Decoy (MIRA) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jasmine Cresswell (Author)

Book Description

Series: MIRA | Publication Date: February 1, 2004

While investigating the mysterious death of her mother and the illegal business dealings of the man she thought was her father, Melody Beecham is blackmailed into helping a government agency known as Unit One betray her "father".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Art gallery curator and former supermodel Melody Beecham, the daughter of an aristocratic English mother and a millionaire father, has led a blessed life, but all that changes the day her mother, Rosalind, dies under dubious circumstances. In Rosalind's will, she informs her daughter that Wallis Beecham is not her actual father. Shortly thereafter, Wallis denounces Melody. With retribution in mind, Melody begins investigating Wallis's involvement in the possibly sinister Bonita partnership, led by clues from her mother's files. Melody's transformation from curator to amateur spy is unlikely, as is her eventual alliance with a covert government agency known as Unit One, which intends to use her as bait to trap Wallis. In Cresswell's descriptions of Unit One and their clever gadgetry, Cresswell satisfies readers' cravings for high espionage and macho men who stay cool under fire, but she fails to tie off major plot threads involving Melody's search for her father's identity and her budding romance with Unit One Chief of Operations Nick Anwar. Cresswell throws in a few unexpected plot twists, but not so many that readers won't notice the story's loss of momentum or its disappointing conclusion.
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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mira (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 077832012X
• ISBN-13: 978-0778320128
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,239,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK for a quick read., March 1, 2004

By 

mahikahn (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Decoy (MIRA) (Mass Market Paperback)

I liked the plot of this book but it could have been better developed.

I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters. I also can't imagine how Melody could ever know if Nick was telling the truth, since he rarely did. I was disappointed at the way the book ended although I understand it's because there will be a sequel.

I liked "The Inheritance" much better, also "Dead Ringer".

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for the sequel, February 12, 2004

By 

Erica "encbks" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Decoy (MIRA) (Mass Market Paperback)

The action, the characters, and plot were great. The action of becoming a secret agent to avenge your family, the characters were in depth and deep, fears and strengths that just not only touch the reader but make the characters believeable, plus there were unsuspected surprise and make me all the more excited about the sequel, coming later this year. I have read some of the harlequin/sihoulette books by Ms. Cresswell but these romantic suspense novels are my cup if tea. A fantastic must read

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful intro to a three part series, July 18, 2006

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Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Decoy (MIRA) (Mass Market Paperback)

Former supermodel and socialite Melody Beacham discovers at the reading of her mother's will that Wallis Beacham, the man who raised her, is not her biological father. When Daddy Dearest learns of his ex-wife's duplicity, he is seeing red and will do anything to keep Melody from prospering. She moves to New York and works with her mother's good friend at an art gallery. And is soon recruited (or rather coerced) into joining a covert group hell bent on using her as bait to trap Wallis who is suspected of being involved in a partnership involving human cloning, terrorism, and murder.

To help her prepare for her assignment, she is trained by team leader Nikolai "Nick" Anwar, who has a covert identity as a Russian mobster for hire. Her first assignment is to pose as his lover, but soon there is no posing between the two as the enter into a passionate affair. But with a mole in the organization who can rat her out, will she be able to get the goods on her crooked daddy?

The suspense was great and just as I got to the end I realized that there were so many plot threads introduced and left dangling that there had to be a sequel - and sure enough, there are two. I for one like self-encapsulated stand alone novels - why make a reader purchase three books? Now I am hooked and have to wait for the other two to come in the mail!