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Lonely Deceptions
WHEN NICK DAVIS, A FORTY-SOMETHING SMALL TOWN MACHINIST, SPOTS AN INTRUDER’S SHADOW THROUGH THE MIST OF AN EARLY MORNING STORM, HE IS OBLIVIOUS THAT THE SEEMINGLY RANDOM OCCURRENCE WILL LEAD HIM ON A PATH THAT WILL CHANGE HIS LIFE FOREVER .After Nick accidentally overhears a conversation between Lou Evans—his boss and the owner of Lou-Paul Machine Shop—and a mysterious person, he unwittingly becomes a pawn in a game of international proportions. When Lou gruffly asks him to take possession of prototype blueprints, Nick has no idea that the blueprints contain a dark secret—a secret with the potential to kill. Combined with unwanted attention from a local police officer as well as a skeletal, dangerous former FBI agent, Nick’s normal life is suddenly not that at all, and no one can guarantee his safety—not even the beautiful FBI agent who has been assigned to the case.Lou may not be who he says he is, and, unfortunately for Nick, his downfall may be that he is the best machinist around and the only one Lou can count on to help him carry out a perilous mission.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 7, 2011
Nick Davis works at Lou-Paul Machine Shop. One day while walking by his boss’s office, he hears his boss talking to something on the phone. The conversation has nick replaying it in his mind. It is odd. When Nick’s boss gives Nick some blue prints to hold on it, Nick does not think anything is up until he uncovers something within the blue prints. At this point, Nick is now caught in the middle of a battle, where only the smart survive.
While, I did like this book, I felt that Mr. Willis added all the things he liked about thriller/suspense novels into this book at the same time. There was the intrigue, the shady characters, the hidden agenda and the protagonist. There was not a lot of the build up to the suspense. I was quickly introduced to characters without a lot of detail. Than like in the next scene, the characters’ identities would be revealed. Nick tried to come off as tough but I didn’t buy it. Nick was not the kick butt type of guy but more of a brainiac. I did feel like Mr. Willis did make a nice attempt at writing a thriller/suspense novel.
While, I did like this book, I felt that Mr. Willis added all the things he liked about thriller/suspense novels into this book at the same time. There was the intrigue, the shady characters, the hidden agenda and the protagonist. There was not a lot of the build up to the suspense. I was quickly introduced to characters without a lot of detail. Than like in the next scene, the characters’ identities would be revealed. Nick tried to come off as tough but I didn’t buy it. Nick was not the kick butt type of guy but more of a brainiac. I did feel like Mr. Willis did make a nice attempt at writing a thriller/suspense novel.
February 12, 2021
I met the author at a book signing at our local library. After chatting a few minutes I purchased all three of his books at the time. I just started reading it yesterday and I’m done. This is a really good book. It has a lot of mystery, chills, and thrills! The twists and turns would not let me put it down. I was not expecting the end of the book’s huge twist and secrets revealed. Unanswered questions? On to the next book to get the rest of my answers. You will love this book as much as I did!
June 25, 2011
This twisting neo-noir mixes Mayberry-esque domesticity with paranoiac Big Sleep double-dealings, set against a panoramic backdrop stretching from Rosewood, N.J., to the very heart of Mother Russia.
Ambitious first-time author Willis pits his affable hero, Nick—a Garden State machinist by trade—against the evil machinations of an elusive organization called Cascades, whose operatives range from a skeletal gent with a penchant for retro slang (“Hunky-dory!”) to, literally, the girl next door. Naturally, nothing is as it seems. Nick will be familiar to lovers of the mystery genre—that amiable schmuck who finds himself dead center in an international conspiracy, fighting for his life, his honor and, eventually, the woman he loves. And she may even love him, too. The convoluted plot turns on the whereabouts of the missing part of a cryptic set of blueprints—in the right hands it’s worth millions; in the wrong, infinitely more. But is the seductive Mila/Margaret really on the side of truth and justice, or is she only looking out for herself? Even closer to home is the mystery of Nick’s too-goofy-to-be-real father and his exact involvement in the whole sordid international affair. And what really happened to Nick’s turncoat sister? Willis stage-manages his oddball cast with flare, if not always finesse; there’s a folksy quality to much of the dialogue that renders the action—happily over the top—a bit too whimsical to encourage the suspension of disbelief. Still, Nick’s endearing aw-shucks demeanor—and a few rather devious bad ends the author devises for the bad guys—help mitigate any missteps. Expect Cold War-style espionage, ruthless killers, explosions, steamy love scenes, lots of corny jokes and doughnuts.
The literary equivalent of your favorite late-night, Jersey-diner comfort food—effortlessly digestible.
-Kirkus Indie Review
Ambitious first-time author Willis pits his affable hero, Nick—a Garden State machinist by trade—against the evil machinations of an elusive organization called Cascades, whose operatives range from a skeletal gent with a penchant for retro slang (“Hunky-dory!”) to, literally, the girl next door. Naturally, nothing is as it seems. Nick will be familiar to lovers of the mystery genre—that amiable schmuck who finds himself dead center in an international conspiracy, fighting for his life, his honor and, eventually, the woman he loves. And she may even love him, too. The convoluted plot turns on the whereabouts of the missing part of a cryptic set of blueprints—in the right hands it’s worth millions; in the wrong, infinitely more. But is the seductive Mila/Margaret really on the side of truth and justice, or is she only looking out for herself? Even closer to home is the mystery of Nick’s too-goofy-to-be-real father and his exact involvement in the whole sordid international affair. And what really happened to Nick’s turncoat sister? Willis stage-manages his oddball cast with flare, if not always finesse; there’s a folksy quality to much of the dialogue that renders the action—happily over the top—a bit too whimsical to encourage the suspension of disbelief. Still, Nick’s endearing aw-shucks demeanor—and a few rather devious bad ends the author devises for the bad guys—help mitigate any missteps. Expect Cold War-style espionage, ruthless killers, explosions, steamy love scenes, lots of corny jokes and doughnuts.
The literary equivalent of your favorite late-night, Jersey-diner comfort food—effortlessly digestible.
-Kirkus Indie Review
February 3, 2016
I enjoyed reading this book very much. The characters are written very well and the plot maintained a steady pace. The book does a wonderful job of setting up the story for the other two books in the trilogy. I would recommend these books to anyone who likes to read the mystery/suspense genre.
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July 29, 2011Review to come
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews