Nick's life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness, a wife who committed suicide, and two daughters who resent... read full description
reviews
Sep 05, 2011
Judy
rated it: 
Thriller with a Twist
As a child, on vacation, I remember my Mom’s guilty pleasure was reading “True Detective” magazines. Mine was reading romances. As an adult, I still prefer gentle love stories to gritty thrillers, so when I received Argyle’s latest offering from the publisher to review, I hesitated to read it, expecting blood and gore and all that I like least in my entertainment.
But this is more than your run-of-the-mill thriller. “Monarch” is a story that delves into th More...
As a child, on vacation, I remember my Mom’s guilty pleasure was reading “True Detective” magazines. Mine was reading romances. As an adult, I still prefer gentle love stories to gritty thrillers, so when I received Argyle’s latest offering from the publisher to review, I hesitated to read it, expecting blood and gore and all that I like least in my entertainment.
But this is more than your run-of-the-mill thriller. “Monarch” is a story that delves into th More...
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Jan 16, 2012
Walter
rated it: 
Tom Clancy with Less Tech and More Romance
Michelle Davidson Argyle's “Monarch” is a spy thriller with an emphasis on human emotions. The main character, Nick, is a Jack Ryan type spy (of all the Jack Ryan films I think Alec Baldwin would be closest to Argyle's protagonist, not Harrison Ford or Ben Affleck). Nick is the kind of spy who is more familiar with pushing papers than toting weapons, but he's well-versed enough in combat to be able to handle himself should the need arise. G More...
Michelle Davidson Argyle's “Monarch” is a spy thriller with an emphasis on human emotions. The main character, Nick, is a Jack Ryan type spy (of all the Jack Ryan films I think Alec Baldwin would be closest to Argyle's protagonist, not Harrison Ford or Ben Affleck). Nick is the kind of spy who is more familiar with pushing papers than toting weapons, but he's well-versed enough in combat to be able to handle himself should the need arise. G More...
Sep 14, 2011
Vincent
rated it:
Argyle's "Monarch" is, at first blush, a mash-up of the romance and thriller genres with a dash of espionage thrown in. While my characterization of the novel may come across as dismissive, the blending of the two styles actually works quite well. Argyle starts "Monarch" off with a literal bang (or rather a muffled 'pop' from a silenced gun) during a failed assassination attempt. Here we are introduced to one of three principal characters: CIA officer, Nick Avery.
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Sep 15, 2011
Liza
rated it:
"The blood pooling on the floor under the assassin’s back reminded Nick of butterfly wings."
Man, what an awesome first line! It sets up the mood, theme, and direction of this book perfectly! After a line like that, my expectation was that this book would be a post-James Bondian mission. Like, what happens *after* a mission takes place and the hero reports Mission: Accomplished.
Well, this is definitely not a post-Mission: Accomplished spy thriller. More like, Mis More...
Man, what an awesome first line! It sets up the mood, theme, and direction of this book perfectly! After a line like that, my expectation was that this book would be a post-James Bondian mission. Like, what happens *after* a mission takes place and the hero reports Mission: Accomplished.
Well, this is definitely not a post-Mission: Accomplished spy thriller. More like, Mis More...
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Sep 22, 2011
Rebekah
rated it:
Monarch is a taut thriller, with big splashes of charm, that's heavier than most on character. Recommended for those in search of feel-like-you-are-there action with a heaping spoonful of heady romance.
I really adored most of the characters in this work. The three viewpoint characters Nick, Lillian and Devan each brought a different dimension to the story, with their vastly different life experiences. Nick (who just happened to look remarkably like George Clooney in my head) was sexy More...
I really adored most of the characters in this work. The three viewpoint characters Nick, Lillian and Devan each brought a different dimension to the story, with their vastly different life experiences. Nick (who just happened to look remarkably like George Clooney in my head) was sexy More...
Oct 21, 2011
B.K.
rated it:
Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle is one of those stay up all night because you can't put it down reads - which is exactly what I did.
Lillian is an emotional woman holding the past close to her heart. When Nick steps back into her life, the past comes flooding back like a broken dam bringing danger and mixed feelings with it.
Nick is on the run, accused of murder. As he sets out to prove his innocence, running to the only place he thinks is safe, Lillian not only provides a More...
Lillian is an emotional woman holding the past close to her heart. When Nick steps back into her life, the past comes flooding back like a broken dam bringing danger and mixed feelings with it.
Nick is on the run, accused of murder. As he sets out to prove his innocence, running to the only place he thinks is safe, Lillian not only provides a More...
Sep 01, 2011
This story is very good, i hope that there are alot more books by this Author, this book was very very interesting to read, it was never dull or boring ever, and there never was any dull or boring parts in this story at all, i look forward to reading other books by this Author, i am so glad i got the chance to review this great book, this is a great book by a great Author, this Author knows how to keep a readers Attention and interest, she is a very very good writer, this book grabbed my Interes
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Aug 04, 2011
Cynthia
rated it:
I normally don't read thriller/mystery books, I usaully have a hard time getting into them. But when I started reading this book I was thouroghly surprised how sucked in I got. I couldn't put it down. It normally takes me at least 3-4 days to read a book but I read this on in less than 2 days.
I really like the way Michelle wrote this. There is so many twist, turns, and surprises that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Everytime time I assumed I knew what was going to happen I was pr More...
I really like the way Michelle wrote this. There is so many twist, turns, and surprises that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Everytime time I assumed I knew what was going to happen I was pr More...
Jul 24, 2011
Suzy
rated it:
I loved this book. Mystery. Romance. Secrets. Affairs.
An undercover agent/officer is pretty deep into a drug ring when he is framed for murder and has to hide while he sorts stuff out. He runs to a secluded inn run by an old friend whom he has feelings for. Soon his family is in danger as well.
I love that you don't know what is going to happen. So often in mystery books I know what is going to happen and who is good and who is bad and who ends up with who and this book is no More...
An undercover agent/officer is pretty deep into a drug ring when he is framed for murder and has to hide while he sorts stuff out. He runs to a secluded inn run by an old friend whom he has feelings for. Soon his family is in danger as well.
I love that you don't know what is going to happen. So often in mystery books I know what is going to happen and who is good and who is bad and who ends up with who and this book is no More...
Sep 18, 2011
Adam
rated it:
If you go into this book expecting it to be your typical thriller, then you'll be HAPPILY disappointed. It is a thriller, but has enough a unique plot line to keep you engaged in the story.
The characters are well developed, and the reader is drawn into the book and at some points you can actually feel the sense of danger and urgency the characters are feeling.
I am an avid thriller fan. I've read good books, okay books, bad books, and great books. I would consider thi More...
The characters are well developed, and the reader is drawn into the book and at some points you can actually feel the sense of danger and urgency the characters are feeling.
I am an avid thriller fan. I've read good books, okay books, bad books, and great books. I would consider thi More...
Jul 06, 2011
Katy
rated it:
Nick doesn’t live a typical life, and this is driven home immediately at the beginning of the book, which opens with him watching the blood of an assassin, whom he has just killed, stain the floor of his kitchen. Nick works for the CIA in the DEA division; he has been in Brazil for two years now trying to take down a major drug cartel; but things become nasty when the drug lord, Ferreria, learns about Nick. How will Nick escape his fate? He is a widower – his wife died of a drug overdose 10 y
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Aug 20, 2011
Misha
rated it:
When I started reading Monarch, I wasn't sure if I was really enjoying it. Found it hard to pin down. Still, there was enough of an intrigue for me to continue and I'm glad that I did. If I hadn't I would have missed some of the best characterization that I've come across in a long time.
And the portion after Nick brought his children to the guest house reads like a powder keg waiting to explode, with a lot of conflict that was handled subtly and beautifully.
I love how M More...
And the portion after Nick brought his children to the guest house reads like a powder keg waiting to explode, with a lot of conflict that was handled subtly and beautifully.
I love how M More...
Sep 09, 2011
Tamara
rated it:
Thrillers are another genre that I don’t read often, but after reading Cinders I just had to find out what Michelle Davidson Argyle had to offer next. When I heard that it was a thriller I have to admit that I was a little cautious, but after reading it I can safely say there was nothing I didn’t love about this story.
Monarch, to me, isn’t just a thriller – it’s a romance, a mystery, an adventure story with plenty of family issues all cohesively winding together to create a thrillin More...
Monarch, to me, isn’t just a thriller – it’s a romance, a mystery, an adventure story with plenty of family issues all cohesively winding together to create a thrillin More...
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Dec 12, 2011
Brandi
rated it:
This story is very good, i hope that there are alot more books by this Author, this book was very very interesting to read, it was never dull or boring ever, and there never was any dull or boring parts in this story at all, i look forward to reading other books by this Author, i am so glad i got the chance to review this great book, this is a great book by a great Author, this Author knows how to keep a readers Attention and interest, she is a very very good writer, this book grabbed my Interes
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Oct 18, 2011
Raquel
rated it:
I must say how surprised I am by just how much I loved Monarch. When I first read about it, I thought it sounded interesting. When I got my hands on it I found it really hard to put down. I mainly read paranormal romance books but I do enjoy other genre's, suspense thrillers being one of them. I must say the added touch of a little romance made it all the more thrilling in my opinion. From the very beginning Nick kept me at the edge of my seat but then you throw in his complicated history with w
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Sep 21, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Talk about a page-turning cozy thriller. Cozy thriller? I know. Such an oxymoron but Michelle pulled it off. The few thriller books I have read seemed to mostly rely on action and shock value to keep the reader engrossed, but Michelle went above and beyond great action scenes. She made Monarch cozy by creating a cast of characters I genuinely cared about. I even sympathized with the villains (and the people I suspected as villains but later found out they weren’t—or were they? Depends who you as
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Sep 06, 2011
Ernie
rated it:
As an avid reader of science-fiction and fantasy, I rarely go off-genre. Yet based on recommendations of friends, I read Monarch, by Michelle Argyle, who also writes speculative fiction. My friends did not let me down.
Monarch centers around a CIA head hunter named Nick. His main job is to seek out recruits for the CIA. When he is tapped for one last assignment in the field tracking a notorious drug lord in the Brazillian jungle. His job has already cost him his wife, who comitt More...
Monarch centers around a CIA head hunter named Nick. His main job is to seek out recruits for the CIA. When he is tapped for one last assignment in the field tracking a notorious drug lord in the Brazillian jungle. His job has already cost him his wife, who comitt More...
Sep 27, 2011
J.C.
rated it:
“Lies, secrets and betrayals cocoon a love as fragile as a butterfly’s wings.”
– Karen Dionne, author of Freezing Point
I find Karen’s quote sums up Michelle’s novel perfectly. While complex and twisting on the outside, the central story is really a simple one, that revolves around a father seeking forgiveness from his daughters, and the age-old love story between a man fraught with grief and guilt, and a woman afraid of allowing herself to love again. Large parts of the story is More...
– Karen Dionne, author of Freezing Point
I find Karen’s quote sums up Michelle’s novel perfectly. While complex and twisting on the outside, the central story is really a simple one, that revolves around a father seeking forgiveness from his daughters, and the age-old love story between a man fraught with grief and guilt, and a woman afraid of allowing herself to love again. Large parts of the story is More...
Sep 30, 2011
J.C.
rated it:
The novel begins with some information about the Monarch butterfly; their journey, their tenacity despite many obstacles, and the dangers they currently face. These are beautiful creatures, and obviously dear to Michelle’s heart. They are also central to the story line. Michelle’s use of symbolism has always impressed me. She manages to weave the Monarchs into every facet of the novel in a way that gives greater meaning to the story without it feeling forced. In fact, these days when I think abo
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Oct 01, 2011
I don't generally read thrillers or adult novels, so I'm definitely not in the target audience, but the cover intrigued me. The butterfly wings behind the body seem to hint that life is a beautiful, albeit fragile thing. A theme running throughout the book.
One of my favorite things about MONARCH was the use of butterflies. They're woven in to the story and are an integral symbol for the whole. Butterflies can mean a lot of different things, but some common symbols they represent are ch More...
One of my favorite things about MONARCH was the use of butterflies. They're woven in to the story and are an integral symbol for the whole. Butterflies can mean a lot of different things, but some common symbols they represent are ch More...
Sep 02, 2011
Monarch takes you on a wild ride from the jungles of Brazil to the isolated Monarch Inn in West Virginia.
Nick is a CIA spy hot on the trail of elusive drug lord, Matheus Ferreira. But, Nick's mission turns terribly wrong, and he's forced to run for his life. Keeping his daughters safe while trying to clear his name leads him back to Lillian Love and the Monarch Inn.
Like the monarchs for which the inn was named, each character undergoes their own metamorphosis. Only time will More...
Nick is a CIA spy hot on the trail of elusive drug lord, Matheus Ferreira. But, Nick's mission turns terribly wrong, and he's forced to run for his life. Keeping his daughters safe while trying to clear his name leads him back to Lillian Love and the Monarch Inn.
Like the monarchs for which the inn was named, each character undergoes their own metamorphosis. Only time will More...
Oct 24, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Once I got around to reading Monarch, I finished it in two days. The book is the most well-written one that I've come across in months. The main character, Nick, reminds me a lot of the tough, swoon-worthy kind of guy often portrayed by Daniel Craig in the new 007 movies. He's hurting over a lost love, is in super shape, is a professional killer, and he's pretty much just irresistible to women. Yeah, he cheats on the girl Lillian who loves him...but who could stay mad at Daniel Craig, right? The
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Sep 15, 2011
Thrillers have always been a touchy ground for me to delve into. At first, after requesting Monarch, I was frightened by what the outcome of me reading it would be. I have to say though, that it was one the best thrillers I've EVER read. Territories apart from my comfort zone crash straight to disaster, but this book proved that wrong very strongly.
Miss Argyle created a thriller novel that was truly an epitome of all the thriller novels I read. She had action and the characters were soo rea More...
Miss Argyle created a thriller novel that was truly an epitome of all the thriller novels I read. She had action and the characters were soo rea More...
Sep 15, 2011
May-Day
rated it:
I was fortunate enough to receive a ARC of this book from the author as part of her online book tour.
Monarch is a contemporary thriller full of suspense, drama, and emotional-fueled characters/moments. While I like a good action/suspense story, I don't generally read this genre. (I'm more likely to watch a thriller than read a thriller.) But Michelle hooked me with her descriptions of the story, and I wasn't disappointed!
This book was quite the page-turner and therefore a rel More...
Monarch is a contemporary thriller full of suspense, drama, and emotional-fueled characters/moments. While I like a good action/suspense story, I don't generally read this genre. (I'm more likely to watch a thriller than read a thriller.) But Michelle hooked me with her descriptions of the story, and I wasn't disappointed!
This book was quite the page-turner and therefore a rel More...
Sep 30, 2011
Kate aka YzhaBella's BookShelf
rated it: 
For those of you who've read this Contemporary Thriller, what did you think? Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts?
For those of you who haven't, what are you waiting for? Grab your self a copy and let's get chatting!
Here we go!...
Monarch is a somewhat intense, romantic and suspenseful thriller that may keep you guessing and slightly intrigued, but fails to address some pretty prominent parts of the whole. While easy flowing with plenty of potential, readers my More...
For those of you who haven't, what are you waiting for? Grab your self a copy and let's get chatting!
Here we go!...
Monarch is a somewhat intense, romantic and suspenseful thriller that may keep you guessing and slightly intrigued, but fails to address some pretty prominent parts of the whole. While easy flowing with plenty of potential, readers my More...
Oct 25, 2011
Jordan
rated it:
Michelle's books always make me think, especially about her use of symbols, and usually most of that thinking happens after the book. I'll have more to say (and hope to be able to assign a star system) once I sort through my thoughts and get ready for my turn on her blog tour.
Update: Monarch is the story of Nick, a widowed former CIA operative whose past—as a spy and as a person—catches up to him. A drug lord whose organization Nick infiltrated comes after Nick’s shattered family, a More...
Update: Monarch is the story of Nick, a widowed former CIA operative whose past—as a spy and as a person—catches up to him. A drug lord whose organization Nick infiltrated comes after Nick’s shattered family, a More...
Sep 15, 2011
Cas
rated it:
Having a dying assassin in your kitchen is not a good start to anyone’s day, but it’s marginally better than facing a live one. And Nick Avery knows that things are only going to get worse. He’s been betrayed – but by whom? Finding the answer to this question, clearing his name of a false murder charge, and trying to rebuild a relationship with his two daughters after their mother’s suicide are only some of the goals Nick has to achieve. Staying alive would be a good start.
Can Lilian Love, More...
Can Lilian Love, More...
Sep 12, 2011
Cherie
rated it:
Michelle Davidson Argyle's Monarch breaks free and spreads its wings for a read sure to thrill readers.
When assassins fly into Nick's life, he must run to the one place he can be safe: the Monarch Inn. Lilian Love struggles with running the inn, worries over her grown son, and fears the inn will fail if the monarch butterflies stop migrating through their area. Nick and Lilian become reacquainted, but the danger isn't over. Nick brings his two daughters to the inn to be safe while he m More...
When assassins fly into Nick's life, he must run to the one place he can be safe: the Monarch Inn. Lilian Love struggles with running the inn, worries over her grown son, and fears the inn will fail if the monarch butterflies stop migrating through their area. Nick and Lilian become reacquainted, but the danger isn't over. Nick brings his two daughters to the inn to be safe while he m More...
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Jan 01, 2012
Rick
rated it:
MONARCH is thrilling on many levels. The action and intrigue behind the main plot-a CIA agent framed for a murder he did not commit-is almost a backstory in front of which the main characters can interact and learn about love and loss. Indeed, the characters drive the story. They all enter into difficult situations, either physical or emotional challenges. And while the protagonist Nick has the skills needed to carry an action story, he is not super-human. His pain is physical and mental, a
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Oct 13, 2011
Rosie
rated it:
MONARCH is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller that is unput-downable. All of the characters went straight to my heart as soon as I opened the cover, and all I wanted was for everyone to survive. Davidson Argyle weaves tension like an expert loomist, with almost every scene inspiring nail-biting reactions. "Real" time and flashback move seamlessly back and forth, creating a vivid full picture.
On top of it being a great story, I think I can learn things from Davidson Ar More...
On top of it being a great story, I think I can learn things from Davidson Ar More...
