Smoke & Mirrors: A Novel (Dell Suspense)

by John Ramsey Miller and John Ramsey Miller

Book Overview

One shot One warning and no end in sight The murder was shocking in its brutality: A thousand-yard high-velocity shot that left an innocent nineteen-year-old babysitter dead on a Mississippi... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440243106
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Dell
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 1.1" x 4.1"

Customer Reviews

you won't want to put it down.

It's a knucklebiter. To be read on stormy nights with red wine and a cat on your lap. Don't try it without those accessories, as it gets pretty graphic - the killer has some sadistic streaks. If you like the author, for heavens sake read it thrice. If you don't know the author, consider that it's action only and not funny once, lacks some logic but makes up with being somewhat sexy. You won't learn anything by reading this book but you will sure have a good time.

Very Readable

The greatest strength of this book is overall readability. The author has created characters that are as real as any I've recently encountered. Quite simply, there is nothing exotic or overblown within this story. The characters said and did things very similar to what I would have done in the same circumstance. I love the fact that the hero, Winter Massey, is not made out to be some superman. He is very self-depriciating and acknowledges several times throughout the book that he may be overmatched. The supporting characters are equally believable and fill their roles admirably. The only complaint I have is that Styer seemed to act out of character by keeping people alive unnecessarily a couple of times. Granted, the author was portraying Styer as being more calculated than evil, but the errors in judgement flawed an otherwise strong villain.

Smoke & Mirrors

John Ramsey Miller doesn't disappoint in his latest offering in the Winter Massey saga. If you've been following Winter's adventures, you won't want to miss this one. I don't want to go into detail for fear of spoiling it. Just check it out.

action thriller

Paulus Styer , a professionally trained assassin, once told Ex US Marshal Winter says he will walk away from his (the target) if his Massey does not search for him. Ex-Marshal Winter Massey and his family go deer hunting in the Mississippi Delta. Tunica County Sheriff Brad Barnettt asks Winter to look at a corpse who had his business card near it. Winter knows immediately that his enemy assassin Styer left his calling card, toothpicks soaked in clove oil. Winter realizes why Styer is in the Delta; he plans to kill the former Marshal and whoever contracted him for a hit. Brad deputizes him because he needs someone who knows the assassin. After doing some investigating in the county record they both believe Styer killed the wrong person. The Sheriff's girlfriend Leigh Gardner owns the last strip of land that Royal Resorts International covets in order for the firm to build a new gigantic gambling complex in the Delta. The woman he killed was supposed to be Leigh. The theory is that Styer came to kill her and her children. Skyer abducts Leigh's daughter Cynthia forcing Winter to take counter action. The protagonist is a quixotic mix of macho ruthlessness and gentle sensitivity depending on friend or foe. The assassin sets up a brilliant cat and mouse game in which he makes and breaks the rules while disguising himself so his antagonist cannot recognize him. There is plenty of action, but the thrust of this fine crime caper belongs to the cast as Brad and Winter become brothers-in-arms in a war against Styer. Harriet Klausner