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Sentro #2

Vital Lies

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From the author of spy thriller Water Memory comes a riveting installment in the Sentro series in which past and present collide.

When a Canadian spy comes to ex–black ops specialist Aubrey Sentro for help tracking down notorious Cold War spymaster Günter Witt, she wants to say no. It’s been thirty years since Aubrey’s captivity in East Berlin, and she has no desire to return. Her focus now is on mending the relationships that suffered during her years working in the shadows.

But when a ruthless mercenary targets Aubrey and her daughter, the game changes. With Witt back on the scene, blackmailing his old contacts and contracting with rogue governments, the stakes are high. And Aubrey, who endured the brunt of Witt’s cruelty in that old Stasi prison, may be the only one who can track him down.

To unravel the threads of Witt’s intricate web of lies, Aubrey will need to confront not only the dark secrets of her past but also the threat they pose to her future.

379 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2022

137 people are currently reading
1497 people want to read

About the author

Daniel Pyne

12 books94 followers
Daniel Pyne wanders restlessly between prose fiction and screenwriting. He is the author of Twentynine Palms A Hole in the Ground Owned by a Liar, Fifty Mice, Catalina Eddy, and his latest work, Water Memory, debuting February 1, 2021. Among Pyne's film credits are Backstabbing For Beginners, the remake of The Manchurian Candidate, Pacific Heights, Any Given Sunday and Fracture. Pyne's television work spans from the seminal hipster cop show Miami Vice to Amazon TV's longest running drama, Bosch. Pyne has a BA from Stanford University, where he toiled in economics but studied writing under Stegner fellows Chuck Kinder and John L‟heureux; he has an MFA from UCLA's Graduate School of Film, where he taught a seminar in screenwriting for a couple of decades. Born in Chicago, raised in Colorado, Pyne lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with his wife, rescue dog Luna, and an extremely sullen box turtle his grown children left in their wake.

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5 stars
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153 (36%)
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66 (15%)
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17 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for PamG.
1,299 reviews1,039 followers
November 8, 2021
Vital Lies is a spy thriller written by Daniel Pyne and the second book in the Sentro series. Canadian spy Ryan Banks comes to ex-black ops specialist Aubrey Sentro for help in tracking down a Cold War spymaster. It’s been thirty years since Aubrey’s captivity in East Berlin and she has recently retired. She doesn’t want to get involved, but when a mercenary targets her and her daughter Jennifer, the choice is made for her. Most of the novel is set in New Mexico, Germany, Cuba, England, and Spain.

Aubrey is a strong but flawed character. Due to her torture during the Cold War and multiple concussions, her memory has significant gaps and she suffers from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD. She has lied for many years to her children, now adults, about the details of her job, but has recently told them a sanitized version of it. Ryan is a younger spy that tends to plan in detail his next steps. Aubrey seems to go with the flow of events and react or act as necessary. Their interactions enhanced the story and made it stronger. The secondary characters had varying degrees of depth with Jennifer being the strongest.

A memorable opening scene immediately pulls any reader into the story. That scene is vivid and haunting. The narrative is suspenseful and has plenty of action as one would expect. Deception, betrayal, lies, espionage, greed, family, murder, and much more are integral themes that keep a reader on their toes. One thing that detracted from the flow of the novel was the continual jumping around in time and points of view (POV) during the first half or so of the story. While POVs continued to change later, it was more sequential in nature and flowed better for me.

This book has a clever plot with enough twists to keep a reader guessing. As they evolved, the plot facts were intriguing and occasionally unexpected. The suspense stays relatively high throughout the story. It’s intense and dramatic with converging plot lines bringing the story to an action filled conclusion. Will you be surprised by the ending? While the main plot points are all resolved, there are a few threads that could be used in the next book in the series.

Overall, this was a fascinating, gripping, and chilling story with compelling and complex characters. It will appeal to readers who enjoy espionage thrillers. It is definitely a worthwhile read. I am looking forward to Aubrey’s next adventure.

Thomas & Mercer and Daniel Pyne provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 15, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Profile Image for Gabrielle (belle.bookcorner).
991 reviews193 followers
February 13, 2022
I didn't know this was a sequel to another book when I requested it but I tried reading this one and it didn't really bother me not knowing about the first book since there are some snippets here and there that will give you a clue on what's happening before.

The plot is actually interesting, following Audrey Sentro a retired spymaster and her daughter who suddenly becomes a target even though she didn't want to get involved again and barely remember what happen when she got captured 30 years ago.
There are some good twists in the story that will make the readers keep guessing all the way through the end.

However despite all of that, I didn't like the writing style of this book. While it was detailed and descriptive, at some point it started to feel excessive that makes the plot seems dragging.
There are some words I'm not familiar as well which makes it hard to follow that I have to re read some parts to understand. But after doing that for so many times, I decided I would just skim most of it to know how it ends.

This book is action-packed and very intense, but the writing style didn't make me fully enjoy this book. I'd like to think this book is not my cup of tea.
If you are a fan of espionage books like MI6 and CIA operation then you might love this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, Daniel Pyne and Thomas & Mercer for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Steve.
178 reviews
March 6, 2022
This was my first Daniel Pyne/ Aubrey Sentro book that I got as a giveaway (Kindle) from goodreads. Pyne does an excellent job keeping the action moving in this spy thriller. Protagonist, Aubrey Sentro, moves between fractured memories of cold war imprisonment and present day as she unwillingly tries to track down a spymaster from her past. This one is a page turner, with enough plot twists to keep it interesting, yet not unbelievable.

I'd compare it to Gray Man and Mitch Rapp in terms of subject and action. A fun read - I'll be looking for the previous Sentro book, Water Memories.
974 reviews4 followers
August 31, 2022
Quite an enjoyable read. I like spy stories, but this one tended a little more towards covert action. Covert in the sense that high level government officials weren't aware in advance of many details, and then explained away those that were impossible to hide. There was plenty of action and some international intrigue. Some loose ends that may be further investigated in future stories.
Profile Image for Lauren  Tomlinson.
1,201 reviews13 followers
April 8, 2022
I was a little let down by this one. It wasn't as good as the first.
1,873 reviews55 followers
December 25, 2021
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this novel of intrigue.

Spy thrillers are at their heart about betrayal. Country, friends, comrades, family morals, and also the soul of the characters are to be lied to, abused, used all for the adrenaline high of being involved in the Great Game. Modern thrillers are full of betrayal, usually a tough loner either male or female, cast out, or hunted by their own organization, who kill their way to what they hope is some sort or redemption, but is usually just a dream, like patriotism or any other form of belief. In Vital Signs, written by David Pyne, retired intelligence operative Aubrey Sentro is not only betrayed by her enemies, but by her own body as well.

Aubrey Sentro has spent a career lying to her children about her past, and now finds that her mind is betraying her, usually at the worst possible times. Suffering from serial- concussion syndrome Sentro has large gaps in her memory and in forming cogent thoughts with some incidents of lost time. Sentro is dragged back into the twilight world pursued by an old enemy she can barely remember the appearance of, and is not sure why 30 years later her she is being pursued. With her family at risk, Sento must try to out figure both her enemy and friendly intelligence groups, and her own memories.

This is the second book in the series, but is easy jump into, as the author does a good job of explaining the character, her past, and her current difficulties. The story moves well, with great scenes of action and introspection, as Sentro both fights bad guys and her own brain. There is enough inside intelligence acronyms and lore to keep an amateur spy enthused, and a good sense of where the world seems to be headed, which can be a little sad in many ways. I enjoyed the characters, and her family, and the story seems very Netflix ready, which makes sense as it was written by a noted Hollywood screenwriter.

An interesting approach, with a good story, clever twists and turns, and a character who is as damaged as most spies are in this genre, but in different ways. I really am excited to read more about Aubrey Sentro, and even more read more books by Mr. Pyne, as he is very, very good.

Profile Image for John McKenna.
Author 7 books37 followers
March 2, 2022
Vital Lies by award-winning screen-writer, producer and author Daniel Pyne is a spy-thriller that begins with a flashback to December 3, 1990. In East Berlin, at the Hohenschönhausen Prison, a young twenty year-old American woman named Aubrey Sentro stumbles toward freedom after being imprisoned and tortured for more than a year by the East German Secret Police . . . known as the Stasi. The USSR has collapsed and the Berlin Wall is in the process of falling, while at the same time, the headquarters of state security is being looted and the political prisoners set free from their jail cells. Sentro, is still suffering the effects of her time in captivity, is trying to make her way back to the American Sector and escape from a man named Günter Witt, a legendary Stasi officer known only by his code name “Pogo” to the CIA. Aubrey Sentro is the lone American who has seen his face and can identify him.

The novel then fast-forwards to the present, where Pogo appears to have re-surfaced and is engineering terrorist mayhem. Aubrey Sentro, now fifty years-old, retired from the CIA, and still suffering memory loss from her year of torture, joins in the race to find him. Her remote ranch in New Mexico is attacked by a Chechen terrorist and a Cuban sniper . . . who may, or may not be working with the missing Stasi mastermind. In a pitched battle, Sentro and her daughter Jenny Troon, emerge unscathed, but her lover and hired hand is killed. At the same time the old secret agent finds that she has lost none of the fighting skills she acquired during her time with the CIA. From there, the story races back and forth across the globe as the one-time spy and her daughter attempt to re-establish her missing memories and find the master terrorist known as Pogo. The tension, the suspense and the drama will have readers racing through the pages to find out what happens next as the pair of unlikely heroines do their best to stop a monstrous act of butchery. This one will leave you gasping !!
Profile Image for Jeff.
1,745 reviews162 followers
November 30, 2021
Fast Paced Action Thriller. This is a spy thriller for those who like more of the pacing of a Jeremy Robinson / Matthew Reilly / James Rollins action thriller. It isn't *quite* so action packed / always-on-the-move as those guys, but it is a solid blend of their style of insane and unexpected action combined with a more Robert Ludlum (Bourne series) level complex spy game.

Whereas the first book focused to a certain degree on Sentro's older child, here the focus is more with her younger child as Sentro continues to try to repair their broken relationships... while getting drug into the very life she is trying to leave.

There are elements here that will give some pause - including a fairly brutal yet also passing/ flash-in-the-pan rape scene that works within the context of the story being told - but overall this is a great read for those who like a *touch* of thinking with their action... without having to be a Stephen Hawking level intellect to keep track of everything. Truly a great read, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Pyne takes this next. Very much recommended.
Profile Image for Jodi Olson.
26 reviews
February 27, 2022
I received this book through a drawing & was asked to give a review. I have not, as yet, read the first book in the series - I wish I had, there are a few holes but not so many that I couldn't understand & enjoy the plot.
I think this book hit home because I am the same age as Sentro so remember the fall of the Soviet Union & the wall. Also, I am reading it the week Russia has invaded Ukraine.
I enjoy political /espionage thrillers & Vital Lies did not disappoint. There were a few storylines going throughout so I had to go back for some clarification (thank you Kindle X-Ray).
I save my 5-star ratings for books I will read again & again, a 4-star does not take away from my enjoyment. I enjoyed the book, the plot, & the characters - I hope to see more of Sentro.
Profile Image for Claudete Takahashi.
2,625 reviews36 followers
March 9, 2022
Sentro sees her worst dream come true when she is hunted by old enemies at her farm and gets entangled with the world of espionage and killing. She is long out of the secret service and presently suffering from partial memory loss, Sentro's family has no idea what her past job was and she has woven a web of lies that is almost impossible to detangle. As she sees herself pressed to tell the truth to her family, and at the same time, to go back and fight her enemies, her daughter also gets involved in the conspiracy which may take an unforeseen turn. The story has a good plot, is full of action and James Bond tricks, and provides good entertainment for a few hours.
Profile Image for Mary.
242 reviews9 followers
July 4, 2022
Well written, engaging and hard to fathom but a great read overall. This is the 2nd book featuring “retired” national security agent Aubrey Sentro. Some of the characters were over-the-top, such as those in the first book in the series. It’s necessary to suspend belief in the situations Sentro becomes involved in; that’s not a bad proposition for a spy thriller, though.

The plot is complex, outrageous and filled with both bad guys and surprises. There are several twists that I did not see coming, enhancing the read. I awarded 4 Stars as it kept me guessing throughout.

Thank you, Goodreads, for the free e-book.
Profile Image for Toria Ates.
4 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2022
Great concepts and plots throughout the book. I think it’s more 3.75 stars than a full 4. The latter half of the book started to lose me. The scenes weren’t painted well for the reader. The author missed many opportunities to highlight the Spanish and Cuban charm that I know is present in those countries.

The “spook” jargon was hard to keep up with. Many acronyms weren’t explained and lingo went over my head. I did like the characters and their individual storylines. The ending could have come together better.

The book had potential.
Profile Image for Amber Clark.
70 reviews
December 4, 2023
Deceit and DNA

I can't believe it ended that way. "Good girl."

Obviously we now need a book there

Losing one star bcs the gun fight scenes are predictable and the story line could be developed more. Jenny and Mercedes were together for several.days but not much is told of what happened between them in that time.

A little far fetched even for fiction, but I give it 4 stars because I still want more. The story is incomplete and I am still intrigued.
Profile Image for Kelly Smelcer.
401 reviews
March 2, 2022
Great story

It took the first 50 or so pages for me to understand what was going on, but at page 51 I got it. This sequel turned out great with explosive twists & turns that make you want more.
87 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2022
Sentro is just bloody amazing

Love this book. The style of writing the pace. But the characters are well drawn out and interesting. The story is captivating. Sentro is just brilliant and her story
I can't wait for the next one. Thank you
Profile Image for Arevik  Heboyan.
150 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2022
it is always hardest to review and rate thrillers without spoiling. However, this work was masterfully crafted and the backstory beautifully connected, and merged with the present, keeping readers guessing for all the high stakes this book takes us.
11 reviews
July 20, 2022
I re-read the first Sentro book, Water Memory, because I couldn't remember what it was about. Thoroughly enjoyed the book again. Then read Vital Lies. Both books were thrilling page turners. Very good.
20 reviews
July 21, 2022
Another great read

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series and hoped this one would be as good. I wasn't disappointed. Here's hoping there's another book in this series coming up soon.
34 reviews
December 8, 2022
It took me a while to read the first 100 page

Then the story gripped me just as water memory the first Dentro novel did and I finished it in a night.

I do hope they live happily ever after but who knows this is fiction and anything can happen.
63 reviews
May 17, 2025
Meh. Other than having a female protagonist this doesn’t do anything special for the genre. This writer clearly writes with cinema in mind and has been heavily influenced by all the tropes in the spy thriller genre.
Profile Image for Ileana Renfroe.
Author 45 books60 followers
January 11, 2022
Vital Lies is the first book I have read by this author and it was great. A strong storyline and well-crafted characters had me guessing until the very end.
44 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2022
Not nearly as good as #1. Too much back story, not enough dealing with CTE now which is what made the Sentro character so fascinating to me.
23 reviews
March 15, 2022
Very good read. It was exciting and surprising at the end. I couldn’t put it down.
Profile Image for D. George.
337 reviews
March 17, 2022
Terrific, even if slightly imperfect. Better pacing than the first book, along with more intrigue, more pathos, and more action as well. Very, very hopeful that there'll be a third installment.
15 reviews
March 30, 2022
Great read

Non stop action and intrigue, once again in the continuing adventure of a female spy. Loved the strong female character.
85 reviews1 follower
Read
March 29, 2022
Reminders of the Cold War & Aftermath

I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This is the second book in Daniel Payne’s excellent series with Aubrey Sentro, and I hope there are more to come. It is delightful to read about a character like Aubrey, a middle-aged woman who is perceived by most as a Miss Marple but instead is as resourceful and skillful as a lead from a “Kill Bill” flick. Aubrey’s problems with memory and her attempts to reconnect with her children are as interesting as the current difficulties she is having people and issues with origins in the Cold War. The book is skillfully plotted, fast paced, and a great reminder of just how difficult the Cold War was for all people involved, whether they were spies or citizens of the USSR. While I am old enough to remember those times well, the book is still a great read for anyone. Proof that history is never boring!
9 reviews
January 9, 2025
A tough read at times between the changes in narrator's perspective and Sentro's on & off brutal memories of captivity.

The plot drags on too slowly at times. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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