THE DARKER THE SECRET, THE HIGHER THE PRICE. Dallas August runs a dangerous business–an organization of elite spies for hire. The secrets trade. Nothing is off limits, and no price is too high. When asked to uncover what recluse Gwen Marsh knows about a Mafia kingpin’s death, Dallas poses as a bodyguard to get close to his target, but the stubborn Asian beauty wants nothing to do with him. As … the FBI and the Mafia close in, danger drives them together, but can he protect Gwen, or will Dallas be the one risking everything to discover what she is really hiding? Dallas August is about to find out how dangerous life can be as one of the Secret Brokers. Once you are in, there is no turning back.
more
I have to let you know up front that Ms. Wise is one of my Go To Authors. I am one of the first in line when her books hit the shelves. Her writing style and flare for words are bar none one of the best this reader has ever read. No matter the genre her books are very well written and will draw you into the action. The storylines and the characters seem to just jump off the pages and come to life in my head. When I read her books it’s more like a movie rolling through my mind than simply reading a story. The Secret Brokers is no exception. The book is suspenseful and full of twists and turns (another aspect that his author is outstanding at throwing in her storylines). Each time I thought I knew where the plot or an especially suspenseful scene in The Secret Brokers was going – BAM!!! – another curveball came my way. All of which had me reading the book in one sitting as I absolutely couldn’t find a spot to stop, I just had to know what was happening next.
The characters were very relatable. I fell in love with Dallas. His past and current situation simply endeared him to me to the point I hurt when he did and was rooting for him in all his endeavors (sorry to sound so encrypted, but I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone). In this segment of the Secret Brokers Dallas is personally requested to protect and find out just what Gwen Marsh is hiding about a former Mafia kingpin’s death. But Dallas hits a dead end at every turn. Gwen is a stubborn, independent woman who doesn’t need or what his help. When trouble starts closing in, will Dallas learn her secrets and if so at what cost? When things start to go sideways, who can he trust?
Simply put this is an Outstanding suspenseful, romantic read that you don’t want to miss. Kudos Ms. Weis for a stupendous start to the series and this reader can’t wait to see where the storyline goes next. I Highly Recommend grabbing it up, You won’t be sorry you did.
2 Thumbs Up and 5+ stars for The Secret Brokers!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
For the most, I did enjoy this. Couple of things let it down, for ME, and I’ll enplain shortly.
Dallas is called up by an acqaintance, is best to describe him, to cash in on a favour owned. Someone needs protecting, and the acquaintance needs something from this someone to keep her safe. There follows a lot of double crossing, back stabbing and general underhandedness you would expect from an organised crime boss, and an organisation that walks under the radar of most things.
From what I can gather, this is actually a spin off from another series, The Nicci Beauvior series and Dallas plays a huge part in the 2nd and 3rd book in that series. Some reviewers of THIS have said you should read THOSE books to get the full picture of what Dallas went through, and how he came to where he is now.
Personally, I don’t think it’s really necessary. There is enough recapped and retold here, for you to get the picture, or for ME anyway, to get enough of the picture to fill in the gaps and for this story to flow.
I was a little concerned at first that this would be a bit too complicated for my addled brain (April 2020, you get my drift?) to cope with, but it’s good. There is a good, intriguing plot to follow, but it’s not ever so complex that you have to concentrate too hard on, you know? It’s ENOUGH to make you think, to excerise the grey matter, and just enough to keep you engaged til the end.
What let it down for ME were two things.
Only Dallas has a say. I would like to have heard from Gwen, the someone who Dallas is called to keep safe. I get maybe some of the plotline would be given away, yes, but still I wanted to hear from her, and (job aside) what she thought of Dallas and what leads her to make the offer she does.
And Dallas himself was very . . standoffish? . .maybe not quite the right word, but I struggled to connect with Dallas, made more difficult because only his voice is heard. Had Gwen had a say, I could have coped better, or maybe connected earlier, with Dallas.
I LOVED Cleveland and Stokes, two of Dallas’ operatives. Their banter has, I’m sure, far deeper roots and far further reaching branches, than is currently showing.
A very engaging 4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Alexandrea Weis, has a fantastic vision for story telling! I love so many things about her stories especially how they are all set in and around New Orleans. It’s such a fascinating city and this author writes it well! The Secret Brokers had me intrigued from the first page to the last page. I was really enjoying the feisty dialogue between Dallas and Gwen! There was a lot of suspense is this story making it so much more than any old book! This author is a one click for me!
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
The Secret Brokers is a suspense thriller filled with action and espionage… And, of course, there’s also that touch of romantic tension. Another intense and riveting book that I have read by this amazing author! The build-up to that twisty and surprising end kept me on “edge” when secrets were revealed.
Alexandrea Weis descriptive world-building and character development leaves so much to the imagination! And, I mean that in the very best way! I was totally lost into this world of secret world of spies. From the beginning, The Secret Brokers drew me in with its gripping storyline and complex characters. From beginning to end, the story was brimming with twists and turns that makes for a good spy movie… Ha! Of course, by the end, The Secret Brokers leaves so much open for more adventures with these characters in this dark covert world they thrive on.
The Secret Brokers is an alluring start for this provocative suspense thriller series! I look forward to more in this series.
Reviewer: Jasmine
THE SECRET BROKERS is the first storyline (June 2012 original release) in Alexandrea Weis’ s contemporary mystery spinoff series based on her Nicci Beauvoir Series. As this was my original (2012) 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, but I have since read the Nicci Beauvoir series where Dallas’ story begins.
Dallas is a former FBI agent who now works in a private capacity uncovering the secrets of the rich and infamous. 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. .Dallas August 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.
Alexandrea Weis, ‘The Secret Brokers’.
As a Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy and promised an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 5 (of 5 stars).
In general: Romantic suspense novel with original plot.
Main characters:
– Dallas August (38).
He’s an ex FBI man and is now the boss of a private security firm in New York, working all over the world. He became the owner of this company after the violent death of the former owner, an unreliable, tricky man. Now he’s more manager than security agent, but a client forces him ta take an assignment in New Orleans.
– Gwen Marsh (36).
She was born in Asia and – when young – adopted by a couple in New Orleans. Later Gwen became a nurse and married a famous heart surgeon, but divorced a few years ago when he went to Houston while she wanted to stay and live on her animal farm in the country near New Orleans. Her life is threatened when her dad testifies in a case against a criminal boss in New Orleans.
Alexandrea Weis created a great book. Original plot mainly because of the wonderful, special female main character. The story has many unexpected turns and some exciting action scenes. The dialogues are often a battle between two strong willed personalities who try to demolish the walls around the emotions of the other. It keeps the reader on the edge of his seat and makes it difficult for him to leave his Kindle app reader…..
R.J. Huiszoon.
This has danger, action, suspense, mafia kingpin, secrets and so much more. In depth characters, well written and intriguing storyline that draws you in from beginning to end. Dallas needs to uncover the secrets Gwen is hiding but she is not your normal damsel in distress. I would definitely recommend this book. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
The Secret Brokers [Vesuvian Books, April 7, 2020] is classic noir meets modern thriller, with just enough twist to keep readers waiting for the next installment.
Fresh off a failed romance and thrust in charge of his former boss’ elite spies-for-hire business, secrets broker Dallas August has a job to do. The only problem is, something doesn’t add up—from the mafia kingpin who’s hired him, the questionable involvement of the FBI, or the enigmatic woman he’s been hired to de-secret. He can’t put his finger on it, but the knowledge Dallas was hired to retrieve from reclusive target Gwen Marsh may be just the start of things hidden. He’s just got to keep Gwen, and himself, alive long enough to figure it out.
While Weis’s take on a spy thriller carries the classic elements of a crime drama—intrigue, romance, corruption—the story is as much noir as it is a love letter to the author’s home of New Orleans. There are mafia bosses, shoot outs, and the requisite amount of alcohol-swilling, but there are also references to New Orleans’ unique French Quarter architecture and the south’s deep love of their animals, both of which draw from the author’s background and give authenticity to the story that doesn’t rely on flashy settings and over-the-top sophisticated technologies to enjoy.
It’s more cozy than suspense, but what The Secret Brokers might lack in glitz it makes up for in curb appeal to readers who might otherwise shy away from crime drama—which is a good thing.
Part of this “curb appeal” is Weis’s ability to develop characters that are relatable and complex without being weighted down. Dallas August is a hesitant spy thrust in charge of his organization, a leader navigating the minefields of human resource issues just trying to keep his sanity above water. He’s also a man coming to terms with his new life and how he can survive his day job while trying to heal a broken heart. More interesting than Dallas, though—and what makes The Secret Brokers not-just-another-male-led-spy-novel—is Gwen Marsh, who’s very clearly not your usual damsel-in-distress and (mercifully) not simply an erotic fixture. She’s capable, dynamic, and she has more secrets than Dallas August has a chance of uncovering, which ultimately makes the Secret Brokers Series—a spinoff to Weis’s Nicci Beauvoir Series—something to get behind.