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Inside the Masque
In the future, your masque is your world
Data. Comms. Wallet. ID. The masque is all this and more, and everyone wears one. But masques can lie.
When a powerful figure in the masque business shows up dead, it’s down to Chief Inspector McNair to track down the killer.
Uncovering the secrets and lies that lurk inside every beautiful masque, McNair will stop at nothing until he finds the truth—no matter how ugly it turns out to be.
Data. Comms. Wallet. ID. The masque is all this and more, and everyone wears one. But masques can lie.
When a powerful figure in the masque business shows up dead, it’s down to Chief Inspector McNair to track down the killer.
Uncovering the secrets and lies that lurk inside every beautiful masque, McNair will stop at nothing until he finds the truth—no matter how ugly it turns out to be.
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2019
7 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 17, 2019
F | This book deserves zero stars. If I could just give it a zero in every review site I can, I honestly would just to warn people to not waste their time on this terrible novel that masquerades itself as a crime/mystery novel. It was bad from start to finish and I can't believe I actually wasted my time on this.
It takes a lot for a book to piss me off. It takes a lot for me to actually despise it. Even though I tend to rant on about the honest to Jesus horrible Sisi books by Allison Pataki, it had its charming moments in the first novel. If I hadn't read two biographies about Sisi by the time I read the book, it might not have pissed me off because I wouldn't have had the body of knowledge to know just how much Allison Pataki was disrespecting Sisi.
This book? Nah yo. This has officially claimed the title of my “Most Disliked Book”.
I don't even know where to begin because there is just so much I need to discuss. I guess the easy part?
The worldbuilding was nonexistent. I couldn't understand this world aside from people wear “masques” (Lord even the spelling makes my eyes roll - like no it doesn't make things cooler) to hide their imperfections and things like that and that there's this hierarchy where legacies can pretty much do whatever the fuck they want and if you're an under well god forbid you're an under.
I didn't understand how these masques worked and because I didn't understand how they worked, I was quite honestly imagining them to look like robotic faces. Or something from Doctor Who.
Another thing is I don't get what universe this is set in. Is it another planet? Earth in the future? What? How about the name of the city? The country? How does this world work? None of this was established! How are is anyone supposed to immerse themselves in a universe that we can't even understand? It makes me question if the author understands it. Hell, I even got up to a point in the book when I wondered if these characters were human!
One thing I did understand in this universe is that people fall in love fast and have sex a lot. Now, I don't mind sex in books, regardless of whether or not they're classified as romance novels or not and it is in the trigger warnings that there’s sex. However, what sort of “crime/mystery” novel spends more time on characters having sex and lusting after each other than on actually solving the crime?
In the 100 chapters of this novel, I think about 75 of them had sex scenes or mentioned sex. This would be cool and all but where is the mystery? Where is the solving crime aspect of this book? It certainly didn't help that POVs changed every chapter and each chapter was short so whatever sliver of mystery/crime solving we got was too short.
But Lord, these characters are just so vapid, shallow, dumb and self-centered that every POV change felt refreshing until I remembered this character is just as bad as the previous one. The only character I enjoyed was Saam but even she got cringe worthy when she got together with Severy. If they all died in some fiery explosion at the end or because their fancy B&V masques electrocuted them, I wouldn’t care. I’d just laugh it off because that would have been a far more satisfying ending than the one we actually got.
So the main arc of this story is solving the murder case, right? Yet it didn't feel like it because we spent more time jumping between characters who were too busy contemplating how badly they wanted to have sex with another character and worrying about themselves. These characters had their stories, fine. But the problem is that there was too much going on and that rather than condense it, Lipkin decided that the answer was to add as many sex scenes as possible to distract readers from the fact that her characters are all shallow and dumb, that this plot is a jumbled mess, and that she didn't do any sort of research.
I think that what truly highlighted how bad this book is was the fact that there was no action . We weren't there to witness a lot of the things that we should have been a witness. Everything is told after the fact. I think that if a creative writing professor wanted to show their students an example of “telling and not showing”, this book is filled with examples. This book is also a fantastic example of why it's so important to have external action and dialogue going on more than internal. I'd say about 70-80% of this book is all internal - internal dialogues and recaps of what we should have witnessed ourselves. You can't have a book that's majority internal because that's boring! Where are the other characters? Where's the action? Where are the interrogations?
The only things we got to see were the sex scenes and the occasional meeting between the detectives.
Oh and those detectives? They are so stupid. No I’m not kidding. None of them really had a brain. McNair was too busy pining over his ex-wife. Kruse spent way too much time thinking about corpses but not actually doing a good job with autopsying the body. Wieand and Shey spent way too much time day dreaming about having sex with each other - although to be fair at least Shey also assuming the wrong people were the murderers with no evidence aside from her so called fantastic detective skills telling her she's right and everyone else was wrong.
There is nothing in the text that would prove to me that these people are capable of solving any crime. We never see them do any interrogation. We never see them investigate. Quite frankly, I got the feeling this author never bothered to do research on detective work and on crime.
Take for example when they were discussing their murder victim’s death:
But Kruse! I thought you were the forensic pathologist! Shouldn't you know by now what was the COD? Didn't you do the autopsy? How was this character’s death deemed a murder, then? How is it at this point the detectives have already made assumptions of who killed the victim when you don't know how she died? What did the circ do to her exactly? Did it interrupt the electrical flow of her heart, causing it to stop or beat erratically? Did it do something to her electrolytes? Did it do something to her nerves? Did it cause a seizure? Did it cause her respiratory functions to become impaired? What exactly happened?
Let's go further!
What in actual duck is this?
How do you know she was pushed into the water?
If the circ did something to her (caused her to have a seizure or impaired her respiratory functions for example), then she could have fallen into the water on her own.
So, the circ caused an impairment in her respiratory functions since she apparently “couldn’t breathe”. Okay, so she didn’t drown then.
As per two articles by Szpilman et. al, the World Health Organization defines drowning as “the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid.” The articles also state that “The drowning process begins with respiratory impairment as the person’s airway goes below the surface of the liquid (submersion) or water splashes over the face (immersion)… Any submersion or immersion incident without evidence of respiratory impairment should be considered a water rescue and not a drowning” (Szpilman et. al,).
Dr. Michael Boniface, an emergency medicine physician at Mayo Clinic states, “Drowning occurs when you can’t get oxygen into your lungs because you are in or below water."
Also something to consider: Modell et al. stated that “to ascribe drowning as a cause of death to a body found in water without some evidence of the effect of having aspirated water is risky.”
Just fyi, I found all of this information after about an hour of research and using Google Scholar to find and skim through peer-reviewed, scientific articles.
If the victim couldn’t breathe before she went into the water (pushed or not), then hypoxemia (abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood) and eventually hypoxia (absence of enough oxygen in the tissues to sustain bodily functions) began to occur before she made contact with the water. There are ways to _figure out _what happened and whether or not the victim drowned for sure! There are biochemical tests, macroscopical examinations of external and internal aspects of the body, microscopical examinations!
Chapter 13, the victim was dead. However, it’s not until CHAPTER 41 where the pathologist was like “hey so still not sure what the COD was but I think she drowned?? idk bro it’s impossible to tell.”
But because it's written down, I'm supposed to believe that these are the people who will solve this murder?
Give me a break and don’t make me laugh. None of these detectives would be able to figure anything out. They would need things to be spoon fed to them — oh wait :) That’s pretty much how this mystery was solved — because it was spoon fed to the detectives.
Quite frankly avoid this book. Don’t even think about buying it or borrowing a copy from someone else. Don’t read it! It’s a complete waste of time and I’m going to go drown my sorrows.
Anyway, thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a free copy of the eARC in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
It takes a lot for a book to piss me off. It takes a lot for me to actually despise it. Even though I tend to rant on about the honest to Jesus horrible Sisi books by Allison Pataki, it had its charming moments in the first novel. If I hadn't read two biographies about Sisi by the time I read the book, it might not have pissed me off because I wouldn't have had the body of knowledge to know just how much Allison Pataki was disrespecting Sisi.
This book? Nah yo. This has officially claimed the title of my “Most Disliked Book”.
I don't even know where to begin because there is just so much I need to discuss. I guess the easy part?
The worldbuilding was nonexistent. I couldn't understand this world aside from people wear “masques” (Lord even the spelling makes my eyes roll - like no it doesn't make things cooler) to hide their imperfections and things like that and that there's this hierarchy where legacies can pretty much do whatever the fuck they want and if you're an under well god forbid you're an under.
I didn't understand how these masques worked and because I didn't understand how they worked, I was quite honestly imagining them to look like robotic faces. Or something from Doctor Who.
Another thing is I don't get what universe this is set in. Is it another planet? Earth in the future? What? How about the name of the city? The country? How does this world work? None of this was established! How are is anyone supposed to immerse themselves in a universe that we can't even understand? It makes me question if the author understands it. Hell, I even got up to a point in the book when I wondered if these characters were human!
One thing I did understand in this universe is that people fall in love fast and have sex a lot. Now, I don't mind sex in books, regardless of whether or not they're classified as romance novels or not and it is in the trigger warnings that there’s sex. However, what sort of “crime/mystery” novel spends more time on characters having sex and lusting after each other than on actually solving the crime?
In the 100 chapters of this novel, I think about 75 of them had sex scenes or mentioned sex. This would be cool and all but where is the mystery? Where is the solving crime aspect of this book? It certainly didn't help that POVs changed every chapter and each chapter was short so whatever sliver of mystery/crime solving we got was too short.
But Lord, these characters are just so vapid, shallow, dumb and self-centered that every POV change felt refreshing until I remembered this character is just as bad as the previous one. The only character I enjoyed was Saam but even she got cringe worthy when she got together with Severy. If they all died in some fiery explosion at the end or because their fancy B&V masques electrocuted them, I wouldn’t care. I’d just laugh it off because that would have been a far more satisfying ending than the one we actually got.
So the main arc of this story is solving the murder case, right? Yet it didn't feel like it because we spent more time jumping between characters who were too busy contemplating how badly they wanted to have sex with another character and worrying about themselves. These characters had their stories, fine. But the problem is that there was too much going on and that rather than condense it, Lipkin decided that the answer was to add as many sex scenes as possible to distract readers from the fact that her characters are all shallow and dumb, that this plot is a jumbled mess, and that she didn't do any sort of research.
I think that what truly highlighted how bad this book is was the fact that there was no action . We weren't there to witness a lot of the things that we should have been a witness. Everything is told after the fact. I think that if a creative writing professor wanted to show their students an example of “telling and not showing”, this book is filled with examples. This book is also a fantastic example of why it's so important to have external action and dialogue going on more than internal. I'd say about 70-80% of this book is all internal - internal dialogues and recaps of what we should have witnessed ourselves. You can't have a book that's majority internal because that's boring! Where are the other characters? Where's the action? Where are the interrogations?
The only things we got to see were the sex scenes and the occasional meeting between the detectives.
Oh and those detectives? They are so stupid. No I’m not kidding. None of them really had a brain. McNair was too busy pining over his ex-wife. Kruse spent way too much time thinking about corpses but not actually doing a good job with autopsying the body. Wieand and Shey spent way too much time day dreaming about having sex with each other - although to be fair at least Shey also assuming the wrong people were the murderers with no evidence aside from her so called fantastic detective skills telling her she's right and everyone else was wrong.
There is nothing in the text that would prove to me that these people are capable of solving any crime. We never see them do any interrogation. We never see them investigate. Quite frankly, I got the feeling this author never bothered to do research on detective work and on crime.
Take for example when they were discussing their murder victim’s death:
“Well,” said Kruse, “I’m developing a theory. I think (she) wasn’t quite dead when she went into the pool, although no one could’ve saved her life after this circ did its worst, but I think she drowned and that’s what actually killed her.”
But Kruse! I thought you were the forensic pathologist! Shouldn't you know by now what was the COD? Didn't you do the autopsy? How was this character’s death deemed a murder, then? How is it at this point the detectives have already made assumptions of who killed the victim when you don't know how she died? What did the circ do to her exactly? Did it interrupt the electrical flow of her heart, causing it to stop or beat erratically? Did it do something to her electrolytes? Did it do something to her nerves? Did it cause a seizure? Did it cause her respiratory functions to become impaired? What exactly happened?
Let's go further!
“You think?” Harata said. He was leaning over the desk and staring at all the unseeable parts and shaking his head.
“It’s impossible to tell exactly,” Kruse said, “because by the time she went into the water—”
“Was pushed into the water,” McNair said.
“Well, yes,” Kruse said. “By then she couldn’t breathe.”
What in actual duck is this?
How do you know she was pushed into the water?
If the circ did something to her (caused her to have a seizure or impaired her respiratory functions for example), then she could have fallen into the water on her own.
So, the circ caused an impairment in her respiratory functions since she apparently “couldn’t breathe”. Okay, so she didn’t drown then.
As per two articles by Szpilman et. al, the World Health Organization defines drowning as “the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid.” The articles also state that “The drowning process begins with respiratory impairment as the person’s airway goes below the surface of the liquid (submersion) or water splashes over the face (immersion)… Any submersion or immersion incident without evidence of respiratory impairment should be considered a water rescue and not a drowning” (Szpilman et. al,).
Dr. Michael Boniface, an emergency medicine physician at Mayo Clinic states, “Drowning occurs when you can’t get oxygen into your lungs because you are in or below water."
Also something to consider: Modell et al. stated that “to ascribe drowning as a cause of death to a body found in water without some evidence of the effect of having aspirated water is risky.”
Just fyi, I found all of this information after about an hour of research and using Google Scholar to find and skim through peer-reviewed, scientific articles.
If the victim couldn’t breathe before she went into the water (pushed or not), then hypoxemia (abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood) and eventually hypoxia (absence of enough oxygen in the tissues to sustain bodily functions) began to occur before she made contact with the water. There are ways to _figure out _what happened and whether or not the victim drowned for sure! There are biochemical tests, macroscopical examinations of external and internal aspects of the body, microscopical examinations!
Chapter 13, the victim was dead. However, it’s not until CHAPTER 41 where the pathologist was like “hey so still not sure what the COD was but I think she drowned?? idk bro it’s impossible to tell.”
But because it's written down, I'm supposed to believe that these are the people who will solve this murder?
Give me a break and don’t make me laugh. None of these detectives would be able to figure anything out. They would need things to be spoon fed to them — oh wait :) That’s pretty much how this mystery was solved — because it was spoon fed to the detectives.
Quite frankly avoid this book. Don’t even think about buying it or borrowing a copy from someone else. Don’t read it! It’s a complete waste of time and I’m going to go drown my sorrows.
Anyway, thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a free copy of the eARC in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 31, 2020
An intriguing concept, very poorly executed.
With no dateline, you assume this is in the future, with no background, you guess why everyone wears a masque, with no history, it makes very little sense.
Then you have the slang, with no references, the chapters that jump from character to character making it often impossible to keep track of who is thinking what. The sex “scenes “ idiotic, as are the thoughts of sex in stupid, story halting places.
I plodded through and thoroughly “unenjoyed” it
Crappy ending also.
With no dateline, you assume this is in the future, with no background, you guess why everyone wears a masque, with no history, it makes very little sense.
Then you have the slang, with no references, the chapters that jump from character to character making it often impossible to keep track of who is thinking what. The sex “scenes “ idiotic, as are the thoughts of sex in stupid, story halting places.
I plodded through and thoroughly “unenjoyed” it
Crappy ending also.
June 29, 2019
This book shows us a world where nobody shows their true face. Everybody wears a mask (masque) of sorts. There are three tiers to this society – unders, aboves and legacies. Fairly easy to understand. An under is a servant or normal shopworker. An above is someone who was either born in that level of society or managed to be promoted up to an ‘above’ by over average work or success. A legacy is either born or married into a legacy family for long enough to be named as a legacy.
The idea of wearing a mask was brought into societies all around the world, some hundreds of years before, and no-one alive today can recall how it all started. Now, no-one would dare to show their face to even family members or even spouses. There are a few people who may be happy to show their faces, but these are few and far between. Masks have now evolved to hold important circuits used to communicate, pay for items, for all social information and news. Much like the youngsters of today never being able to let go of their mobile phones or tablets and constantly sharing their lives on social media. This is that, expanded exponentially.
People can be identified by the circuits on their masks, communicating this to others. If you are an under, most will not even bother to know who you are or your name, unless you have an amazing skill. A set of twins, Van Etten and her brother Bloxham, have risen up the ranks due to their skill in creating and designing masks. Van Etten’s skill is exquisite and deeply in demand. They now have their own company and provide masks to the rich and famous, that can afford the prices. They have a contract with a studio, owned by a man called Nessard, to provide masks for them and in particular for one of their stars, Stryker, who acts in the studios fabulas, as they are called.
The other items required in a mask are the different circuits or as they are called in the book ‘circs’. They are updated as often as the manufacturers can produce an updated version, so they may only last hours or days! A constant source of income, as are the masks, as people of any notability can’t be seen in the same mask daily. One producer of circuits is Vahe, who is trying to produce the top of the market circs that everyone will want. Someone has not quite so good intentions for circs, they have their own use for them and it may not be safe for all to use. But with everyone wearing a mask, how do you identify a killer?
We get introduced to a battle weary police chief called McNair, whose wife left him for a legacy three years before, and the others in his office. They are some of the more interesting characters in the book and certainly bring some wisecracks and humour to the story. There is an old murder case, unsolved, sitting on McNair’s books and the betrayal of his wife leaving. A possible accidental death at the home of Nessard, on the night of an important social event, throws all kinds of accusations into the wind and multiple people are considered as suspects, as each new clue is discovered.
The main part of the story is the masks and the murder cases being investigated but also adds in a little bit of mysticism with those who have decided to live life amongst friends without being hidden by masks. They are three friends who met in school and have been friends ever since. What happens out at one of their family barns, is a perfect bit of escapism for those who wanted it. An intriguing look at what the future of living hooked into our pieces of tech and our ever consuming reliance upon them. It does not lead to utopia.
An interesting tale, some parts and some characters are easy to dislike, but others have a real depth to them and you will be caught up in their stories. I actually really liked this story, it took quite some time to get going and to link all the pieces together, but certain characters just keep you engaged and keep you going. It isn’t a short read and maybe could have been a bit shorter, but I don’t like short stories so much. Read if you are interested in futuristic scenarios, murder mysteries, or just seeing how tech can overtake people’s complete lives. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
The idea of wearing a mask was brought into societies all around the world, some hundreds of years before, and no-one alive today can recall how it all started. Now, no-one would dare to show their face to even family members or even spouses. There are a few people who may be happy to show their faces, but these are few and far between. Masks have now evolved to hold important circuits used to communicate, pay for items, for all social information and news. Much like the youngsters of today never being able to let go of their mobile phones or tablets and constantly sharing their lives on social media. This is that, expanded exponentially.
People can be identified by the circuits on their masks, communicating this to others. If you are an under, most will not even bother to know who you are or your name, unless you have an amazing skill. A set of twins, Van Etten and her brother Bloxham, have risen up the ranks due to their skill in creating and designing masks. Van Etten’s skill is exquisite and deeply in demand. They now have their own company and provide masks to the rich and famous, that can afford the prices. They have a contract with a studio, owned by a man called Nessard, to provide masks for them and in particular for one of their stars, Stryker, who acts in the studios fabulas, as they are called.
The other items required in a mask are the different circuits or as they are called in the book ‘circs’. They are updated as often as the manufacturers can produce an updated version, so they may only last hours or days! A constant source of income, as are the masks, as people of any notability can’t be seen in the same mask daily. One producer of circuits is Vahe, who is trying to produce the top of the market circs that everyone will want. Someone has not quite so good intentions for circs, they have their own use for them and it may not be safe for all to use. But with everyone wearing a mask, how do you identify a killer?
We get introduced to a battle weary police chief called McNair, whose wife left him for a legacy three years before, and the others in his office. They are some of the more interesting characters in the book and certainly bring some wisecracks and humour to the story. There is an old murder case, unsolved, sitting on McNair’s books and the betrayal of his wife leaving. A possible accidental death at the home of Nessard, on the night of an important social event, throws all kinds of accusations into the wind and multiple people are considered as suspects, as each new clue is discovered.
The main part of the story is the masks and the murder cases being investigated but also adds in a little bit of mysticism with those who have decided to live life amongst friends without being hidden by masks. They are three friends who met in school and have been friends ever since. What happens out at one of their family barns, is a perfect bit of escapism for those who wanted it. An intriguing look at what the future of living hooked into our pieces of tech and our ever consuming reliance upon them. It does not lead to utopia.
An interesting tale, some parts and some characters are easy to dislike, but others have a real depth to them and you will be caught up in their stories. I actually really liked this story, it took quite some time to get going and to link all the pieces together, but certain characters just keep you engaged and keep you going. It isn’t a short read and maybe could have been a bit shorter, but I don’t like short stories so much. Read if you are interested in futuristic scenarios, murder mysteries, or just seeing how tech can overtake people’s complete lives. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
August 20, 2019
I really loved this book. It was a mix of sci-fi, psychological thriller, suspense, and police procedural mystery. They different aspects wound around each other very nicely, with none really outshining the others overall.
It did take a few pages longer to completely get into the story though. There are lots of characters from the get-go, and the technology of the masques and their various add-ons was something you started to understand as you went through the story instead of right away.
I found the whole concept of the masques fascinating. Changing who you were on a whim and a few credits (if you had them). Masques were a way to set apart the rich from the poor, the Legacies from the Unders. The ultimate status symbol - and a key piece of evidence in the murder of a high-profile tech company owner.
The investigation leads you into a mix of stories including a divorced police detective, twin masque designers, and Legacies that feel they are above the very law itself. There's even a side story that's a touch of romance with a paranormal-ish element. I'd really like to see more of where that one went.
The mystery remained unsolved until that one key piece of evidence was finally found - and I really liked it that way. I was guessing right along with the detective, and I followed every single one of his thoughts and swore he'd figured it out - until things changed. A great story that I think many will fall in love with.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
It did take a few pages longer to completely get into the story though. There are lots of characters from the get-go, and the technology of the masques and their various add-ons was something you started to understand as you went through the story instead of right away.
I found the whole concept of the masques fascinating. Changing who you were on a whim and a few credits (if you had them). Masques were a way to set apart the rich from the poor, the Legacies from the Unders. The ultimate status symbol - and a key piece of evidence in the murder of a high-profile tech company owner.
The investigation leads you into a mix of stories including a divorced police detective, twin masque designers, and Legacies that feel they are above the very law itself. There's even a side story that's a touch of romance with a paranormal-ish element. I'd really like to see more of where that one went.
The mystery remained unsolved until that one key piece of evidence was finally found - and I really liked it that way. I was guessing right along with the detective, and I followed every single one of his thoughts and swore he'd figured it out - until things changed. A great story that I think many will fall in love with.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
August 16, 2019
When everyone wears a masque, anyone could be a killer
In a future where everyone wears a masque, no one needs a phone, a credit card, or any ID. The masque itself is everything to everyone.
But as exquisite as a masque might be, it can’t keep you safe. Nothing can. Nothing will.
And when everyone wears a masque, anyone could be a killer.
Now it’s up to Chief Inspector McNair and his team of dedicated experts to find that killer. They must uncover the secrets and lies that dwell inside every beautiful masque. And they’ll stop at nothing until they find the truth—no matter how ugly it turns out to be.
This was a very interesting read for me.
I like the idea behind the plot and story line with the masque of what it hides.
Really well written characters that were interesting to read about and follow.
Interesting world building and history behind the story.
Even in this futuristic story you still have the levels of society with the masque for everyone.
Really enjoyed reading.
Recommend reading.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In a future where everyone wears a masque, no one needs a phone, a credit card, or any ID. The masque itself is everything to everyone.
But as exquisite as a masque might be, it can’t keep you safe. Nothing can. Nothing will.
And when everyone wears a masque, anyone could be a killer.
Now it’s up to Chief Inspector McNair and his team of dedicated experts to find that killer. They must uncover the secrets and lies that dwell inside every beautiful masque. And they’ll stop at nothing until they find the truth—no matter how ugly it turns out to be.
This was a very interesting read for me.
I like the idea behind the plot and story line with the masque of what it hides.
Really well written characters that were interesting to read about and follow.
Interesting world building and history behind the story.
Even in this futuristic story you still have the levels of society with the masque for everyone.
Really enjoyed reading.
Recommend reading.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
August 30, 2019
Lipkin’s impressive police procedural is set in a far-future where everyone wears masques and secrets, lies, and deceits prevail. When Chief Inspector McNair and his team are called to investigate a murder at a high-profile party, endless lies and deceptions greet them as they interview witnesses. In a world where people hide behind masques, finding the killer becomes a difficult job.
Lipkin is at the top of her game here; be it her excellent characterization, tight plotting or smooth narrative. McNair and his team are fascinating as they probe the intricate tangle of motives and hidden desires that swirl around suspects. Lipkin’s setting of the far-future, where everyone wears a masque serves as an excellent metaphor for her characters’ fear of revealing themselves.
Despite its hefty dose of sci-fi, the story is heavy on mystery. Lovers of well-crafted mysteries will be highly rewarded.
Outstanding!
Lipkin is at the top of her game here; be it her excellent characterization, tight plotting or smooth narrative. McNair and his team are fascinating as they probe the intricate tangle of motives and hidden desires that swirl around suspects. Lipkin’s setting of the far-future, where everyone wears a masque serves as an excellent metaphor for her characters’ fear of revealing themselves.
Despite its hefty dose of sci-fi, the story is heavy on mystery. Lovers of well-crafted mysteries will be highly rewarded.
Outstanding!
August 26, 2019
This was an interesting idea for a novel. The idea that everyone is so afraid of showing their true selves that they hide behind masques day in and day out is astonishing.
Overall it was a somewhat enjoyable read that got quite a bit boring and redundant in the middle. It had a great concept, but was lacking in the delivery.
Again, I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Full review at:
http://bookshelfadventures.home.blog/...
Overall it was a somewhat enjoyable read that got quite a bit boring and redundant in the middle. It had a great concept, but was lacking in the delivery.
Again, I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Full review at:
http://bookshelfadventures.home.blog/...
August 9, 2019
This bingeworthy book had wonderful characters and numerous twists and turns. The social aspects presented were just as captivating as the murder mysteries. And it was amusing to think of the facades people assume during various roles in day to day life manifesting into actual masks.
I do hope there will be more books to follow because I’m already suffering from withdrawals.
A copy of this book was given to me, but that did not affect my review.
I do hope there will be more books to follow because I’m already suffering from withdrawals.
A copy of this book was given to me, but that did not affect my review.
June 23, 2019
This is such a wonderful story with so many facets to it! Mystery. fantasy, romance, and sci-fi. How awesome is that? So I was pulled into the story from the first page and I could not put it down. This book has fabulous characters and a storyline that kept me turning pages to the end!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 12, 2019
everyone now wears a mask which helps hides who they are and so when a murder happens, it will not be easy to find the murderer. how will the police cope? Will they the murderer? See just how hard it will be
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 3, 2020
Let me start with a thanks. Thank you my fellow book nerds at the Book Sirens(who have made an awesome community BTW) and the author R.T.W. Lipkin for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Let me lay out the obvious first. This book is not what I expected out of a Sci Fi - mystery or a normal book for that matter. Don’t get me wrong if you have seen all the books I have rated I have always been generous, but this book has so many areas that could have been better.
First of all let me tell you the summary: in a future fictitious world people are afraid, unsure and ashamed of showing their true identity, instead they wear masques that are not only supposed to mask their faces but elevate in every way possible. They are also equipped with a circuit that would make the masque wearer smarter.
Suddenly the owner of one of the leading circuit producing firms dies and she is turned out to be murdered. In a world where disguises are legal will the true murderer be caught?
Now don’t get excited but the summary, if you do there is a big disappointment in plot and narration. Like all my reviews I want this to be as spoiler free as possible. So let me just list out the things that I felt somewhat bad
Firstly: The concept. Yes you’ve read it right ! Even though the author has presented a new concept, she has failed miserably in the most important part. In conveying the concept clearly. For example there is very little background on the history of masques and even very little on the circuits. This makes the book somewhat incomplete.
Secondly : The Characters. I cannot find the protagonist or the protagonists as it is never clearly laid throughout the plot. There are a lot of characters but none have depth. They don’t even make sense most of the time, like the love affairs that ignites like hungry flames latching on anything and everything in its way. At least the flame makes sense to me, it has to be ignited which explains the two big questions of how and why. But, the love affairs in the books are just there.
Thirdly : THE WHOLE FREAKING LOGIC! I know in mystery novels there will be some misguided conclusions and incomplete investigation where the whole thing comes into light because of someone taking the extra step that the mystery needs, which no one would have taken. But, here everybody is extra cautious and is taking the extra step but no one ever finds out the mystery because of that. I mean I get that something new is being tried here, even so I couldn't get the logic at all!
I am sorry if I am being too harsh, but this book has cost me my time, energy and patience(which BTW you should possess a lot in order to complete it). All the different story lines were just too distracting and felt incomplete and unnecessary.
Over all if you are a beginner to the scifi/murder mystery genre and you have no other book to read then this book could be somewhat manageable. Otherwise invest your time on something better.
Again, thanks to BookSirens for providing me with a free copy of the eARC in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
Let me lay out the obvious first. This book is not what I expected out of a Sci Fi - mystery or a normal book for that matter. Don’t get me wrong if you have seen all the books I have rated I have always been generous, but this book has so many areas that could have been better.
First of all let me tell you the summary: in a future fictitious world people are afraid, unsure and ashamed of showing their true identity, instead they wear masques that are not only supposed to mask their faces but elevate in every way possible. They are also equipped with a circuit that would make the masque wearer smarter.
Suddenly the owner of one of the leading circuit producing firms dies and she is turned out to be murdered. In a world where disguises are legal will the true murderer be caught?
Now don’t get excited but the summary, if you do there is a big disappointment in plot and narration. Like all my reviews I want this to be as spoiler free as possible. So let me just list out the things that I felt somewhat bad
Firstly: The concept. Yes you’ve read it right ! Even though the author has presented a new concept, she has failed miserably in the most important part. In conveying the concept clearly. For example there is very little background on the history of masques and even very little on the circuits. This makes the book somewhat incomplete.
Secondly : The Characters. I cannot find the protagonist or the protagonists as it is never clearly laid throughout the plot. There are a lot of characters but none have depth. They don’t even make sense most of the time, like the love affairs that ignites like hungry flames latching on anything and everything in its way. At least the flame makes sense to me, it has to be ignited which explains the two big questions of how and why. But, the love affairs in the books are just there.
Thirdly : THE WHOLE FREAKING LOGIC! I know in mystery novels there will be some misguided conclusions and incomplete investigation where the whole thing comes into light because of someone taking the extra step that the mystery needs, which no one would have taken. But, here everybody is extra cautious and is taking the extra step but no one ever finds out the mystery because of that. I mean I get that something new is being tried here, even so I couldn't get the logic at all!
I am sorry if I am being too harsh, but this book has cost me my time, energy and patience(which BTW you should possess a lot in order to complete it). All the different story lines were just too distracting and felt incomplete and unnecessary.
Over all if you are a beginner to the scifi/murder mystery genre and you have no other book to read then this book could be somewhat manageable. Otherwise invest your time on something better.
Again, thanks to BookSirens for providing me with a free copy of the eARC in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 1, 2021
I received a free advanced reader's copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the concept of the book a lot, as I'm quite interested in reading dystopian and other types of genres set in the future. I thought that the idea behind masques and the functionality of them lacked a lot of explanation throughout the entire novel - I finished it not really feeling as though I understand the masques entirely.
I thought the book started off extremely slowly. I found myself wondering when the action was going to pick up for quite a while longer than I usually find myself asking this when reading. When the action did pick up and the story did start to get a lot more interesting, I never felt as though it really picked up enough to save it from the lull in the beginning. I think the story could have been a bit more condensed, shortening some sections to keep intrigue high.
The character development felt a bit clunky as the chapters switched between perspectives quite often, and I don't feel as though I really connected to any of the characters.
The conclusion to me was rather abrupt and unsatisfying as well. Though it successfully leaves room for a sequel, it also left a lot of room for disappointment, as not much enough was resolved from the story to make it a solid way to end the story in my opinion.
Overall, good idea for a story, but clunky execution that didn't live up to the story's potential.
I enjoyed the concept of the book a lot, as I'm quite interested in reading dystopian and other types of genres set in the future. I thought that the idea behind masques and the functionality of them lacked a lot of explanation throughout the entire novel - I finished it not really feeling as though I understand the masques entirely.
I thought the book started off extremely slowly. I found myself wondering when the action was going to pick up for quite a while longer than I usually find myself asking this when reading. When the action did pick up and the story did start to get a lot more interesting, I never felt as though it really picked up enough to save it from the lull in the beginning. I think the story could have been a bit more condensed, shortening some sections to keep intrigue high.
The character development felt a bit clunky as the chapters switched between perspectives quite often, and I don't feel as though I really connected to any of the characters.
The conclusion to me was rather abrupt and unsatisfying as well. Though it successfully leaves room for a sequel, it also left a lot of room for disappointment, as not much enough was resolved from the story to make it a solid way to end the story in my opinion.
Overall, good idea for a story, but clunky execution that didn't live up to the story's potential.
September 22, 2020
This novel was unusual. I have never read anything like this before. It is a mystery, romance, sci-fi tale told by multiple viewpoints dressed all in masks recalling a murder. Some of the characters are self-centered people with their own self-interests to get by In his future. I guess. Lol. The book drops you in the middle of this world from the start not telling you whether it is the future or the past. I assumed it was ”In the not too distance future.” lol. I enjoyed the mystery and the writing. The book was disorienting at first. I had to start over and read the beginning again until I then I found my bearings and enjoyed the story once I saw where the writer was going. This is not an easy read. This book reminded me of ”Gone Girl” where the characters are not really likable however they and the mystery are interesting. So it is worth a look. I’m happy I found this author and will read more of her books. I was happy to receive this book as an ARC from Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2021
This book was one of the most eclectic and genre-defying books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Encompassing a bit of futuristic scifi, police procedural, mystery, romance and high-end drama, the entire amalgamation is woven into one compelling and hypnotic read. It's also one of the most otherworldly, yet down to earth, mashups I've yet to see. All of that is to say, it's all good and unlike anything I've ever read before. Once you get involved with these people and their fascinating lives, it'll pull you in and keep you reading, just to see what's going to happen next. That this author could conceive of such an intriguing and innovative plot makes me want to rush right out and see what else she's written. But in the meantime, I'll still be thinking about these characters and this story for a long time to come.
***I received a copy of this book through BookSirens. My review is strictly voluntary.***
***I received a copy of this book through BookSirens. My review is strictly voluntary.***
November 22, 2020
I really enjoyed the book. It had the right combination of mystery and character story. I was a little confused by the alternate reality but the rest of the story was very easy to follow. I would have loved to hear more about Saam's writing.
July 25, 2019
The concept for this story sounded intriguing so I gave it a go. A bit of explanation at the beginning of the story with some of the terminology would have helped smooth things out but I got the gist of it as things went along. The story is told from many point of views, maybe to let everyone have their two cents worth? You have the haves and have-not’s. While the masque is supposed to at least level the playing field somewhat you still have upper class treating the “unders” as basically something under your shoe.
One of the things about the multiple POV’s is it can get a bit confusing at times, you have so many personalities and their inner monologues to wade throw that you can get a bit overwhelmed or in some cases underwhelmed.
My interest waned more than it waxed as I tried to slough through the 416 times the word masque was used. There was some interesting or somewhat thought provoking moments when you realized that some of these individuals had no idea what their families or friends really looked like. They were all more concerned with how they appeared than actually having substance to a life worth living.
Maybe the masque keeping everyone at a distance kept me from really connecting with any of the characters or it could have been the almost repetitious nature of some of the moments.
I received and ARC from Book Sirens for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
One of the things about the multiple POV’s is it can get a bit confusing at times, you have so many personalities and their inner monologues to wade throw that you can get a bit overwhelmed or in some cases underwhelmed.
My interest waned more than it waxed as I tried to slough through the 416 times the word masque was used. There was some interesting or somewhat thought provoking moments when you realized that some of these individuals had no idea what their families or friends really looked like. They were all more concerned with how they appeared than actually having substance to a life worth living.
Maybe the masque keeping everyone at a distance kept me from really connecting with any of the characters or it could have been the almost repetitious nature of some of the moments.
I received and ARC from Book Sirens for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 17, 2019
In this world, everybody wears a masque and couples of decades may never have seen each other's actual face, or children their parents'. Inside those masques are several 'integrated circuits' that make you smarter, wittier, better informed, trendsetter. It took me a while before I really got all of this and it could have been explained a lot quicker and efficient than it's done now. About 1/3 of the book before the crime 's committed and the investigation starts.
I liked the story and it is a good concept, but the book would have benefitted from a strict editor. Because there are too many sidetracks that divert from the story itself. I love those background and love stories about the characters, but I think it better to limit it to a few main actors than do it for the whole cast. As it stands now, it clutters the story. I wouldn't want to be the one to wield that axe because those stories are adorable.
The manner in which the investigation is conducted also raises several questions. Their main procedure seems to be: lock up your suspect and accuse him/her of being the killer, whether or not there's any evidence or likelihood.
Also, that little side story about the barn with extra-dimensional power is totally out of place in this setting. However, it may be an excellent premise for another book.
I received a free arc and this is my honest review.
I liked the story and it is a good concept, but the book would have benefitted from a strict editor. Because there are too many sidetracks that divert from the story itself. I love those background and love stories about the characters, but I think it better to limit it to a few main actors than do it for the whole cast. As it stands now, it clutters the story. I wouldn't want to be the one to wield that axe because those stories are adorable.
The manner in which the investigation is conducted also raises several questions. Their main procedure seems to be: lock up your suspect and accuse him/her of being the killer, whether or not there's any evidence or likelihood.
Also, that little side story about the barn with extra-dimensional power is totally out of place in this setting. However, it may be an excellent premise for another book.
I received a free arc and this is my honest review.
October 8, 2019
So Much Potential - Unfulfilled
I enjoyed the futuristic world when everyone wears a mask as part of everyday life. The characters are interesting and we get multiple POVs complete with a murder in the beginning. Although the murder is solved by the end of the book, it was frustrating because so many other questions had been raised about the various characters that were left unanswered. One group literacy just disappears with no real explanation of what happened.
I wanted to like this book but it was frustrating by the end with so many hanging threads.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I enjoyed the futuristic world when everyone wears a mask as part of everyday life. The characters are interesting and we get multiple POVs complete with a murder in the beginning. Although the murder is solved by the end of the book, it was frustrating because so many other questions had been raised about the various characters that were left unanswered. One group literacy just disappears with no real explanation of what happened.
I wanted to like this book but it was frustrating by the end with so many hanging threads.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
August 13, 2019
I received an advance review copy of Inside the Masque for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I thought the storyline for this book sounded interesting. Everyone wears a masque, they communicate through "circs" (circuits) in the masque. People fall into one of three classes of people: unders, aboves and legacies. Several murders take place which are difficult to solve because of the masques everyone wears. The book was interesting, however; the chapters switched back and forth to different characters so often that it was difficult to keep up with the story.
August 15, 2019
This is not the type of book I usually read, but it was an excelletnt read. It held my attention throughout the book. I can usually guess the ending of the books I read. This book had me guessing, and changing my guess, throughout the whole book. There were so many twists and turns throughout. To me, this is a sign of excellent writing. In addition, there were many character stories to follow. These last couple of chapters covered all the miscellaneous stories of each character. To me this was a huge Plus.
August 8, 2019
I really liked this book. The mystery was really compelling. The author was always leading you in different directions.
The only real criticism I had of this book was the format. The chapters were so short, and each chapter switched POV. I felt like as soon as I had a grasp on what was happening, I had to figure it out all over again. Thus, this book isn’t an easy read.
I received a free copy of this book to review, but it doesn’t affect my rating.
The only real criticism I had of this book was the format. The chapters were so short, and each chapter switched POV. I felt like as soon as I had a grasp on what was happening, I had to figure it out all over again. Thus, this book isn’t an easy read.
I received a free copy of this book to review, but it doesn’t affect my rating.
September 13, 2019
I normally don’t find myself reading books with a science fiction component, but the description left me intrigued. I might have enjoyed it a bit more had it not been so sci-fi’ish. I also didn’t find myself as attached to the characters as I usually am when reading a book. However, I did like the book overall. I enjoyed the suspense and mystery of the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 30, 2019
Imagine a fun-house. The type you might find at a carnival or county fair. You know, the dark maze with uneven floors and wobbly, distorting mirrors everywhere. That’s this book....and just when you think you’ve made it through you step out the door and into another dimension.
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