Rating: 
Summary: Thievery, betrayal, mass murder and old lies
Review: ....Wheels within wheels. Political intrigue in highly entertaining, convoluted fashion. This
is Taylor Smith's sixth international thriller after a career in international diplomacy. The
novel is heavy with verisimilitude and authenticity. Indeed, it is overabundant with
details, telling incidents, puzzling events, murky trails and many interesting characters. Shortly after the end of World War Two, a beautiful, even glamorous, English war bride
named Grace Meade brings her tiny daughter to America, to the small town Minnesota
home of her husband, killed in the war in Europe. Years later, that daughter, now a
degreed historical researcher for the Smithsonian, begins to develop an exhibit on the
war. What Jillian Meade realizes is that she knows only scraps of her mother's
background and very small scraps at that. Since she must go to England to examine some
newly released intelligence papers for the exhibit, she decides to include a little personal
research. Her inquiries soon turn up the fact that Grace Meade, her mother, worked for
British Intelligence and she finds some people who knew Grace Meade during and before
the war. The problem is, the arithmetic of dates seem to be askew. Why? At this point,
Jillian's troubles begin. Meanwhile, back in the U.S. FBI agent Alex Cruz is assigned to look into Jillian Meade's
background. The request, strangely enough, comes from Scotland Yard. When an
obviously upset Jillian returns from Europe, she goes home, home to Havenwood,
Minnesota, to see her mother, to confront her with her questions. Alex Cruz, is pursuing
Jillian Meade to ask her some questions and soon finds himself emplaning for Minnesota.
Why? Because Grace Meade is suddenly, suspiciously, dead and Jillian appears to be
involved. The novel is filled with historical references to behind the lines resistance activity in
France. Here are instances of thievery, betrayal, mass murder and very personal,
up-close, murder. Smith is a good writer who could use some judicious editing. There
are some great conversations and some fine clichés, as well as an abundance of telling
phrases. Frequently, when Smith writes, the air moves. Nevertheless, Smith's skill as a
writer more often than not infuses scenes with immediacy and power. An excellent if
long, novel.
Rating:
Summary: Thievery, betrayal, mass murder and old lies
Review: .... Wheels within wheels. Political intrigue in highly entertaining, convoluted fashion. This
is Taylor Smith's sixth international thriller after a career in international diplomacy. The
novel is heavy with verisimilitude and authenticity. Indeed, it is overabundant with
details, telling incidents, puzzling events, murky trails and many interesting characters. Shortly after the end of World War Two, a beautiful, even glamorous, English war bride
named Grace Meade brings her tiny daughter to America, to the small town Minnesota
home of her husband, killed in the war in Europe. Years later, that daughter, now a
degreed historical researcher for the Smithsonian, begins to develop an exhibit on the
war. What Jillian Meade realizes is that she knows only scraps of her mother's
background and very small scraps at that. Since she must go to England to examine some
newly released intelligence papers for the exhibit, she decides to include a little personal
research. Her inquiries soon turn up the fact that Grace Meade, her mother, worked for
British Intelligence and she finds some people who knew Grace Meade during and before
the war. The problem is, the arithmetic of dates seem to be askew. Why? At this point,
Jillian's troubles begin. Meanwhile, back in the U.S. FBI agent Alex Cruz is assigned to look into Jillian Meade's
background. The request, strangely enough, comes from Scotland Yard. When an
obviously upset Jillian returns from Europe, she goes home, home to Havenwood,
Minnesota, to see her mother, to confront her with her questions. Alex Cruz, is pursuing
Jillian Meade to ask her some questions and soon finds himself emplaning for Minnesota.
Why? Because Grace Meade is suddenly, suspiciously, dead and Jillian appears to be
involved. The novel is filled with historical references to behind the lines resistance activity in
France. Here are instances of thievery, betrayal, mass murder and very personal,
up-close, murder. Smith is a good writer who could use some judicious editing. There
are some great conversations and some fine clichés, as well as an abundance of telling
phrases. Frequently, when Smith writes, the air moves. Nevertheless, Smith's skill as a
writer more often than not infuses scenes with immediacy and power. An excellent if
long, novel.
Rating:
Summary: well done
Review: good read. The plot device of switching back and forth between two narrators is sometimes jarring. But the writing is smooth, the characters mostly well sketched, and the plot carefully crafted. The WWII - Resistance plot is,of course, pretty old by now, but I still enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: well done
Review: good read. The plot device of switching back and forth between two narrators is sometimes jarring. But the writing is smooth, the characters mostly well sketched, and the plot carefully crafted. The WWII - Resistance plot is,of course, pretty old by now, but I still enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: historical and contemporary fiction in one well drawn tale
Review: I was mesmorized by the pathos and the suspense in this beautifully told tale by Taylor Smith. I have enjoyed all her previous books, but this one was easily my favorite. Smith weaves the tale into extensive historical context of WWII counterintelligence and the Israeli Moussad. The saga begins when Gillian Meade returns home to confront her mother (Grace) about some historical data that she has uncovered while researching a World War II exhibit for the Smithsonian Museum, where she is employed. Their home is burned to the ground. Grace Meade is found dead and Gillian semi conscious and suicidal. Alex Cruz, an FBI agent arrives to investigate a related matter and is drawn into the dark tale surrounding these two women's lives. As the current story unfolds Gillian writes a journal about the evidence of deception in the past, as both a confession and a catharsis. Both tales are compelling and ultimately converge in the final moments. This book is really worth reading!
Rating:
Summary: Superb storytelling
Review: In 1979 Havenwood, Minnesota, a fire kills long time British expatriate Grace Meade. The police believe her daughter Jillian killed her mother. FBI Special Agent Alex Cruz arrives from DC to question Grace about the deaths of her mother and two other British women, who were companions of Grace in the World War II French Resistance. They both died following a visit from Jillian. Alex's interrogation results in his inability to obtain any useful information from a tacit Jillian locked away for her own protection after an attempted suicide.
Alex soon learns that Jillian was researching her mother's role in World War II and that is why she met with the now deceased women. He finds her journal of notes and uses that as a springboard to try to learn whether Jillian is a serial killer or just an easy mark of someone who wants the three plus decades of events in France to remain silent.
DEADLY GRACE is an engaging historical police procedural that fans who relish good detective work will find inviting because the FBI agent and the prime suspect are strong interesting protagonists. However, the tale hinges on the characterization of Grace, but she fails to come across as real, hurting the overall plot. In spite of that, the story line is crisp and the climax quite surprising and powerful so that sub-genre readers will enjoy Taylor Smith's latest work. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Superb storytelling
Review: In 1979 Havenwood, Minnesota, a fire kills long time British expatriate Grace Meade. The police believe her daughter Jillian killed her mother. FBI Special Agent Alex Cruz arrives from DC to question Grace about the deaths of her mother and two other British women, who were companions of Grace in the World War II French Resistance. They both died following a visit from Jillian. Alex's interrogation results in his inability to obtain any useful information from a tacit Jillian locked away for her own protection after an attempted suicide.
Alex soon learns that Jillian was researching her mother's role in World War II and that is why she met with the now deceased women. He finds her journal of notes and uses that as a springboard to try to learn whether Jillian is a serial killer or just an easy mark of someone who wants the three plus decades of events in France to remain silent.
DEADLY GRACE is an engaging historical police procedural that fans who relish good detective work will find inviting because the FBI agent and the prime suspect are strong interesting protagonists. However, the tale hinges on the characterization of Grace, but she fails to come across as real, hurting the overall plot. In spite of that, the story line is crisp and the climax quite surprising and powerful so that sub-genre readers will enjoy Taylor Smith's latest work. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Who Done It
Review: In January of 1979, in Havenwood, Minnesota, a fire consumes a lakeside home and the body that was discovered inside. Grace Meade, former British special agent and war widow of Yank, Joe Meade, is now dead. Her daughter Jillian, a Smithsonian historian, is in a psychiatric ward of a local hospital after a suicide attempt. Enter FBI agent Alex Cruz, who wants to interview Jillian Meade, as she is a last-known contact of two British women who were murdered prior to their homes being set afire. Was Jillian responsible for setting the fires in England and at her mother's home despite the fact that the police carried an unconscious Jillian out of Grace's home as the fire raged? While Alex's questions go unanswered, Jillian is not talking to anyone but is furiously writing in a journal provided by her psychiatrist. First begun as a narrative, this read details Alex' progress in his investigation as he comes face to face with the interesting folks of Havenwood, especially Nils Berglund, acting Chief of Police and Jillian's former boyfriend who seems to carry a torch for her still. As the read moves on, every other chapter consists of Jillian's journal, a first person account of her European investigation of her mother's past. The journal entries are cleverly integrated with the main plot line keeping the reader enthralled and continually questing for the answers to Grace Meade's death. And when Agent Cruz is able to access Jillian's journal, he begins to fit together the pieces of the puzzle in this engaging read. Tales of Nazis, British and American spies, and lost German gold add fuel to the fire of this raging inferno. Those who love a well-crafted who-done-it with a thoroughly surprising ending will want to rush out and purchase this read, which is certain to generate new fans for Ms. Smith.
Rating: 
Summary: Good plot, but weak characterization
Review: The plot line and story hooks are good in this novel, and at some points it gets to be a real page-turner, which is what I always look for when I'm preparing to take a longish airplane trip. But somehow Taylor Smith never really makes the characters appealing. Most are one-dimensional, with the heroine, Jillian Meade, a cardboard figure who never manages to engage the reader's emotions. I felt myself either thinking she was a complete wimp or not caring about her altogether. For me, the main virtues of paperbacks like this are their small physical size and their ability to keep me entertained on a flight between New York and LA. This one almost makes the grade, but in the end just didn't capture my imagination the way a first-rate thriller does. Instead of this, try Peter Maas's Father and Son, or one of the page-turners from Henry Porter or Ken Follet.
Rating:
Summary: Good plot, but weak characterization
Review: The plot line and story hooks are good in this novel, and at some points it gets to be a real page-turner, which is what I always look for when I'm preparing to take a longish airplane trip. But somehow Taylor Smith never really makes the characters appealing. Most are one-dimensional, with the heroine, Jillian Meade, a cardboard figure who never manages to engage the reader's emotions. I felt myself either thinking she was a complete wimp or not caring about her altogether. For me, the main virtues of paperbacks like this are their small physical size and their ability to keep me entertained on a flight between New York and LA. This one almost makes the grade, but in the end just didn't capture my imagination the way a first-rate thriller does. Instead of this, try Peter Maas's Father and Son, or one of the page-turners from Henry Porter or Ken Follet.
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