Living Lies

Agent Melanie Ward #1

by Kate Mathis

In a world of espionage and deceit, Melanie Ward lives her life as a Secret Agent. She has tenaciously proved to be one of the top operatives for a clandestine division of the United States Government. Recruited ten years ago after graduating from San Diego State University, Melanie distanced herself from family and friends, choosing instead to immerse herself into a new life. When a justly earned promotion is snatched away by her nemesis, the arrogant and smug Finn Parker, Melanie recklessly walks away from the Agency and everything she has become. Lost with nowhere else to go, Melanie crashes and burns on her parents' old plaid couch. This is not your typical spy story. James Bond never had to suffer through a barrage of blind dates instigated by his "loving" mother with the help of his college roommates. As Melanie struggles to repair broken relationships and heal old wounds, she realizes she belongs in her secret world of lies. But then there's Adam... "Mathis keeps things going with a nice flair for dialogue. In what appears to be the first volume in a series, Melanie is off to a good start." - J.C. Martin, Arizona Daily Star "Mathis leaves readers wondering what will happen next. This is undoubtedly just the beginning of a thrilling mystery series of Agent Melanie Ward's adventures. Mathis offers an easy-reading, fast-paced style and develops characters fully, so I can barely wait for more." - Bonnie Lewis, The Virtual Scribe

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance

386 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much. I love a good female-spy novel. Here, however, I was frustrated and disappointed. First, the book is extremely choppy moving without much clear development between Melanie's love life, her becoming a spy, the "unknown assassin", and her professional career falling apart. The first third of the book leads up to her becoming a spy but could have been a separate novella because it hardly impacts the rest of the story and it develops slowly only to end abruptly and confusingly. The we jump ahead ten years, where we get very little of actual spy Melanie and more of Melanie the complete emotional mess, who can't handle her self-absorbed friends, crazy family, or a guy she's interested in. The whole I like you but I can't be with you, but I don't want anyone else to have you thing was ridiculously frustrating and definitely not what I was looking for when I started the story. Furthermore, it was like Melanie had two separate personalities, and I just couldn't see how Melanie could be such an effective spy and straight-forward in her professional life and so immature and pathetic in her personal life. As much as I want to know what happens between Melanie and Adam, I don't think I'll be able to read the rest of the series. As frustrating as the character flaws were, I just really couldn't get past the organizational issues.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was an intriguing book that had lots of twists and turns chucked my way and ones that I didn't even see coming and when they were revealed I was like Ohh , that makes sense. Living Lies starts when Melanie Ward is still in college and given an assignment of sorts to do , kind of like a Spy Test . She does the test and thinks nothing of it and then returns back to College and falls head over heels with her college crush Danny. The pair of them have a whirlwind romance and Melanie believes nothing can go wrong until Danny is offered a position elsewhere playing football and it's hello football, goodby Melanie. This crushes Melanie and then we see the novel flip Ten years later and Melanie is working as a Spy Agent and is awesome at her job but her love life is lacking and we discover she hasn't really had anyone serious since her heart was broken by Danny. The thing though, was that Melanie right throughout the novel definitely doesn't have her shortage of men but whether or not any of them actually fall into the category of Mr. Right is a whole other ball game. Can Melanie find a love life outside of her job or will she discover that she is one of those people married to their jobs and that in order to find a life , she must quit the one she has.
Find out all this and more in the first book of the Melanie Ward Series by Kate Mathis.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a wild ride! I started out not knowing whether I was going to enjoy it. It seemed more like a romance, of which I don't care for many. But even as a romance, it had enough, I don't know, SUBSTANCE, that I was willing to stick with it. In the last probably 10%, there was not one but two Major plot and character twists, changed all character preconceptions, while not destroying believability and consistency. The characters were interesting and entertaining, and there wasn enough reality and consistency in their makeup to form an overall good experience. Good book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the sequence!

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure whether this is chick lit or a woman written thriller. The 'action' parts were well done and kept you interested, but were very secondary to the 'romance' parts. The novel covered the heroine's college love, her lack of male companionship for ten years, and her current paramours along with her 'agency' (possibly the secret Service) politics and ambitions. It was fast reading but, in my opinion, lost sight of where it was going at times. There will be follow through novels (at least one), but I will not be among those who do follow through.

[Helen Stothard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although at the start I thought I'd opened the wrong one because Mel is in college rather than a spy, stick with it and you soon get to the story.

It's got a bad guy, a good guy, a strong female lead and a bunch of blind dates that will make you laugh out loud, as well as one of those will they/won't they get together romances.

Not sure how to classify it, it's somewhere between an action movie/chick flick/romcom but it's an entertaining read.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book as the plot attracted my interest, but in the end I found it to be mundane. The entire novel was choppy. We go between sections of espionage, intrigue; then contemporary friendship; then romantic interest; back to espionage, intrigue - none of which flowed in a smooth, coherent manner. Chapters of the mysterious assassin thrown in didn't help. Also, quite often throughout the novel it was difficult to figure out who was talking, what the scene was, or what was going on. I had to backtrack quite a few times trying to make sense of it with no success. Words and names seemed to be missing where it was clearly needed.


Even though I liked Melanie, it's hard to believe that such a superior agent who works so hard striving for the top can be so mixed up in her head, spending each moment analyzing everything to death. I found her mother to be so annoying and irritating I wanted to put a bullet through her brain. Then there are her whiny and pathetic friends. The banter between them was like something out of a Sweet Dreams YA novel except with adults. And the romance is nothing to write home about. No heat, no sizzle jumping off the pages when she's with Adam (or anyone else for that matter).


I think I'm going to pass on reading the sequels.

[Sebaah · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book had a lot of suspense and it was a good novel, but not a good mystery.
I liked her plot and i was intrigued but Mathis didnt entwine the romance and mystery plot very well. It seemed like there was a section of her love lefe then of her work bask again to her personnel life. She needs to combine them better. Also she needs more clues and foreshadowing. I mean i detected clues, but its a mystery novel it should allow the readers to be a detective too. And i think she needs a better editor, too many typos. But the reason i gave this book a four was because this was her first book and it was good. I was interested and im probably going to recommend it. Also i cant wait for the 2nd novel

[Kathleen Crowell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one because I was sort of interested in this spy lady having to go live back at home with her wacky mother...but the author spent waaayyy too much time on the early romance with Danny (obviously to bring him back for book 2). The friends were annoying and cliche. Having Adam be the mystery man in between the chapters was just dumb. I really don't want to read anymore. Melanie was just too wimpy in college to ever be a believable spy anyway.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast and entertaining, complete with laughter, nail biting, and a surprise or two. Great inaugural novel from a Tucson gem!

[Plainweird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a good story, but badly written, there's no continuity to the actions... Couldn't get into it.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done Kate - I am looking forward to reading the next one!

[Cherie M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm

This is an interesting mystery. I had trouble keeping up with what year the story was in. A whopper to say the least. I could take it or leave it.

[Lynn J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful-Intricate-Realstic!

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this mix of romance and spy!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm, so this was, in my opinion, a stretch. The story took a long time to connect her being a spy to the story. For a long time it seemed like her career as a spy was in left field and not essential to the story. As if she could have been a janitor or nurse or cook. It just didn’t seem to matter or connect at all until the...very...end. I was super mad to find out about Adam’s past. Does Melanie not get a real, good guy? She’s been through a lot and been lonely a long time. Why would you leave her with a guy that would make her always suspicious. “How can I ever trust you.” It would almost be better for her to walk away and just be a workaholic than live with always wondering if your trust is misplaced.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this to my kindle, since it was one of those freebies. That's how they hook you. lol At any rate, I almost put this book down after the first couple of chapters, as at times, I felt the writing was choppy and chapters ended a bit abruptly, and I lost track of who was talking, but it was a good plot and I enjoyed the characters. I'm glad I decided to keep going. I am now into the 3rd book in this series, and am enjoying the stories.

[Michelle Seckinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. Started off kind of slow and I couldn't really get into it. But in the middle and the end, I could not put the book down. I especially loved the twist at the end and I can't wait to see where book 2 takes it.

[Rhonda Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping

I love a good gripping novel and although this was good, it didn't get gripping until midway through. The chemistry between Adam and Melanie was palpable. I know I'll keep reading these

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read


Enjoyed. Liked that it wasn't written in a way you everyone's true role before the end. Looking forward to reading 2nd in series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read!! I didn't know which direction the characters were going next, very suspencful and very entertaining. On to # 2. Can't wait.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story line. Reminds me of the show on TV called Alias several years ago. It would be nice it the author didn’t take years between books.

[Lois Sibell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked the story, liked the back story, was lots of twists and turns. Ordered the second book, there's more to the story.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too bad for the first book. A bit confusing to start. Got going after the 1st half. I'll be reading the next book!

[Melissa Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read!

[Jadewik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt the book summary was slightly deceptive in that "Living Lies" read more like a romantic comedy to me than a spy book. I'd say a good 3/4ths of the book was about Spy Melanie's personal life and only 1/4 of the book was about being a spy. I only mention this because it wasn't quite what I'd expected... though, I still enjoyed the book.

The first 94 pages of this book were difficult to get into. A lot of key things happen that set up relationships that are involved later in the book -- specifically Melanie's relationships with her roommates Jen, Carla, and Trish-- so you somewhat need these chapters... but I do admit to mulling over those first chapters after finishing the book and trying to think of ways they could have been incorporated into the rest of the book. In the end, I believe I decided there really wasn't a good way to keep that information without leaving things as-is. Though, I didn't think those first chapters really fit or flowed with the rest of book.

The first couple of chapters, to me, felt a little wonky. It also took me a little while to get used to the formatting. There were scene changes without transitions or some sort of notation... and there were areas with the scene divider-things (I'm tired and I make up words...) when there was no scene change... or was there? I also missed the "10-Years Later" under the chapter 7 heading. (It would have been nice to have a whole IN-YOUR-FACE page for dorks like me who don't read headings.) Dialogue in some areas was also confusing with a third party being introduced, but the quote wasn't really attributed to the person. I really had to back-track a lot in the dialogue and do the whole... "okay, this is Melanie and this is Trish... and this is Adam, so this is Melanie again" thing. Maybe it was because it was late and I was reading tired... I don't know... but I had issues keeping up with dialogue.

Despite those nit-picky things... and my disappointment in the seeming lack of "super spy action"... the story, once I got past those first 94 pages and figured out the writing style, really was entertaining. The book quickly turned into a page-turner and I couldn't put it down. The story was unique, and I totally loved the concept of a love-starved spy. Melanie really is a ditz when it comes to her romantic life... and the story has a super-awesome ending with an excellent twist! I'm usually able to predict book endings, so I was overjoyed to discover I'd guessed incorrectly.

I really would have liked to see more of Melanie's arch-nemisis, Finn Parker, in the book-- he was a big screw-up whose father was a politician with his hands into everything, but I didn't really get a deep sense of the competition and rivalry between them-- just Melanie always fixing Finn's stupid mistakes and screw-ups. It would have been really cool to see Finn and Mel on the same mission and have Finn take all the credit via his overbearing father.

So... if you're looking for a romantic comedy with a little spy action, I recommend this book. Just give it a little time to get used to the formatting and the writing style.

[Jessy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was difficult to pin down with a rating. On the one hand, I've read way worse. On the other, I don't think it deserves more than two stars. At least, not in its present incarnation. Usually when I give a book one star, it's an indication of my contempt either for the overall book (including the writing) or my complete lack of appreciation for the concept or the story/plot line. Not so with this one. In truth, I'd probably give it 1.5 stars if I were able (Goodreads...).

In general, I really only have a few points to make...

I like the basic concept. It's been a while since I've encountered the relatable female spy outside of television and Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls. I also enjoy the general idea behind the Adam-love-interest thread. That being said, in terms of development--both plot and character--this book has a long way to go. There are huge chunks that could (and maybe should) be completely tossed. The espionage aspect of the story is given surprisingly little face time, so to speak. At the moment the story is more about Melanie's struggles with love and dating. Her career fades into the background until the end.

Melanie and Adam as characters (but, especially Melanie). They're not fleshed out enough and lack a certain level of dimension; the motivations are there but rudimentary at best. As a result, many (if not all) of the characters come off as juvenile and a little unstable. As is it stands, I didn't particularly connect with (or like) any of the characters. Melanie, in particular, lacked the strength and fortitude I would have expected for a character with her purported experience and career background. Adam....I'm not entirely sure how to describe the portrayal of Adam. I like the underlying idea of his character. However, I don't see any of the depth or dimension of his background reflected in his actual character. Both Melanie and Adam are disappointments.

The author's writing style. Admittedly, I wasn't a fan. There are a number of awkward passages and bits of unrealistic dialogue that I was hard-pressed to forgive.

In conclusion, there were also issues with overall organization and flow. This made the actual reading of the story frustrating. It was choppy and disorienting for most of the time. (As a side note, the Ryan thread at the beginning does not need to be in there at all. Too much time is spent on him. Even if that relationship with Ryan were necessary to understanding Melanie's motivations and character, the author would have been better off working that knowledge into the main story arc, whether as dialogue, flashbacks, self-reflection, or by some other mechanism.)

Unless she decides to tackle a complete revamping of this book (re: series), I won't be reading the sequels.

[Lyndsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me the book is really 3.5 stars, but I have it a 4 rather than the 3 because it is better than a 3.

The biggest problem for me is the beginning of the book. It's like 35% of the book is about something that only marginally matters. It's all backstory and way too much of it. Unless it comes up later in the series, I don't see how it was worth the pages. If it doesn't come up later, I fee like the editor really dropped the ball. In that same vein there were typos that made me a little crazy.

I also had trouble following who was saying what and where they were at times. I don't know if that was me or the author though, so I'm not really knocking it down for that.

The rest of the book is really quite entertaining and the plot is interesting. The characters can be a little annoying, but, so can people.

The main character is like a lot of women, it seems when it comes to work and love. She's almost too stuck to be realistic, but when I thought on it, I've known women that stubborn.

The side characters are okay and I'm curious whether they'll pop up more. I am also curious where the second book will start off. I probably won't be rushing to read it, but it will likely happen at some point.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This mystery thriller has it all-suspense, intrigue and romance. You'll root for undercover operative Melanie Ward as she tackles professional and personal crises while living a lie. Kudos to first-time author Kate Mathis!"
-Sue Giles, Editor-in-Chief, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine

I read this review and thought I have to read this book. I felt kind of cheated because I didn't find this book at all suspenseful or intriguing. It was more romance mixed with sex in the city kind of friendship and I'm damaged goods feel. I was really disappointed in the way the book was present as a Spy thriller when in fact it is a romance with a spy theme.
For a first time author it is a descent book but she didn't win me over. I didn't fall in love with Melanie Ward in fact I wanted to slap her and say wake up and grow up.
I loved the twist at the end but I felt like she rushed to end the book.
I do not think I will be reading the second book unless I get a for a steal. I just wasn't sold on Melanie as a Spy.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very hard to get into. There were a lot of formatting problems that are probably related to the Kindle version that hopefully aren't there in the print version. The plot itself was good but the storyline was choppy. There were times where the author jumped back and forth from present to past (even if the past was 5 minutes before) and it was confusing. I did enjoy the twist at the end though I suspected that someone was not who he seemed. As another reviewer said, this book was more a romantic book with discussing Melanie's personal/dating life for 3 weeks (which took up 3/4 of the book). I did like it based on the action at the end and I will probably read the sequel in time.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was at a restaurant one day, reading a book on my Kindle. The author of this book approached me and told me about her book, which was available on Kindle. I checked it out, and it sounded interesting, so I downloaded it. I am glad I did! There were a few problems with the formatting in the Kindle version, and the book could have used some more editing. In addition, the characters were more like caricatures, and many of the relationships and action seemed to develop too quickly to be believable. That being said, I enjoyed the characters and the storyline immensely. A book doesn't have to be believable to be enjoyable, after all. I found myself looking foward to reading the book, and when I finished it last night, I immediately bought and downloaded the author's next book in this series.