find much to savor.' - SA Examiner
