Behind the Mask

by Jeanette Taylor Ford

Gary Roper is a man behind a mask. His wife, Daisy, knows what’s underneath that mask, and finally manages to run away, to establish a new life at River View, working for Lucy Baxter. Roper is determined to find her, but in the meantime, he has to toe the line to his boss, gangster Terence Johns. The many faces of Roper are employed on his journey to find his wife, leaving chaos in his wake. In her place of security, Daisy finds firm friends and a new love, unaware that he, also, wears a mask…

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2021

About the author

From a bookworm to a bookworm who writes!

Jeanette Taylor Ford grew up in Cromer, Norfolk, moved to Hereford in 1968. Now lives not far from Nottingham. She has six children, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. A compulsive teller of tales, she mostly writes in the genre of the paranormal but sometimes digresses into other subjects, stories for children, short stories and the occasional poem.

Visit Jeanette on her facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Jeanette-Tay...

or her blog:https://jeanetteford51.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Robert Southworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing and dark addition to the series.

I have been fortunate to read this entire series. Each book has created a bond between me (the reader) and the wonderful characters within the pages. This book was no different, bringing not only a fond reunion with individuals from previous books, but an introduction to new and vibrant characters. A great plot and superbly crafted dialogue, move the story along at pace. I would note that this addition has a darker feel to it than the previous four, with one of the main protagonists revelling in his foul deeds. In short, I loved this book and it shows how a skilful author can keep a long series seem fresh and vibrant.

Review by Robert Southworth author of The Ripper Legacies

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

We first meet Daisy Roper in Norwich as she reaches the end of her tether with her husband Gary’s brutality and bullying. After eight years she knows it is time to regain her freedom and her boss of ten years, Val, helps her make her escape. While stopping with Val she searches for a new job that will take her far away from Norwich and happens upon Lucy Baxter’s ad for a “girl Friday” to help her with everything from the children to her baking and jam business at Aunt Bea’s Pantry in River Side, Herefordshire. Expecting her third child, Lucy is sure this will help her manage without having to give up the businesses that she loves dearly. Daisy travels to stay overnight in River Side to meet Lucy and husband Kenny, and gets the job when Aunt Bea makes it clear she approves. But as Daisy settles into her month’s trial, Gary is on the warpath. First threatening Val and later attacking her, he is determined to find his wife and make her pay. It soon becomes clear that Gary has lied about how he makes his money, as while he is trying to flee his house with anything incriminating, two thugs drive him away to meet his boss, gangster TJ. TJ is an unhappy man. The undoubted police spotlight that will fall on Gary in Val’s case has forced him to relocate his business, taking Gary with him. As the police in Norfolk hunt for Gary and Daisy, they make a grisly discover and wonder where Gary is now. Meanwhile new baker Adam arrives to help Lucy. He seems perfect but is he too good to be true? Much of this story is set away from River Side, concentrating on Gary’s journey around the countryside at the mercy of TJ, still with thoughts of catching up with Daisy. When the action moves back to River Side, all our favourite characters will definitely be wishing it had stayed away.
The story features a very likeable cast of characters both within and outside the village of Sutton-on-Wye, most of whom will be familiar to readers of this series. Despite the fact that this is a series, their backgrounds are well described, making this an easy book to read as a stand-alone. Once again the story telling itself is a little more on the gentle side than some novels and makes the book ideal for all readers but there is certainly no lack of pace or action, and it features a very satisfying ending all round. I am eagerly looking forward to what the future holds for the villagers and detectives in the next story. 5*

[Zelda FeatzReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book five of the River View Mysteries.
I have not had the privilege of reading the other books in this series, so Behind The Mask is my first taste of this series. What a wonderful introduction, this book has everything crime/mystery fans enjoys. Domestic violence, murder and a gang run by a ruthless manipulator.
I enjoyed the author’s work on the dialogue in this book. I could hear the character’s accents as I was reading. I found myself lost in a world far removed from my everyday life making this an extremely entertaining read.
Daisy is a young woman suffering an abusive husband who leaves her feeling she is to blame. Gary used to be a nice guy, but Daisy is not sure what she has done to turn him so mean and nasty. When her boss finally convinces her to leave, she runs away and finds safety at River View.
While Daisy finds friendship and security as she builds a new life, she is unaware that Gary is determined to tracker her down. He will not let her go. While Gary faces the challenges of trying to escape his gangster boss, he does not give a second thought to the chaos he leaves in his wake.
As Daisy finds a new love, she soon discovers Gary on her doorstep which leads to disaster, and she finds out her new love has secrets of his own he is keeping from her.
Behind The Mask is a gripping read, full of action and lots of surprises along the way. You are drawn into Daisy’s world of abuse and uncertainty, and you are happy when she manages to escape and find a better life for herself. Yet, you know it’s a matter of time before Gary finds her. Reading Gary’s exploits as they unfold you are left amazed at how violent and unreasonable he can be. Your heart breaks while you wait for him to find Daisy.
There are a lot of characters in this book, making it hard to pick a favourite. I enjoyed the Taylor men, they were in over their heads and found a way to escape a bad situation. Even if they broke the law to escape, I rooted for them all the way – if only they didn’t help Gary.
The author did a great job with Gary – she created an evil man you disliked from beginning to end. Daisy was sweet and innocent and I was thrilled when she found someone to love her. When Adam turns out to be more than he appears my heart broke for Daisy. She did not need another man wearing a mask in her life.
Behind The Mask was filled with violence, showing how easily an abusive relationship can lead to disasters. My heart broke for Daisy. However, it was a gripping read that leaves you amazed every time Gary did something new. The man was a piece of work.
Crime and mystery fans will find it hard to put this one down – if like me, you haven’t read the other books in the series, not to worry, you can read this book without feeling like you have missed something along the way.

[Roger Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was kindly sent a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

I have always thought that fans of crime fiction are often fans of romantic novels. (One needs light and shade). Jeanette Taylor Ford is an accomplished romantic writer, and her River View and Aunt Bea's settings are always charming and inviting. But in Behind the Mask, the author cleverly intertwines a gritty crime story into these settings as well. It has a graphic opening which grabs the reader from the start and introduces the protagonist and antagonist very clearly: you know who to love and who to hate straight away.

The story then rattles along at a good pace with lots of twists and turns along the way keeping you turning the pages to see if good will triumph over evil: it must do, mustn't it? You'll have to read the book to find out, but don't presume anything.

I particularly enjoyed the final reveal which I had not seen coming; always the sign of a good book. I have no hesitation in recommending this enjoyable read. Great job Jeanette.

[SUE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so enjoyed this series , and have to say this has been my fav in the series so far with one more to go , I was so living in this small village with this cast of great characters and it had me sat in coffee shops reading to my heart's content many a morning . Was laughing and crying in this episode !

[Ella Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 5th instalment in the River View Mysteries. Whilst I feel that you don’t have to have read the previous books before diving in to this one, I do think it would help. At times I got a little bit lost with the characters but I soon managed to get back up to date.

I loved reading about Daisys journey. At the beginning she annoyed me. I wanted her to stand up and fight for herself. You see her go from a meek girl to a strong woman at the end which I absolutely loved.

The story flowed nicely and all seemed to wrap up at the end. The ending of this book has left me intrigued tho… I want to know what happens to TJ and to ‘Adam’.

I will be picking up book 6 to read :)

[Daizi Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary Roper is the title antagonist in this story, he is the man behind the mask. A Happy go lucky travelling salesman type is what most people see, but his wife Daisy knows different. And thankfully she did in time, and with the support of a friend, who paid the highest price for giving that help, run away from him and to a new life at River View. 

What I liked most about this book was the way,  as a reader I was thrown straight in at the deep end. The lives people lead behind closed doors, it’s a wonder they can paint on a smile and go play normal in the outside world on a day to day basis.

[Lucas W Mayberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Norwich, Daisy Roper has been repeatedly abused by her husband Gary. When he is on a presumed work trip, Daisy with the help of a friend escapes and ends up working for Lucy at River View. Here she comes to terms with what’s happened to her and starts rebuilding her life with the help of Lucy and the residents of Sutton on Wye. She even begins to form a bond with Adam but he has a secret that will change everything between them. Despite Daisy’s new found happiness she is still looking over her shoulder for the horrible Gary and she has good cause too. It soon comes to light that Gary is more dangerous than Daisy first imagined and he is determined to hunt her down. When he eventually does find her it will have devastating consequences for more than a few residents of Sutton on Wye. This instalment of The River View Mysteries is different in many ways where it involves thrilling gangster action and much of this action takes place away from River View. It still has the author’s signature writing style so you know you will still enjoy it and after the startling cliffhanger I do hope we will see more of Adam and the rest of the gang.

[S.S. Saywack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading the River View Mysteries out of sequence, but since each is a standalone, that doesn’t matter. Set in the UK, Sutton-on-Wye, makes it an interesting read for me as I love detective stories set in the country where I live. It is a very satisfying read, complete with likeable characters ( and some not so), a twisty plot with both pace and action, and a final reveal that will surprise. Enjoy the book, as I’m sure the others in the series will be just as satisfying a read as this was.