Covert Identity

by Maria Hammarblad

Normally, law abiding Sharon Vaughan would have nothing to do with a Harley riding criminal like Jimmy Shaw. The web designer’s life is well organized and arranged just the way she likes it, and that does not include bikers. The loud, large, and sometimes annoying man is still dangerously attractive, and Sharon contacts him against her better judgment. It is a matter of days before she is introduced into the dark underworld of biker gangs and crime.

Despite objections from Sharon’s logical and well-reasoning self, Jimmy is a temptation difficult to resist. She never expected to fall for him, and her new project has secrets. He hasn’t told her the world she has become an unsuspecting participant in holds dangers beyond her wildest imagination. Or, that if she knew everything he hides, they could both lose their lives.

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 11, 2016

About the author

Born in Sweden in the early 1970's, Maria showed a large interest for books early in her life. Even before she was able to read or write, she made her mom staple papers together that she drew suns in, and proudly declared them to be the "Sun Book." They were all about the sun. This fascination with books and writing lasted through her teens, but as an adult, her career veered off towards desktop publishing and technical literature.

Even on this winding road through very different employers, she managed to always incorporate writing in her work, making a living by making user manuals and documentations for computer systems. Not until the year 2000 did she find what would be her professional home at SSAB Swedish Steel, where she worked with logistics for the better part of a decade.

During 2008 she felt that it was time for a change, and she promptly enrolled in college and relocated to Florida in November that year. This change of lifestyle gave her the peace of mind and time she needed to pursue her interest in writing fiction, and this far it has resulted in three published novels; "Kidnapped," "Touch of the Goddess," and "Undercover," and several more are on the way.

Reviews

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25**

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite his tough biker image, readers will appreciate that Jimmy has a protective nature.

Read full review in the 2016 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Vaughan is far from impressed when an obnoxious, filthy biker overtakes her truck on his noisy Harley. As the two find themselves in parking spaces, side-by-side, she assumes he is stalking her, but when he invites her to join him for a hot coffee, carries her heavy shopping bags to the car and asks her out, she goes against all of her normal instincts and accepts. Surprisingly, the huge biker who’d introduced himself as Jimmy Shaw, is not the monster she had figured him to be; up until that moment, Sharon assumed all bikers were criminals who stole, raped and murdered for fun. Jimmy is unlike any man she has ever met and, before long, she falls in love. Things start to unravel, however, when Jimmy starts arriving at home at odd hours, bloodied and beaten, refusing to divulge what has happened. He is also secretive about himself and his family. After rescuing some abused children and one potential bait-puppy from death, Jimmy leaves Sharon one morning with a dire warning, telling her that he loves her and if anything happens to him, she needs to know that. Then Jimmy vanishes. Sharon stakes out the motorcycle club alone, only to find another man riding Jimmy’s beloved Harley, and some stranger answering his phone when she calls, claiming he has never heard of Jimmy. Sharon hopes she is not too late and knows she must act fast and do the impossible if she is to bring the man she loves out of this nightmare alive.

Maria Hammarblad’s suspenseful thriller is one of the most gripping romance novels I have ever read. The stereotyping of a biker and a computer nerd are precise, with initial snobbery occurring, even after genuine acts of friendship have taken place. It was great to see somebody so rigid and anti-biker, finally letting her hair down and getting to know somebody whom she’d already judged before they had ever spoken their first words to one another. As somebody who prefers the freedom of a motorcycle over the boxed-in feel of a car, I couldn't help but smile at Sharon’s reaction during her first pillion ride on a motorcycle. Each detail is so intricately explained during her experience that I could almost feel the wind in my hair as I read. The characters in the book, regardless of how minor or insignificant they might seem at first, each play vital roles in the story. They also come with such depth that it was easy to relate to each and every one, even if their criminal behavior was stomach-churning. It takes a great writer to bring such characters to life, and Maria Hammarblad has done just that in Covert Identity. I enjoyed reading this story from beginning to end, and recommend it to readers over the age of 15 who like their animal-loving, motorcycle-riding drama, action, humor and suspense, all packed into one incredible romantic thriller.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite