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When it comes to finding dirt, Evan Reed is the best in the business. She’s a “dust-buster”―a paid operative hired by political campaigns to vet candidates for national office. She’s also a foul-mouthed and cranky ex-Catholic―attempting to raise a 14-year-old daughter on her own. When she is hired to investigate the background of a squeaky-clean and charismatic junior senator who might just be the next president―the last thing she expects to uncover is a murder. Evan’s life is further complicated when she meets the senator’s reclusive wife―who seems to be hiding a few secrets of her own. Bywater Books First May 2018 Dust was originally published in 2011 by Nuance Books, a division of Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company, Fairfield, California
264 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2011
44 people are currently reading
492 people want to read
About the author
Ann McMan
34 books571 followersCollege at an indifferent liberal arts institution taught Ann McMan that understanding subject/verb agreement was not enough to secure her fame and fortune. After graduation, she got a job driving a young adult bookmobile—and spent her days piloting the great rig across the dusty back roads of rural North Carolina. Her duties included making certain that the mobile library always contained at least six copies of "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret", visiting the county detention unit (it was a great way to catch up with her brothers), and showing public service films about safe sex to pre-teens at 4-H Clubs all across her part of “The New South.”
Soon, the allure of higher education coaxed Ann back to school. For the past three decades, Ann has worked at a succession of premier institutions, designing marketing and advancement materials that promote, promulgate, and extol the benefits of indifferent liberal arts education.
Somebody has to do it.
All this time, she continued to write. And when, at the ripe old age of thirty, she realized that she was not like other girls, the great world of lesbian literature opened its arms, and provided her with a safe haven in which to grow and learn about her new identity. She will forever be indebted to those literary pioneers who had the courage, the talent, and the temerity to gift us all with an art form of our own. Ann’s first and subsequent attempts at writing lesbian fiction have been heartfelt attempts to pay that great gift forward.
Ann McMan is the author of three novels, JERICHO, DUST, and AFTERMATH–and the story collection SIDECAR.
In 2011, Ann, along with her novels JERICHO and DUST and her short story “I Saw Xena Kissing Senticles” were elected to The Royal Academy of Bards Hall of Fame. In 2012, she was awarded the Alice B. Lavender Certificate.
BACKCAST, further adventures of the CLIT-Con 13 (that zany cast of authors from SIDECAR’s “Bottle Rocket”) will be released in 2013.
Soon, the allure of higher education coaxed Ann back to school. For the past three decades, Ann has worked at a succession of premier institutions, designing marketing and advancement materials that promote, promulgate, and extol the benefits of indifferent liberal arts education.
Somebody has to do it.
All this time, she continued to write. And when, at the ripe old age of thirty, she realized that she was not like other girls, the great world of lesbian literature opened its arms, and provided her with a safe haven in which to grow and learn about her new identity. She will forever be indebted to those literary pioneers who had the courage, the talent, and the temerity to gift us all with an art form of our own. Ann’s first and subsequent attempts at writing lesbian fiction have been heartfelt attempts to pay that great gift forward.
Ann McMan is the author of three novels, JERICHO, DUST, and AFTERMATH–and the story collection SIDECAR.
In 2011, Ann, along with her novels JERICHO and DUST and her short story “I Saw Xena Kissing Senticles” were elected to The Royal Academy of Bards Hall of Fame. In 2012, she was awarded the Alice B. Lavender Certificate.
BACKCAST, further adventures of the CLIT-Con 13 (that zany cast of authors from SIDECAR’s “Bottle Rocket”) will be released in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 7, 2020
How does Ann McMan write such powerful conversations. Seriously, her characters could be discussing their grocery list and she would somehow make it engrossing. Evan and Julia had the most riveting and deep conversations. I could listen to their back and forth all day. This book like my previous read of her, is inta-love which I always tend to avoid except when it's an Ann McMan apparently. The insta-love was believable. It took me barely a second to fall in love with them especially with Julia. Can't fault them for the same thing. There was a lot of politics, mystery and a bit of a family stuff which I didn't enjoy as much. But the captivating conversations and the sizzling chemistry between Evan and Julia was enough to keep me interested.
August 12, 2016
3 1/2 Stars. Too be honest I had some ups and downs with this book. It's a political book, which I don't mind, however it turned into a mystery, which I love. The ups and downs came from the execution of the mystery. The book started off good, but really took off when the mystery started. The ending however, was convoluted and confusing. It changed this book from 4-4 1/2 stars to 3 1/2. Unfortunately, certain things were never really answered and other things never made sense. And don't get me started on the Epilogue. It was with people you could care less about, made no sense, and made me feel mildly sick, thinking this gross guy was going to try to force himself on a woman who hated him. Yay! Great ending. Let's just ignore what the reader really wanted to know about, Evan and Julia.
Evan and Julia were both very likeable mains. They were quite different, but the attraction was there and so was the chemistry. I do wish McMan didn't skip over all the sex scenes. When you have two such likeable characters, who have believable chemistry, the intimate scenes would of added to the romance.
While this book did have a few bumps, it was definitely enjoyable enough to recommend to mystery fans. I liked the way McMan developed her main characters. So I'm looking forward to finally reading Jericho. I feel like I'm one of the last LesFic fans to read it:)
Evan and Julia were both very likeable mains. They were quite different, but the attraction was there and so was the chemistry. I do wish McMan didn't skip over all the sex scenes. When you have two such likeable characters, who have believable chemistry, the intimate scenes would of added to the romance.
While this book did have a few bumps, it was definitely enjoyable enough to recommend to mystery fans. I liked the way McMan developed her main characters. So I'm looking forward to finally reading Jericho. I feel like I'm one of the last LesFic fans to read it:)
September 25, 2020
3.75* I didn't know what to expect from this book, but picked it up because I want to read its sequel, Galileo. But, it's by Ann McMan and I have enjoyed all her books that I've read before. This has a complex plot involving many moving parts. Evan Reed vets political candidates and digs out their buried dirt. She was hired to look into Senator who is a potential presidential candidate. Ended up falling in love with the Senator's estranged wife. I like Evan as a character. She's scrappy and a fighter. I enjoy the development of Evan's romantic relationship with Julia too. When they were together, those were my favourite parts of the book. Now, I want to read Galileo and see what other mess Evan can find herself into.
November 4, 2019
With Galileo being released in a few days, I had to start at the beginning.
Evan Reed is a “dust-buster”, she helps political parties vet their potential candidates, i.e. find out all there is to know about them. She’s very good at her job and doesn’t care who she pisses off in the process. In truth, Evan doesn’t give a rat’s ass about much but her daughter, until she meets Julia. Julia Donne is married to Andy Townsend, the politician Evan is investigating. It doesn’t take long for her to find out that the marriage exists mostly on paper. Julia captivates Evan immediately, which I totally get. I fell in love with her at first sight too (I know, it’s a book, I didn’t see her, but you know what I mean).
There’s a lot more to this book than romance, nevertheless, even if the romance is excellent. My only regret on that front is that the love scenes are fade to black, which feels like a lost opportunity when there’s so much chemistry between the characters.
I really enjoyed Evan’s investigation into Andy and the mysterious Mata Hari-type Maya Jindal. The mystery / political thriller is intricate and so layered I kinda got lost at some point but I didn’t mind. I love that feeling of being carried away by the story. When it all seems unstoppable, both the story and the reading.
I didn’t care much for the ending however, and the epilogue is a bit WTF, yet as much as I wish it had been better, it didn’t ruin anything for me. I’ll probably forget all about it and only remember the characters anyway because that’s how my mind works.
So, the characters. Evan is an incredibly complex and endearing character. She’s foul-mouthed, smart and sweet. She’s a former Catholic, with a very ambivalent relationship with religion and a priest for a best friend. She has always known she was gay yet had a drunken experimenting one-night stand with a man, resulting in the birth of her daughter. When the story begins, Evan is trying to come to terms with the idea of fourteen-year old Stevie being away at prep school. Stevie’s father, Dan, is the one who gets Evan involved with Andy Townsend. I’m looking forward to seeing how that relationship – Evan / Stevie / Dan – evolves. Then there’s Julia, who has lived her life following the path her very wealthy and not-so-nurturing parents decided on, both in her professional life (she inherited the publishing business her family gets its wealth from) and in her personal life. When she meets Evan, she’s at the right time in her life to finally take control of her own life. She’s a lot more certain of what she wants than Evan seems to believe. And as I wrote above, the chemistry between the two women is fantastic.
I’m not sure what to think about the villains, Marcus Goldman (Dan’s boss) and Maya Jindal. He’s awfully slimy but she’s more complex. So much so that I can’t get a handle on her. Reading Galileo next might help with that…
Last but not least, the writing is excellent. Hey, it’s Ann McMan, so no surprise there.
Evan Reed is a “dust-buster”, she helps political parties vet their potential candidates, i.e. find out all there is to know about them. She’s very good at her job and doesn’t care who she pisses off in the process. In truth, Evan doesn’t give a rat’s ass about much but her daughter, until she meets Julia. Julia Donne is married to Andy Townsend, the politician Evan is investigating. It doesn’t take long for her to find out that the marriage exists mostly on paper. Julia captivates Evan immediately, which I totally get. I fell in love with her at first sight too (I know, it’s a book, I didn’t see her, but you know what I mean).
There’s a lot more to this book than romance, nevertheless, even if the romance is excellent. My only regret on that front is that the love scenes are fade to black, which feels like a lost opportunity when there’s so much chemistry between the characters.
I really enjoyed Evan’s investigation into Andy and the mysterious Mata Hari-type Maya Jindal. The mystery / political thriller is intricate and so layered I kinda got lost at some point but I didn’t mind. I love that feeling of being carried away by the story. When it all seems unstoppable, both the story and the reading.
I didn’t care much for the ending however, and the epilogue is a bit WTF, yet as much as I wish it had been better, it didn’t ruin anything for me. I’ll probably forget all about it and only remember the characters anyway because that’s how my mind works.
So, the characters. Evan is an incredibly complex and endearing character. She’s foul-mouthed, smart and sweet. She’s a former Catholic, with a very ambivalent relationship with religion and a priest for a best friend. She has always known she was gay yet had a drunken experimenting one-night stand with a man, resulting in the birth of her daughter. When the story begins, Evan is trying to come to terms with the idea of fourteen-year old Stevie being away at prep school. Stevie’s father, Dan, is the one who gets Evan involved with Andy Townsend. I’m looking forward to seeing how that relationship – Evan / Stevie / Dan – evolves. Then there’s Julia, who has lived her life following the path her very wealthy and not-so-nurturing parents decided on, both in her professional life (she inherited the publishing business her family gets its wealth from) and in her personal life. When she meets Evan, she’s at the right time in her life to finally take control of her own life. She’s a lot more certain of what she wants than Evan seems to believe. And as I wrote above, the chemistry between the two women is fantastic.
I’m not sure what to think about the villains, Marcus Goldman (Dan’s boss) and Maya Jindal. He’s awfully slimy but she’s more complex. So much so that I can’t get a handle on her. Reading Galileo next might help with that…
Last but not least, the writing is excellent. Hey, it’s Ann McMan, so no surprise there.
June 14, 2022
Evan Reed is famous (and perhaps infamous) in Washington, D.C. because she is what's known as a "Dustbuster." That is, she performs in-depth background checks on political candidates to ensure there are no skeletons in closets a good PR team can't shake. And her latest job has her vetting a rising political star, current US senator and former Delaware governor, Andy Townsend, who has his sites set on the presidency. As she delves into Andy's present and past a couple complexities develop: she begins to fall in love with his estranged wife and she's fairly certain the senator is entangled in a murder. Needless to say, things get very complicated very quickly.
I didn't know anything about Dust when I delved in except that I like the way Ann McMan writes. And while I enjoy a good mystery and political thriller every now and then, it's not my go-to genre of choice. And I was pleasantly surprised with what I found in terms of angst and suspense, which is exactly what I was hoping for. And, well, Ann McMan just knows how to write.
The romance was a little weird. Not because the characters didn't have chemistry because they absolutely did, but there were feelings very quickly and none of that was earned. And while I never mind fade-to-black for sex scenes, I think McMan misses the whole "fade" process of the fade-to-black technique, so there was just something missing from their intimate moments, mainly intimacy. LOL.
There is an epilogue to this novel, but it seems to serve the purpose of setting up another novel (and this is another novel in the series after this), so be warned that if you're looking for closure or cute moments between the protagonists, you're not going to find it here. But, hey, there's another novel, so hopefully those moments come there.
One major red flag for me--as in really super angering--was this line early on the novel. And I really don't know what McMan was thinking when she wrote this:
I didn't know anything about Dust when I delved in except that I like the way Ann McMan writes. And while I enjoy a good mystery and political thriller every now and then, it's not my go-to genre of choice. And I was pleasantly surprised with what I found in terms of angst and suspense, which is exactly what I was hoping for. And, well, Ann McMan just knows how to write.
The romance was a little weird. Not because the characters didn't have chemistry because they absolutely did, but there were feelings very quickly and none of that was earned. And while I never mind fade-to-black for sex scenes, I think McMan misses the whole "fade" process of the fade-to-black technique, so there was just something missing from their intimate moments, mainly intimacy. LOL.
There is an epilogue to this novel, but it seems to serve the purpose of setting up another novel (and this is another novel in the series after this), so be warned that if you're looking for closure or cute moments between the protagonists, you're not going to find it here. But, hey, there's another novel, so hopefully those moments come there.
One major red flag for me--as in really super angering--was this line early on the novel. And I really don't know what McMan was thinking when she wrote this:
She met his eyes. They were almost teal in color. She thought about Julia. God. Did all genetically perfect human beings have blue eyes?This has white supremacy undertones and really pissed me off. It's a throwaway line in the novel and has no other impact on the story, but this is unacceptable.
June 24, 2018
I loved Evan. As a former Catholic myself from a large Catholic family, I appreciated a lot of her perspective and her worldview, especially the idea that you can’t always kick away those ingrained beliefs, no matter how long it’s been since you walked away. Evan’s mind is as brilliant as her mouth is filthy and that’s a combination that worked very well towards making her someone I’d want to have a drink with. I also appreciated that she’s a mom and getting to see that side of her because it allows more tenderness to come out than we may have seen otherwise.
Full joint review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/dust...
Full joint review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/dust...
May 11, 2018
Great read
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Ann’s books. Highly entertaining and a compelling read. Kept turning the pages because I couldn’t fathom how the mess these lovers found themselves in could possibly end in something besides disaster.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Ann’s books. Highly entertaining and a compelling read. Kept turning the pages because I couldn’t fathom how the mess these lovers found themselves in could possibly end in something besides disaster.
January 23, 2020
Enjoyed the read for the second time. Has a bit of politics, mystery and romance... a great combination!
August 5, 2012
I struggled with this book but it wasn't a bad book. I can't give it a negative review just because it wasn't my cup of tea, and obviously many others liked it, so i'll just give it an OK.
Basically, this was a political mystery thriller, delving into the life of those engrossed in dirty politics. It was very detailed and i'm sure, interesting, if you are into that sort of theme. It was obvious the author did a lot of research for this book. And she is clearly a skilled writer. Since i didn't find the political plot interesting, it was a slow read for me trying to study all the details in case i needed them later in the book.
The romance angle definitely took a far back seat. which is fine, if you are expecting it. So expect minimal romance and zero passion. another reviewer mentioned the 'fade to black' scenes. which is exactly how i'd put it. "...then she leaned in for a kiss." then immediate chapter break showing them next waking up. there is no lingering over any details or descriptions, and minus the violence and language, is probably safe for children of all ages. No, not all lesfic books have to be sexually graphic, but this lacked any passion at all in my opinion. i could almost picture them puckering up and kissing prudishly with fish-lips.
I was a bit surprised that this is from the same author that wrote Jerico, which i LOVED. (which is actually a compliment that the author is so versatile.) Jerico had a lot more character build up and passion and romance. so if that's your cup of tea, definitely read that one. I did like the characters in this book, none-the-less, i just felt like were weren't getting to see all their angles, and their emotions were white-washed a bit.
Basically, this was a political mystery thriller, delving into the life of those engrossed in dirty politics. It was very detailed and i'm sure, interesting, if you are into that sort of theme. It was obvious the author did a lot of research for this book. And she is clearly a skilled writer. Since i didn't find the political plot interesting, it was a slow read for me trying to study all the details in case i needed them later in the book.
The romance angle definitely took a far back seat. which is fine, if you are expecting it. So expect minimal romance and zero passion. another reviewer mentioned the 'fade to black' scenes. which is exactly how i'd put it. "...then she leaned in for a kiss." then immediate chapter break showing them next waking up. there is no lingering over any details or descriptions, and minus the violence and language, is probably safe for children of all ages. No, not all lesfic books have to be sexually graphic, but this lacked any passion at all in my opinion. i could almost picture them puckering up and kissing prudishly with fish-lips.
I was a bit surprised that this is from the same author that wrote Jerico, which i LOVED. (which is actually a compliment that the author is so versatile.) Jerico had a lot more character build up and passion and romance. so if that's your cup of tea, definitely read that one. I did like the characters in this book, none-the-less, i just felt like were weren't getting to see all their angles, and their emotions were white-washed a bit.
November 13, 2019
This book was right up my ally, a mystery with intrigue, suspense with a good dose of romance and also on the plus side there was no creepy gratuitous violence.
There is a lot to love about the MC Evan Reed, witty, ballsy and clearly knows her stuff. I look forward to reading more in this series.
There is a lot to love about the MC Evan Reed, witty, ballsy and clearly knows her stuff. I look forward to reading more in this series.
February 4, 2021
Evan looks for dirt for the living. She is a sarcastic and cynical single parent, and she is having some ethical issues with the current job. She is vetting the party’s brightest and shiniest, which of course, proves to be not so clean. Not a spoiler, really. In the screening process, she meets his estranged soon-to-be ex-wife, and they fell crazy in love after 5 meetings (or less). Ugh.
Honestly, this got on my reading list because I heard good things about the sequel.
I don't know what to think about this book. It was a page-turner, but there are so many holes in this story.
The characters are strong, but the story is fast-paced and the events were quite abstract, on the verge of personal drama, political thriller and mild action. The mystery was superficial, but I think has made a strong buildup for a sequel.
3 for a storyline, 4 characters, 5 for writing style.
Honestly, this got on my reading list because I heard good things about the sequel.
I don't know what to think about this book. It was a page-turner, but there are so many holes in this story.
The characters are strong, but the story is fast-paced and the events were quite abstract, on the verge of personal drama, political thriller and mild action. The mystery was superficial, but I think has made a strong buildup for a sequel.
3 for a storyline, 4 characters, 5 for writing style.
August 19, 2019
Too many genes fighting for a hold - political intrigue, romance, thriller, murder mystery - none came out on top and there was no-one could say was "moral" or a justified heroine or hero. So, unsatisfying and, honestly, too diverse. Sorry.
November 23, 2014
I liked this book the start and middle. The ending was awful! I'm still unsure how it turned out. Also it was very vanilla could have used some more loving..
August 11, 2020
I shouldn't have tried the audiobook first.
I didn't like the voices the narrator made for Jericho but I hope that if I didn't know the book, I would enjoy the narrator interpretation more... well... (unsustainable tension) nope, that was a mistake.
The book is probably great. The slow pace, quirky dialogs and characters, are there.
But I couldn't believe the attraction between the two main at all and the sexy throaty voices felt so wrong.
The mystery was an obvious if way-too-circonvoluted mess that was kinda of disappointing, despite the interesting political background.
There was too many questions about the characters, where they come from and how they get to that point that were not answered and left me wanting. I'm going to read next one hoping I will get those answers and ban the audiobook from my mind.
PS : I hope I will enjoy a reread some month in the future, were I will like those characters more. (I so wanted to!)
PS2 :
I didn't like the voices the narrator made for Jericho but I hope that if I didn't know the book, I would enjoy the narrator interpretation more... well... (unsustainable tension) nope, that was a mistake.
The book is probably great. The slow pace, quirky dialogs and characters, are there.
But I couldn't believe the attraction between the two main at all and the sexy throaty voices felt so wrong.
The mystery was an obvious if way-too-circonvoluted mess that was kinda of disappointing, despite the interesting political background.
There was too many questions about the characters, where they come from and how they get to that point that were not answered and left me wanting. I'm going to read next one hoping I will get those answers and ban the audiobook from my mind.
PS : I hope I will enjoy a reread some month in the future, were I will like those characters more. (I so wanted to!)
PS2 :
November 28, 2018
Enjoyed this very much, though it's not exactly a solid 5 stars...
I've come to really enjoy Ann McMan's books, and perhaps almost as much, the audible narrator who reads them. There is something really attractive and compelling about her characters for me. They always feel real, facing those real life uncertainties, the ones that might get in the way of your hopes and dreams no matter how hard you try.
This story takes a bit of a u-turn a third of the way in and the more conventional story is replaced by a thriller storyline. It’s a little unexpected but worth bearing with, I think. A bit like Hoosier Daddy by the same author, the storyline brings them together, and might keep them apart, and it must work itself before anything can be resolved.
Most importantly for me though this is a real romance. It's very romantic. The characters speak in short sentences, and unfinished thoughts, for fear of hoping too hard. They make grand gestures and choices they shouldn't cause they simply must. I really enjoyed listening to this.
I've come to really enjoy Ann McMan's books, and perhaps almost as much, the audible narrator who reads them. There is something really attractive and compelling about her characters for me. They always feel real, facing those real life uncertainties, the ones that might get in the way of your hopes and dreams no matter how hard you try.
This story takes a bit of a u-turn a third of the way in and the more conventional story is replaced by a thriller storyline. It’s a little unexpected but worth bearing with, I think. A bit like Hoosier Daddy by the same author, the storyline brings them together, and might keep them apart, and it must work itself before anything can be resolved.
Most importantly for me though this is a real romance. It's very romantic. The characters speak in short sentences, and unfinished thoughts, for fear of hoping too hard. They make grand gestures and choices they shouldn't cause they simply must. I really enjoyed listening to this.
July 21, 2023
I'm not found of political books, but once I got past the first hour of information the book was very good. I do love a good mystery and this one hit the mark.
September 25, 2021
I don’t read a ton of mystery, mostly because the general question of whodunnit is one that rarely interests me. This one, however, I really liked — mostly because I liked the protagonist (Evan Reed is a hoot; I want to have drinks with her — but since that’s not possible, I’ll settle for drinks with the very funny Ann McMan sometime). And, alongside the mystery is a big development in Evan’s personal life, one that could bring either happiness or heartbreak, depending on how it all shakes out. AND, “who done it” is intricately tied to THAT question, which is much more interesting to me as a reader.
For fans of mystery, the primary plotline will not disappoint — complex enough to be intriguing but never confusing, and enough characters who COULD have done it to keep you guessing right up to the very end.
For fans of mystery, the primary plotline will not disappoint — complex enough to be intriguing but never confusing, and enough characters who COULD have done it to keep you guessing right up to the very end.
February 6, 2021
This turns out to be a mystery/political thriller with some romance/relationship at its core. Evan is a political operative used to investigate candidates who meets up with the reclusive wife of a US Senator and sparks fly. Most of the book centers itself on the background she is asked to uncover regarding a potential Presidential run. It turns into a mystery/thriller that made me want to keep reading. It felt like the MC's had great chemistry but the fade to clack scenes tempered my enjoyment a bit. Still, I am anxious to see how Julia and Evan forge ahead together in the second book. I really like Ann McMan's writing and have enjoyed most of her books. This one is no exception. Nice addition to the genre other than straight up romance.
Read
January 18, 2020Fabulous story made even more fabulous by an even better sequel: Galileo. Even Reed is a terrific, vibrant, realistic, intriguing woman, with a dry sense of humor, and integrity that doesn't get in the way of her sense of seeing justice served. The pacing was breath-taking. The plot original and dynamic. Truly I loved everything about it. I loved that Evan is a political operative and the go to person in her field, so good that she can pick where to work and who to work for. Smart is sexy and she is brilliant. There is a great convoluted part and I was very sorry to see this story end. I can totally see this as a Netflix miniseries (I hope).
November 16, 2020
It's a mystery! It's a romance! It's a lesbian mystery-romance.
This was just the book I needed to help get me through the almost-final push of a difficult semester. It's not perfect, but it drew me in and kept me distracted. The characters are good. The romance is a little fast (although there is no UHaul).
I didn't want to put it down and was unhappy when I had to get back to work and leave my reading for another time.
This was just the book I needed to help get me through the almost-final push of a difficult semester. It's not perfect, but it drew me in and kept me distracted. The characters are good. The romance is a little fast (although there is no UHaul).
I didn't want to put it down and was unhappy when I had to get back to work and leave my reading for another time.
January 6, 2023
Good writing, solid characters, interesting mystery, sweet romance. By this point, I can say that this was exactly what I was expecting from Ann McMan; not that the book is predictable, no, but that the quality of the book is predictable since all of her books that I've read have been of high quality with this one being no exception. I've already bought "Galileo" and I'll read it sometime in the future when my TBR pile isn't literally taller than me😂.
August 13, 2020
A good read
A great read, I’m going to start the next one in this two book series tonight. Appropriate to the current times (Aug, 2020), a bid for the US Presidency leads the characters to sleazy politics and murder. Read the blurb. Story contains a love interest, sex is inferred. The usual Ann McMan quality.
A great read, I’m going to start the next one in this two book series tonight. Appropriate to the current times (Aug, 2020), a bid for the US Presidency leads the characters to sleazy politics and murder. Read the blurb. Story contains a love interest, sex is inferred. The usual Ann McMan quality.
September 15, 2020
I forget where i came across the review of this book, but I'm glad i found it. So many mysteries and thrillers have sexist and mysoginistic main characters, and this was a relief. It has a very romantic lesbian romance, and the political thriller aspect of the story is jaw-dropping. Great entertainment reading that didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth.
March 4, 2022
3.5/5 stars
Not amazing, but a really fun read. The mystery itself wasn't too complicated, but honestly, I didn't need it to be in order to enjoy the true core of the story, and that was the adorable lesbian love story. I only wish there had been a bit more POC or disabled or trans representation on the page, as I've seen it done in other stories seamlessly and it added to the plot. A good time.
Not amazing, but a really fun read. The mystery itself wasn't too complicated, but honestly, I didn't need it to be in order to enjoy the true core of the story, and that was the adorable lesbian love story. I only wish there had been a bit more POC or disabled or trans representation on the page, as I've seen it done in other stories seamlessly and it added to the plot. A good time.
June 4, 2017
Full of surprises
I have several others books by this author. They were lighthearted affairs. I liked the grit and suspense of this tale. I wonder if Evan Reed will show up in another book?
I have several others books by this author. They were lighthearted affairs. I liked the grit and suspense of this tale. I wonder if Evan Reed will show up in another book?
May 26, 2019
Politics, love, and intrigue
A great book with fabulous characters that leads to a journal with many twists and turns. Julia is good for Evan. Stevie will give her mom a run for her money in a few years. I can't wait to read the next book.
A great book with fabulous characters that leads to a journal with many twists and turns. Julia is good for Evan. Stevie will give her mom a run for her money in a few years. I can't wait to read the next book.
April 24, 2023
Interesting Twists
McMan captures the sleazy underbelly of high profile politics in this well-written thriller romance. Characters are so clearly defined that one knows them. Looking forward to Book 2 of the series.
McMan captures the sleazy underbelly of high profile politics in this well-written thriller romance. Characters are so clearly defined that one knows them. Looking forward to Book 2 of the series.
May 5, 2024
I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. With its powerful main characters, it had the potential to be a 5-star read. Unfortunately, I felt the author rushed their development, leaving me wanting more depth and complexity. Despite this, I hope the next book will do them justice.
April 25, 2018
Fun read
This was a twisting story with a lot of different plot lines. I really thought it was well written and I loved the characters.
This was a twisting story with a lot of different plot lines. I really thought it was well written and I loved the characters.
June 11, 2018
Good story.
Quite a murderous/political caper... with a bit of romance to round out the plot threads.
Quite a murderous/political caper... with a bit of romance to round out the plot threads.
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