Go-Between

by Lisa Brackmann

New York Times–bestselling “Terrific . . . Might be the best drug book since Robert Stone’s brilliant Dog Soldiers or Don Winslow’s superb Cartel series” (Providence Journal).   Emily runs a successful bistro in Humboldt County, California, where she lives with her boyfriend, Jeff, a volunteer firefighter. Except firefighting isn’t really Jeff’s main job—that would be flying Humboldt’s finest weed to out-of-state customers. And he isn’t really Emily’s boyfriend, more like a guy that circumstance has stuck her with. And his name isn’t really Jeff—it’s Danny, and Emily’s real name is Michelle Mason . . . although no one can ever know that. She’s on the run from her past, which has just caught up with her.   The ex-CIA agent who got her and Danny into this whole mess has shown up in Humboldt County. Michelle should have killed him when she had the chance, but now she has no choice but to play Gary’s game—and if she loses, she or someone close to her will pay the ultimate price.   From the Anthony Award–nominated author of Getaway, this is an all-too-realistic thriller about for-profit prisons, big-money politics, shady nonprofits, the war on drugs—and the people who would kill to keep the system intact.  

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Suspense

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 5, 2016

About the author

Lisa Brackmann is the New York Times best-selling author of the Ellie McEnroe novels set in China and the thrillers Getaway and Go-Between. The first Ellie book, Rock Paper Tiger (Year of the Tiger) was one of Amazon Top 100 Books of the Year and a Top 10 Mystery/Thriller. Hour Of The Rat, the sequel, was shortlisted for Left Coast Crime's international mystery award and was nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Audio Book. Dragon Day, the third novel in the Ellie McEnroe trilogy, was a Seattle Times Top 10 Mystery of 2015 and was short-listed for a Lefty award. Getaway (Day of the Dead) was an Amazon Best Book of the Month and a finalist for SCIBA's T. Jefferson Parker award. Her latest novel is Go-Between, "a terrific noir tale that channels Richard Stark's stories" and a "Hottest Summer Books" selection from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Black Swan Rising, her new book about misogyny, mass shootings, and polarized politics, launches Sept. 8. Her work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Travel+Leisure, Salon and CNET. She lives in San Diego with a cat, far too many books and a bass ukulele and is playing in a band again after a 17-year break. You can find her online at www.lisabrackmann.com.

That's the official bio. You can find out more about me (if you are so inclined) on my website (www.lisabrackmann.com)

Thanks for visiting!

p.s. In the UK you'll find me as Lisa Brackman (one "n"). "Year of the Tiger" is the UK edition of "Rock Paper Tiger." "Day of the Dead" is the UK edition of "Getaway."

Reviews

[Catherine McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this thrill ride of a novel. Whether you've read the first in the series, Getaway, or not, this book will keep you turning pages quickly and wondering until the end how it will all resolve. Highly recommend.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Lisa Brackmann's entire Ellie MacEnroe series, so I decided to try one of her other novels. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this was actually a sequel. Fortunately, it stands alone pretty well, though it was obvious early on that there was a ton of backstory and characters being introduced that clearly had some history, which made me go back and check out the book's blurb and realize I'd missed the preceding book.

The protagonist of Go-Between is similar in temperament, if not in her situation, to Ellie MacEnroe, the unfortunate Iraq war vet stumbling around in China. Here, we have Michelle Mason, who just got away from a shadowy CIA operation and has settled down in Humboldt County, California, with her kinda boyfriend, to run an restaurant while her pilot boyfriend grows pot and occasionally runs "errands." When this inevitably brings trouble back into their lives, Michelle (who is now living under another name) is extorted by her old CIA friend into going on another mission.

As CIA missions go, it's fairly benign - babysit a wealthy society girl with a tragic past and a drinking problem, and keep her out of trouble. "Trouble" being the fact that this society girl, who founded a charity to "Make America Safe," is actually starting to doubt the mission of the charity she runs, which is a problem for the CIA and various other shadowy organizations who are actually using it to launder money.

Lisa Brackmann's novels tend to be cynical and full of dirty players, all taking advantage of essentially good-hearted protagonists who want to do the right thing and be left alone (not necessarily in that order) in a world that won't let them. Michelle shows courage when needed while spending most of the book terrified of what's going to happen next and being aware that she's just a little cog in the wheels within wheels that make up the political machinery of the world.

A good read, though it probably would have been better if I'd read the first book first, which I will do soon.

[Gail Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read Lisa Brackmann’s best selling Getaway (2012) you’ve probably been impatiently waiting for Go-Between as it brings us up to date on Michelle Mason, heroine of Getaway. Once again Brackmann has penned a smart, timely thriller that’ll keep you up until all hours. It has a fast start and once begun it’s impossible to put down.

With Go-Between Michelle has reinvented herself and started a new life. She’s now Emily and the owner of Evergreen, a popular bistro in Humboldt County, California. There’s usually a full house as the food is good, wines are fine (2001 Chateau Montelena, Turley, Rafanelli), and the prices are reasonable. She has a capable, trustworthy staff and life seems fine. Nonetheless after what she’s been through she does keep a custom made .38 Smith & Wesson tucked in her hobo.

She lives with her fire fighter boyfriend, Jeff, known as Danny in Getaway. Jeff doesn’t just put out blazes but earns extra cash by flying cannabis to out-of-state customers. All is well until he’s arrested in Texas on federal drug trafficking charges. In order to get Jeff’s charges dropped Michelle must cooperate with their old enemy Gary, a former CIA agent lacking in scruples, well equipped with meanness. He wants Michelle to ingratiate herself with Kaitlin O’Connor, a wealthy socialite who heads Safer America, a welfa re organization working to stop criminal activity. Gary and the guys in the shadows who are backing him want Kaitlin to help defeat a Texas bill that makes marijuana legal for recreational use. Winning Kaitlin’s trust and keeping it isn’t an easy task for Michelle as Kaitlin has a bit of a drinking problem

Brackmann’s noir plot peppered with lies, murder, dirty politics, drug struggling, and betrayal hurtles to a shocking conclusion.

[Jennifer Prim · Rating 5 out of 5]

"F*cking Gary." It almost made me chuckle...-except that I still had an unforgettable memory of the scene at the dump in Getaway, Lisa Brackmann's earlier book about these characters.

With plot twists, characters, aliases, intrigue, and tense, omigod-I-have-to-shut-the-book-for-minute-so-I-can-breathe-again situations, Brackmann is one of the best writers of thrillers around; her characters 100% ring true, and she had me on the edge of my seat the entire read.

Go-Between did not hold up to Getaway - it surpassed it. Brackmann has a gift for writing the most visceral, visual, spellbinding fiction, and her books just keep getting better. I cannot wait to read book three.

[Craig Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Brackmann goes domestic with this thriller set in California. LGo-Between pits the supporters of legalized marijuana and sentencing reform against the shadowy forces of the multi-billion dollar private prison industry, and with a deft sleight of hand, Brackmann transforms powerful social insight into a nerve-zapping luge run of lies, murder, dirty politics, drug smuggling, love, betrayal and black ops run amok.

[Laura Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stayed up half the night to finish this book. Engaging, suspenseful. Smart and savvy. About issues that matter and resonate right now.

[Ramsey Hootman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number one thing you need to know about this book: it's noir! Do you like noir? Then you will like this book. It's full of futility and powerful corporations/people and the protagonist is just a small cog in a huge machine that's churning almost inevitably forward. THAT kind of noir.

Two: Technically this book is standalone but I highly recommend reading the first installment, Getaway, which has the same protagonist. Otherwise you're gonna be kinda like, wait, who are 'the boys' and why should I be so creeped out by this Gary guy? Getaway is a mix of noir, suspense, and mystery and you'll like it, I promise. So go read that first.

This is kind of a weird comparison, but I feel like Go-Between has a lot in common with the videogame L.A. Noire in terms of tone and setting. Both have that bleak-sunshine thing going on. Which leads me to the thing I like most about Go-Between: It is the most CALIFORNIA book I have ever read. I live in California, and this past weekend I took a little vacation up to the Mendocino coast, and I felt like I had instantly walked into the first setting for Go-Between, Arcata, which is sort of the upscale hippy pot-growing culture of norcal. Then you've got some bits in the SF Bay Area and LA and San Diego, all of which are spot on. There are also some bits that happen in Austin, Texas, but let's be honest - there are a ton of Californians in Austin now, too! Suffice to say I just love all the little details, from Venice Beach to just the comments the protagonist overhears people saying in passing. GMOs, gluten-free, etc. It's all kind of just hilariously Californian in every way.

Of course, any Lisa Brackmann book has to deal with some meaty current political/social topics, and this is no exception. Mainly this one's got a mix of prison industrial complex stuff and shady political campaign contribution laws. (501cs? Not sure I got that right and I don't have the book with me right now.) If I have any criticism it's that some of the information does seem kind of... well, not preachy, but inserted for the sake of educating the reader rather than serving the plot. But it is all very interesting, so I can forgive a little meandering here and there.

I didn't totally appreciate the ending until I was describing the plot to my husband, and then I had a little lightbulb moment where I realized how it tied in with the theme (and the title!) of the book. Niiiice! It's got a little more of an open-ended feel than Getaway did, in my opinion, so I look forward to seeing more from both Michelle/Emily and Brackmann.

[Michael Martz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Lisa Brackman's writing and I really liked 'Go-Between', but I would've enjoyed it even more had I read her previous work where the cast of characters had been introduced. By the end of Go-Between, I was pretty sure I understood the various relationships and had at least an inkling of what had happened in the past. However, it was pretty irritating to spend the majority of the book wondering about who these people really were.

It's a pretty tricky plot. Ellen runs a little upscale hippie restaurant in northern California. Danny, her significant other, takes the occasional job helping pot smugglers- apparently a big business in that part of the country. Unfortunately, this time his luck runs out, coincidentally at the same time a man from Ellen's past, the mysterious Gary, pays her a threatening visit. Had I read the previous book in what appears to be a series, I'd would've had a better chance of understanding what was going on, but I digress....

So, it turns out Gary, who has black ops government ties, was behind Danny's arrest and incarceration in order to pressure Ellen into helping him keep an eye on a woman who operates a group that opposes pot legalization and other social/legal issues. The remainder of the story is involved with her 'spying' on her employer's charity, trying to get her boyfriend out of the joint, figuring out how/why Gary is doing all of this to them, keeping her various identities and cellphones straight, and basically staying alive for another day. The pressure and almost claustrophobic feeling of the book increases as you go along, to the point where something has to give. It does, with a conclusion that's considerably less bloody than expected.

Brackmann's writing is nothing special, except that she seems to have a knack for matching her technique with the pace of the action. She does a good job with dialogue and the action sequences are believable. The powers of the mysterious Gary seem a little overdone, but from what we've learned about NSA capabilities and so on over the last couple years, maybe they're not.

Go-Between is a really good thriller but I'd recommend reading Getaway, where the major characters are introduced, first.

[Karen Essex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another super-intelligent page turning thriller by Lisa Brackmann! I adore her China based books for their intricate plotting and super-realistic characters and settings, all of which I am familiar with from my time in China. I was pleased to discover that she'd written more. With GETAWAY and GO BETWEEN, she tackles Mexico and Humboldt County and the drug trade and for profit prison system therein. Her books are not about heroic, super-cool detectives but rather REAL PEOPLE that get caught up in harrowing adventures and must dig deep down and get resourceful very quickly to survive. I love her books because they make me think, wow, what if this happened to me? What would I do?

It's hard to find thrillers that resonate with current events and social issues and that paint vivid portraits of places and cultures. Brackmann delivers every time on each of these elements. If you're a demanding reader that enjoys fine, literary writing combined with page-turning plots, then Brackmann's books are for you. Highly recommend ALL.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real rating: 4.5

I dug this -- it's a very current story (private prison and pot legalization are central to the plot) without seeming Ripped From the Headlines and the constant, looming threat feels very real, as does the fact that, despite being able to deal with unexpected situations better than most of us, when it comes right down to it, Michelle really has no idea what the hell she's doing. While I still haven't decided whether or the ending was an anticlimax, Brackmann tells her story well, and Michelle is three-dimensional, confused, and immensely appealing, as is Brackmann's affection for the mundane details of the lives she's sharing.

Definitely time to read all of those other Brackmann novels that have been sitting in my Kindle, patiently waiting their turn ...

[Lara Kristin]

It's hard to review this in detail without giving too much away, so I will just say that in my opinion this is Lisa Brackmann's best book yet, a noir thrill ride that manages to deliver a timely critique of the US prison system without losing a beat of momentum in the fast-paced plot. Go-Between is actually a sequel to Getaway, but it's billed as a stand-alone, and I think it could work that way (I did read Getaway, but it's been a few years). If you like strong, multi-dimensional female protagonists and well-researched, all-too-believable plots, this book is for you.

[Kim Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I interviewed Lisa Brackmann about GO-BETWEEN for the "Los Angeles Review of Books": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/t...

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Go-Between” (sequel to Getaway) by Lisa Brackmann ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Emily” owns a restaurant in quiet Arcata, CA. Her boyfriend “Jeff” is a volunteer firefighter and transports cannabis (Humbolt County’s biggest industry). When he is arrested in Texas on federal drug charges and their past nemesis Gary discovers where they have been hiding, Emily (aka Michelle) has to revert to her former lifestyle working illegal, dangerous jobs for Gary or risk Jeff (aka Danny) dying in prison. Gary places Michelle as assistant to a wealthy, traumatized widow who is the figurehead for a large political group opposing cannabis legalization and reduced prison sentences. As Michelle works with her (and “Emily” works to get “Jeff” out of prison), the dirty politics behind the organization’s goals (and Jeff’s arrest) emerge. Lies, danger, double crosses, and dirty money lead Michelle down a path that may lead to safety, but more likely will lead to torture or death. I gave this exciting and well-written book a 4 instead of 5 because I didn’t realize it was a sequel when I read it and it was clear there was a backstory. Brackmann did a very good job of inserting tiny bits of the backstory, but it would have been helpful to have a short synopsis of book 1 before reading this. So, as a stand-alone, it’s a 4, but as a sequel it would be a 5 from me. 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳”

[Wisterious Woman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated it.
I slogged through to about the halfway point. Not that much happened in all those pages. I was nowhere near figuring out all the players and I didn't care because they were all crooks. It was just too hard to have empathy for the main character.
She was always using the F word, drinking alcohol (and telling you all about what kind), and thinking about clothes. How interesting is that? I really found it tedious how the author had to describe each person in the book no matter how minor. It seemed all the guys in Texas have big guts! All the time the main character is thinking about designer names of garments and furnishings. Who cares? I wear a tee shirt and a pair of jeans and call it good.
And the book jumps around between her two identities and it was hard to get a grasp on who she really was.
So I can't recommend this book and I don't care about Gary and his games.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Arcata, California of all places, Brackmann devises a place-sensitive plot that goes national, a splendid sequel to Getaway. She's got it right, from the atmosphere, the folks, the terrain and the weed. Michelle/Emily is adaptable, strong and very very clever and that all keeps her going, keeps her sane and keeps her alive. Would love another, and the cliff-hanger, sunset ending is perfect for that.

[Julie Haydu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoping for a sequel!

[Lee Thames · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid follow-up to the uneven 'Getaway'. Ms. Backmann hits all the right buttons for Michelle Mason now Emily Carmichael.

It appears she tied up this series in two books, but I guess we'll see. Ellie McEnroe has more depth due to her war past and location in China but juggling the dual identities of Michelle and Emily worked well here.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great novel by Lisa Brackmann, who deftly combines great suspense with important social topics.

[Wendy Ledger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracy Sallows does an excellent job as narrator of this audiobook. As always, Lisa Brackmann has written a thoughtful, suspenseful story based on cultural issues of our times. Highly recommended.

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wild ride with Michelle and Danny. Don't snooze or become distracted or you'll lose track of which identity Michelle is using and why.

[Beth Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like I had missed Part 1....Emily is also Michelle, and Jeff is also Danny. And Gary gets them into a mess.

I'll add that this isn't really my genre.....

[Phil · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my thing

[Kate Brokken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea poor execution

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...#

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too bad a story but it goes "on and on" in places with not too relevant trivia. Makes good points for changing drug laws and incarcerating far fewer prisoners for non violent crimes. A real problem that needs changing, but blaming it on unscrupulous capitalists might be a stretch! Skip reading is the best way to get through the book and I found myself doing it more and more as I got further in.

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little confused about the relationship between Gary and Emily/Michele. I didn't know that this was a sequel to a previous book.

A complicated plot. A not for profit organization is against the idea of legalizing pot. There is a lot of money in selling pot and, those who are benefiting from it want to ensure that pot remains a street drug to capitalize on this revenue stream.

As a spin off, drug users and dealers get caught and go to jail. Now that prisons are being run by corporations rather than the government, there is another source of "legitimate " income.

When Emily is coerced into watching over Caitlin, the figure head of the not for profit organization in question, she is not sure what the game is. She does know Gary though and knows it can't be as straightforward as he makes it sound.

Several twists and turns, conspiracy theories and double dealing culminate in a fast paced end to the story.

If the statistics used in the book, relating to prison inmates and mental illness for example, are for real, this is a sad state of affairs. It reflects the current philosophy that the rich will do anything to put more money in their pockets to the detriment of society as a whole. Shameful.

[Deborah Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put Go-Between down. It raced from page to page with non-stop action and relatable characters. In Go-Between, as with her other books, Brackmann cleverly inserts well-researched and timely political backstory, so that the reader is happily schooled in issues that confront our world today, while becoming immersed in a good thriller.

I loved Michelle's character, a flawed, slightly criminal, but very principled restaurant owner with a new identity and a murky past. When the worst of that past emerges to intimidate her and her partner, Danny, she is dancing at the end of his sadistic rope to do his bidding. And before long she realizes that she is involved in a plan from which there is no easy exit. At least not without sacrificing innocent lives.

The author brought many aspects of California's restaurant, wine and cannabis industry into sharp, authentic relief and her descriptions of Texas felt equally genuine. Verisimilitude is a hallmark of Brackmann's work, which makes her stories all the more enjoyable to me.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the first half of this book I felt lost. I did not have a clue about what the urgency was that drove the main character, Michelle, to do what was demanded of her by an old nemesis. Only after the fact, I find out that this book was a sequel. The lead-in plot of the first book was not explained clearly enough for me to understand the undercurrents in this one. After the first half, new action picked up and the past did not matter. Characters were developed and the plot followed the new path. Focusing on the legalization of pot, the prison industry and a non-profit organization being led in an unseemly direction, it becomes clear that much of business is based on greed and deception. Whether that succeeds in this case is the question.

[Alissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 I never really liked Michelle and there wasn't enough suspense or tension. Also I wish I'd known this was a sequel to Getaway

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting combination of thriller and behind-the-scenes look at election 'management' by companies who profit greatly from incarceration.