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A Mason Dixon Mystery #1
Mayson Dickson: The Line Is Drawn
Imagine being told you have a twin sister and that your entire life has been a lie. Then an assassins bullet kills the only person who knows everyone's secrets.
Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson started a private investigation firm to learn the truth. What they didn't count on was the dead bodies that keep piling up.
Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson started a private investigation firm to learn the truth. What they didn't count on was the dead bodies that keep piling up.
226 pages, Paperback
Published January 11, 2016
6 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Jocie McKade
23 books96 followersJocie is the author of over twenty novels, and hundreds of articles. Her non-fiction writing has appeared in numerous national magazines, and online blogs. She worked several jobs before landing her ideal one as a librarian, a perfect segue to becoming an author.
Her fiction writing has received awards for both her mystery and romantic comedy books.
Writing humorous cozy mysteries, and romantic comedy, Jocie can find humor in almost every inappropriate thing.
She lives in the Midwest on Dust Bunny Farm with her family, and the world’s calmest Border Collie, Ms. McNally.
When not writing, she grows ArnoldSwartzaWeeds in her garden, and plots strategic military maneuvers against hostile dust bunnies.
Her fiction writing has received awards for both her mystery and romantic comedy books.
Writing humorous cozy mysteries, and romantic comedy, Jocie can find humor in almost every inappropriate thing.
She lives in the Midwest on Dust Bunny Farm with her family, and the world’s calmest Border Collie, Ms. McNally.
When not writing, she grows ArnoldSwartzaWeeds in her garden, and plots strategic military maneuvers against hostile dust bunnies.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 22, 2020
This is an excellent story of two women who are in for a big surprise when they are summoned to Washington, D.C. from their respective homes in Boston and Alabama. The first surprise is big enough, but then they both discover that the lives they have previously led were all lies, through no fault of their own. There is intrigue upon intrigue, with some possible romantic interests thrown in. This is the first book in a series, and I will definitely be reading more. This is definitely a good read!
September 1, 2021
‘Saying our birth certificates didn’t exist, that’s an old con’ – A Fascinating Mystery Series Begins!
Author Jocie McKade serves as a librarian and has chaired the local Veteran’s Oral History Project, having been honored for her contributions for her non-fiction articles and stories. Her novels now number sixteen and include THE GRANITE ROSE, ROGUE LEAVES, volumes of short stories, her popular series THE THREE BAERS (three volumes), BETWEEN THE LINES (two volumes), and MAYSON-DICKSON MYSTERIES (four volumes) of which THE LINE IS DRAWN is the initial book.
Being the initial story of a projected mystery series, the author appreciates the need to capture her audience’s attention with a powerful Prologue, and in this case the beam focused on the tension is strong: ‘Moe Sheridan, Esq., fell to the floor unleashing an agonizing scream. His perfectly knotted bow tie sagged to one side and a quickly growing bloom of crimson blood covered his finely tailored shirt. The window overlooking the garden Emmaline Roberts had been admiring was blown into a million pieces across the wooden floor The cranky receptionist who had kept her waiting for nearly an hour bolted into the room with a pistol in her hands, shoving Emmaline and the woman named Jacqueline, to the floor. Somehow, the receptionist had morphed in seconds form the obnoxious, dowdy receptionist into the Black Widow from the Avengers…Emmaline is gut-punched with the news her father was some sort of government spook, then this Moe Sheridan informs her that she has a sister a twin sister no less, who is now huddled beside her on the floor as bullets fly and Moe bleeds to death…’ That is a perfect way to introduce both the characters and the concept!
This fine mystery proceeds as follows: ‘A secret twin sister? Who knew? Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson discover they are twins, just before an assassin's bullet kills the only man who knows everything. Whisked away to an “off-the-books” witness protection program. With the aid of a wanted hacker, and another pitcher of margaritas, Emma and Jackie are determined to discover the truth about their parents’ secret past and why they were separated into North and South….Was it bad enough to have a man murdered to keep that secret? Murder, mystery and family fuel the fire between two sisters so different the only thing keeping them from starting another war between the states is the need to solve the case, get their answers and stay alive.’
Jocie McKade is a polished writer, able to relate a fast-paced mystery with enough wit and candor to completely immerse the reader into the strong, fascinating lives of newly discovered twins and the impact that factor has on solving puzzles of relationships, family history, and murder! This is a perfectly tuned initial episode of a series that promised to be both spellbinding and entertaining. Highly recommended.
Author Jocie McKade serves as a librarian and has chaired the local Veteran’s Oral History Project, having been honored for her contributions for her non-fiction articles and stories. Her novels now number sixteen and include THE GRANITE ROSE, ROGUE LEAVES, volumes of short stories, her popular series THE THREE BAERS (three volumes), BETWEEN THE LINES (two volumes), and MAYSON-DICKSON MYSTERIES (four volumes) of which THE LINE IS DRAWN is the initial book.
Being the initial story of a projected mystery series, the author appreciates the need to capture her audience’s attention with a powerful Prologue, and in this case the beam focused on the tension is strong: ‘Moe Sheridan, Esq., fell to the floor unleashing an agonizing scream. His perfectly knotted bow tie sagged to one side and a quickly growing bloom of crimson blood covered his finely tailored shirt. The window overlooking the garden Emmaline Roberts had been admiring was blown into a million pieces across the wooden floor The cranky receptionist who had kept her waiting for nearly an hour bolted into the room with a pistol in her hands, shoving Emmaline and the woman named Jacqueline, to the floor. Somehow, the receptionist had morphed in seconds form the obnoxious, dowdy receptionist into the Black Widow from the Avengers…Emmaline is gut-punched with the news her father was some sort of government spook, then this Moe Sheridan informs her that she has a sister a twin sister no less, who is now huddled beside her on the floor as bullets fly and Moe bleeds to death…’ That is a perfect way to introduce both the characters and the concept!
This fine mystery proceeds as follows: ‘A secret twin sister? Who knew? Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson discover they are twins, just before an assassin's bullet kills the only man who knows everything. Whisked away to an “off-the-books” witness protection program. With the aid of a wanted hacker, and another pitcher of margaritas, Emma and Jackie are determined to discover the truth about their parents’ secret past and why they were separated into North and South….Was it bad enough to have a man murdered to keep that secret? Murder, mystery and family fuel the fire between two sisters so different the only thing keeping them from starting another war between the states is the need to solve the case, get their answers and stay alive.’
Jocie McKade is a polished writer, able to relate a fast-paced mystery with enough wit and candor to completely immerse the reader into the strong, fascinating lives of newly discovered twins and the impact that factor has on solving puzzles of relationships, family history, and murder! This is a perfectly tuned initial episode of a series that promised to be both spellbinding and entertaining. Highly recommended.
September 25, 2021
First impressions are essential and this book starts off with a bang, blood, and murder – “MOE SHERIDAN, Esq., fell to the floor unleashing an agonizing scream. His perfectly knotted bow tie sagged to one side and a quickly growing bloom of crimson blood covered his finely tailored shirt.”
Well, hell yeah! With all the initial confusion, blood, bullets flying and all questions raised in less than 2 paragraphs, we know that this is going to be an excellent book! When the humour kicks in we are already having a blast and it takes less than a page for us to be introduced with the comedic ability of Jocie McKade with her funny exaggerations , like:
“Jacqueline crawled slowly around the desk. Lifting her well-manicured fingers, she used only the palms of her hands. Her butt was way too high, her head was sticking up like a watermelon, and each time she moved forward a gold bracelet banged against the wood floor, or the ridiculously pointed toes of her designer heels chattered like a stapler. Obviously, she didn’t crawl very much.”
This book is our type of jam. Badass female protagonists with guns, conspiracy spy theories, humour and thriller, ohhhh yeaaahhh.
The humour is on-point, the characters reactions to the conversation are really realistic, the mystery is instantly gripping, as so many questions are raised so fast, and things develop without a hint of what we will find next. *claps* Jocie McKade is an excellent writer, no doubt whatsoever on this. Excellently done.
Ok, I’ll tell you this: I’ve never read a book that is so… casual yet intriguing as this one, it’s like this book was written by a highly experienced person with the spirit of playful child, it’s just… FUN to read! Like, this book is really fun! You will laugh a lot while reading this and having a generally good time throughout the book, I mean, who else, but Jocie McKade would write : “I love you more’n chocolate and peanut butter.” and how can someone not crack up reading this? Excellent stuff right here. I love this book so much.
So, to the plot. We have Jackie and Emma, two twins separated by birth, that lost their parents on the same day, were raised by single parents, one with the father, one with the mother, and both receive an envelope from a firm telling them to go to Washington DC to take care of their father, and mother’s, state, yet their parents, of each one, lived humble lives. To make things even worse, inside the envelope there’s a letter from their now deceased parents that they MUST go there, or they would be in extreme danger, and things only get crazier as events unfolds.
There is a duality of narrative to this book made sort of compulsory because of the fact that the main characters are twins and there are two complementary perspectives to share but Jocie doesn’t repeat herself or the story, which is something really cool. Another part of the duality is that the personalities of the two twins are symmetric, causing several clashes between the two.
The book gets intense quickly, very quickly and it’s amazing to see how well the characters personalities are enhanced by the quick passed and factual-style of narrative of the author.
If you love thrillers filled with mysteries, pay very close attention to this book and this author, because she isn’t playing, at all. Jocie McKade, will make you ask about every aspect of this plot, the characters and the intentions of the story to the point that you won’t look sideways from the book, you will want to discover everything and demand every conceivable answer. This book is as gripping as it is funny. The mystery here is perfect, so perfect in fact, that even half-way thought the book, you are still pretty much clueless of what’s going on, you still have many questions to answer, everything is still developing, and you are still very much entertained by the development of the story, which is something very hard to pull off.
There are many things happening in this book, one mystery rolls over the other and the characters get involved in the search of the truth many times hidden in deep layers of very well kept secrets that lead to apparent dead-ends. Every character has something to hide, something to lose and something that that character wants to know, so it’s not like the plot will revolve entirety on our two main characters, which is neat in many ways, and that enriches the experience of the reading, because no matter which character you choose, you will have a plethora of things to find out about them. Breath-taking writing this one.
This is one of the coolest, funniest and mysterious books I’ve read this year. It’s a total recommendation from my side, for this Adult Romance, which YA reads will also very much enjoy because of the “youthful” and playful style of writing of Jocie McKade. Super entertaining! Loved every word of it.
Pros:
Excellent narrative
Excellent humour, just priceless, this is one of the funniest books you’ll read
Empowering for women, LOVED it!
GREAT female characters all over. SUPER STUFF right there
The duality of the narrative and the light-shadow compensation of the main characters was simply perfect and very dynamic
GREAT male characters, very nice indeed
Great “villains”
Complex plot that leaves you baffled and intrigued until the book ends
A perfect ending that makes us BEG for the sequel, that is already available here
Cons
None.
Lesson of the book: “Keep your enemies closer than your friends”
Favourite Character: Sydney
Cover Score: 7.7/10
Book Score: 8.8/10
Original Review @ - https://scribblesworth.wordpress.com/...
Well, hell yeah! With all the initial confusion, blood, bullets flying and all questions raised in less than 2 paragraphs, we know that this is going to be an excellent book! When the humour kicks in we are already having a blast and it takes less than a page for us to be introduced with the comedic ability of Jocie McKade with her funny exaggerations , like:
“Jacqueline crawled slowly around the desk. Lifting her well-manicured fingers, she used only the palms of her hands. Her butt was way too high, her head was sticking up like a watermelon, and each time she moved forward a gold bracelet banged against the wood floor, or the ridiculously pointed toes of her designer heels chattered like a stapler. Obviously, she didn’t crawl very much.”
This book is our type of jam. Badass female protagonists with guns, conspiracy spy theories, humour and thriller, ohhhh yeaaahhh.
The humour is on-point, the characters reactions to the conversation are really realistic, the mystery is instantly gripping, as so many questions are raised so fast, and things develop without a hint of what we will find next. *claps* Jocie McKade is an excellent writer, no doubt whatsoever on this. Excellently done.
Ok, I’ll tell you this: I’ve never read a book that is so… casual yet intriguing as this one, it’s like this book was written by a highly experienced person with the spirit of playful child, it’s just… FUN to read! Like, this book is really fun! You will laugh a lot while reading this and having a generally good time throughout the book, I mean, who else, but Jocie McKade would write : “I love you more’n chocolate and peanut butter.” and how can someone not crack up reading this? Excellent stuff right here. I love this book so much.
So, to the plot. We have Jackie and Emma, two twins separated by birth, that lost their parents on the same day, were raised by single parents, one with the father, one with the mother, and both receive an envelope from a firm telling them to go to Washington DC to take care of their father, and mother’s, state, yet their parents, of each one, lived humble lives. To make things even worse, inside the envelope there’s a letter from their now deceased parents that they MUST go there, or they would be in extreme danger, and things only get crazier as events unfolds.
There is a duality of narrative to this book made sort of compulsory because of the fact that the main characters are twins and there are two complementary perspectives to share but Jocie doesn’t repeat herself or the story, which is something really cool. Another part of the duality is that the personalities of the two twins are symmetric, causing several clashes between the two.
The book gets intense quickly, very quickly and it’s amazing to see how well the characters personalities are enhanced by the quick passed and factual-style of narrative of the author.
If you love thrillers filled with mysteries, pay very close attention to this book and this author, because she isn’t playing, at all. Jocie McKade, will make you ask about every aspect of this plot, the characters and the intentions of the story to the point that you won’t look sideways from the book, you will want to discover everything and demand every conceivable answer. This book is as gripping as it is funny. The mystery here is perfect, so perfect in fact, that even half-way thought the book, you are still pretty much clueless of what’s going on, you still have many questions to answer, everything is still developing, and you are still very much entertained by the development of the story, which is something very hard to pull off.
There are many things happening in this book, one mystery rolls over the other and the characters get involved in the search of the truth many times hidden in deep layers of very well kept secrets that lead to apparent dead-ends. Every character has something to hide, something to lose and something that that character wants to know, so it’s not like the plot will revolve entirety on our two main characters, which is neat in many ways, and that enriches the experience of the reading, because no matter which character you choose, you will have a plethora of things to find out about them. Breath-taking writing this one.
This is one of the coolest, funniest and mysterious books I’ve read this year. It’s a total recommendation from my side, for this Adult Romance, which YA reads will also very much enjoy because of the “youthful” and playful style of writing of Jocie McKade. Super entertaining! Loved every word of it.
Pros:
Excellent narrative
Excellent humour, just priceless, this is one of the funniest books you’ll read
Empowering for women, LOVED it!
GREAT female characters all over. SUPER STUFF right there
The duality of the narrative and the light-shadow compensation of the main characters was simply perfect and very dynamic
GREAT male characters, very nice indeed
Great “villains”
Complex plot that leaves you baffled and intrigued until the book ends
A perfect ending that makes us BEG for the sequel, that is already available here
Cons
None.
Lesson of the book: “Keep your enemies closer than your friends”
Favourite Character: Sydney
Cover Score: 7.7/10
Book Score: 8.8/10
Original Review @ - https://scribblesworth.wordpress.com/...
March 19, 2022
This is the first book of Jocie McKade's I've read.
From the first scene in Moe Sheridan's office, I was sucked into the story. Two parents who both died the same way and two girls who could be long lost twins. What more could you ask for in a whodunit cozy mystery?
There are a wide range of characters with multiple points of view but none of them were confusing. I adore Rosie and Morgan and I hope they end up together.
The story has lots of plots running throughout. Like who really were Emme and Jackie's parents? Why did they split up the family and who were they hiding the girls from? Who killed the the mobster dude that washed up on the beach? And let's not forget Fender. What's his deal?
I got invested in the story and the characters and that's the only reason why I didn't DNF it. This should be a 5-star book but it's held back by horrible editing and a book cover that doesn't fit the genre. I could really see this as a TV series because the storyline is that good. Think Simon & Simon or Hart to Hart.
Do I recommend the book? That's a good question. Yes and No. If you can handle missing words, wrong word usage, poorly structured sentences and paragraphs, go for it. You'll fall in love with the story and characters.
As for me, I give it 4 stars, but I won't be solving the mystery of Emme and Jackie.
From the first scene in Moe Sheridan's office, I was sucked into the story. Two parents who both died the same way and two girls who could be long lost twins. What more could you ask for in a whodunit cozy mystery?
There are a wide range of characters with multiple points of view but none of them were confusing. I adore Rosie and Morgan and I hope they end up together.
The story has lots of plots running throughout. Like who really were Emme and Jackie's parents? Why did they split up the family and who were they hiding the girls from? Who killed the the mobster dude that washed up on the beach? And let's not forget Fender. What's his deal?
I got invested in the story and the characters and that's the only reason why I didn't DNF it. This should be a 5-star book but it's held back by horrible editing and a book cover that doesn't fit the genre. I could really see this as a TV series because the storyline is that good. Think Simon & Simon or Hart to Hart.
Do I recommend the book? That's a good question. Yes and No. If you can handle missing words, wrong word usage, poorly structured sentences and paragraphs, go for it. You'll fall in love with the story and characters.
As for me, I give it 4 stars, but I won't be solving the mystery of Emme and Jackie.
January 22, 2023
The Review
This was an action-packed and gripping thriller. The author does an incredible job of really delving into the action and suspense right from the first page, pumping up the reader’s adrenaline and keeping the heart pounding as the immediate threat the newly introduced sisters face makes themselves known. The tension between the protagonists and the blend of humor and wit allow the atmosphere to have a sort of charm that meets the action feeling of the narrative that showcases the author's ability to find balance within the story.
The heart of the story definitely rests within the bond and character growth of the protagonists. The attention to detail the author pays to each character and the amount of backstory the author infuses into both Emme and Jackie allows each of their personalities to shine brightly, and the conflict that arises from their stark differences and approaches to life keeps the reader invested in their story greatly.
The Verdict
Adrenaline-fueled, witty, and entertaining, author Jocie McKade’s “The Line is Drawn” is a fantastic first book in the Mayson-Dickens Mysteries series. The twists and turns in the narrative and the way these characters come together will have readers heart’s pumping, and the open-ended finale will keep readers eager for more of these dynamic sisters.
This was an action-packed and gripping thriller. The author does an incredible job of really delving into the action and suspense right from the first page, pumping up the reader’s adrenaline and keeping the heart pounding as the immediate threat the newly introduced sisters face makes themselves known. The tension between the protagonists and the blend of humor and wit allow the atmosphere to have a sort of charm that meets the action feeling of the narrative that showcases the author's ability to find balance within the story.
The heart of the story definitely rests within the bond and character growth of the protagonists. The attention to detail the author pays to each character and the amount of backstory the author infuses into both Emme and Jackie allows each of their personalities to shine brightly, and the conflict that arises from their stark differences and approaches to life keeps the reader invested in their story greatly.
The Verdict
Adrenaline-fueled, witty, and entertaining, author Jocie McKade’s “The Line is Drawn” is a fantastic first book in the Mayson-Dickens Mysteries series. The twists and turns in the narrative and the way these characters come together will have readers heart’s pumping, and the open-ended finale will keep readers eager for more of these dynamic sisters.
March 19, 2022
Charming Character With Entertaining Plot
This is my first book by Jocie McKade. Having created characters I felt invested in and an entertaining plot with such potential, it won't be my last. After all, she wisely left some questions unanswered, so on to book two...
What I liked was the diversity in her characters and the relationships they shared. I like the mystery behind the characters - each has an interesting story of their own. I like that the players aren't entirely good or bad, either... nor are you 100% sure who to trust.
What I disliked was the editing. There was a lot of missing words and punctuation, erroneous words, inconsistencies with tense and details... One of the protagonists alone went from Emmaline to Emmeline. It was the strong characters and storyline that made this the 4-star read it is. However, a good editor would easily make this book a 5-star.
I do recommend this book for readers who enjoy amateur or female sleuth, sibling fiction, cozy mysteries, and clean romances. Overall, it's an enjoyable book, despite its flaws, which is what real storytelling is about. Now, onto book two...
This is my first book by Jocie McKade. Having created characters I felt invested in and an entertaining plot with such potential, it won't be my last. After all, she wisely left some questions unanswered, so on to book two...
What I liked was the diversity in her characters and the relationships they shared. I like the mystery behind the characters - each has an interesting story of their own. I like that the players aren't entirely good or bad, either... nor are you 100% sure who to trust.
What I disliked was the editing. There was a lot of missing words and punctuation, erroneous words, inconsistencies with tense and details... One of the protagonists alone went from Emmaline to Emmeline. It was the strong characters and storyline that made this the 4-star read it is. However, a good editor would easily make this book a 5-star.
I do recommend this book for readers who enjoy amateur or female sleuth, sibling fiction, cozy mysteries, and clean romances. Overall, it's an enjoyable book, despite its flaws, which is what real storytelling is about. Now, onto book two...
February 5, 2023
The Line is Drawn by Jocie McKade is an enjoyable cozy mystery full of humor, drama, and murder. Mayhem breaks out everywhere. Two sisters are pulled together into the biggest mystery of all. Their lives are a mess, the man who holds the answers is dead, and more are about to die. These sisters are a breath of fresh air. They are independent and quirky. There is enough action to keep readers hooked. I kept guessing the whole time. My curiosity got the better of me. I was being pulled into a fun filled adventure. Jocie McKade writes with a flair. Her unique writing style makes this book entertaining. I highly recommend it for all mystery and cozy mystery fans alike. Plenty of humor inside, too!
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
April 2, 2018
I must admit that although I have the Baer books, I had not ventured to Mayson Dickson.
I have often wished I had a twin. Although I had seven other sisters, none were my twin. But how would you handle receiving a notice from a lawyer you have never heard of to come to his office? Upon which you learn that you are a twin and that you parents each to one of you into hiding. Now you both are on the run from someone or someones and you know not why. Talk about fun times in Dixie!! I truly enjoyed this book. Come on and cross the line of Dixie for a great read.
I have often wished I had a twin. Although I had seven other sisters, none were my twin. But how would you handle receiving a notice from a lawyer you have never heard of to come to his office? Upon which you learn that you are a twin and that you parents each to one of you into hiding. Now you both are on the run from someone or someones and you know not why. Talk about fun times in Dixie!! I truly enjoyed this book. Come on and cross the line of Dixie for a great read.
December 5, 2019
After having their worlds turned upside down with the deaths of their parents. Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson discover that they are twins. They were separated at an extremely young age, and were raised in different parts of the country.
Their parent's deaths (Emma's dad, and Jackie's mom) mean they were compromised, and now the girls need to disappear to keep them safe.
This was my first book by Joci McKade, It has mostly developed characters, a good storyline, and some humor.
Even though there are a few editing errors, it does not affect the enjoyability of the book.
Their parent's deaths (Emma's dad, and Jackie's mom) mean they were compromised, and now the girls need to disappear to keep them safe.
This was my first book by Joci McKade, It has mostly developed characters, a good storyline, and some humor.
Even though there are a few editing errors, it does not affect the enjoyability of the book.
September 1, 2021
‘Saying our birth certificates didn’t exist, that’s an old con’ – A Fascinating Mystery Series Begins!
Author Jocie McKade serves as a librarian and has chaired the local Veteran’s Oral History Project, having been honored for her contributions for her non-fiction articles and stories. Her novels now number sixteen and include THE GRANITE ROSE, ROGUE LEAVES, volumes of short stories, her popular series THE THREE BAERS (three volumes), BETWEEN THE LINES (two volumes), and MAYSON-DICKSON MYSTERIES (four volumes) of which THE LINE IS DRAWN is the initial book.
Being the initial story of a projected mystery series, the author appreciates the need to capture her audience’s attention with a powerful Prologue, and in this case the beam focused on the tension is strong: ‘Moe Sheridan, Esq., fell to the floor unleashing an agonizing scream. His perfectly knotted bow tie sagged to one side and a quickly growing bloom of crimson blood covered his finely tailored shirt. The window overlooking the garden Emmaline Roberts had been admiring was blown into a million pieces across the wooden floor The cranky receptionist who had kept her waiting for nearly an hour bolted into the room with a pistol in her hands, shoving Emmaline and the woman named Jacqueline, to the floor. Somehow, the receptionist had morphed in seconds form the obnoxious, dowdy receptionist into the Black Widow from the Avengers…Emmaline is gut-punched with the news her father was some sort of government spook, then this Moe Sheridan informs her that she has a sister a twin sister no less, who is now huddled beside her on the floor as bullets fly and Moe bleeds to death…’ That is a perfect way to introduce both the characters and the concept!
This fine mystery proceeds as follows: ‘A secret twin sister? Who knew? Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson discover they are twins, just before an assassin's bullet kills the only man who knows everything. Whisked away to an “off-the-books” witness protection program. With the aid of a wanted hacker, and another pitcher of margaritas, Emma and Jackie are determined to discover the truth about their parents’ secret past and why they were separated into North and South….Was it bad enough to have a man murdered to keep that secret? Murder, mystery and family fuel the fire between two sisters so different the only thing keeping them from starting another war between the states is the need to solve the case, get their answers and stay alive.’
Jocie McKade is a polished writer, able to relate a fast-paced mystery with enough wit and candor to completely immerse the reader into the strong, fascinating lives of newly discovered twins and the impact that factor has on solving puzzles of relationships, family history, and murder! This is a perfectly tuned initial episode of a series that promised to be both spellbinding and entertaining. Highly recommended.
Author Jocie McKade serves as a librarian and has chaired the local Veteran’s Oral History Project, having been honored for her contributions for her non-fiction articles and stories. Her novels now number sixteen and include THE GRANITE ROSE, ROGUE LEAVES, volumes of short stories, her popular series THE THREE BAERS (three volumes), BETWEEN THE LINES (two volumes), and MAYSON-DICKSON MYSTERIES (four volumes) of which THE LINE IS DRAWN is the initial book.
Being the initial story of a projected mystery series, the author appreciates the need to capture her audience’s attention with a powerful Prologue, and in this case the beam focused on the tension is strong: ‘Moe Sheridan, Esq., fell to the floor unleashing an agonizing scream. His perfectly knotted bow tie sagged to one side and a quickly growing bloom of crimson blood covered his finely tailored shirt. The window overlooking the garden Emmaline Roberts had been admiring was blown into a million pieces across the wooden floor The cranky receptionist who had kept her waiting for nearly an hour bolted into the room with a pistol in her hands, shoving Emmaline and the woman named Jacqueline, to the floor. Somehow, the receptionist had morphed in seconds form the obnoxious, dowdy receptionist into the Black Widow from the Avengers…Emmaline is gut-punched with the news her father was some sort of government spook, then this Moe Sheridan informs her that she has a sister a twin sister no less, who is now huddled beside her on the floor as bullets fly and Moe bleeds to death…’ That is a perfect way to introduce both the characters and the concept!
This fine mystery proceeds as follows: ‘A secret twin sister? Who knew? Emme Mayson and Jackie Dickson discover they are twins, just before an assassin's bullet kills the only man who knows everything. Whisked away to an “off-the-books” witness protection program. With the aid of a wanted hacker, and another pitcher of margaritas, Emma and Jackie are determined to discover the truth about their parents’ secret past and why they were separated into North and South….Was it bad enough to have a man murdered to keep that secret? Murder, mystery and family fuel the fire between two sisters so different the only thing keeping them from starting another war between the states is the need to solve the case, get their answers and stay alive.’
Jocie McKade is a polished writer, able to relate a fast-paced mystery with enough wit and candor to completely immerse the reader into the strong, fascinating lives of newly discovered twins and the impact that factor has on solving puzzles of relationships, family history, and murder! This is a perfectly tuned initial episode of a series that promised to be both spellbinding and entertaining. Highly recommended.
December 15, 2015
Twin sisters who were raised apart and knew nothing of the other are suddenly thrown together after the death of their parents. Emmaline Roberts was raised in the south by her father and Jacqueline Roberts was raised in the north by her mother. After the funerals they both get invitations to come to Washington DC at the request of a lawyer representing their parent. Imagine their surprise when they meet each other and realize that their parents kept huge secrets from them – dangerous secrets that now put their lives in danger. Jackie and Emme are like oil and water and are given new identities with the new last names of Mayson and Dickson which totally suits their personalities.
The two are sent to Tennessee to a safe house with a caretaker named Fender. Here in between their bickering and finding a dead body they decide to start their own private investigating business since it was obvious their parents had been some sort of spy's. The two only manage to get themselves into more trouble onto the radar of FBI agent Chris Meecham.
Plenty of humor along with the mystery of who their parents really were and who wants them dead. Those things are not solved in this book but it was a great start to a new series
The two are sent to Tennessee to a safe house with a caretaker named Fender. Here in between their bickering and finding a dead body they decide to start their own private investigating business since it was obvious their parents had been some sort of spy's. The two only manage to get themselves into more trouble onto the radar of FBI agent Chris Meecham.
Plenty of humor along with the mystery of who their parents really were and who wants them dead. Those things are not solved in this book but it was a great start to a new series
September 21, 2016
This is the story of two women who lost a parent and find themselves at the lawyers office and then their whole lives change. Jackie and Emme find out that their lives are not what they thought they were. I don't like to talk to much about the plot of a book so I don't by accident spoil anything.
I loved this story. To me it was as if I was reading a Stephanie Plum novel by Nora Roberts. Jocie McKade sucked me in right from the start. I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I love all the different personalities of the characters and how well written them are. The humor is awesome and kept me laughing at the banter between everyone.
You will not be disappointed in reading this book, you will want to read everything she has written. I have read quite a few of her books and am happy with the ones I have read.
I have had the great opportunity to meet Jocie at a conference and she is a pleasure to talk with and is as humor in person is the same as how it is written in the book. I am looking forward to reading the next adventure the girls will be involved in trying to find out what happened to their parents.
I loved this story. To me it was as if I was reading a Stephanie Plum novel by Nora Roberts. Jocie McKade sucked me in right from the start. I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I love all the different personalities of the characters and how well written them are. The humor is awesome and kept me laughing at the banter between everyone.
You will not be disappointed in reading this book, you will want to read everything she has written. I have read quite a few of her books and am happy with the ones I have read.
I have had the great opportunity to meet Jocie at a conference and she is a pleasure to talk with and is as humor in person is the same as how it is written in the book. I am looking forward to reading the next adventure the girls will be involved in trying to find out what happened to their parents.
January 2, 2016
What would you do if you found out you had a twin sister, and parents that lived a double life ?
Jackie and Emme loose their 'normal' lives and get put into the witness protection program together and decide, over a pitcher of Margaritas,to open their own Private Investigations business...just to keep their enemies closer.
I am afraid to say more, and give the storyline away, but I would highly recommend this book ! It was not only full of twists I didn't see coming, but there was lots of humor, and I didn't want to see the story end. Jocie does a great job of wrapping up the story, but also leaves a few unanswered questions to keep you waiting for the next book !
Jackie and Emme loose their 'normal' lives and get put into the witness protection program together and decide, over a pitcher of Margaritas,to open their own Private Investigations business...just to keep their enemies closer.
I am afraid to say more, and give the storyline away, but I would highly recommend this book ! It was not only full of twists I didn't see coming, but there was lots of humor, and I didn't want to see the story end. Jocie does a great job of wrapping up the story, but also leaves a few unanswered questions to keep you waiting for the next book !
October 14, 2016
Great start to a fun new series with twin sisters, one raised in the south by her daddy and the other raised in the north by her mother. Neither knows the other exists until summoned for a reading of their parents will. When the attorney handling the reading of the will is shot right in front of them before they get answers they have no choice but to go on the run from the mysterious bad guys who shot him. Thrown into a new world where they don't know who to trust they have no one to trust and lean on but each other. Mixed with the humor Jocie McKade is known for, this mystery series has a unique twist that I found to be fun and exciting. I'm looking forward to reading book two.
October 21, 2016
I LOVED IT At first i was thinking how do these girls not know each other, why has the parents kept them apart, what were the parents thinking, oh my god people keep shooting, people keep disappearing it was not what i expected but i was hooked from the first page.The constant bickering, the bad driving and the different personalities make one hilarious mishap after another do yourselves a favor and read this book oh and don't forget the next one (Yankee Tenacity (Mayson-Dickson Mystery Series Book 2)
December 20, 2020
this is a great on going mystery book series.. I can't wait for next one to come out... Jocie McKade did awesome job getting me into this story and FAST.. the variety of charactors and how they are connected AWESOME.. excited to see what is next for Jackie and Emme..
August 8, 2016
love the story line complexity,romance, mystery, with just the right amount of humor
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