Restoration Games
A crime novel where disaster creates opportunity—and integrity becomes collateral damage.
When fires burn out and insurance money moves in, not everyone is there to help.
Restoration Games pulls readers into the high-stakes world of property restoration, where moral lines blur, opportunists circle, and one man’s game threatens to destroy everyone around him.
A Glimpse Inside the Life of Bob Oliver
Bob Oliver brings lived experience to fiction.
Bob Oliver is a retired property restoration industry professional with more than twenty-five years of experience responding to large-scale property damage events across Canada and around the world. His career placed him on the front lines of fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other catastrophic losses, where he was responsible for designing recovery plans, preventing further damage, and restoring operations under extreme pressure.
Now retired and living in Calgary, Alberta, Bob Oliver draws on decades of firsthand knowledge to tell a fictional story shaped by real systems, real incentives, and real consequences. Restoration Games is the product of that experience—fiction driven by authenticity rather than speculation.
Why Read Restoration Games
Because this is crime fiction grounded in reality, not imagination alone.
Restoration Games offers something rare: a crime novel set inside a world most readers never see, and almost no one understands.
You should read this book if you’re interested in stories where:
Engaging Story
The tension comes from believable choices, not exaggeration
Psychological Depth
Morality erodes slowly, one rational decision at a time
Unexpected Twists
Crime grows out of opportunity, not impulse
Reader Favorite
The consequences feel earned and unavoidable
About the Book
A crime novel rooted in a world most people never see.
Restoration Games is the story of Gary Denson, a charming, calculating opportunist who drifts from city to city across Canada, leaving damage behind him long after the smoke clears. He understands the restoration and insurance ecosystem well enough to exploit it—and he does. Fires, floods, and personal disasters become tools in a larger con built on deception, manipulation, and stolen trust.
As Gary plays his game, others in the industry are playing their own. Insurance adjusters, contractors, brokers, tradespeople, and investigators all operate within systems that reward speed, volume, and silence. Some bend rules. Others cross lines. A few try to hold onto integrity in an environment that quietly punishes it.
A Look at the Book Trailer
Reader’s Word
Oh, what a tangled web—and in the best possible way. This novel weaves together mystery, hanky panky and a fascinating glimpse into the world of restoration. There’s a lot going on, so be sure to set aside some uninterrupted time, but it’s well worth the investment.
I read a lot of books, and I can easily say that Bob Oliver as a developing author compares equally to Ken Follett, Dan Brown, and David Baldacci. His first book, Restoration Games, is riveting! I can’t stop turning the pages to see the next event. I look forward to the sequel or any of his novels. I can see "Restoration Games “becoming a movie or even a series.
Bob Oliver's knowledge of the restoration world is evident as he outlines the many complexities and regulations involved throughout the book. And the character of Gary Denson takes advantage of many situations in the most devious ways. He will move forward at all costs, leaving a trail of victims in his wake. Will he ever be caught? Who knows. And... those Russians!
January 12, 2026
Restoration Games is a page turner. I was able to apply the different characters to when we had flood restoration done! Awesome read!
Review of Restoration Games, a novel by Bob Oliver As the title suggests, this is a story of how the restoration industry could go wrong. The main character as well as several others try to turn disaster into profit. This is fast paced, with intertwined stories, and has a surprising conclusion. This is Bob’s debut novel. He has successfully managed to combine his extensive knowledge of the restoration industry and his active imagination into an entertaining story. He slowly integrates the lives of his characters and in doing so the story flows and evolves to reach an unexpected climax. Bob has demonstrated his ability to weave an entertaining and engrossing story. This reader is looking forward to seeing what is next.
I was hooked on the very first page and couldn’t put this book until I had finished all 55 mini-chapters. As I turned the pages, I was drawn more and more into this tale set in a world that most of us know very little about. An entertaining and suspenseful read!
I found mister Oliver’s first go at writing a novel a very enjoyable read. Here was a riveting and exciting novel with interesting characters well laid out in a mystery novel where the author had lots of first hand knowledge and background in the restoration business. A great read and looking forward to more in the future.
I found the book to be an interesting look into the restoration / insurance business or more to the point, racket. The scenarios presented in the book opened my eyes to what may go on in those operations. I still wonder if Marilyn and Alan are still under the carport slab?
Restoration Games is a compelling and insightful read that blends personal experience, professional wisdom, and lessons from the restoration industry. Bob lived in the restoration world his entire career and understands that it's not just about restoring property; it's about people and their impact during and after a disaster. It's genuine, and it's real. Loved reading it.
BELFOR Property Restoration
“This doesn’t read like a typical crime novel. It feels informed, precise, and unsettling in a very real way. You can tell the author knows this world from the inside.”
“What stood out to me was how believable everything felt—the characters, the scams, the slow buildup. It’s the kind of story that makes you rethink how disasters are handled behind the scenes.”
“The technical details never overwhelm the story, but they add weight to it. This book made me uncomfortable in the best possible way.”
“Gary is a disturbing character because he’s so plausible. The book shows how easily charm and confidence can mask something dangerous.”
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Enter the gripping narrative of Gary Denson’s cunning world — a psychological thriller that explores the dark corners of deception, insurance fraud, and the human psyche.