Customer Reviews

Behind the Mask (MIRA)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though several years have passed, former Houston police officer Michael Sullivan still feels guilt over the death of his partner. Mike goes out of his way to help Pete's family. When Adam Webster offers a million dollars to find his missing wife and son, Mike accepts the offer though he finds his client distasteful. Mike sees the payoff as a means of assisting Pete's family.

Mike tracks Adam's wife to New Orleans where she works as a waitress at a diner. Lily Tremont claims to be a widow raising her son. She fled her spouse Adam not because of his treatment of her as a trophy wife sex kitten, but when she realized he will one day kill their child. Following the call back to Miami, Mike realizes he made an error and now tries to keep Lily and her son safe. However, as Mike and Lily fall in love, he wonders if he survives the evil chasing them how will he live with knowing he is Judas to a nice boy and the woman he cherishes.

Though the plot is exciting as so many romantic suspense novels are, Metsy Hingle freshens up the story line further through a strong cast. The lead couple is a wonderful pair and the secondary characters provide depth so that the audience understands the motives of Lily and Mike. Readers will wonder why Mike could not wait to learn why Lily gave up wealth for a diner even with the ticking clock and his obsession. This is a very powerful tale that will gain Ms. Hingle a lot of new readers.

Harriet Klausner

Adam Webster offers a million dollars for Michael Sullivan to find his wife Elisabeth and the disk she stole. Adam had groomed Elisabeth since she was fifteen for his private pleasure, and he intends to have her back. He has little regard for his missing son who monopolized his wife's attention, and has no qualms of disposing of the child. But he carefully guards his possessive streak and his hatred for his child from Michael.

Five years ago Michael abruptly resigned his position as a police officer in Houston following his partner's death. Michael holds himself responsible for Pete's death, believing that he could have prevented the tragedy. Consequently, he also provides financially for Pete's family, and a million dollars will go a long way to secure Pete's widow and son's futures. But when he finds Elisabeth, the facts do not match his preconceptions.

Elisabeth knows that behind Adam's mask of social perfection lurks a monster. In fear for her son's life, she fled her gilded cage, leaving Adam Webster his fabulous wealth far behind. But twice Adam's men have close to catching her, and Elisabeth cannot let her guard drop for even a moment. Not even for the handsome stranger who becomes her only chance for survival.

This richly textured plot keeps the pages turning quickly in Metsy Hingle's BEHIND THE MASK, as Elisabeth and Michael's traitorous emotions and savvy survival skills keep them alive. Each major character of the novel wears a mask: Adam wears a mask of respected businessman; Elisabeth wears a mask of beauty and little brains; and Michael wears a mask concealing his identity from the woman he falls in love with. Each possesses nuances and possibilities that none expect, and underestimating anyone can be deadly. These vividly realized characterizations and desperate motivations give BEHIND THE MASK a fascinating depth. Indeed, Hingle once again proves her consummate artistry as she paints her tale and her characters with vitality and verve. A riveting read that readers will find impossible to put down, BEHIND THE MASK earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

From the back cover:

"I'll pay you one million dollars to find my wife and son."

Ex-cop turned bounty hunter Michael Sullivan doesn't think any woman is worth that kind of money, but a job is a job.

All he has to do is make the phone call...

Just drop in the quarter and tell his client he's earned his money. Lily Webster and her son are in New Orleans, where she's working as a waitress. One phone call and he can collect a cool million bucks...and forget the beautiful woman who seems to be hiding something.

Too late, he realizes he's made a mistake...

Only after he's made the call does he begin to realize what he's done. In the blink of an eye Michael Sullivan becomes Lily's only chance for survival. Now all he has to do is convince her to trust him. But why would she put her life--and life of her son--in the hands of the man who betrayed her?

And my review:

My first try of Metsy Hingle's writing, and it won't be my last. BEHIND THE MASK was a highly enjoyable, engrossing read, and usually I don't even like romantic suspense that much. This book is written in a wonderful, flowing style that is easy to read. The reader gets absorbed into the plot, because the author never sounds like she's trying to impress the reader with her vocabulary or an overly complex sentence structure. Given how many "flowery" romance novels there are out there on the market, finding a novel written in a down-to-earth style can be difficult.

The characters were wonderful, fully rounded people. Just flawed enough to be human, but not so overly flawed as to be unlikeable. They were real people, people that the reader could easily identify with. They felt like old friends by the end of the book. While Micheal was yet another tortured hero, he was also more than that. And I liked that Lily was a strong, plucky woman, in spite of her sheltered upbringing and miserable marriage to a domineering man. Also, Timmy, the heroine's son, was a complete character, and so adorable that any reader would love him by the end of the book. Children in romance novels often feel like nothing more than flat plot devices, but that wasn't the case here. Creating loveable, yet real, characters has to be one of the hardest things for a writer to accomplish, so I applaud the author for a job well done.

I also felt that the suspense was well executed. The mystery was pretty light and easy to figure out, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. The author still had me on the edge of my seat for much of the time. When my husband asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him, I actually snapped at him to leave me alone so I could finish the book. (Oops. Sorry hon! :) It was just that exciting!

My only complaint with this book was that the love story felt just a little bit lacking. Not that they author neglected it, but I did feel that the suspense storyline overpowered it a little. However, that being said, both storylines were well done, and also woven together quite well, so it's only a minor complaint.

While BEHIND THE MASK wasn't a book that I'll be keeping to re-read, it was still well worth the read, and I do recommend it anyone who is a fan of romance, even those who (like me) generally don't like romantic suspense. If you enjoy the novels of Tina Wainscott, you'll probably enjoy this book as well.

Bounty Hunter and ex Houston police officer Mike Sullivan sees his chance to atone for letting his partner Pete get killed when a millionaire offers him an exhorbitant sum of money to find his missing wife and son. It would allow him to give Pete's widow and children enough money to be financially secure forever, and maybe have something left for himself. However, when he finds Lily Webster hiding in New Orleans, he quickly finds that some things are more important than money. When Micheal hears her story and learns she was fleeing for her life and that of her son, he switches sides to become her protector, never revealing that he is also her betrayer.

As they run for their lives, Michael and Lily become closer, but can not escape the fact that she is married and to a killer at that. On the run from a man who will stop at nothing to reclaim what is his, not even killing the innocent. Even should they survive, how will Lily react when she learns that the man she loves almost sentenced her to a fate worse than death?

***** Although this book uses many plot elements that are familiar, they have combined to create a captivating story that holds one's attention from the first page to the last word.

The magic of New Orleans, a classic, tortured Alpha hero, and beautiful naive and savvy both heroine all make this a book to put on the keeper shelf. Ms. Hingle has made the leap to more serious fiction with great aplomb, and I look forward to reading her future work. Not only are the main characters well defined, but the supporting cast is believeable and fulfill their respective roles with no waste of time or words. Small details add depth and dimension so that though you may have read similiar books, you will still find this one to be a gem. *****...

Feeling responsible for the death of his partner Pete, ex-police officer Mike Sullivan has been working as a bounty hunter, channeling his earnings into Pete's family coffers to ensure that they are taken care of. When offered the plum assignment to track down a missing wife and child of millionaire Adam Tremont, with a million dollar payoff, he sees this as a way to solve the financial crisis of Pete's family once and for all.

When he locates Lily Webster, she is posing as a widow, working at a New Orleans diner scraping by to raise her son. He wonders why a woman of wealth would chose to give up life in the lap of luxury to work in a greasy spoon, but still makes the call to Tremont to advise where Lily is. He soon realizes the error of his decision when he and Lily form a friendship and she tells him the terrifying truth about her deadly spouse. Mike is now faced with hiding and protecting the woman he was sent to find, as the two start to develop feelings for each other. But will she ever be able to forgive him for bringing havoc to her doorstep?

Hingle blends romantic tension and spine tingling suspense with a truly sadistic villain just a few steps behind the protagonists. The way she portrays New Orleans in her novels makes it seem a secondary character in the story. And thankfully her heroine, while in jeopardy, has a backbone.

After reading the Wager, I knew I had to purchase this book and it lived up to my expectations and more. Very romantic, intriguing, a wonderful read. I look forward to more of Metsy's books. I put her as an author in the league of Sandra Brown and Jayne Ann Krentz.

I enjoyed this book but there wasn't much mystery involved. The romance was sweet but it wasn't enough to make up for the loose ends.

The bad guy was really evil and the hero was a great and generous guy. The woman was sweet and gentle but not helpless and I liked that too. The problem was the subplots that were never really developed. I thought there was too much left unsaid.

Great read, exciting, touching and romantic. Tend to go more in for the Lindsey style, and romances like "Anything, My Love" by Cynthia Simmons, but this book was just great.

I am a great Metsy Hingle fan, and this book is her best so far. The characters and plot are believable, the New Orleans background is fun, and the suspense is well crafted. I really enjoyed this one.