The Hidden Things by Jamie Mason

Nothing worked the way Jonathan planned it.  She brought the painting, the loose cannons showed up and so did the guy that was supposed to take them down.  They'd have to arrange to meet again and he'd ask for more money.  But the shooter also shot the woman who had brought the painting, so Jonathan ran, with the down payment and the painting...

Gallery Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published 8-13.

When Jonathan surfaces again, he's changed his identity.  He's now John married to a woman and has a stepdaughter.  They don't know the painting is stolen. so Mom puts it up in the entry way.  He has a camera there so he can make sure no one is trying to steal it.

All's well until the high school girl is followed home by a predator.  She gets away but the cops want the camera footage.  They get and they get a piece of the the stolen painting, too.  The incident goes viral and those still looking for the picture are now on his tail...

This group of players show no mercy to anyone.  The hunt is hard and the daughter gets involved.  It's hard to feel sympathy for those who die.  It ends as it should and nobody got by without some bruises and regrets.  This is a good example of why crime doesn't pay...

Monday's Lie by Jamie Mason

What would your life be like if your mother was a spy?

Gallery Books and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It was published February 3rd, so you can find a copy at your local bookstore now.

This was an unusual story with lots of twists and turns and quirks built in.  More than anything, it's about how a young girl was influenced by her mother's career choice (or lack of choice) and how she reacts as she grows older.  The thing about being careful all the time, observing what's around you and looking beyond what you're looking at is that it can make you paranoid. 

Dee wants to be normal.  Boring normal.  No spy games, no strange things happening in the middle of the night.  She just wants peace in her life.  She marries her college sweetheart and all is well for a while.  But she knows her husband isn't happy and is pursuing other women.  Since Dee is afraid to have a child and still takes birth control pills, he's lost what interest he had in her.  

When Dee starts to feel like someone is following her, she starts trying to locate her watcher.  It's even worse than she thought.  There's one from the past as well one from the present observing her.  The only person in her life she can trust is her brother and she can't tell him everything.

When she accidentally overhears her husband on the phone making arrangements she knows nothing about and her car becomes dangerously disabled while she's driving it, she starts having suspicions about his motives.  How much understanding and forgiveness is normal and how much is insane?

One of my favorite parts of this story was Dee's memories of conversations with her mother.  Mom had a real interesting take on life.

Dee is her mother's daughter and she manages to handle what is thrown at her.  She doesn't want to be recruited into her mother's work, but she has taken a liking to the man she works with.  I think there will be more in this series.  Dee is too intriguing as a character to let her go now.

Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason

This is a strange little tale.  It begins simply enough and then it expands, with more characters and more challenges until it's a big convoluted mess...

Gallery Books and Net Galley allowed me to download an ebook of the story for review (thank you).  It will be published February 12th, so make a note to check with your local bookstore then.

Jason is a regular guy who has been living in his home for two years now.  He does have a secret:  He had been mentally bullied by a stranger he did a random act of kindness for.  This escalated to a physical assault.  Jason suddenly loses control and beats the agressor with an antique phone.  Then he has a body to get rid of.  He buries him out back in the trees.

When he finally decides it's time to come back to life and get his yard cleaned up, he hires a landscaping firm.  He's blown away when they find a body.  The worst part is that it's under his bedroom window.  And it's not the only body they find in his yard.  So here he sits.  Two bodies and neither one are the one he buried.  How could things get worse?  Well, the original murderer could return...

This is a comedy of errors on the killers' part as well as some total ridiculousness in general.  It kept me reading to see what was going to happen next.  It's humorous and sad at the same time.  It certainly wasn't what I expected but it was an entertaining read.  Every time I think of what I read, I just shake my head.  It's not a story you'll casually forget.

Happy reading.