Secret Lives by Mark de Castrique
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Web ID: 15087015Ratings & Reviews
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Highly Recommended
Secret Lives is the first book I've read that was written by Mark de Castrique and I was pleasantly surprised. The story grabbed my attention from the beginning, it has a great plot, the main character is a septuagenarian anyone would like to be, there's deceit and lies, but also there's gentleness and respect, and although a lot of details regarding locations and places are given, they are written in a pleasant way. It's an easy-read and 100% great entertainment!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Loved it! Hope it Becomes a Series!
I so hope that this continues as a series as I loved the characters and the story. Seventy-five-year-old Ethel Fiona Crestwater, former FBI Agent, has retired, well, not really. She has a long history with the FBI, beginning as a finger print technician when J. Edgar Hoover was still in charge. Now, she rents rooms in her home to current agents and can’t help getting involved (or almost taking over) current investigations. Her second cousin twice removed, Jesse Cooper, is living with her as he completes his university studies. When one of her boarders is murdered, she goes behind the scenes (well really in front of the scenes) to investigate. She has the direct numbers to the head of the Secret Service as well as the FBI, both of whom once rented rooms in her home. When Jesse is attacked, the search really does become personal and she calls in her friends and contacts to solve the murder and Jesse’s attack. A fast paced, intriguing mystery with a dash of humor and a side of cryptocurrency. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Highly entertaining c
Well that was a pleasant surprise! I love stories featuring older protagonists. 75 year old Ethel Fiona Crestwater is used to being underestimated and regarded as a somewhat frail older woman - but you do so at your peril. She is still very capable and possesses a razor sharp mind. Ethel, a former FBI agent, runs a boarding house for government agents from a range of agencies. Currently she also has her double first cousin twice removed (apparently it’s a thing), Jesse, a student, staying with her. She has the Head of the Secret Service, Cory Bradshaw, on speed dial, but then he used to be one of ‘her boys’ (boarders). So when one night a current boarder, secret service agent Jonathan Finch is gunned down outside her house she snaps into action- recording the scene on her phone, issuing instructions to Jesse, and phoning Bradshaw. Ethel will share her information but she also likes to have a couple of aces up her sleeve! This case is all about money! The Secret Service is responsible for monitoring counterfeit currency. And there has been a sneaky little scam running where bundles of counterfeit bills are sold for bit coin, then the sellers ambush the buyers and end up with the original duds plus the bitcoin. But on this night something went horribly wrong. There is also an FBI team looking into the disappearance of $20 million of real money after some shady character killed himself 6 months ago. Things get quite convoluted and Ethel and Jesse aren’t really sure who they can trust except each other! This lively story is well worth a read. Ethel is a most engaging character Jesse is not too shabby himself. Of the others - you’ll have to make your own mind up. Although Davie, Jonathan’s 9 year old disabled son is also very endearing. The plot is pacy and after more deaths it all gets a little dangerous! I really enjoyed this and can recommend it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Ethel Fiona Crestwater Rocks!
Mark de Castrique introduces a witty and brilliant female leading character that fans will adore—75-year-old landlord Ethel Fiona Crestwater. In his latest suspense thriller, SECRET LIVES, a retired FBI agent—a legend with all sorts of connections to the Secret Service and FBI! Intricately plotted a fast-paced murder mystery with an engaging cast of characters filled with humor and a tenacious unstoppable heroine. Ethel keeps things under wraps in her town of Arlington, VA, where she has a home and rents rooms to government agents called Ethel's dormitory. Except for Jesse Cooper, her double first cousin twice removed, who is staying with her while attending the American University in Washington, DC. He has no clue about the skills of his elderly cousin, but he will soon find out, firsthand! She has some famous boarders like the head of the Secret Service (Cory) and Arlington police detective (Frank), to name a few. When one tenant Jonathan Finch (SS agent), is shot in front of her house, Ethel steps in and is in full action. She must find his killer and the motive behind his death. Finch had about ten thousand dollars of cryptocurrency left. An incriminating gym bag of counterfeit currency was momentarily forgotten. The coins in the second wallet had a current value of more than twenty million. Where did a Secret Service agent get that kind of money? Was the private key on Finch's laptop? Where was the key with the numbers? Cryptocurrency and government corruption! Ethel has the "mad skills" of someone much younger, so do not let the age fool you, but she enjoys playing the card of the elderly and helpless when necessary. She protects her roomers. She has one goal. JUSTICE! If she has to bend a few rules along the way, so be it. Now she has her sidekick cousin to assist! Lots of action, excitement, and danger; plus some personal relationships with sweet Davie, Jonathan's son, who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta - fragile bones and a pleasure meeting him and his mom. A nice tie-in here. I LOVED ETHEL!!!! She is one tough cookie, and you want to be like her and have her watching out for you! Fun, witty, clever, and twisty! In addition, there is much to learn about Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies that are inaccessible to their owners because private keys have been lost, which I found fascinating. Quite the education. Also, UFOs do exist—United Flying Octogenarians. Ethel is too young to be a member, but her friends' Pete and Curt are worthy examples of this elite group. Highly entertaining, fans of Mark de Castrique and fans of author Janet Evanovich's upcoming Going Rogue (11/1) also about bitcoins— will enjoy this zany, wild ride! Hope we see more of Ethel in the future! My first book by the author, and look forward to reading more! #JDCMustReadBooks
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Excellent
Wow, wow, wow! What a rollercoaster of a ride this book was. I loved it and feel like it is one of the author’s best, if not the best. I have read several of his other books and enjoyed them, but this story kept me on the edge of my seat. The setting is Washington, DC and seventy five year old Ethel ( a wonderful character) runs a boarding house for secret service and FBI agents who are only in the DC area part time. The book starts with one of the Secret Service agents who reside there being killed in her front yard. And the book takes off. The story is tautly woven, and the characters of Ethel and her cousin Jesse become so real to the reader. A really great story. Keep them coming, Mark. We have to have more
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Totally recommend
At 75-years-old, Ethel Fiona Crestwater is used to being underestimated. She looks like someone's grandma, though she's never married or had children; petite and a bit frail, she's not a threat to anyone. Or is she...? Ethel runs a boarding house for government agents, and when someone murders one of her boarders, she springs into action-much to the surprise of her distant cousin Jesse, who has recently come to stay with her while he attends university. As he watches her photograph the crime scene, conceal evidence, and speed-dial the Secret Service Director, Jesse realizes that there's much more to Ethel than appearances suggest. But when Jesse is assaulted and the gym bag full of cash Ethel had hidden is stolen from the basement, the pair decides it's time to launch their own unofficial investigation. With no one to trust but each other, these double first cousins twice removed form an unlikely bond, and learn that the only thing truly worth risking your life for is family. Really enjoyed this book totally recommend Thank You NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press I just reviewed Secret Lives by Mark de Castrique. #NetGalley
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Roller Coaster Ride!
What a roller coaster! The suspense begins on the very first page and never lets up! Author Mark de Castrique creates an unforgettable character in 75-year-old Ethel Fiona Crestwater; she superficially resembles Elizabeth Best of "The Thursday Murder Club," but "Secret Lives" heads in its very own direction. Ethel runs a very special boarding house; except for a distant relative who’s an American University student, all of them federal agents. I’m not giving anything away; one of the Secret Service members is killed in the very second chapter. Petite Ethel, who has groomed dozens of federal agents, isn’t about to let a hit on her boarder go, regardless of what the Secret Service wants. She joins forces with her double-first-cousin-twice-removed Jesse Cooper to launch their own investigation — a most satisfying one. In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Mystery Solving Gets Better With Age
In "Secret Lives," Mark De Castrique introduces us to seventy-five-year old Ethel Fiona Crestwater, a mystery solving force who criminals and readers should never underestimate. One can’t help but love this character and hope to see her again in future books. She proves the point that age is just a number when it comes to a challenge and Ethel is up for taking on most any obstacle if the goal is justice. Well done.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com