Review of The Decoys

[alicia_s_2007]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Decoys" by Jeffrey Mechling.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Decoys novel is a great third installment to this series written by Jeffrey Mechling. Tim Halls' and Mary Annes' marital banter brings a much-needed comedic relief in this sometimes-tense undercover story and had me chuckling while reading along. Building on and re-enforcing the history to create a world easily stepped into, without reading the first two books, was unexpected and almost delightful. When learning about the past main characters from the first two books, I was intrigued and interested in reading about them as well.

This book almost took me on a little vacation to The City by the Bay. Along with mentioning local hotspots it had made me wanting to walk along the boardwalk and hear the sea lions. While reading, it was very clear on who was speaking and to whom, as every person that "speaks" addresses the other person by name. To the point it was very repetitive and a bit annoying, but overall easy to understand. With so many new characters I acknowledge why this was done.

This book was professionally edited, but there were multiple errors, which had me rereading entire paragraphs to interpret what message was being conveyed. This made the books' flow somewhat cumbersome and moved the rating down to 2 instead of 3. I do understand the reason, as so many characters were being introduced and referenced, and at such a rapid pace.

Overall, I would rate this book a 2 out of 4 stars . I’m sorry to say I would not seek out this book due to the errors, but if I were traveling and this was an option, I would certainly pass the time by reading it. With that being said, I can see readers enjoying the authors' unique perspective of behind-the-scenes government operations, lingo, and procedures. I am much more appreciative of the precarious balance of home life and working in this stressful field.

This was a quick and easy read that would be good for book swaps, travel, or an open reading shelf for a Bed and Breakfast. Filled with intrigue, murder, and a little romance, this book checks several genre boxes that anyone can find interesting. I found this story compelling and would not mind stumbling upon the rest of the series. Due to the steamy scenes between the married couple, a bit of profanity, and violence, sensitive readers need to be aware of these instances.

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The Decoys
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