Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

The Mighty Six-Ninety (690) is a drama by Alexander Hamilton Cherin. It's the year 1981 in San Diego, California. Michael "The King" Kingman, the resident DJ of the AM radio station Mighty 690, comes up with an ingenious idea for a summer contest to boost dwindling ratings by offering listeners the chance to win $50000 in cash if they follow the clues to find it. Sally Lang, a teller who has been stealing from her bank, sees it as an opportunity to return the money before an upcoming audit. While a Holocaust survivor named Augie teams up with a thirteen-year-old boy for the treasure hunt, Danny Baker -- a washed-up motorcycle racer -- is also determined to find this fortune. Who among the four strangers will get their hands on the buried money?

The Mighty Six-Ninety (690) is a unique take on treasure hunt tales. This character-driven drama builds on a captivating premise and delivers everything it promises and more. Alexander Hamilton Cherin transports readers into the lives of four strangers from different backgrounds, each of whom has a tragic past and well-founded reasons to chase the money. These four characters are well-fleshed out with distinct personalities and backstories that make you sympathize with their plight. Cherin also masterfully incorporates tension, mystery, and intrigue into a narrative that switches timelines and POVs at regular intervals. I loved the friendship between Augie and Jason, although personally, I was rooting for Sally to win the prize. All in all, this is a must-read for readers who enjoy character-driven slice-of-life stories.