Masquerade

Rating:
Summary: Super Thriller Written by a Super Writer
Review: Masquerade opens with Liz Sanborough dazed and confused. She can't remember her furniture, where did she get Danish Modern. She can't remember her boyfriend, wonderful caring Gordon Tate, who keeps giving her pills. She can't remember anything at all. Then with Gordon's help pieces of her memory start coming back, little things, but before she can get too comfortable two men break into her Santa Barbara home, guns blazing. Gordon tosses her a gun, Liz shoots to kill. Where did she learn how to do that?

Later, in a CIA safe house, Gordon explains to her that she's a CIA agent. That she's had an accident that caused brain fever then amnesia. He tells her she's in danger because she's the only one to ever have seen the international assassin who calls himself the Carnivore and lived. Now he wants to kill her. Gordon tells her that the CIA needs her, she's important to her government. Will she help catch this killer?

She agrees, though she has her doubts. The CIA sends her to Colorado to get her skills back in a CIA training camp, but it's more than skills she's getting, because she secretly stops taking the pills the doctor said she needed to get well and all of a sudden she gets flashes of another life, not the one painted for her by Gordon and the CIA. She sneaks a peak at their computer, finds out the CIA guys had been lying to her all along and with the help of the camp honcho, Asher Flores, she breaks out of there and they become CIA public enemies number One and Two.

Much chasing, much shooting, many twists and turns in this delightful novel that I'm glad to say was written by a woman. Who says women can't write international spy thrillers? Just tell them to pick up MASQUERADE and give it a try. They won't be able to put it down, I can guarantee you that! And Ms. Lynds has obviously done her homework. I loved the way our fugitives, Liz and Asher, got to Europe, then Paris, but every step of the way, no matter how hard they try to elude their captures, they are always there. Betrayal, it seems, is the order of the day if enough money is on the table. And the CIA wants Liz for a horrible plot that will eventually end up with her death and money is no object. There is just nobody she and Asher can turn to without them doing a Benedict Arnold.

I could gush on for three or four more paragraphs, but I'll stop here, because if you haven't got the picture that I loved this book by now, you're pretty hopeless. Five stars from me for MASQUERADE.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

Rating:
Summary: Masquerade by Gayle Lynds was the best book I've ever read.
Review: Masquerade was the best book I've ever read, it was a page turning marvel. I finished in only a few days. I suggest that everyone should read this spectacular book.

Rating:
Summary: A Powderkeg of Suspense!
Review: Move over Robert Ludlum! Gayle Lynds has beaten you at your own game, and with women protagonists who are flesh and blood characters in a breakneck-paced thriller that includes a developing love story through the many twists and turns in the conspiracy plot. The only thing I don't understand is why Hollywood hasn't grabbed this story. It's far better material for a movie than Ludlum's "Osterman Weekend," in which his plot was so convoluted it was impossible to keep track of what was going on, who was doing what or why. I have finally found a woman author to replace my old favorite, Helen McInnes who preceded Ludlum. In her time, she was the queen of international intrigue, but in the 21st Century, that title now falls to Gayle Lynds.

Rating:
Summary: OVER THE EDGE
Review: My daughter brought this book home from a book sale and gave it to me after she was finished, saying it was a great story and I should read it. I agree with her on most things but I'm only half way there on this book.

I realize fiction, especially thrillers, have to be near the edge of credibility to "work" but in my humble opinion Lynds pushes it too far and goes over the edge on this one. I was reminded continually of the pulp-type secret agent books and movies of the 60's and 70's. It's been done and just doesn't work any more.

Also, being an incredible stickler for accurate detail about firearms and related matters I was disappointed by the technical inaccuracies of that part of the story. She obviously did some research into that area (ie Gunsite Service Pistol) but didn't carry it quite far enough.

I have great hopes for Ms. Lynds and will be watching her future work to see where it goes.

Al Voth (author of 'B-ZONE')

Rating:
Summary: I've Read Worse
Review: Thankfully I bought this book in paperback because I would have been quite mad if i'd bought it in hardback. I was expecting a fast page turner and what i got was a book I'm only reading because I haven't anything else to read. The characters in the book are unbelievable as CIA spies, to say the least. Some of the ways they are caught by their enemies are downright laughable. I was starting to think they deserved to be caught. I found myself rolling my eyes many times while reading the book. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Masquerade keeps you guessing!
Review: The first novel by the reigning queen of international intrigue! Masquerade moves along at a terrific pace, and like any good mystery, has you guessing the hero's, or in this case, heroine's next move.
Imagine waking up one day, not knowing who you are, or why you are being drugged, and kept in captivity by the C.I.A. You are told you are a spy, and the target or the world's most feared assassin. Everytime you try to figure things out, and remember things from your past, you are drugged, and locked in a cell("for your own protection"). Your only choice...escape, and try to figure things out for yourself. This is exactly what she does, and the result is one thoroughly enjoyable read, from first page, to last!
Now out in bargain($3.99)paperback reissue, pick this book up, and go along for the ride. I garantee you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Rating:
Summary: She must've learned a lot from Robert Ludlum.
Review: The International Thriller genre has historically been dominated my male writers (some of my favorite authors as a matter of fact). David Morrell, Tom Clancy, Frederick Forsyth, David Baldacci, and others. A few years ago I noticed that Gayle Lynds had cowritten a few books with the great Robert Ludlum (the "Bourne" series). Since then, she has started writing solo novels and this one is simply a masterpiece. Non-stop action, a gripping plot, writing that is well-structured but not over the top, and characters you can understand.

As the storyline plays out, you often find yourself wondering where it will go next...and the unexpected turns just add to the thrill ride. A perfect read for a long weekend or a plane ride because you will not want to put it down!

Rating:
Summary: (4 1/2) A Hard To Put Down Ludlumesque Thriller
Review: The novelist Gayle Lynds comes highly recommended by none other than the best selling thriller author of all time, Robert Ludlum. I am referring not to the standard "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" book jacket blurbs but rather to the fact that Ludlum actually selected her to co-author three books with him late in his career. Since I have been a Ludlum fan since his debut novel, THE SCARLATTI INHERITANCE, I have been intending to read some of Lynds' novels for the past few years; thus I purchased MASQUERADE when I noticed a new paperback edition on display. While I found their joint efforts to be worthwhile reads, I didn't feel that the plots were as complex and the tension as palpable as some of Ludlum's early books. Thus, I was extremely pleased to discover how successfully this book captures many of the elements that consistently made Ludlum's books so entertaining but at the same time gives the author the freedom to define herself and her style in an individualistic way that was impossible as Ludlum's collaborator.

I will only very briefly summarize the plot, since an extensive discussion would involve the spoilers that are difficult to avoid when summarizing most thrillers given the fact that unexpected plot twists are an essential element of the genre. Liz Sansborough has complete amnesia, and thus is totally dependent on her companion Gordon as she attempts to reconstruct her past. She finds that many of the skills which she possesses supposedly are the result of her previous career - CIA agent. However, she is living under the identity of Sarah Walker, an alias created by the government to protect her from elimination by a shadowy international assassin - the Carnivore. (In fact, there are several MASQUERADEs within the covers of this book.) Suddenly violence erupts, and Liz grows increasingly frustrated as Gordon and her government handlers continue to attempt to control the information available to her concerning her past while at the same time recruiting her to reenter the clandestine world of international covert ops that the Carnivore inhabits. Soon Liz and a companion are on the run, not sure what the truth is and trying to stay alive while figuring out the real motivations of both sides - her supposed colleagues in the intelligence services and the Carnivore and his associates. (Shades of Jason Bourne in terms of the amnesia and a sidekick to help her unravel the mystery and watch her back, but the rest of the plot is totally original.)

This has the standard elements of the fast paced international thriller including several plot twists. First, the overmatched heroine who somehow keeps managing to overcome the odds. Second, the truly evil government operatives with their own motivations only gradually revealed. (Stay tuned for OPERATION GRANDEUR.) Third, a lot of violent action. Fourth, some financial chicanery and international currency manipulation involving both a quest for power and large sums of money. Fifth, some emotional connections between the central character and other persons as an element of the narrative. However, this story is more complex and with more plot twists than the standard novel of this genre. It involves interesting elements of psychological conditioning and mind control, and a distinguishing element is that a few of the characters are more fully developed than those usually featured in most thrillers. This is especially true with regard to several personal complex relationships that are only gradually revealed (pay attention !); this feature is in fact essential to the storyline. The author also uses the flashback technique effectively. While such a device is probably a necessary element of a story involving amnesia, it is also used in other contexts as well to tie up loose ends much more completely than is often the case. Several times when I noted unexplained occurrences or had unanswered questions, this technique was used in an explanatory manner later in the story.

As my rating indicates, I strongly recommend this book if you like action packed international thrillers pitting good against evil. The message is not at all preachy, and the author's point of view with regard to the subject matter in no way intrudes on the story. An additional bonus turned out to be that my edition included a sneak preview for Gayle LYNDS' soon to be published new book, THE COIL. The preview makes clear why MASQUERADE has been reissued; THE COIL is in fact a sequel and Liz Sansborough reappears as a central character. Therefore, this book is not only enjoyable as a standalone story but also concludes with the anticipation of another great read. The first reason why I only rated the story four and a half rather than a full five stars is that a few elements of the story line (and particularly the key plot twist) were somewhat predictable to the reader as the story unfolded even though the characters involved were still unaware of the factors at work. While this was probably unavoidable given the construction of the story and the structure of the plot, I felt that it was enough of a negative to slightly reduce my rating. In addition, Liz's incredible talents and well trained intuition at times seemed too great for someone in her position and yet these fantastic strengths which she possessed alternated with her making some pretty basic mistakes at times. However, I want to reiterate that this is a first rate story, with plenty of mystery and a few twists that came out of left field and hit me right between the eyes.

Tucker Andersen

Rating:
Summary: A decent thriller
Review: The protagonist of Gayle Lynds' thriller Masquerade has lost her memory. Unable to recall even her name, she knows only as much of her past as her caretaker Gordon tells her: she is his fiancee, Liz Sansborough, a retired CIA agent who has been living under cover as a journalist and who is being targeted by one of the world's deadliest assassins, the Carnivore. Liz's reactions when under attack, she finds, are indeed those of a trained operative, but her occasional near memories don't correspond with what she's been told. Her hunt for her identity takes Liz away from Gordon's grasp, finally, and into the thick of a dangerous game of international intrigue in which identifying the bad guys is hard, and outrunning them even harder.

Masquerade, if not unputdownable, is a decent thriller with transparent prose and a likeable protagonist (who figures also in Lynds' more recent novel The Coil). The book unfortunately ends on a disappointing note, with a final chapter that strains credibility, but I would nonetheless enjoy reading more from this author.

Debra Hamel -- book-blog reviews
Author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully compelling and action packed
Review: Think of the reactions that you might have if you realized that part of your memory was gone - via a mind/personality-altering chemical - and that you were suddenly facing daily life-threatening situations as part of a surreptitiously-hatched international scheme. It's only the beginning in Masquerade, where action and intrigue abound in this intricately composed thriller, which is also infused with emotional and familial attachments that lie at the heart of the story.

A young woman discovers herself involved with people and situations that are unrecognizable as part of her previous life, and must rely on her intuition and physical and mental instincts to find out for herself what is true and not true, and who she should and should not trust. All the while she is battling threats to her mental and physical well-being and fighting to protect the lives of those who can help her.

The author provides a wide range of non-stop action for the story's backdrop, featuring diverse locales and situations - from foreign politics to domestic espionage. It interlaces concurrent events at different locations to take the reader through a complex maze that leads to a sinister international conspiracy, in which the story's protagonist finds herself square in the middle.

Masquerade is about one woman's ability and determination to discover the truth about herself by overcoming personal challenges and powerful, organized forces that seem utterly unstoppable. It portrays the resiliency and fortitude of character; of being able to face and respond to very difficult and dangerous situations, and ultimately to do what one's conscious determines is right.