That Old Cloak and Dagger Routine

Operation Quickline #1

by Anne Louise Bannon

In 1982, Lisa Wycherly was broke, out of work and desperate. So when Sid Hackbirn offered her a job as his live-in secretary, she jumped at it, little knowing just how dangerous it would be. Living at Sid's house was scary enough, given Sid's tendency to fool around and Lisa's unexpected attraction to him in spite of their directly opposed values regarding sex. Sid was a spy for an ultra-top-secret agency and had recruited Lisa to work as his associate. Sid knew he was turning Lisa's life upside-down. He had no clue what she'd do to him.
As Lisa learned the spy biz, things got rocky almost immediately. Lisa wasn't used to being in danger and didn't always react well. Sid tried to maintain his usual emotional distance but soon found that Lisa was not going to let him. It took the kidnapping of a college professor to force the two to really talk, and Lisa to face her own fears.

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2016

About the author

Hi! I’m Anne Louise Bannon. I wrote my first short story at age 9 and my first novel at age 15. Since then, I've written a couple other books and have worked as a journalist. I've written about a lot of different things, from winemaking to city hall meetings to fantasy and my work has appeared in newspapers across the country and numerous websites.

Mostly though, I write mysteries, with some fantasy and romance tossed in. I've got several books out with more coming.

As for the rest, I live in Southern California with my husband, dog and cat. I have a grown daughter living in Northern California, who still talks to me voluntarily. And when I’m not working, I enjoy cooking, sewing, reading, hiking and a good football game.

Reviews

[Betsy Cornwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually give four stars for fluffy mysteries but this one is surprising as well as fun. When I read in the synopsis that the heroine "has standards," I was expecting something preachy. Instead, I found credible, though not quite believable characters full of quirks. I don't usually like spy novels but this one has nice spies who are patient with children and manage to hold on to their humanity while saving the world. Pick this one up if you want a relaxing, riveting read that won't add undue stress and anxiety to your life.

[Sharon Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down!

I gobbled this book up in a day and am on to Book 2 in the Quickline Series. Bannon walks a knife-edge with her main character: one side, there is no way I would ever do that and I would tell Lisa Wycherly so if I could. On the other, I want to do that and be her. It’s rare to have a main character so strong, so family oriented, so committed to her values, and be so darned delightful. Buy it and read it tonight!

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I was never going to get this (and 45 others) properly written up, so I posted quick, tweet-length thoughts about some things that have needed reviewed for far too long:
Ummm…a cozy and fairly self-consciously chaste spy novel. Who knew that was possible? Wasn’t wowed, but intrigued enough to read more.