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Serena Wilcox Mysteries #1
Angels Mark
ANGELS MARK is a suspense novel ripped from today's headlines Readers who are weary of a bipartisan American government, poor economic news, political posturing and bickering, and a deadlocked two-party system, will find ANGELS MARK to be a satisfying read: the perfect anecdote to watching the news. Serena Wilcox is on the run from the law, for reasons that involve three American presidents, a woman in Iran, and a false church headed up by two deranged brothers.
ANGELS MARK is a fast-paced novel of suspense, justice, mystery, and humor that will keep you guessing to the very end -- and beyond
ANGELS MARK is a fast-paced novel of suspense, justice, mystery, and humor that will keep you guessing to the very end -- and beyond
ANGELS MARK is set in a little town of about 4,000 people, Cannon Falls, Minnesota, which coincidentally was the surprise location of one of President Obama's recent stop-overs in the Midwest. More information about the Serena Wilcox Mysteries, Natalie Buske Thomas, and "Angels Mark" can be found at the author's web site: http: //www.nataliebuskethomas.com
Reviews for ANGELS MARK:
"Evocative storytelling spins into fast-paced political thriller,
leaving readers not knowing whom to trust.
Natalie steps on all the right toes...
Whilst weaving a crafted story that is every
conspiracy theorist's worst nightmare or apocryphal dream."
--James Micheal Emery & Shepherd Black
This book was absolutely fantastic Action, suspense, mystery-I could not put it down once I started. I felt like it was taking me too long to read each page, because I wanted to get to the next one I recommend it whole-heartedly. -Miki
About the Author:
Natalie Buske Thomas started her career with the Serena Wilcox Mysteries -- her first book was in print before she was 30. She then penned "The Magic Camera," co-authored four books with major publishers, met then-Gov Jesse Ventura, made Oprah.com's online mystery readers' pick, and took a break from books to write plays and choreograph musicals for local theater groups and amateur indie films.Now she's back with a new book ANGELS MARK, a mystery/suspense novel. She's a decade older than she was when she started her career, and has matured as a writer. She hopes to scare and delight readers with her new book, book 4 the Serena Wilcox mysteries, that stands-alone (no need to read the previous titles first).
For more information about Natalie Buske Thomas:
http: //www.nataliebuskethomas.com
Natalie on Twitter as writernbt,
Facebook as Natalie Buske Thomas,
or read her blog at http: //nataliebuskethomas.blogspot.com
311 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2011
86 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Buske Thomas
50 books30 followersNatalie is an oil painter, with works on display at events and exhibits.
Natalie was born in upstate New York, raised in Indiana, and lived in Germany when her husband was stationed there with the U.S. Army. After his deployment, she lived near the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Minnesota) for twenty years, then moved briefly to Ireland. She now resides in coastal Georgia.
Natalie was born in upstate New York, raised in Indiana, and lived in Germany when her husband was stationed there with the U.S. Army. After his deployment, she lived near the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Minnesota) for twenty years, then moved briefly to Ireland. She now resides in coastal Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 14, 2012
Angels Mark
Natalie Burke Thomas
The flames envelope the entire room as the match was lit and the lone observer makes sure that the entire apartment is engulfed in flames. Remembering this incident, sitting by herself in a restaurant out of the cold and frigid night Serena Wilcox assesses her life, her fears and what she remembers. As she recounts to the reader one reporter’s words as the United States came under attack and many cities demolished by nuclear blasts we learn about a man named Tom and her life before this happened. All alone sitting in this restaurant at a table for six, nursing her coffee and desert she finally makes her way outside into the cold night hoping to find some consolation and warm within her car. Driving through Cannon Falls and seeing all of the Christmas lights, the blinding roads covered with ice and the endless loneliness while trying to escape the cold and the fear that the car would go off the road from her blurred vision. Reminders of the house fire loomed into her conscious as she pulled into the driveway, opened the door and was greeted by her family. Tom and her children were there worried about her and hoping for her return.
World War III has taken place the United States has changed and the constitution rewritten. Two Presidents running the country with equal power for 18 months and each appointed by the outgoing President that resigned. John Williams the President on the East and Ann Kinji the first female and Japanese President on the West with Williams handling the states in between. His party called the New Conservative Party mirroring the Republican Party of the past and hers called the Democratic Union or as her supporters have dubbed it The New Liberals. The two party systems was still in place, many changes made and the past President’s speech would set the stage for what would come. A former cabinet appointee the first woman President lacked the celebrity for the job and definitely preparation. Thinking to herself that everything was find and the country was running the same would make anyone that really knows anything realize that is not the case. Enter Paul Tracy who has an agenda all his own and wanted a seat up close and personal with both leaders. Would you believe a position in her cabinet? Hoping that he would be offered something but just why? But, just who is Serena running from and what will happen next? What role does he play in helping Serena and her family disappear?
Serena placed a comment on the forum of an organization called off grid, which helps people and families disappear. No one from their past will ever communicate with them, changing their names completely and allowing their friends and family to think they are dead forever which was the purpose of the house fire.
As Serena contemplates her life she is listening to the head of her group make a speech. Part of the requirement was to join the organization and the topic is one that many have heard before in the headlines: How would you feel about having a computer chip placed somewhere within in you in order to track not only where you are but your finances too? The chip would be an ID and your banking information and credit information too taking the place of these needed cards and checkbooks. But, the nuclear warheads just bombed several cities so where should the discussions focus? With Senators pressuring the President to sing the Identity Chip bill as an emergency measure to help locate missing people, would this really benefit the future of any national crisis? What about terrorists already in America? Continuing to speak the author through Paul who focuses his thoughts on the McCarthy era where everyone feared saying anything and paranoia reigned. So, where does he fit in and what do they offer their people? A chip of their own called Angels Mark, which they feel everyone in their group should get installed. But why? In other words only member of the OGG campus will be able to get into their system and others will not and they offer the ability to help them hide or stay off the grid. But, Serena does not want this and she relates to the reader that they won’t know her family does not have this Angels Mark unless they try to leave the off-grid campus. Stocking up on food for three months without anyone being the wiser. What is her solution to shopping? That you have to read for yourself.
Paul Tracy is a vacuum cleaner salesman and much more. Accused of doing something by one of his coworkers this smooth talker convinced his boss she was in the wrong. But, the boss of Handley Sweep and Repair wanted Paul to give in to the client and do whatever she wants to make the sale. The author relates the reasons why Paul and his brother started their church, how his brother Clyde manages to manipulate his every more and thought, and the true purpose behind what they are doing. As the reader learns more about his rose to riches and how he managed to escape his mundane job and destroy his former boss we find him next on the doorstep of one of our two Presidents hoping to give her an offer she cannot refuse. But, President Kinji is smart and will not succumb to blackmail but President Williams has other ideas in mind for Paul as he leaves her office and is taken to meet our other President. A telling photo that he hoped would get him a foothold or job in her office would definitely bring him on the radar for Williams. His job is to leak the photo and they will do the rest. Without any recourse or choice he has to agree to the demands of the President or pay a heavy price. Wanting to make sure that the Identity Chip Bill is passed was the primary reason for wanting a job in her office but what about his role with Williams?
Reenter Serena and her family who decide on an outing and wind up in danger once more. Entering a restaurant they encounter a young man who remembers Serena from the beginning of our story who was her server. But, in reality he works for an organization that he prefers remain hidden or a mystery from her. When Serena sings a song her children and husband know that’s a clue to make their move and fast. One man finding out about her past would send them in a totally different direction and what is revealed when they reach her friend’s house is even more telling.
Karyn and Dan agree to hide them but what Karyn reveals would break this wide open and cause a huge rift between her and her husband as we learn about an Iranian woman she has been emailing and the information they have been sharing. Did Karen know about the bombings and do nothing about it? Did she really report it to the FBI? The author shares her past and her relationship with readers. As Paul reads an email that puzzles him related to the bombings from the same Iranian woman that communicates with Karyn. Why would Karyn forwarded it or was it from the Iranian woman? Added to that he knows he is being watched and followed. Reenter our server named Bryce who Paul enlists to fix the problem and much more. They want him to take out Serena but will his brother be able to fix it? Their plan they hoped would work but for now Serena and her family are once again on the run and where would they go this time and who can they trust? But, Serena and her family fell for Paul’s ruse and Bryce was now Paul’s guest in his trunk just how would this play out? What she learns would rock her world. Reenter President Kinji who fell for the ruse planted by Paul and approaches her husband with the news. But, what she learns about Williams and Bryce was even more telling than the fake picture she received from Paul. With the help of her security team the truth about the War and who knew about the bombings is revealed. Just how far up does this corruption go and which President will prevail?
So, what happens next will definitely surprise you as Serena proves she is no one to be fooled with and the family is whisked to meet Kinji but why? Why did they bring along the two brothers and Bryce and what the real plan and where would everyone go next? As Kinji learned the deceit behind her opponent’s motives, the truth about the bombings and the past and present President’s roles what happens next would endear her to Serena and enlighten everyone about Paul. But, would she believe what she was told? Just how they plan to break through to get the other President’s files you won’t believe but when the author shares what Angels Mark really is and does through the voice of a young child who thrives on computers will it work and will the other President be fooled? But, the shoe turned out to be on the wrong foot and the manipulations continued and Serena needed another way out when she realized she was trapped again. Just how this plays out is a matter of national security that cannot be revealed by this reviewer. What Williams does and his meeting with the former President will really shake you to the core. An ending that you won’t expect and two Presidents that have everything to risk but which one prevails and who will America want to run the government? Read Angels Mark: Would you want to be tracked? Would you want this chip inside of you? Decide after you read this novel. An ending that will shake you to the core and make you wonder just what the American people really want and whether Serena will ever be out of danger. Angels Mark: A must read and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her in the next book.
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
Natalie Burke Thomas
The flames envelope the entire room as the match was lit and the lone observer makes sure that the entire apartment is engulfed in flames. Remembering this incident, sitting by herself in a restaurant out of the cold and frigid night Serena Wilcox assesses her life, her fears and what she remembers. As she recounts to the reader one reporter’s words as the United States came under attack and many cities demolished by nuclear blasts we learn about a man named Tom and her life before this happened. All alone sitting in this restaurant at a table for six, nursing her coffee and desert she finally makes her way outside into the cold night hoping to find some consolation and warm within her car. Driving through Cannon Falls and seeing all of the Christmas lights, the blinding roads covered with ice and the endless loneliness while trying to escape the cold and the fear that the car would go off the road from her blurred vision. Reminders of the house fire loomed into her conscious as she pulled into the driveway, opened the door and was greeted by her family. Tom and her children were there worried about her and hoping for her return.
World War III has taken place the United States has changed and the constitution rewritten. Two Presidents running the country with equal power for 18 months and each appointed by the outgoing President that resigned. John Williams the President on the East and Ann Kinji the first female and Japanese President on the West with Williams handling the states in between. His party called the New Conservative Party mirroring the Republican Party of the past and hers called the Democratic Union or as her supporters have dubbed it The New Liberals. The two party systems was still in place, many changes made and the past President’s speech would set the stage for what would come. A former cabinet appointee the first woman President lacked the celebrity for the job and definitely preparation. Thinking to herself that everything was find and the country was running the same would make anyone that really knows anything realize that is not the case. Enter Paul Tracy who has an agenda all his own and wanted a seat up close and personal with both leaders. Would you believe a position in her cabinet? Hoping that he would be offered something but just why? But, just who is Serena running from and what will happen next? What role does he play in helping Serena and her family disappear?
Serena placed a comment on the forum of an organization called off grid, which helps people and families disappear. No one from their past will ever communicate with them, changing their names completely and allowing their friends and family to think they are dead forever which was the purpose of the house fire.
As Serena contemplates her life she is listening to the head of her group make a speech. Part of the requirement was to join the organization and the topic is one that many have heard before in the headlines: How would you feel about having a computer chip placed somewhere within in you in order to track not only where you are but your finances too? The chip would be an ID and your banking information and credit information too taking the place of these needed cards and checkbooks. But, the nuclear warheads just bombed several cities so where should the discussions focus? With Senators pressuring the President to sing the Identity Chip bill as an emergency measure to help locate missing people, would this really benefit the future of any national crisis? What about terrorists already in America? Continuing to speak the author through Paul who focuses his thoughts on the McCarthy era where everyone feared saying anything and paranoia reigned. So, where does he fit in and what do they offer their people? A chip of their own called Angels Mark, which they feel everyone in their group should get installed. But why? In other words only member of the OGG campus will be able to get into their system and others will not and they offer the ability to help them hide or stay off the grid. But, Serena does not want this and she relates to the reader that they won’t know her family does not have this Angels Mark unless they try to leave the off-grid campus. Stocking up on food for three months without anyone being the wiser. What is her solution to shopping? That you have to read for yourself.
Paul Tracy is a vacuum cleaner salesman and much more. Accused of doing something by one of his coworkers this smooth talker convinced his boss she was in the wrong. But, the boss of Handley Sweep and Repair wanted Paul to give in to the client and do whatever she wants to make the sale. The author relates the reasons why Paul and his brother started their church, how his brother Clyde manages to manipulate his every more and thought, and the true purpose behind what they are doing. As the reader learns more about his rose to riches and how he managed to escape his mundane job and destroy his former boss we find him next on the doorstep of one of our two Presidents hoping to give her an offer she cannot refuse. But, President Kinji is smart and will not succumb to blackmail but President Williams has other ideas in mind for Paul as he leaves her office and is taken to meet our other President. A telling photo that he hoped would get him a foothold or job in her office would definitely bring him on the radar for Williams. His job is to leak the photo and they will do the rest. Without any recourse or choice he has to agree to the demands of the President or pay a heavy price. Wanting to make sure that the Identity Chip Bill is passed was the primary reason for wanting a job in her office but what about his role with Williams?
Reenter Serena and her family who decide on an outing and wind up in danger once more. Entering a restaurant they encounter a young man who remembers Serena from the beginning of our story who was her server. But, in reality he works for an organization that he prefers remain hidden or a mystery from her. When Serena sings a song her children and husband know that’s a clue to make their move and fast. One man finding out about her past would send them in a totally different direction and what is revealed when they reach her friend’s house is even more telling.
Karyn and Dan agree to hide them but what Karyn reveals would break this wide open and cause a huge rift between her and her husband as we learn about an Iranian woman she has been emailing and the information they have been sharing. Did Karen know about the bombings and do nothing about it? Did she really report it to the FBI? The author shares her past and her relationship with readers. As Paul reads an email that puzzles him related to the bombings from the same Iranian woman that communicates with Karyn. Why would Karyn forwarded it or was it from the Iranian woman? Added to that he knows he is being watched and followed. Reenter our server named Bryce who Paul enlists to fix the problem and much more. They want him to take out Serena but will his brother be able to fix it? Their plan they hoped would work but for now Serena and her family are once again on the run and where would they go this time and who can they trust? But, Serena and her family fell for Paul’s ruse and Bryce was now Paul’s guest in his trunk just how would this play out? What she learns would rock her world. Reenter President Kinji who fell for the ruse planted by Paul and approaches her husband with the news. But, what she learns about Williams and Bryce was even more telling than the fake picture she received from Paul. With the help of her security team the truth about the War and who knew about the bombings is revealed. Just how far up does this corruption go and which President will prevail?
So, what happens next will definitely surprise you as Serena proves she is no one to be fooled with and the family is whisked to meet Kinji but why? Why did they bring along the two brothers and Bryce and what the real plan and where would everyone go next? As Kinji learned the deceit behind her opponent’s motives, the truth about the bombings and the past and present President’s roles what happens next would endear her to Serena and enlighten everyone about Paul. But, would she believe what she was told? Just how they plan to break through to get the other President’s files you won’t believe but when the author shares what Angels Mark really is and does through the voice of a young child who thrives on computers will it work and will the other President be fooled? But, the shoe turned out to be on the wrong foot and the manipulations continued and Serena needed another way out when she realized she was trapped again. Just how this plays out is a matter of national security that cannot be revealed by this reviewer. What Williams does and his meeting with the former President will really shake you to the core. An ending that you won’t expect and two Presidents that have everything to risk but which one prevails and who will America want to run the government? Read Angels Mark: Would you want to be tracked? Would you want this chip inside of you? Decide after you read this novel. An ending that will shake you to the core and make you wonder just what the American people really want and whether Serena will ever be out of danger. Angels Mark: A must read and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her in the next book.
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
August 22, 2019
Art imitating life...
Not a big fan of Thrillers...but this one has changed my mind, somewhat. Eventually I will read the others, but not just yet. It's sooo close to what is happening now.
Not a big fan of Thrillers...but this one has changed my mind, somewhat. Eventually I will read the others, but not just yet. It's sooo close to what is happening now.
August 11, 2012
ANGELS MARK is a political thriller about future post-WWIII America.
Taking off with a soft beginning, ANGELS MARK doesn't take longer than a
chapter or so to get to the 'good part'. With an exciting plot full of
suspense, it's a book you'll never want to put down! With little continuity
with the earlier Serena Wilcox Mysteries books, new readers won't need to
read them before ANGELS MARK, but doing so will introduce you to the character
of Serena Wilcox.
Taking off with a soft beginning, ANGELS MARK doesn't take longer than a
chapter or so to get to the 'good part'. With an exciting plot full of
suspense, it's a book you'll never want to put down! With little continuity
with the earlier Serena Wilcox Mysteries books, new readers won't need to
read them before ANGELS MARK, but doing so will introduce you to the character
of Serena Wilcox.
May 24, 2015
Another dystopian thriller that I enjoyed. This one was interesting because the new government tried to show how the changes they made were historically based, even supported by the Constitution. It is interesting how people find ways to justify things. There were a lot of interesting characters in this story. A light read - easy to read while working out.
May 30, 2013
An amazing book. I could not turn the pages fast enough to satisfy my curiosity. I just couldn't wait to find out what happened next. While the book is fiction, it was easy to find yourself completely immersed in Serena's world and forget it isn't reality.
October 10, 2012
4th in the serena wilcox mystery series, only this book is written a good 10 years after the first 3, and it is set slightly in the future of a ravaged USA, hit by nuclear attacks that have left the country ultimately split in two.
December 2, 2012
Started off good, then began meandering too many directions with too many weak characters.........my mind began meanering....so I eventually quit reading....which I NEVER do.........I just did not like this book. blah............
July 1, 2017
I loved the near future theme, but found some of the narrative progression to be clunky and pedantic-- good bones in this story -- and I am hoping the subsequent books in the series find their voices a bit more clearly.
November 7, 2015
Angels Mark Summary
I found that this was slow at first and some of the twist and turns didn't seem to make sense. If everyone knew what everyone was doing than this plot was not though through.
I found that this was slow at first and some of the twist and turns didn't seem to make sense. If everyone knew what everyone was doing than this plot was not though through.
July 22, 2016
Thriller set in post apocalyptic America. Written as if by Enid Blyton.
November 13, 2012
Interesting and very current.
January 7, 2013
It was surprisingly good read. I'd even call it speculative fiction. You'll really like the heroine. A good brain wrote this one. You should read it.
July 17, 2016
Good story.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews