Wired

by Judith Gaines

Murder. Amnesia. Art theft.Jade Weekes is pulled from the Seine with no memory of her past. Her only knowledge consists of museum security and impressionist artwork. Andre Agee, the benefactor who rescued her, quickly puts these to good use. Soon, she's stealing priceless artwork, usually just a few steps ahead of rival thieves.An assignment to steal an elusive van Gogh takes an unusual turn when Jade realizes the painting is a forgery and someone wants her dead. From Paris to St. Pete to Chicago, she is racing to remember clues to stop a killer and discover her murky past.The psychological unraveling of Jade's memories and the depths to which she goes to piecing them together dips her into a crime world far more reaching than a stack of stolen art.What readers are saying about WIRED"This is the first book I have read by this author and it won't be the last. Excellent pacing and great plot.""Fast-moving plot. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I was sorry to see it end. Another one coming? Judith Gaines is a creative, but logical-minded author.""Looking forward to much more from Jade Weekes."About the AuthorJudith Gaines, the winner of three Telly Awards, worked as a Producer and Director for broadcast and advertising. Her interest in art crime has led her to coursework with former FBI agents in non-verbal communication, behind the ropes to view museum exhibit installations, miles of walking the Paris Catacombs, and the study of social engineering in museum security. She's a member of Sisters In Crime and the NC Writer's Network.

Genres: Mystery

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Judith Gaines is an award-winning Producer and Director, creating media content for the NHL, the WUSA, and NASCAR Hall of Famers. As the creator of thousands of local, regional, and national advertising campaigns, her projects include working with program directors at the NC Museum of Art, where Wired, the first book in the Jade Weekes series, was inspired. In addition, she completed training in Non-Verbal Communications in Forensics led by a former FBI agent and spy-catcher, Joe Navarro, is a member of Sisters In Crime, the North Carolina Writer’s Network, and is the owner and executive editor of IndieWriterPro.com. You can learn more about her novels at JudithGaines.com.

Reviews

[Tobius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good book, I think I will be looking for more by this author. Yes there were a lot of spelling errors, and a spell checker would have helped a lot, but other than that, the book was quite enjoyable..

[Lesley Ogilvie Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this book because I enjoy 'heist' movies and it promised me an art theft. Art theft, at least in the media, is usually intelligent. It's not about hurting people, it's about elegant, intellectual crime where no-one really gets hurt, because, lets face it, if your painting gets stolen you can always have someone paint a copy, most of us would never be able to tell the difference.
Jade Weekes, the protagonist of 'Wired' would be able to tell the difference, but we don't know why. Her past is a mystery and what there is, is not entirely believable. The mystery is a plus, it's a great way of pulling us into the story, but for me, Jade herself is just a little bit bland. I can't put my finger on it. Possibly the problem has nothing to do with Jade herself, but with the antagonists, men who could easily be labelled just 'evil' and did not appear to have much by way of depth. I like bad guys, and bad guy art thieves have a lot of potential that wasn't realized in 'wired'.

If all of this sounds really negative, then let me make myself clear. I think 'wired' is a fun way to spend a couple of evenings and I recommend it for your reading pleasure if art crime is your thing. My criticism is just that it could have been much more.

[Daniel Ace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointment. It seemed to have promise but turned into a "female Jason Bourne" very quickly. So many twists in the story weighed it down so much that even though I finished the story, I found myself not caring about Jade at all. A very bad sign.

[Stephen Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wired is a multi-layered mystery that kept me entertained throughout. The ongoing saga of, 'who is Jade Weeks" was interesting, as was the primary plotline involving the theft of valuable art work. Jade's an engaging character that I hope to read more about, soon.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was enough to keep my interest, but the writing seemed rather stilted. I wouldn't have bought this book, it was a free Nook book on Barnes & Noble.

[Cindy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Winding, intense mystery. Resolves well but what's her name? Guess I'll read the next in series to find out. No language or gore, some sex. TTS-enabled eBook ©2013

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable reader

This is the first book I have read by this author and it won't be the last. Excellent pacing and great plot.

[Carolyn Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wired by Judith Gaines
No-one is whom they seem, most of all Jade Weekes. Jade’s life spanned only five years, beginning the night Andre fished her from the Seine covered in murky slime and nearly dead. Everything before that had been washed from her memory. Her new friend suggested that “knowing what you are is far more important and will keep you alive. Knowing who you are is overrated, but may prove useful someday.”

Andre sent her on assignments to procure priceless pieces of art while at the same time providing her with a riddle about her identity. The riddles never delivered any answers. She found her only useful skill appeared to be stealing priceless artwork, usually just a few steps ahead of rival thieves.

Her luck was running great until tracking a Van Gogh from Paris to the US. She insisted on knowing the buyer’s name from Andre as the trail descended into an underworld smuggling enterprise with ties to her previous life. However, Andre had disappeared too. Was he kidnapped, killed, or being held for ransom until the delivery of the Van Gogh?

How was she to discover the leader of the six billion dollars international art theft ring, her friend Andre’s location, the priceless Van Gogh, and how it was all tied to her lost identity?

I was provided a copy of Wired for an honest review. This is it! Wired was an intriguing read. It reminded me of The Italian Job, a British caper film. If you enjoy spy mysteries, this is a must read.