Maski: Broken But Not Dead

by Joylene Nowell Butler

To the Breaking Point... When Brendell Meshango resigns from her university professor position and retreats to her isolated cabin to repair her psyche, she is confronted by a masked intruder. His racial comments lead her to believe she is the solitary victim of a hate crime. However, is all as it appears? After two bizarre days, the intruder mysteriously disappears but continues to play mind games with her. Taught by her mother to distrust the mainstream-based power structures, and with her stalker possibly linked to a high level of government, Brendell conceals the incident from the police. But will her silence keep her safe? Then her beloved daughter, Zoë, is threatened and Brendell takes matters into her own hands. To save Zoë, Brendell searches for the stalker and confronts not just a depraved madman but her own fears and prejudices.

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2017

About the author

I am Canadian/Métis, the author of suspense novels Dead Witness, Maski: Broken But Not Dead, Break Time, Matowak, and Kiss of the Assassin. In 2012 Broken But Not Dead won the IPPY Silver Medal. Born in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, (April 25, 1953) I am the youngest of three children of Charles (Charlie) Murray Nowell, veteran, farmer and truck driver, and Gabrielle Frances, (nee Desjardins), a member of the wartime singing trio The Desjardins Sisters. When my father was discharged from the Navy, he moved us from Victoria to Haney, (Maple Ridge) BC. I grew up with horses, cows, pigs and chickens. A regular tomboy. I received a Bachelor's Degree in English and Philosophy from Douglas College and attended Simon Fraser University. In 1979, my husband Ralph and I moved our five sons to Prince George, BC. In 1992 we moved an hour west of the city and built a log/stick house on Cluculz Lake, 36 km east of Vanderhoof. Twenty-five years later, we sold our home and today spend six months in Bucerias, Nayarit, and six months dividing our time between BC’s interior and anywhere else we may end up at.

Reviews

[Pat Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing that caught my attention as I read Maski: Broken But Not Dead, by Joylene Nowell Butler was the name of the heroine, Brendell Meshango. Just seeing a name that is so entirely different from the typical White Anglo-Saxon Protestant culture awoke my curiosity to know more about her main character.

Meshango, a woman, a half-breed, a person from a minority culture who breaks out of the jail cell she has locked herself in for years. On her road to discovery, a bizarre occurrence takes place that forces her to face herself.
Joylene Nowell Butler does an excellent job developing and presenting Meshango’s fears, her confusion, her sense of loss and her willingness to protect the only person she has ever loved.

In many ways, in my opinion, Brendell Meshango represents women who belong to any minority. Women, who bury their personalities, hide their beliefs and conform to a society that demands that they change and emulate the Caucasian woman.

Maski: Broken But Not Dead is an extraordinary novel that riles the reader. In fact, I got downright angry. Meshango’s life story brought forth my wrath, and I was ready to fight for her and my existence. But, and I say that with a big BUT, Butler captured and held my attention until the very last page. I did not close the book or put it aside. I wanted to see how she resolve the conflict, and I was not disappointed.

I congratulate you Ms. Butler on writing an outstanding novel that riled, inspired, and encouraged me.

Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia

[Susan Swiderski · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways, this was an eye-opening book. Although I've heard a little bit about the existence of prejudice against Native American people, I've never lived in an area with a large Native American population, so I've been isolated... and perhaps shielded... from seeing this sort of thing firsthand. This book gave me a better understanding of how horrid that prejudice can be.

But that isn't all this book is. Sure, it will subtly open your eyes to some inequities and injustices, but it will also strap you in the back seat of a thrilling chilling ride... with a unbalanced psycho behind the wheel. It's a well-written psychological thriller that's bound to keep you guessing until the end.

[Charlotte Woodland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. So well written and the inner dialog as well for the main characters so real I felt like I was inside her mind. The story takes you on quite a ride with lots of twists and turns and unexpected occurrences. Keeps you guessing until the end, and I still had to read the last few pages twice. Loved this book and the cultural and human aspects, good and bad, as well.