Imposter (Premier Mystery Series #2) [Paperback]

Davis Bunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2007

Matt Kelly's knack for concealing his identity is his greatest asset as a federal agent. But when an assignment gets personal, discovering who he really is may prove to be the toughest mission of all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The prolific inspirational novelist Bunn (The Lazarus Trap) is an able wordsmith, whether penning a historical romance series (Heirs of Acadia) or a sweet seasonal novella (Tidings of Comfort & Joy). But he's at his best in this absorbing faith-based suspense thriller. Federal agent Matt Kelly is the handsome, seemingly emotionless son of an aspiring Senate candidate. When Matt's beloved mother is brutally murdered, he sets out to find her killer. Helping him is the beautiful Consuela "Connie" Morales, who has been demoted to Baltimore Police desk work after refusing the sexual advances of her superior, but who is determined to return to active duty. The plot twists and turns as Matt discovers that the secret to his mother's murder may lie in his father's history as a soldier in Vietnam. Bunn knows how to craft a phrase, and his attention to detail, especially regarding explosives, is doled out in just the right measure. The story is admirably rich in strong women, from the pregnant newspaper reporter, Judy Leigh, to Connie Morales. Faith is treated with a light hand, which may attract new general readers. The plot occasionally gets confusing, and it's never completely clear what has frozen Matt's emotions, although Bunn offers clues. But these are minor quibbles in an engrossing, fast-paced tale that is by turns poignant and goose-bump provoking. (Mar. 7)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Following his international thriller Elixir (2004), Bunn offers a police procedural centering on rookie FBI agent Matt Kelly, the son of a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate. Before he can congratulate himself on the completion of his training, Matt walks into a bombing in which his mother is killed. Was it right-wing extremists, missing their real target? Bunn's setup results in a fast-paced tale along the lines of the film Enemy of the State, even to the inclusion of a dangerous renegade agent a la Gene Hackman. And like that movie, when you peel away all the layers, you won't find much. But Dunn's police banter is dead-on, and he knows the backstreets of Washington as well as anyone. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595542264
• ISBN-13: 978-1595542267
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #894,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Davis Bunn is the author of over nineteen national bestsellers, and his books have sold over six million copies in sixteen languages. The recipient of three Christy Awards, Bunn currently serves as writer-in-residence at Oxford University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unrealized Potential, February 15, 2007

By 

S. Peek (Rocky Mountains, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Imposter (Premier Mystery Series #2) (Hardcover)

'Imposter' is a story that had the potential to be very good, but it didn't quite work out.

The story focuses on Matt Kelly who is a rookie federal agent. He is walking up to his mother's house with her when she is killed by an explosion at the front door. He then has his father (a U.S. senate candidate) pull some strings to help him be able to investigate the case.

There are several parts of the story that are mentioned but just left hanging with no real explanation ever given. Some of these are as follows: Matt and his father having a strained relationship, Matt being emotionally disconnected from virtually the entire human race, Matt having moved around a lot as a child. There are others too.

Some parts of the story were quite action packed and kept my interest. Overall though, this was just average.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, January 15, 2007

By 

Joseph L. Burke "Paper Tiger" (Bradenton FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Imposter (Premier Mystery Series #2) (Paperback)

If you action/mysteries/cop thrillers - you'll like this book. The author writes well, plots well, and his writing has a clarity I find admirable. I would have given it five stars except that the writer kept harping on the hero's inability to express emotion. That would have been okay too except that it interrupted the novel's flow and was never sufficiently explained nor satisfied in the story. Must every detective in fiction be a reformed drunk, addict, depressed, suffering from some loss or trauma, etc, etc?? This is annoying when carried to the length that this author takes it. But - aside from that - a really entertaining read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention please! Will the real Thomas Locke stand up?, March 28, 2006

By 

Wolfe Moffat (Franklinville, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Imposter (Premier Mystery Series #2) (Hardcover)

Ok, if you know anything about Bunn as an author, then you'll probably get what my title means immediately. If not, I'll leave it for you to figure it out. This was great! I haven't enjoyed a Bunn novel this much since "The Great Divide". This packed a similar punch, and I'm still reeling!

Coming back with another international thriller right after "The Lazarus Trap", I wasn't so sure. Just the title made me go HMM, yet at the same time I was very eager to see what was in store. What will we learn about Paul Kelly, Matt Kelly's dad. A big shot in a senatorial race and having just lost his wife, a big light in the spotlight. Matt, who is a fed, is very talented, and in more than one way. But sometimes this boy just clams up. Matt wants justice for his mom's killer, and let me tell you, Bunn has some pretty good twists in this bad boy! Allow this to slowly grip the heart, because it dives deeply, and it really pumps you up!

If you've ever read Bunn before, you know he can get a little complex at times. He does so in this, yet he doesn't fail to please the masses. Through the person of Lucas D'Amico, he displays great heart combined with faith, and maybe even a question or two. So I can easily say that Bunn has nothing to prove. This will be among his best. Can't wait for what he dishes out next!