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The Golden Arrow #1
The Frame-Up
By day she writes comic books. By night, she lives them.
MG Martin lives and breathes geek culture. She even works as a writer for the comic book company she idolized as a kid. But despite her love of hooded vigilantes, MG prefers her comics stay on the page.
But when someone in LA starts recreating crime scenes from her favorite comic book, MG is the LAPD’s best—and only—lead. She recognizes the golden arrow left at the scene as the calling card of her favorite comic book hero. The thing is…superheroes aren’t real. Are they?
When the too-handsome-for-his-own-good Detective Kildaire asks for her comic book expertise, MG is more than up for the adventure. Unfortunately, MG has a teeny little tendency to not follow rules. And her off-the-books sleuthing may land her in a world of trouble.
Because for every superhero, there is a supervillain. And the villain of her story may be closer than she thinks…
MG Martin lives and breathes geek culture. She even works as a writer for the comic book company she idolized as a kid. But despite her love of hooded vigilantes, MG prefers her comics stay on the page.
But when someone in LA starts recreating crime scenes from her favorite comic book, MG is the LAPD’s best—and only—lead. She recognizes the golden arrow left at the scene as the calling card of her favorite comic book hero. The thing is…superheroes aren’t real. Are they?
When the too-handsome-for-his-own-good Detective Kildaire asks for her comic book expertise, MG is more than up for the adventure. Unfortunately, MG has a teeny little tendency to not follow rules. And her off-the-books sleuthing may land her in a world of trouble.
Because for every superhero, there is a supervillain. And the villain of her story may be closer than she thinks…
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2018
2615 people are currently reading
5055 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 856 reviews
November 1, 2018
I loved this book! I mean a freakin' bad @ss woman that writes and works for a comic book company; throw in some mystery and mayhem and we have an awesome book!
I love MG, who was actually named after a boy, she's smart, sexy and cool! She has some fantastic best friends and a love interest in the handsome detective she's working with on the case.
If you love comics/graphic novels and mystery books then I recommend you check this one out!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I love MG, who was actually named after a boy, she's smart, sexy and cool! She has some fantastic best friends and a love interest in the handsome detective she's working with on the case.
If you love comics/graphic novels and mystery books then I recommend you check this one out!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
July 31, 2019
I can equate how I felt about this book in a way that might make sense to some –mainly if you have read Ernest Cline’s work. I loved Ready Player One. For me, it was just the right level of pop culture entertainment to keep me smiling at the references and feeling nostalgic. Then I read his follow-up Armada and it felt like he was trying way too hard to be pop culture, trendy, and cool. I still enjoyed it, but the forcing of some pop culture simile or metaphor every few sentences became exhausting.
The Frame-Up was unfortunately more Armada and less Ready Player One.
If you really like comic books, nerdy TV shows, and cheesy mysteries there is a good chance this book will entertain you. (I feel safe saying “nerdy” because I too am a nerd) However, if you are anything like me, after you get about two-thirds in you will wonder if it is ever going to end. In fact, it took me over a week to read the last 100 pages because I was just not that excited to get back into it every day. (The first 220 pages only took me about a week)
In the end, I was somewhat entertained, and the story was pretty good, but as I could not stay invested along the way the overall experience was only so-so. So, approach this one with caution – you may really end up loving this one, or you may end up in the same boat with me.
The Frame-Up was unfortunately more Armada and less Ready Player One.
If you really like comic books, nerdy TV shows, and cheesy mysteries there is a good chance this book will entertain you. (I feel safe saying “nerdy” because I too am a nerd) However, if you are anything like me, after you get about two-thirds in you will wonder if it is ever going to end. In fact, it took me over a week to read the last 100 pages because I was just not that excited to get back into it every day. (The first 220 pages only took me about a week)
In the end, I was somewhat entertained, and the story was pretty good, but as I could not stay invested along the way the overall experience was only so-so. So, approach this one with caution – you may really end up loving this one, or you may end up in the same boat with me.
December 18, 2019
Geek chic romantic suspense, why thank you kindle first!
What I enjoyed:
The humor.
The well placed fantasy and SciFi references.
A well woven caper between the comic world and the real world, the past and the present.
What I loved!
The very best of PG13 adult romance. That heated getting-to-know-you time written with spice! The MCs are very Dharma & Greg.
“Here I am with a gorgeous Muggle, and the world still has magic in it.”
What I hated:
The civilian who dips her toe in police work and decides to go it alone.
What I appreciate:
Character growth. Michael-Grace starts out with a big chip on her shoulder and makes some arrogant plays. But, unlike any other book I’ve read, at the end she apologizes for her drastic actions and appreciates what she’s learned.
“I spent so much time pushing people away because they didn’t fit what I was looking for, and in the end what I needed was someone to bring me out of my prejudices.”
That was enough to bring this up to 3.5 and Wookie it up to 4!
March 14, 2020
Very entertaining.
MG (Short for Michael-Grace. Thank you very much, parents!) is a 30-year-old woman working in a male-dominated business. She's a comic book writer, who's part of a team at Genius Comics that is working on the reboot of the highly popular eighties superheroes comic The Hooded Falcon. She's also responsible for Hero Girls, the only comic in Genius Comics' portfolio that is centered around female characters, written by its only female writer, Michael-Grace Martin. MG certainly has some gender-related issues to deal with.
But soon other things take centerstage, as it seems that a hooded vigilante is trying to bust a drug ring, and there are some striking similarities to the original storyline of the The Hooded Falcon comics, including at least one crooked cop, which makes the whole affair a lot more complicated. How exactly does that tie into a 30 year-old storyline of a comic book? No spoilers. You have to find out for yourself. That storyline never got completed anyway, as the creator of the comic died before he could finish it (the horror!). So the characters themselves still have some work to do to piece it all together.
MG is brought in as a consultant to the LAPD. Which also brings Detective Matteo Kildaire into her life. And that in turn brings an occasionally very cute will-they-won't-they-dance into the story. The relationship between those two characters is full of humorous banter, cheekiness, sexual tension, and, what I liked most, an open-mindedness towards a person that leads a completely different life from your own. The latter mostly on Matteo’s part. But there’s also some growth in MG, without her having to scale back on her geekiness. Her previous dating life, though, that’s another matter.
This all results in a fun little caper mixed with a very nice romantic comedy. I was definitely shipping MG and Matteo, and found my eyeballs glued to the page by the action-packed plot and the mystery behind the villains' and the real life superhero's identities.
The characters are one of the strongest points of this novel. Not only are MG and Matteo both highly likeable, and just lovely together. But MG's best friend Lawrence, or Latifah (she's a drag queen), is a joy as well. And there are others that are interesting enough, and have the potential to take on a larger role for the second book. Also, almost everyone is a suspect at some point. Yes, it was fun.
Unfortunately there are also several flaws. The constant references to comics, movies and tv series for one. They were fun too, in the beginning, but got tedious later on. Initially it worked really well to illustrate MG's geekiness. And when she introduced Matteo to her friends and colleagues (almost all of them geeks as well, while Matteo hasn't even seen Star Wars), those were actually some of the most fun chapters. But later on it just got a little too much. To the point where it felt forced, and also made some sentences pretty much meaningless for me, as there was just a lot of stuff that I simply do not know. Maybe you'll enjoy it a little more, because you might have watched Star Trek, and Buffy, and Dexter, and Doctor Who, and whatever. But I'm just not that much into TV series, or recent movies. Ernest Cline's references to 70's and 80's video games, music, movies and books in Ready Player One worked a lot better for me. Though similar to Meghan Scott Molin here, he forced it a little too much in his follow-up Armada. What I'm trying to say is, if you've read Armada you will know what to expect here, in terms of frequency. And if you watch a lot of TV, perhaps you won't mind.
There are some other problems.
The mystery is not the strongest either, as MG becomes the driving force behind the solving of the case, for which she often isn't really qualified. Things just go her way a little too conveniently on many occasions. And I did not always understand how she came to certain conclusions.
As for our real life superhero. Well, I don't want to spoil the plot, of course. But I definitely expected them to be a larger part of the story. I was a little disappointed in that regard as well.
Overall, this is a 3.5 for me. It is more a guilty pleasure, rather than a great book. But that does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. And it was more than enough fun to read that I don't feel guilty at all for rounding up to 4 stars.
Just don't expect this to be some kind of lighter version of Watchmen or another Ready Player One, only with the focus on comics. Because this it is not.
MG (Short for Michael-Grace. Thank you very much, parents!) is a 30-year-old woman working in a male-dominated business. She's a comic book writer, who's part of a team at Genius Comics that is working on the reboot of the highly popular eighties superheroes comic The Hooded Falcon. She's also responsible for Hero Girls, the only comic in Genius Comics' portfolio that is centered around female characters, written by its only female writer, Michael-Grace Martin. MG certainly has some gender-related issues to deal with.
But soon other things take centerstage, as it seems that a hooded vigilante is trying to bust a drug ring, and there are some striking similarities to the original storyline of the The Hooded Falcon comics, including at least one crooked cop, which makes the whole affair a lot more complicated. How exactly does that tie into a 30 year-old storyline of a comic book? No spoilers. You have to find out for yourself. That storyline never got completed anyway, as the creator of the comic died before he could finish it (the horror!). So the characters themselves still have some work to do to piece it all together.
MG is brought in as a consultant to the LAPD. Which also brings Detective Matteo Kildaire into her life. And that in turn brings an occasionally very cute will-they-won't-they-dance into the story. The relationship between those two characters is full of humorous banter, cheekiness, sexual tension, and, what I liked most, an open-mindedness towards a person that leads a completely different life from your own. The latter mostly on Matteo’s part. But there’s also some growth in MG, without her having to scale back on her geekiness. Her previous dating life, though, that’s another matter.
And dammit, he smells good. Who wears … I sniff … awesome-smelling laundry detergent to a work meeting? Look at me, weak-kneed from laundry detergent fumes. I definitely have been dating the wrong people if clean clothes are a turn-on.
This all results in a fun little caper mixed with a very nice romantic comedy. I was definitely shipping MG and Matteo, and found my eyeballs glued to the page by the action-packed plot and the mystery behind the villains' and the real life superhero's identities.
The characters are one of the strongest points of this novel. Not only are MG and Matteo both highly likeable, and just lovely together. But MG's best friend Lawrence, or Latifah (she's a drag queen), is a joy as well. And there are others that are interesting enough, and have the potential to take on a larger role for the second book. Also, almost everyone is a suspect at some point. Yes, it was fun.
Unfortunately there are also several flaws. The constant references to comics, movies and tv series for one. They were fun too, in the beginning, but got tedious later on. Initially it worked really well to illustrate MG's geekiness. And when she introduced Matteo to her friends and colleagues (almost all of them geeks as well, while Matteo hasn't even seen Star Wars), those were actually some of the most fun chapters. But later on it just got a little too much. To the point where it felt forced, and also made some sentences pretty much meaningless for me, as there was just a lot of stuff that I simply do not know. Maybe you'll enjoy it a little more, because you might have watched Star Trek, and Buffy, and Dexter, and Doctor Who, and whatever. But I'm just not that much into TV series, or recent movies. Ernest Cline's references to 70's and 80's video games, music, movies and books in Ready Player One worked a lot better for me. Though similar to Meghan Scott Molin here, he forced it a little too much in his follow-up Armada. What I'm trying to say is, if you've read Armada you will know what to expect here, in terms of frequency. And if you watch a lot of TV, perhaps you won't mind.
There are some other problems.
The mystery is not the strongest either, as MG becomes the driving force behind the solving of the case, for which she often isn't really qualified. Things just go her way a little too conveniently on many occasions. And I did not always understand how she came to certain conclusions.
As for our real life superhero. Well, I don't want to spoil the plot, of course. But I definitely expected them to be a larger part of the story. I was a little disappointed in that regard as well.
Overall, this is a 3.5 for me. It is more a guilty pleasure, rather than a great book. But that does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. And it was more than enough fun to read that I don't feel guilty at all for rounding up to 4 stars.
Just don't expect this to be some kind of lighter version of Watchmen or another Ready Player One, only with the focus on comics. Because this it is not.
June 8, 2018
The Frame Up is both a fast paced mystery caper and a romantic comedy with a snappy voice. what makes it stand apart is how it immerses itself in geek culture, celebrating it while acknowledging the overt difficulties women in fandom and in yhe industry have. by blending this all together, Molin has crafted a highly entertaining book that appeals equally to those genres as well as geeky fans who don't always read mysteries.
January 27, 2019
I got this book free from Amazon First Reads. I'll definitely say that I chose it for the cover and the synopsis seemed really promising. I'm surprised I busted through and finished it.
Ok. I'll admit that I'm one of those "geeks" MG mentions (a lot), but the geeky references were getting absolutely ridiculous. Some of the references actually took away from the story because they seemed so out of place. At one point she said, "If my life is Firefly, my crew consists of these forever-young people..." This reference was just irrelevant. It just felt like name dropping. "My heart careens in my chest like a Mario-kart around a curve..." I understand the whole book was meant to relate to a specific group of people and I really appreciate that, but the book was just really over-saturated with these references. I just find it unrealistic to try and make all these things she mentions (Harry Potter, Tardis, Star Wars) some hidden secret only real geeks know about when those things are so mainstream right now that they are considered popular culture.
The character of MG... Ok. Where do I start? She started off alright. I like the idea of a strong, badass female just wanting to do her own thing, but then it got to the point that she was just sort of throwing herself a pity party. Anything anyone said to her was because she was a girl and they were looking down on her. I'm not saying this doesn't happen to women (especially women in what is considered to be a male-dominated industry). As a woman, I can attest to the fact that it really does, but she took it to an extreme. For example, this guy she's crushing on says, "You're so different when you talk about this. Like The Hooded Falcon is real to you." Her response: "Because I'm a freakshow? A woman who loves comics, so I automatically can't tell reality from fiction..." Lady, he did not mention anything about you being a girl and liking comics. At all. She assumes she can only date a geek because a "non-geek might want to normal-fy" her. At some point I feel like she does seem to change, but that change only comes when she starts hanging out with Matteo. She became more accepting of other people. I was digging her personality. I really was. It was just the chip on her shoulder was a bit too big for me.
The mystery eventually gets interesting, but it takes most of the book to get there. It also would not have been a mystery at all if MG just told the cops exactly what was going on. She ended up hurting the case more than helping because she took it upon herself to try to be this hero because she thought she could do a better job when it comes to criminal activity because she was a comic book writer. The case was written as a lot more complicated than it actually was.
I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 because I did end up finishing it and I found her character to be somewhat redeemable towards the end. I will most likely not be picking up the next book in this series. If I do, it'll be for Lawrence.
Ok. I'll admit that I'm one of those "geeks" MG mentions (a lot), but the geeky references were getting absolutely ridiculous. Some of the references actually took away from the story because they seemed so out of place. At one point she said, "If my life is Firefly, my crew consists of these forever-young people..." This reference was just irrelevant. It just felt like name dropping. "My heart careens in my chest like a Mario-kart around a curve..." I understand the whole book was meant to relate to a specific group of people and I really appreciate that, but the book was just really over-saturated with these references. I just find it unrealistic to try and make all these things she mentions (Harry Potter, Tardis, Star Wars) some hidden secret only real geeks know about when those things are so mainstream right now that they are considered popular culture.
The character of MG... Ok. Where do I start? She started off alright. I like the idea of a strong, badass female just wanting to do her own thing, but then it got to the point that she was just sort of throwing herself a pity party. Anything anyone said to her was because she was a girl and they were looking down on her. I'm not saying this doesn't happen to women (especially women in what is considered to be a male-dominated industry). As a woman, I can attest to the fact that it really does, but she took it to an extreme. For example, this guy she's crushing on says, "You're so different when you talk about this. Like The Hooded Falcon is real to you." Her response: "Because I'm a freakshow? A woman who loves comics, so I automatically can't tell reality from fiction..." Lady, he did not mention anything about you being a girl and liking comics. At all. She assumes she can only date a geek because a "non-geek might want to normal-fy" her. At some point I feel like she does seem to change, but that change only comes when she starts hanging out with Matteo. She became more accepting of other people. I was digging her personality. I really was. It was just the chip on her shoulder was a bit too big for me.
The mystery eventually gets interesting, but it takes most of the book to get there. It also would not have been a mystery at all if MG just told the cops exactly what was going on. She ended up hurting the case more than helping because she took it upon herself to try to be this hero because she thought she could do a better job when it comes to criminal activity because she was a comic book writer. The case was written as a lot more complicated than it actually was.
I gave this 2 stars instead of 1 because I did end up finishing it and I found her character to be somewhat redeemable towards the end. I will most likely not be picking up the next book in this series. If I do, it'll be for Lawrence.
November 19, 2018
The only reason I read this book as long as I did was because I was stuck somewhere and it was the only one currently downloaded on my kindle app.
I didn’t even finish it because it was actively making me angry to read. The main character took unlikable to another level. She’s the embodiment of the “quirky, not-like-other-girls” trope, but the audience is meant to find her charming? Or badass? When really I just wanted to punch her the whole time.
The overabundance of pop culture “geek” references was annoying as hell. Like, we get it, these characters are nerdy. But nerd-culture is mainstream and there’s no way I believe the “muggles” (as the main character irritatingly refers to every non-geek person she meets) have no idea what Star Wars or Harry Potter are.
Not to mention the origin of this fictional superhero is a direct knock-off of Green Arrow which the author even name drops multiple times! At least have some creativity in your superhero since that’s the whole plot!
Also - people PLEASE stop writing in first person present tense. I have never once read a book where that was done well. Not worth downloading even as a free book.
I didn’t even finish it because it was actively making me angry to read. The main character took unlikable to another level. She’s the embodiment of the “quirky, not-like-other-girls” trope, but the audience is meant to find her charming? Or badass? When really I just wanted to punch her the whole time.
The overabundance of pop culture “geek” references was annoying as hell. Like, we get it, these characters are nerdy. But nerd-culture is mainstream and there’s no way I believe the “muggles” (as the main character irritatingly refers to every non-geek person she meets) have no idea what Star Wars or Harry Potter are.
Not to mention the origin of this fictional superhero is a direct knock-off of Green Arrow which the author even name drops multiple times! At least have some creativity in your superhero since that’s the whole plot!
Also - people PLEASE stop writing in first person present tense. I have never once read a book where that was done well. Not worth downloading even as a free book.
October 23, 2018
Thank you for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this fun caper.
Sassy Michael-Grace as the MC kept me engaged. Loved her friends--Lawrence was my favorite--and loved how everyone felt like a suspect at one point or another. Just enough twists, turns and romance to keep me engaged to the very end. Will be looking forward to Book 2.
Sassy Michael-Grace as the MC kept me engaged. Loved her friends--Lawrence was my favorite--and loved how everyone felt like a suspect at one point or another. Just enough twists, turns and romance to keep me engaged to the very end. Will be looking forward to Book 2.
December 1, 2018
What a great read! Right amount of mystery, right amount of romance. MG is very passionate about comics and I loved that. Her point of view was A very enlightening and interesting one to read from. This story is completely submersed in geek culture which was super fun, and really hits hard on how difficult it can be for women in the fandom world.
Awesome read!
Awesome read!
November 6, 2018
Unfortunately, just awful. There was so much bad about this. First, the author needs to hire an editor. Or a better editor. Lots of mistakes. Using wrong names. Using "she" instead of "he," or even more confusingly, using them both interchangeably for the second person in a single page. Very confusing.
The geek references were forced. They were constant and awkward, sound like someone trying to make geek references rather than the way an actual geek thinks. Plus the video game references were off. Not every geek likes video games, but again that is something that an editor could have fixed.
Finally, the plot and the writing were just bad. The plot was eye rolling. The author clearly hadn't done any research, and for a book about a superhero, the fact that the rest of the plot was so uncomfortably unbelievable is hard to swallow. It was made worse by bad writing. The author assumes we are following her train of thought so makes jumps in logic or conclusions that aren't justified by what is actually written on the page.
The author also didn't understand why one uses first person present tense. First, don't. Just cause Suzanne Collins pulled it off doesn't mean everyone else needs to catch the trend wave. It's week and lends itself to only a very specific kind of story telling. But if you are going to use it, realize that it puts us in the mind of the main character. We get to hear her thoughts. Don't tell us she is thinking about something then don't tell us what she's thinking about. Don't have the character make pivotal conclusions off the page. That's why you use this tense. Use it right, or don't use it.
I feel bad because I realize this is her first effort, but I just really found nothing redeemable about this book. The only thing I liked was that it was short, so I didn't have to stomach it for too long.
The geek references were forced. They were constant and awkward, sound like someone trying to make geek references rather than the way an actual geek thinks. Plus the video game references were off. Not every geek likes video games, but again that is something that an editor could have fixed.
Finally, the plot and the writing were just bad. The plot was eye rolling. The author clearly hadn't done any research, and for a book about a superhero, the fact that the rest of the plot was so uncomfortably unbelievable is hard to swallow. It was made worse by bad writing. The author assumes we are following her train of thought so makes jumps in logic or conclusions that aren't justified by what is actually written on the page.
The author also didn't understand why one uses first person present tense. First, don't. Just cause Suzanne Collins pulled it off doesn't mean everyone else needs to catch the trend wave. It's week and lends itself to only a very specific kind of story telling. But if you are going to use it, realize that it puts us in the mind of the main character. We get to hear her thoughts. Don't tell us she is thinking about something then don't tell us what she's thinking about. Don't have the character make pivotal conclusions off the page. That's why you use this tense. Use it right, or don't use it.
I feel bad because I realize this is her first effort, but I just really found nothing redeemable about this book. The only thing I liked was that it was short, so I didn't have to stomach it for too long.
November 13, 2018
"My heart careens in my chest like a Mario-kart around a curve"
Noooooooooooo
Noooooooooooo
November 27, 2018
The Frame Up was one of the free Amazon selections this month, and I had a challenge to read a book about a superhero. Perfect, right? Down to a kick-ass purple haired feminist heroine Michael-Grace and her African-American queen friend L and her handsome Latin do-gooder detective love interest Matteo. Reviews were all of the place on this book, so I tried to go in with an open mind. I think I succeeded, since the things that bothered me the most weren't necessarily the criticisms I'd read.
I think the big struggle for me with this book was my frustration with Michael-Grace. I wanted to like her a lot more than I did. I didn't care, like many others seem to, that she was prickly and defensive. Women in the workplace have a tough time already, and in geek fields like comics, that is especially true. Considering her professional, family, and romantic history, MG had a lot of reasons to be prickly and even hostile to the men around her. The thing that bugs me is that for all she complains about the men in her life, MG doesn't have girlfriends at the start of this book. Just her and a few select male friends, and that's it. In fact, despite her own gender-based struggles in her field, the first thing MG thinks when she sees a new female POC hire is that she's an affirmative action hire. Seriously, MG? Very disappointing and short-sighted and hypocritical. MG DOES grow as a character throughout the book, though, and there are tentative signs of her learning to let down her guard and make friends with women as well as men. Congrats, MG.
Where MG did NOT grow throughout the book was her poor life choices, which were impulsive and foolish at best, delusional and grandiose at times. "Only I can save so and so, or do such and such." No thanks. MG does SO MANY stupid things throughout the book, wrapping up with a huge trail of chaos and damage in her wake by the end of the book. I find it hard to believe she didn't face criminal charges for the choices she made, and that she dragged others in to. Or even lawsuits for the damages she unintentionally caused with her unprofessional shenanigans.
I appreciate that there were strong female characters, and a fair amount of diversity in the story. I enjoyed the geek setting, and found Matteo to be absolutely swoon-worthy, and my favorite character of the book. I have to admit I didn't really see the identity of the villain prior to the reveal either. What I COULD see was the identity of the Golden Arrow pretty early in the story. How MG couldn't by at least 3/4 through this story is beyond me...
I offer grumpy complaints as well as praise, but should point out that I finished this book in mere days once I started actually reading it. I wanted to know what happened. I don't know that I'll read the second book in the series, but I just might give it a try and hope the writing improves a bit as the author matures. If you don't mind a (justly) prickly heroine and plot lines that are consistently advanced by foolish, impulsive, and misguided choices made repeatedly by the main character (a la Stephanie Plum), you might enjoy this book more than I did.
I think the big struggle for me with this book was my frustration with Michael-Grace. I wanted to like her a lot more than I did. I didn't care, like many others seem to, that she was prickly and defensive. Women in the workplace have a tough time already, and in geek fields like comics, that is especially true. Considering her professional, family, and romantic history, MG had a lot of reasons to be prickly and even hostile to the men around her. The thing that bugs me is that for all she complains about the men in her life, MG doesn't have girlfriends at the start of this book. Just her and a few select male friends, and that's it. In fact, despite her own gender-based struggles in her field, the first thing MG thinks when she sees a new female POC hire is that she's an affirmative action hire. Seriously, MG? Very disappointing and short-sighted and hypocritical. MG DOES grow as a character throughout the book, though, and there are tentative signs of her learning to let down her guard and make friends with women as well as men. Congrats, MG.
Where MG did NOT grow throughout the book was her poor life choices, which were impulsive and foolish at best, delusional and grandiose at times. "Only I can save so and so, or do such and such." No thanks. MG does SO MANY stupid things throughout the book, wrapping up with a huge trail of chaos and damage in her wake by the end of the book. I find it hard to believe she didn't face criminal charges for the choices she made, and that she dragged others in to. Or even lawsuits for the damages she unintentionally caused with her unprofessional shenanigans.
I appreciate that there were strong female characters, and a fair amount of diversity in the story. I enjoyed the geek setting, and found Matteo to be absolutely swoon-worthy, and my favorite character of the book. I have to admit I didn't really see the identity of the villain prior to the reveal either. What I COULD see was the identity of the Golden Arrow pretty early in the story. How MG couldn't by at least 3/4 through this story is beyond me...
I offer grumpy complaints as well as praise, but should point out that I finished this book in mere days once I started actually reading it. I wanted to know what happened. I don't know that I'll read the second book in the series, but I just might give it a try and hope the writing improves a bit as the author matures. If you don't mind a (justly) prickly heroine and plot lines that are consistently advanced by foolish, impulsive, and misguided choices made repeatedly by the main character (a la Stephanie Plum), you might enjoy this book more than I did.
April 23, 2019
So I wanted to like this more. The premise sounded fun and while "civilian/artsy type gets involved in police work" has been done before, I still enjoy it.
MG is the only woman in her comic shop and that apparently makes her feel like she can't even be polite or professional in any way. (I'm Southern, "polite" is a fair substitute for genuine niceness, as far as I'm concerned. Also, throwing a red bouncy ball against the half-wall that separates your cubicle from someone else's -- who's trying to work because we're at work -- is just effing rude. I'd cut her.) She keeps telling us how great she is at her job.
Matteo is fine as a love interest, but I wasn't sold on him liking MG Also, seriously, the author took the whole "he's really not a geek" thing too far. What rock was he living under ?
I liked the supporting cast. Lawrence is fun, if a little stereotyped. I did not like . Ryan is an incredibly tolerant roommate, putting up with all of MG's crap .
The writing at the beginning was annoying, but it felt like either the author got her feet under her or the editor reined it in by about a third of the way through. So if you kinda want to punch "MG" for the writing, that gets better.
I'm sure there's going to be a sequel and I'll probably read it, but it won't be the day it comes out and I won't be waiting with bated breath. This was fine as a light read I didn't need to be invested in, but the moment future books start demanding something of me while giving only this back, I'm out.
MG is the only woman in her comic shop and that apparently makes her feel like she can't even be polite or professional in any way. (I'm Southern, "polite" is a fair substitute for genuine niceness, as far as I'm concerned. Also, throwing a red bouncy ball against the half-wall that separates your cubicle from someone else's -- who's trying to work because we're at work -- is just effing rude. I'd cut her.) She keeps telling us how great she is at her job.
Matteo is fine as a love interest, but I wasn't sold on him liking MG Also, seriously, the author took the whole "he's really not a geek" thing too far. What rock was he living under ?
I liked the supporting cast. Lawrence is fun, if a little stereotyped. I did not like . Ryan is an incredibly tolerant roommate, putting up with all of MG's crap .
The writing at the beginning was annoying, but it felt like either the author got her feet under her or the editor reined it in by about a third of the way through. So if you kinda want to punch "MG" for the writing, that gets better.
I'm sure there's going to be a sequel and I'll probably read it, but it won't be the day it comes out and I won't be waiting with bated breath. This was fine as a light read I didn't need to be invested in, but the moment future books start demanding something of me while giving only this back, I'm out.
January 19, 2019
⇾ 2 stars ⇽
I received an ARC from 47North via NetGalley in exchange of honest review.
I was super excited when I saw the cover + read the premise. This book has everything that I loved. Gorgeous cover, check. Badass and strong female as the main character, check. Pop culture references, check. Mystery/thriller plot, check. However, once I dived into this book, I realized it's not as good as what it promised.
⇾ The main character started off amazingly. She's blunt, fun and quirky. Yet, she quickly turned into an aggressive, over-sensitive and snobby GEEK. I've never encountered such character, where she saw herself as a part of marginalized and being upset about it yet boosted herself as someone better than other members of the same community, and acted even worse to someone she'd seen as 'Muggle'. Not to mention how she's basically being rude instead of supporting 'girl power'. Multiple yikes.
⇾ Too many pop culture references and everything is unnatural and pushy. I get it. This book is supposed to be a lighter yet more mysterious version of Ready Player One. But it didn't work. The references just threw there for the sake of it. This book might as well become a fandom dictionary.
⇾ Awkward and unnecessary romance. I couldn't find their chemistry at all.
I received an ARC from 47North via NetGalley in exchange of honest review.
I was super excited when I saw the cover + read the premise. This book has everything that I loved. Gorgeous cover, check. Badass and strong female as the main character, check. Pop culture references, check. Mystery/thriller plot, check. However, once I dived into this book, I realized it's not as good as what it promised.
⇾ The main character started off amazingly. She's blunt, fun and quirky. Yet, she quickly turned into an aggressive, over-sensitive and snobby GEEK. I've never encountered such character, where she saw herself as a part of marginalized and being upset about it yet boosted herself as someone better than other members of the same community, and acted even worse to someone she'd seen as 'Muggle'. Not to mention how she's basically being rude instead of supporting 'girl power'. Multiple yikes.
⇾ Too many pop culture references and everything is unnatural and pushy. I get it. This book is supposed to be a lighter yet more mysterious version of Ready Player One. But it didn't work. The references just threw there for the sake of it. This book might as well become a fandom dictionary.
⇾ Awkward and unnecessary romance. I couldn't find their chemistry at all.
September 18, 2019
The Frame-Up by Meghan Scott Molin is a humorous contemporary mystery/romantic comedy with diverse characters: a geeky female main character (Michael-Grace), her straight-laced cop boyfriend (Matteo), and her drag-queen best friend (Lawrence) along with beaucoup geeksters as secondary characters. The tone is slightly snarky, and the pace clips along rapidly, keeping me fully focused on the novel. Most enjoyable is that MG, tired of men trying to change her, has given up on relationships, yet remains a woman fully-functioning on her own. She is courageous and determined, doesn’t wait around to be “saved” by a man, and remains delightfully geeky and, though comfortable with herself, a bit out of place in the real world. The slow-burn sexual tension between MG and Matteo is charming. The blend of romance and mystery is deftly woven. People who enjoy Star Trek, classic comic books, mysteries, and contemporary romances will enjoy this book.
July 16, 2018
I was ridiculously lucky to read an early copy of this baby. Meghan's debut has EVERYTHING. Quirky comic book setting. Fun action. Twisty mystery. And a sassy heroine I'd love to hang out with. The heart-melting chemistry and geek culture puts THE FRAME-UP over the top. (FYI I've called dibs on a certain swoony cop.) Buy this book. Read this book. I loved this book.
couldn-t-finish
December 21, 2018Just not working for me - so many references (that I got but enough is enough).. and the weird opposites attract thing with her inner struggle... this felt more like a YA novel (which I usually love) than what I was expecting.
Moving on.
Moving on.
October 9, 2018
Fun, action-driven, and jam-packed with voice. THE FRAME-UP by Meghan Scott Molin is everything my nerd heart desired — and more. Writer and budding costume designer MG Martin is totally immersed in comic book culture, and so when a string of crimes in LA follows the same path as her most cherished comic, she can’t help but get wrapped up in the plot line. Not to mention a certain swoon-worthy cop won’t let her stick to the panels.
The setup is fantastic, but I was truly swept away with her attention to detail and the nod toward women in fandom. Detective Killdaire was a perfect foil to MG, and their chemistry was amazing. I could not put this book down, and I found myself guessing along the way, trying to nail down the villain with each breadcrumb Molin expertly tucked away between the words.
An absolute fantastic read. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
The setup is fantastic, but I was truly swept away with her attention to detail and the nod toward women in fandom. Detective Killdaire was a perfect foil to MG, and their chemistry was amazing. I could not put this book down, and I found myself guessing along the way, trying to nail down the villain with each breadcrumb Molin expertly tucked away between the words.
An absolute fantastic read. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
December 12, 2018
Ugh. This was painful. I truly don’t even know where to begin. I’ll try my best.
1) People like Kildaire do not exist. If they do exist, they’re over 70 years old.
2) Calling people who aren’t nerds “muggles” is just... so gauche. And again, does not exist. Marvel and Harry Potter and Star Wars make A LOT OF MONEY. NERDS ARE NOT MARGINALIZED ANYMORE.
3) The author doesn’t know what the word “shade” means, which is embarrassing for white people everywhere.
4) MG said “Bazinga” not once, but TWICE, and that should say everything else I need to say about this.
The only redeeming thing about this is that I’m pretty sure I know who the Golden Arrow is and the book decided not to nerdsplain it to me (which MG does at every other opportunity) so I’ll give the book credit for that.
1) People like Kildaire do not exist. If they do exist, they’re over 70 years old.
2) Calling people who aren’t nerds “muggles” is just... so gauche. And again, does not exist. Marvel and Harry Potter and Star Wars make A LOT OF MONEY. NERDS ARE NOT MARGINALIZED ANYMORE.
3) The author doesn’t know what the word “shade” means, which is embarrassing for white people everywhere.
4) MG said “Bazinga” not once, but TWICE, and that should say everything else I need to say about this.
The only redeeming thing about this is that I’m pretty sure I know who the Golden Arrow is and the book decided not to nerdsplain it to me (which MG does at every other opportunity) so I’ll give the book credit for that.
April 6, 2019
What a caper! A sexy thrill ride. Popcorn and the very best dark chocolate also come to mind. Michael-Grace, the MC of The Frame-Up, is a real-life superhero, much like the enigmatic one she tracks throughout this novel, with the help of her very own justice league. And so is Molin! She’s a terrific mystery writer. Her dexterity with voices and characters is incredible. Sorry about dinner there, kids — I literally did not put this down until I reached the end.
November 3, 2018
Mystery with true geek cred - Please continue the series!
There are books that try to work geekiness in and feel false, like they read a couple of Wiki articles over a cup of coffee and started their story. This is not one of those stories - the love for the geek life rings genuine on every page. References range from Star Wars to Homestar Runner and so many points in between, a rollicking ode to geekdom that I couldn't put down.
If that weren't enough - and it almost is - add in romance, drag queens, a hot police officer, and a vintage style mystery straight out of the pages of vintage comic books. Every part of the story blends well together, beauty in the obscure and offbeat, topped with a dusting of cinnamon.
Cleanly edited, perfectly written characters and more made this an instant favorite. I'm hoping for sequels, and soon! An example of the writing:
"Heading for the door, I weave my way through a dude pitching a screenplay and a stay-at-home mom bitching about no “me time,” even though she’s clearly here without her children. Or they’re off terrorizing the other patrons—a distinct possibility, seeing as LA fuels itself on broken dreams and hypocrisy. The dirty glass door screeches, letting a blast of gritty, gasoline-scented wind in as I push it open with my hip. It never closes behind me. I’m surprised when an arm reaches out to hold it open. I don’t even need to look to know that it’s Herbal Tea Guy. Usually the Muggles aren’t this tenacious. Time to level up my game."
There are books that try to work geekiness in and feel false, like they read a couple of Wiki articles over a cup of coffee and started their story. This is not one of those stories - the love for the geek life rings genuine on every page. References range from Star Wars to Homestar Runner and so many points in between, a rollicking ode to geekdom that I couldn't put down.
If that weren't enough - and it almost is - add in romance, drag queens, a hot police officer, and a vintage style mystery straight out of the pages of vintage comic books. Every part of the story blends well together, beauty in the obscure and offbeat, topped with a dusting of cinnamon.
Cleanly edited, perfectly written characters and more made this an instant favorite. I'm hoping for sequels, and soon! An example of the writing:
"Heading for the door, I weave my way through a dude pitching a screenplay and a stay-at-home mom bitching about no “me time,” even though she’s clearly here without her children. Or they’re off terrorizing the other patrons—a distinct possibility, seeing as LA fuels itself on broken dreams and hypocrisy. The dirty glass door screeches, letting a blast of gritty, gasoline-scented wind in as I push it open with my hip. It never closes behind me. I’m surprised when an arm reaches out to hold it open. I don’t even need to look to know that it’s Herbal Tea Guy. Usually the Muggles aren’t this tenacious. Time to level up my game."
November 1, 2018
This is such a wonderful book! I'm so happy that I read it. MG is a wonderful amateur sleuth and such a modern, realistic character despite being at the center of a crazy fun mystery with lots of cool twists and turns set in the a vibrant world. She and Matteo had wonderful chemistry and I found him super believable as a legitimate detective (with fabulous house that I want) who still had a crush on the "consultant" he met getting tea. However, MG just really sparkled as a protagonist.
While I adored her zany plans and friends and kick-ass-ness, I also really enjoyed the realism in her world and in her as a full character. The way she grew and changed in her relationships, especially with her coworkers was really wonderful. Her troubles at work were so REAL and I felt her emotions so strong. But, I also adored that even though there was a ton of unfairness towards her at her job, she also made her own mistakes, not only at work, but with her friends, with Matteo and on the case. She had a nice arc balanced with the really exciting plot that kept me guessing. Like, what more could you want? I would totally recommend this book to anyone!
While I adored her zany plans and friends and kick-ass-ness, I also really enjoyed the realism in her world and in her as a full character. The way she grew and changed in her relationships, especially with her coworkers was really wonderful. Her troubles at work were so REAL and I felt her emotions so strong. But, I also adored that even though there was a ton of unfairness towards her at her job, she also made her own mistakes, not only at work, but with her friends, with Matteo and on the case. She had a nice arc balanced with the really exciting plot that kept me guessing. Like, what more could you want? I would totally recommend this book to anyone!
December 6, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and 47North for this arc.
Oh was this one fun! Hard to believe it's Ms. Molin's debut!
I found this to be a well written, entertaining and fast paced mystery with a charming romance thrown in. I really liked the geekiness (surprised me, too). The characters were great, some "over-the-top", but all felt genuine to me. Well developed and coherent mystery with a little romance added in (but it didn't overwhelm the mystery story). I see where there's at least one more book to this series and I will definitely keep an eye out for it (yes, I'm following author... call me a professional "stalker").
Oh was this one fun! Hard to believe it's Ms. Molin's debut!
I found this to be a well written, entertaining and fast paced mystery with a charming romance thrown in. I really liked the geekiness (surprised me, too). The characters were great, some "over-the-top", but all felt genuine to me. Well developed and coherent mystery with a little romance added in (but it didn't overwhelm the mystery story). I see where there's at least one more book to this series and I will definitely keep an eye out for it (yes, I'm following author... call me a professional "stalker").
November 15, 2018
Honestly, I can see why Amazon gave this away for free. I'd return this in a heartbeat if I had actually spent money on it. I'm DNF-ing at 34%. The main character is really really annoying. She's basically a mansplaining gatekeeper nerd dude in a woman's body. The random geek references are often just tossed in, in such a way that they feel like forced mentions for geek cred instead of actual jokes. I just can't anymore. It's so bad.
November 2, 2018
This book was EXCELLENT. Highly, highly recommended. Graphic novel/costume designer geek girl meets cute cop and they partner up into wicked crime solving duo. Also shows geek girl growing up a little and working out what she *really* wants from life. Plus so many geek/nerd references to squee over. I can’t wait to read the next one.
October 30, 2018
This book was SO. MUCH. FUN! I could picture it being a hit show on the CW, which I mean as a total compliment given that CW shows have historically been some of my favorites. Not only is it mired in geek culture, but it’s also got a compelling mystery that keeps the pages basically turning themselves! I particularly loved how the book explored gender dynamics in the world of comics, and I adored MG as a narrator. This book, which is the first in a series, had a satisfying ending while still leaving a lot of room for more stories to come. I can’t wait to read book #2!
November 19, 2020
A fun, fast-paced mystery read with an engaging lead character told with wit and humor. However, at times, the author did go a little overboard with all the geek culture references almost to the point of cliché. That said, this reader liked it enough to pick up the sequel. Cheers.
August 8, 2021
An enjoyable read. It has all the elements that I want in a book. A kick-ass main character who is female. Comic books. Mystery. Mayham. Sarcasm. A dog named Trogdor. But something didn't work for me. The story was good, the mystery was great, the characters were interesting, the sarcasm and wit was awesome, but I found the writing difficult to get into. The book was well-written and the pacing was pretty good, but I just found it an effort to read.
That said, I'm looking forward to reading the second one, as, like I said, I loved the characters and the general premise. 3.5 to 4 stars because just because it didn't *suit* me doesn't mean that it isn't deserving of 4 stars.
That said, I'm looking forward to reading the second one, as, like I said, I loved the characters and the general premise. 3.5 to 4 stars because just because it didn't *suit* me doesn't mean that it isn't deserving of 4 stars.
November 4, 2018
This book was in the November 2018 Kindle First selection from Amazon. (I find subscribing to that is a nice way to find new authors.) I sort of laughed when I saw it tagged as "geek fiction". I'm not a geek myself but I have a lot of geek friends, including one who wrote a PhD about Superman so I worried I might miss a few inside jokes but the blurb was interesting enough for me to try it for 99p.
This book is DEFINITELY worth the full price. I have already pre-ordered the 2nd one in the series even though it doesn't even have a cover design yet. There may be more inside jokes and stuff in there for the truly geeky but I never felt lost or out of my depth. The story is a mystery with a strong romance subplot which is ideal for me. The mystery is well paced, and the romance does not require setting aside all your feminist sensibilities.
I really like stories with good characters and relationships. The main character is a strong woman working in a male-dominated field and dealing with all the BS that comes with that. Her character is interesting and well developed. The relationships with her friends are well drawn and add depth to the story. The use of contrasts between different types of characters is really well done.
Highly recommend. It's a fun read.
This book is DEFINITELY worth the full price. I have already pre-ordered the 2nd one in the series even though it doesn't even have a cover design yet. There may be more inside jokes and stuff in there for the truly geeky but I never felt lost or out of my depth. The story is a mystery with a strong romance subplot which is ideal for me. The mystery is well paced, and the romance does not require setting aside all your feminist sensibilities.
I really like stories with good characters and relationships. The main character is a strong woman working in a male-dominated field and dealing with all the BS that comes with that. Her character is interesting and well developed. The relationships with her friends are well drawn and add depth to the story. The use of contrasts between different types of characters is really well done.
Highly recommend. It's a fun read.
November 3, 2018
Geekdom meets mystery solving
Fantastic book. Really hard to believe this is a debut book. I didn't want to put it down. Loved the characters and story.
Fantastic book. Really hard to believe this is a debut book. I didn't want to put it down. Loved the characters and story.
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