The Secret Brokers by Alexandrea Weis-a review

THE SECRET BROKERS by Alexandrea Weis

THE SECRET BROKERS is the first storyline (June 2012 release)  in Alexandrea Weis’ s contemporary mystery spinoff series based on her Nicci Beauvoir Series. As this was my first foray into the Alexandrea Weis series of novels, I was slightly lost as to the circumstances that brought our hero Dallas August to the point where he is today. Dallas is former FBI agent who now works in a private capacity uncovering the secrets of the rich and infamous. I had to check out the reviews and author’s blurbs to understand the attitude and persona behind Dallas August-Dallas August is not so squeaky clean and law abiding as one would think. The series takes place between New York City and New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Secret Brokers follows Dallas as he is called in to repay a favor to a crime syndicate boss-to gather information from a competing crime lord’s daughter under the guise of guard and protector-and that information is wanted by everyone connected to the syndicate. While an old man lay dying, his death bed confession was heard by Gwen Marsh-the daughter of a powerful crime lord and one in direct competition with the man who hired Mr. August.

Like many forced encounters, the relationship between Dallas and Gwen Marsh is fraught with anger, secrets and mistrust. Gwen is vehemently opposed to Dallas’s presence and it doesn’t help that he comes with attitude to spare, but Gwen is no wall-flower as Dallas will soon discover. Before taking on his current assignment, Dallas had researched as much as he could regarding Gwen Marsh and her relationship with her family and friends. But as the storyline progressed things did not add up, and the information was in total opposition to the Gwen Marsh he was getting to know. Nothing about the woman matched what he was told. And to complicate matters, her relationship with her father was so stressful that Dallas suspected a bigger family secret.

We are re-introduced to many of the previous storyline principle and secondary characters. There is plenty of information regarding the Nicci Beauvoir affairs including the under cover assignments, presumed deaths and current identification of those once closest to Dallas and his friends. But Dallas is a man with a broken heart and it has taken him months to get where he is today, and on the surface he has not progressed too far. NIcci was once the love of his life but she was murdered and has miraculously returned from the dead with a new identity and her previously dead lover in tow, and Dallas is having a difficult time letting go of the past. But it takes a strong woman like ‘Gwen Marsh’ to uncover the secrets that lay hidden beneath the strong façade and mask of a man like Dallas August.

THE SECRET BROKERS has a plotline filled with twists and mystery, a little bit of sex and whole lot of interesting characters. Now that I have read this particular novel, I will be going back to catch up with the previous storyline and series. I want to know what brought Dallas to where he is today. The man is driven by his past, and his brooding personality pulled me into the storyline. I wanted Dallas to be happy but he was sabotaging any attempt for happiness every time he thought about Nicci and what might have been. Alexandrea writes an amazing story that pulled me in from the very start.

Copy supplied by author

Reviewed by Sandy