The Mirror Man

by J.B. Manas

HE COULD SEE EVERYONE'S PAST BUT HIS OWN

Julian Black avoids people. Tormented by the ability to experience their most intimate, painful memories with a single touch, he reluctantly begins using his skill to assist tenacious Philadelphia police detective Lela Mars. But his life is soon upended when he’s captured by an equally gifted man claiming to be from his past—a suave master thief who can make people forget.

Now this mysterious stranger is ordering Julian to obtain a vital government secret that could shift the balance of world power. With Lela Mars as his only ally, Julian faces an impossible choice: Comply or pit his wits against the world’s most secretive and deadly crime organization.

The Mirror Man is a stylish, twisty thriller that recalls the danger, charm, and wit of Hitchcock classics such as North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, and the high-octane adventure of the James Bond novels and films.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Ebooks, Fiction

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2022

About the author

J.B. Manas is an award-winning author of suspense and sci-fi thrillers, including Dragon Island, The Mirror Man, The Kronos Interference (co-author), and more. His work has earned starred reviews in Kirkus and the BestThrillers award for Best Sci-Fi Thriller of 2022. Manas is also Editor-in-Chief of Good Alien, where he collaborates with top creators in comics and multimedia, and is a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Association for Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), and the Authors Guild. He lives and writes in Bucks County, PA with his family and a mischievous mutt named Max.

Reviews

[Saltygalreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julian Black has an extraordinary gift, or a curse, in his ability to touch a person with his hand and see their most vivid memories. It isn't one he enjoys and he has become somewhat of a recluse, hanging out in his room, playing online video games and avoiding human contact. Until he meets Lela Mars and she convinces him to use his ability for the greater good. Then Julian is kidnapped by a very suave and urbane man with an equally astounding gift, who drags him into a dangerous intrigue with an international criminal organization called VIPER. And they certainly don't care about the greater good.

This is an enjoyable, fast-paced spy thriller with lots of action and science fiction elements. The main character of Julian Black is very likeable, as is his counterpart and nemesis, a likeable rogue named Sebastian Blaine. The glamourous London locations of the Shard and the London Eye add a little Ian Fleming flair. A couple of times I did have to backtrack due to confusion with the plot twists, but perhaps that was just me. Overall, a solid spy/action read for the spy thriller enthusiasts.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great blend of science-fiction & international thriller. I liked the main character and his “affliction” was interesting.

At first the overly detailed explanations of clothing, architecture, etc. we’re throwing me out of the story. For example, “ He went to the closet and threw on a navy, cotton, long-sleeved polo shirt and natural linen Gurkha-style trousers, both from Alexander Kraft's superb Monte Carlo collection, along with a pair of cognac suede Belgian loafers.” I have no idea what some of that even means! Anyway, I either got used to the descriptions or they decreased later on in the book. The author did do a great job of painting a scene!

The action was exciting and as I got further into the book it got harder and harder to put down. I’d read more books with these characters if this were to become a series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Yolanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a free Kindle copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway :)

The Mirror Man is a relatively short book about Julian Black, a man who can see anyone's memories by touching their hand. However, his ordinary life quickly turns unordinary as new people show up in his life and he is forced to decide what he values more. I never felt bored during the plot but there are some things that I felt were never explained very clearly? I could figure them out by reading further, but it was just confusing for the time being. Overall, it's not a bad read but I just wish a little more editing was done.

[Marygrace Brinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. The beginning was slightly hard for me because we switch perspectives so fast and I was slightly confused but that was quickly resolved and I didn't run into that issue again. Overall, I enjoyed Julian and Lela's personalities the best out of everyone. I think some of the flow was sometimes off, not in a way that would make me DNF the book at all, but I liked Julian's storyline the best and wanted to go back to it more than the other storyline which I had hard times understanding sometimes due to the lingo. I think that was one of the big things that kind of lost me for this book, but I would definitely recommend this book to my friends/readers. It was also a really fast read! I think on Kindle it highlighted that it would take about 5 hours to finish so if you are looking for a fast fun read this is the book for you!

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ARC that I held a tot of promise for. I guess it felt a bit short, but if you like the genre, I think it was an ok book. I think this book falls under the YA genre. I found that I was getting frustrated with grammatical errors. and juvenile points of view. In spite of that I found myself getting taken away by the story. If you can keep an open mind about genetical interference and a little science fiction, you might enjoy the book. I was glad to receive an early review copy of the book from Somerton Press. I found that the book gripped me once i got past the questionable writing, and the thought processes for the plot that stretched my acceptance . There are the bones of a good story here, and it will be interesting to see what this author comes up with in the future. It was a quik read, and it kept me going until the end. With certain caveats, I could recommend this book to those who like science fiction with very young, untried protagonists.

[Karin Van duuren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A enjoyable thriller with sci-fi elements. The ending was surprising and I’m not sure if I really liked it because (without spoiling too much) one of the characters did a 180. And the original personality of this person would be in my opinion much more interesting for the story. But nevertheless an entertaining read.

I got this arc in exchange for a honest review.

[Sherie Miklas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The premise was unique and well thought out. Julian suffers from an affliction that causes him to see the traumatic memories of anyone he touches, and feel what they were feeling at that moment. He’s made the choice to live a reclusive lifestyle to avoid the pain of these memories until a mother is killed in front of her two daughters in a road rage incident. He knows if he talks to the daughters, he can find the killer, so he decides to offer his help.

The story is fast paced and the characters are believable. It was hard to put down once I started, and I appreciated that it wasn’t your same old detective story. I received an advance copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent story with a unique premise. There is plenty of action and suspense, and a great cast of characters. I particularly like the relationship between Lela and Julian. They have quickly formed a very deep, mutually beneficial friendship that at the moment shows no signs of developing into any type of romantic relationship. They both seem to be very happy and stable where they are. I enjoy the traditional police procedural with its inherent car chases, kidnappings, and murders being mixed in with a touch of paranormal involvement. Be forewarned, when you pick this one up you aren't going to want to put it down until the last page. I highly recommend it.

I received a review copy from the author via BookSiens and this is my honest opinion

[Heather Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting psychological read

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It gave me elements of James Bond, with an extra psychological twist.

I enjoyed the inclusion of two characters with polar opposite psychological/neurological abilities, and how the two were able to both work together and against one another.

I’m super into psych related material, so I also appreciated the science included in the story—It made these characters’ anomalies seem that much more real.

I also enjoyed that the reader is able to see personal walls come down in the characters involved. It’s a great reminder that we, as humans, are complex and are selective when it comes to showing our true selves to the world.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mirror Man is Book 1 in a new series by J B Manas. This thriller is fantastic! I loved the characters of Julian and Lela and the other characters are well written and fit perfectly in the story. Julian feels emotions and strong memories by touching someones hand. Lela uses his talent to help bring down bad guys. It's a perfect partnership until everything falls apart. I felt that J B Manas wrote so many surprises and twists and turns that I never knew what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the book so much that I was sad when the book ended. The ending was so surprising…. I can't wait to read Book 2! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Suvi Lambson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was interesting - it’s about two men with powers to make others forget or to see your memories. The writing was a little clunky and things kept happening very quickly (to move the story along I guess?) and the characters had little depth. Sebastian went from playboy who cares only about money to someone who is saving the world but the chapters from his perspective did not reflect that at all. Also, the police use completely unethical tactics and bragged about it a lot which just was rather off putting, but it’s a thriller so fine I guess? I wanted way more about Julian and Sebastian’s backstory. I got this book in a giveaway to review.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different type of read for me but enjoyable nonetheless. It mixes some elements of a thriller with science fiction and I found it quite engaging.

I had a soft spot for Julian and enjoyed his character and difficulties coping with life and his unusual ability. Despite it being different, I was gripped throughout and managed to read it in a day. I enjoyed the ending in particular and leaves me eager to read further.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as a review copy from Booksirens, this is an honest review. A very captivating story that's begins with an intriguing heist. Julian Black is a wickedly well crafted character that drives this story, coupled with the haunting gift to experience a person's memories has done its damage upon Julian. Now he's a pawn in a game that has no easy choices to make; one thing's for sure: Julian Black won't be caught in this crazy spider's web. A gorgeous, fun time. Highly recommended.

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mirror Man is an appealing thriller and page turner. Julian has the ability to feel the memories of anyone that he touches. This ability has attracted a secret organization that intends to use his talent for an evil plan. Will he comply? A suspenseful thriller that keeps the reader engrossed in the story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to author J.B. Manas for this FREE Kindle copy of The Mirror Man.

Aside from some editing issues, this is a thoroughly entertaining read. The story is well written using a varied and likeable set of characters. More of a light read, but plenty of action and plot to move the story along at a nice pace to keep the reader involved. A good read.

[Candie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book started out slow compared to how quickly the book went once the action started. After the kidnapping, I found that I could not put the book down. I also found errors throughout that were annoying but did not distract to much from the story. I look forward to seeing what becomes of Lela, Julian, and Sebastian.

[Kritika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful blend of sci fi and thriller!
The story was intresting and so was the main character. It was very detailed… which sometimes felt a bit over detailed but I still like it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mirror Man

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway! It absolutely had me captured from start to finish and had so many twists and turns! I will definitely be adding J.B. Manas to my list of authors to continue to read! I highly recommend! Thank you so much for my copy!

[Jay Batista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fast paced, entertaining book combines a Sci-fi premise with international criminal machinations and a naive main character finding himself and a hidden past. A fun and enjoyable read I finished in a single day.

[Jackie]

What an intriguing story. Kept me caught up with everything that happened. Strong characters that will have you binge reading to try and figure out what could possibly happen next.

[✨Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mirror Man was a wild ride, exciting twists and turns, easily one of the more exciting reads I've picked up in a while.

[Luvwolves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg Once I started this book I couldn't stop reading. I loved the story and the characters. Jordan and Lela are so good together. I hope the story is continued I loved it.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads for a giveaway of someone I have never read but will read more of his books if he has any. What a great book. Really enjoyed it. Kept me on my seat. Couldn’t put it down.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting premise! Good mix of fantasy and thriller!
A little difficult to get into but once there, an interesting read!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a different plot. It was a good read and leaves things possible for another in the series. Thanks to Goodreads for a free copy.

[Gwen Kubberness · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listen to the audio version and I absolutely hated it it was horrible horrible

[Kimberly Starrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced once it gets going. This would make a good movie.