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Mary Jo Melendez Mysteries #1
Muddlin' Through
Ex-USN Master-at-Arms Third Class Mary Jo Melendez struggles with restarting her life until she is hired as a security guard for an R&D firm with Pentagon contracts. She is framed after a violent break-in and lands in prison. She escapes, struggles to clear her name, and seeks revenge for her sister and brother-in-law’s deaths, during a journey that takes her around Europe and South America and tests her many skills as well as her faith. On the way, she makes new friends that restore her belief in human goodness, and even finds romance.
Steve Moore creates yet another strong female protagonist whose story illustrates his keen interest in the world around him and the people who populate it.
Steve Moore creates yet another strong female protagonist whose story illustrates his keen interest in the world around him and the people who populate it.
ebook
First published August 1, 2014
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About the author
Steven M. Moore
38 books40 followersHi there. First a reader, but also an author, yet I'll be brief: I'm a native Californian, former Colombian resident, and now living in the Northeast. For more bio info, please see my author profile and/or website.
Books are my life right now. While I am a full-time writer, I read a lot, and not just in the genres I write in. Those are mystery, thriller, and sci-fi, by the way...and you'll find them in short stories, novellas, and novels. My latest novels are Rembrandt's Angel (Penmore Press), Goin' the Extra Mile (Carrick Publishing), and The Last Humans (Black Opal Books)--yeah, I'm now a mongrel, although I was never 100% DIY before either.
While I don't give away free novels (they're sometimes on sale at Smashwords for my email newsletter subscribers), I give away my short fiction. So does my collaborator A. B. Carolan. See my blog categories "Steve's Shorts," "ABC Shorts," and my list of PDFs free for the asking on my webpage "Free Stuff & Contests" at my website.
I'm a member of International Thriller Writers.
Around the world and to the stars!
In libris libertas!
Books are my life right now. While I am a full-time writer, I read a lot, and not just in the genres I write in. Those are mystery, thriller, and sci-fi, by the way...and you'll find them in short stories, novellas, and novels. My latest novels are Rembrandt's Angel (Penmore Press), Goin' the Extra Mile (Carrick Publishing), and The Last Humans (Black Opal Books)--yeah, I'm now a mongrel, although I was never 100% DIY before either.
While I don't give away free novels (they're sometimes on sale at Smashwords for my email newsletter subscribers), I give away my short fiction. So does my collaborator A. B. Carolan. See my blog categories "Steve's Shorts," "ABC Shorts," and my list of PDFs free for the asking on my webpage "Free Stuff & Contests" at my website.
I'm a member of International Thriller Writers.
Around the world and to the stars!
In libris libertas!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 5, 2016
Mary Jo is a war vet with some serious skills. After being injured in Afghanistan, she is cobbled back together and finds employment working in security. Her world is turned upside down when her sister is held hostage and Mary Jo finds herself framed for a crime she didn't commit.
Due to her previous record in the military she comes to the attention of a covert government agency who would love to recruit her, but is she being given a chance at revenge or being used as a loaded weapon? Not sure who to trust Mary Jo muddles through a jungle of politics and armed men to avoid going back to jail or worse.
I absolutely loved the character Mary Jo, jaded, cynical, straight-talking and tough, but human at the same time with flaws and a sense of humour. This thriller is narrated by Mary Jo and hence written in her vernacular, which at times reads in note style.
Mary Jo's story is exciting and gripping as she moves from one precarious situation to the next and finds allies in the dangerous world of drug trafficking and espionage as she avenges her family.
Due to her previous record in the military she comes to the attention of a covert government agency who would love to recruit her, but is she being given a chance at revenge or being used as a loaded weapon? Not sure who to trust Mary Jo muddles through a jungle of politics and armed men to avoid going back to jail or worse.
I absolutely loved the character Mary Jo, jaded, cynical, straight-talking and tough, but human at the same time with flaws and a sense of humour. This thriller is narrated by Mary Jo and hence written in her vernacular, which at times reads in note style.
Mary Jo's story is exciting and gripping as she moves from one precarious situation to the next and finds allies in the dangerous world of drug trafficking and espionage as she avenges her family.
June 30, 2015
Mary Jo Melendez is a regular G.I. Jane with all her army and navy experience. Unfortunately, war veterans don't get discounts on rentals and a deep knowledge of special armed forces and military co-ops don't do much on a résumé.
An expert at martial arts (well, of course, she would have to be,) Mary does not succumb to the chauvinistic customs society (particularly men) imposes. I liked that about her.
A chance to get back into the war zone arrives when Mary's sister gets kidnapped by foreign agents. Well, that just provokes her to go all "Mission Impossible" until she gets framed and sent to prison.
The story took a while to drum up my interest, mostly because of the tedium involving politics, armed forces, and foreign affairs. I kept on reading, hoping it would get better, but it just got more complex. I applaud the use of a strong female protagonist for this so-called "action-packed thriller," but it just didn't really do it for me. Like the title, I was practically "muddlin through" this book.
An expert at martial arts (well, of course, she would have to be,) Mary does not succumb to the chauvinistic customs society (particularly men) imposes. I liked that about her.
A chance to get back into the war zone arrives when Mary's sister gets kidnapped by foreign agents. Well, that just provokes her to go all "Mission Impossible" until she gets framed and sent to prison.
The story took a while to drum up my interest, mostly because of the tedium involving politics, armed forces, and foreign affairs. I kept on reading, hoping it would get better, but it just got more complex. I applaud the use of a strong female protagonist for this so-called "action-packed thriller," but it just didn't really do it for me. Like the title, I was practically "muddlin through" this book.
October 10, 2014
Though I've enjoyed other Steven M. Moore titles more, I found this one to be a very good read, with interesting characters. Sometimes the settings took over. Moore pays attention to the details of the locales where his action takes place. Mary Jo Melendez, the main character, is another strong female character who can take care of herself in any circumstances. She is put through the wringer when she becomes the fall guy for corporate/government espionage in the genetics field. Can she clear her name and make it back home or will her luck finally turn to "all bad"? I find Moore's style to be very easy to read and to be very logical in terms of story progression. The book is well-edited and as usual, well written. Recommended.
April 4, 2016
Great adventure novel
A wrongly convicted woman seeks to clear her name, experiencing a series of adventures along the way.
Moore creates an excellent and deep character in Mary Jo. Strong and smart, yet conflicted, she retains her humanity when her enemies lose theirs -- all across the globe.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, and recommend it to readers who enjoy intrigue.
A wrongly convicted woman seeks to clear her name, experiencing a series of adventures along the way.
Moore creates an excellent and deep character in Mary Jo. Strong and smart, yet conflicted, she retains her humanity when her enemies lose theirs -- all across the globe.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, and recommend it to readers who enjoy intrigue.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews