Official Review: The Decoys by Jeffrey Mechling

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shannonkate8
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Official Review: The Decoys by Jeffrey Mechling

Post by shannonkate8 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Decoys" by Jeffrey Mechling.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Tim and Mary Ann Hall don’t often have relaxing days anymore given their jobs – United States deputy marshal and FBI-CIA liaison, respectively. They have seen all sorts of events and chaos but today was relatively innocent, or so they thought. On a Saturday morning, they stopped at their usual drug store to find it eerily quiet, so much so that Mary Ann unstrapped her gun. Soon, they were confronted by an armed man brandishing a shotgun.

After efficiently handling the robbery-gone-wrong, Mary Ann and Tim learn that they actually thwarted an attempt on their lives. Their initial investigation takes them to California and only leads to more questions and more deaths. Will they be able to figure out who is behind this elaborate plot or will more people die?

The Decoys: A Tim and Mary Ann Hall Mystery by Jeffrey Mechling is book three in the Tim and Mary Ann series. Like past books, the author provides an interesting story and background with entertaining twists and turns. If you have not read the beginning two books, I would highly recommend it as the author references past storylines and events. You can read this as a standalone novel but the other books contain a wealth of information into the characters and their lives. In this book, there was a lot going on but I appreciated how much work the author put into it. I was able to follow the characters and multiple seemingly diverging plot lines to an entertaining conclusion.

That said, there were a few things I didn’t quite enjoy. The dialogue was difficult for me to get through, and this was a relatively dialogue-heavy book. Most times, it seemed rather formal which made it unnatural for me to read. It made the book forced at times and restricted the story occasionally.

The relationship between Mary Ann and Tim was also rather rocky and bordering on unhealthy. While some people may not be put off by this, I was. At one point, Tim’s character refers to arguments and times where Mary Ann questioned his masculinity. Following that, Tim does something to bother Mary Ann. There is a lot of questionable behavior between two people who supposedly love one another and I didn’t enjoy reading it. It does get better but definitely made me cringe reading it.

Overall, however, I have to give the book 3 out of 4 stars. The book was generally well written and clearly edited, though I did find a few errors. The copy I had still had footnotes in the book from the editor (I believe) and are, hopefully, not in official copies. Another proofread could easily eliminate any errors. All said and done, those interested in crime fiction books are sure to enjoy this and I would recommend it to them.

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The Decoys
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NetMassimo
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Post by NetMassimo »

Despite the flaws you pointed out, this seems an intriguing crime thriller, so I'll look into this series. Thank you for your great review!
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Post by Gracious Ngy88 »

Nice review though, but I don't really like crime fiction books so I will skip this.
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Post by Samgum50 »

Great review! I'm sure I'd really like this book since it's a crime thriller.
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Post by shannonkate8 »

NetMassimo wrote: 07 Jun 2020, 01:43 Despite the flaws you pointed out, this seems an intriguing crime thriller, so I'll look into this series. Thank you for your great review!
It was definitely a fun crime thriller. The dialogue really just isn't my cup-of-tea and the relationship between the two main characters made me cringe at times. Overall, though, I was happy with the story itself.
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Post by Kirsi Cultrera »

I mostly enjoy crime stories very much and this one sounds like my kind of story! I also have a bad habit of always starting any series from a wrong end... :oops2: maybe I should try reading the books in right order this time! Thanks for a nice review!
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Post by MsH2k »

With all that’s happening in the story, I don’t think I’d like the relationship issues you mentioned. That added angst would be distracting. It sounds like an exciting read otherwise. Great review!
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Post by _Lindsey_ »

I also find it really off-putting when an author normalizes a toxic relationship. Having too much dialogue is also a problem as it can get boring. Apart from these problems though, it sounds like a fairly enjoyable story. Thanks for reviewing it.
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Post by Phelicia Gloria »

Fiction novel is not my thing, though very good review
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Post by shannonkate8 »

Kirsi_78 wrote: 07 Jun 2020, 13:13 I mostly enjoy crime stories very much and this one sounds like my kind of story! I also have a bad habit of always starting any series from a wrong end... :oops2: maybe I should try reading the books in right order this time! Thanks for a nice review!
I do too! There are many series where I have just bounced around between books. I'll have to pay more attention!
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Post by shannonkate8 »

MsH2k wrote: 08 Jun 2020, 00:23 With all that’s happening in the story, I don’t think I’d like the relationship issues you mentioned. That added angst would be distracting. It sounds like an exciting read otherwise. Great review!
In general, it was a good book. But my background likely influenced me noticing the relationship issues. I'm sure others could get past it, but I just couldn't
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Post by shannonkate8 »

_Lindsey_ wrote: 08 Jun 2020, 09:34 I also find it really off-putting when an author normalizes a toxic relationship. Having too much dialogue is also a problem as it can get boring. Apart from these problems though, it sounds like a fairly enjoyable story. Thanks for reviewing it.
I think the story was well done and interesting. The dialogue was just too formal for my liking. It wasn't realistic or how most people talk (from my experience).
I also understand that people write about different types of relationships and alternative lifestyles all the time. It just wasn't my cup of tea because of how they treated each other.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." -Aristotle
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