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Shadow Play #3
Splendid Isolation
Old spies make dangerous hostages.
A prisoner at the tender mercies of the British Secret Intelligence Services, Manuel has to believe that trading freedom for protection was his only hope of avoiding payback for his crimes. Yet his chequered past is neither forgiven nor forgotten. Every day, Manuel is tasked with providing his handlers new intelligence about the bloodthirsty power players he once served. And if he refuses, there are consequences.
In charge of Manuel’s debriefing is Cole, a high-ranking Section officer whose history is intimately intertwined with Manuel’s misdeeds. He has made it his mission to unearth Manuel’s secrets, however long that takes. He will break Manuel because it is necessary. Avenging a broken heart has nothing to do with it.
But time is not on their side. When Manuel’s former employer targets the safe house where he is imprisoned, his usefulness as an asset is called into question. As old passions awaken, both Cole and Manuel discover that letting go of the past may not be as easy as they’d hoped.
General Release 24th November 2015
A prisoner at the tender mercies of the British Secret Intelligence Services, Manuel has to believe that trading freedom for protection was his only hope of avoiding payback for his crimes. Yet his chequered past is neither forgiven nor forgotten. Every day, Manuel is tasked with providing his handlers new intelligence about the bloodthirsty power players he once served. And if he refuses, there are consequences.
In charge of Manuel’s debriefing is Cole, a high-ranking Section officer whose history is intimately intertwined with Manuel’s misdeeds. He has made it his mission to unearth Manuel’s secrets, however long that takes. He will break Manuel because it is necessary. Avenging a broken heart has nothing to do with it.
But time is not on their side. When Manuel’s former employer targets the safe house where he is imprisoned, his usefulness as an asset is called into question. As old passions awaken, both Cole and Manuel discover that letting go of the past may not be as easy as they’d hoped.
General Release 24th November 2015
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2015
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 6, 2017
The best of the series so far!
(IMO)
This is what I've been looking for out of this series. It caught my attention right out of the gate and held it throughout. It is lighter on the espionage than its predecessors, but the relationship between these two protagonists is sublime. I'm happy to relinquish a little spy game for a second chance romance.
Manuel and Cole have a history which isn't expounded on all that much but it's clear they had a relationship, separated because of their jobs but never forgot each other. That lost love trope...
There also seems to be a teensy bit of acrimony betwixt the two and you know what that means. That's right, kids!
Hate sex!
WINNER! WINNER! CHICKEN DINNER!
The great plot twists and stellar writing I've come to expect from this author, but this story had that missing element I've been desperately searching for in the previous two books-two protagonists I can root for.
These books can be read as stand alones and I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a smart writer who can weave a good spy tale with some stellar sex and adventurous plots.
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2015
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
I have read all three of the series, and can honestly say that this is the most confusing, but also the most interesting. I really enjoyed the first two, and the genre of spy, counter spy etc worked well, and I could see the possible exit points, etc. After reading this, I wanted to know more, and to know why, and ... well I guess they just got under my skin!
It is always very interesting when the main protagonist is 'in theory' the bad guy. Once you read how he is treated, and what his expectations are ... well it is difficult to decide who is good and who is bad - let alone why! That a long ago denied love affair somehow infiltrates the story ... well it is ... complex. I love the detail, the little things which ground the events in a plausible reality, and which make it all the more disturbing.
I shall be pondering this one for a while! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I have read all three of the series, and can honestly say that this is the most confusing, but also the most interesting. I really enjoyed the first two, and the genre of spy, counter spy etc worked well, and I could see the possible exit points, etc. After reading this, I wanted to know more, and to know why, and ... well I guess they just got under my skin!
It is always very interesting when the main protagonist is 'in theory' the bad guy. Once you read how he is treated, and what his expectations are ... well it is difficult to decide who is good and who is bad - let alone why! That a long ago denied love affair somehow infiltrates the story ... well it is ... complex. I love the detail, the little things which ground the events in a plausible reality, and which make it all the more disturbing.
I shall be pondering this one for a while! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
January 27, 2016
Manuel Sosa is being held prisoner, tortured and interrogated by SIS agents at the Cottage. He’s turned himself in to Agent Stephen Cole and the SIS, giving up his freedom to aid Robin (from Price of Freedom). But, not without certain conditions, which Robin lays out to Cole. And, Manuel’s captivity serves a purpose—he doesn’t want to be sent back to Cuba to face the Macias crime syndicate.
Cole is overseeing Manuel’s imprisonment; he’s at the Cottage every day to make sure his end of the bargain with Robin is upheld, because he knows if anything happens to Manuel, Robin can cause major problems for the SIS. Manuel and Cole also have a past that Manuel wants to rekindle, but doubt rears its ugly head—Cole wears a wedding ring now, not to mention he’s also married to the SIS. Even though Manuel has more than a few chances to escape the grip of the SIS, he holds fast—there’s always danger getting in the way. And then, there’s also Cole…
I’ve been following the Shadow Play series since the first book, and with each new installment, Helena Maeve makes things just a little more interesting in this spy vs. agency puzzle. The series is heavy on the espionage, but it’s also about Ms. Maeve giving each new character personality. I really liked Manuel Sosa’s character. He’s not the bad guy that he’s made out to be, but then, neither is Stephen Cole. What I’ve figured out so far is that the agency puts everyone in a bad light. Then, once you meet each character, it changes what you think you know.
Note: Price of Freedom is a must-read, as it leads directly into Splendid Isolation.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
Cole is overseeing Manuel’s imprisonment; he’s at the Cottage every day to make sure his end of the bargain with Robin is upheld, because he knows if anything happens to Manuel, Robin can cause major problems for the SIS. Manuel and Cole also have a past that Manuel wants to rekindle, but doubt rears its ugly head—Cole wears a wedding ring now, not to mention he’s also married to the SIS. Even though Manuel has more than a few chances to escape the grip of the SIS, he holds fast—there’s always danger getting in the way. And then, there’s also Cole…
I’ve been following the Shadow Play series since the first book, and with each new installment, Helena Maeve makes things just a little more interesting in this spy vs. agency puzzle. The series is heavy on the espionage, but it’s also about Ms. Maeve giving each new character personality. I really liked Manuel Sosa’s character. He’s not the bad guy that he’s made out to be, but then, neither is Stephen Cole. What I’ve figured out so far is that the agency puts everyone in a bad light. Then, once you meet each character, it changes what you think you know.
Note: Price of Freedom is a must-read, as it leads directly into Splendid Isolation.
Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
June 2, 2019
Somehow never reviewed at time of reading but found my 'notes' ;)
Having skipped a book myself I highly recommend you read these in order, it is a standalone but little details bugged at me for not having read the previous.
Simple story, straightforward in comparison to the first book.
Some big parts of the dynamic were confusing but this is an enemy to lovers story and the greater motivation could well be love - or a whole box of twisty spy tangles - but lets go with love ;)
Having skipped a book myself I highly recommend you read these in order, it is a standalone but little details bugged at me for not having read the previous.
Simple story, straightforward in comparison to the first book.
Some big parts of the dynamic were confusing but this is an enemy to lovers story and the greater motivation could well be love - or a whole box of twisty spy tangles - but lets go with love ;)
June 12, 2017
This was even better than book one. I did skip book two, by accident, so I'll go back to find out what role Manuel played, that got him into the situation he was in here. Some parts were a little hard to figure out, like exactly what history Cole and Manuel had together. The story certainly carried on the theme of antagonistic spies. Their past together and reasons for present circumstances can only be learned by reading the whole story.
Manuel was apparently a spy of sorts for a cartel in SA. Through most of the story, he's being tortured and interrogated for information as he has been for 7 months. Cole appears and the situation changes. Their sexual history leads to revenge sex, always a favorite! It's not a long story, so I won't go into detail. As usual Ms. Maeve brings the skill to another part of a complex story arc. My favorite part was finding a word I've never seen before, even after 50 years and 1000's of books: fugacious! Look it up!
Manuel was apparently a spy of sorts for a cartel in SA. Through most of the story, he's being tortured and interrogated for information as he has been for 7 months. Cole appears and the situation changes. Their sexual history leads to revenge sex, always a favorite! It's not a long story, so I won't go into detail. As usual Ms. Maeve brings the skill to another part of a complex story arc. My favorite part was finding a word I've never seen before, even after 50 years and 1000's of books: fugacious! Look it up!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews