Mistaken Identity With a Twist
929740
Author Lillian Shelly presented the old "mistaken identity" plot with a delightful twist. I found THE SECRET HEIRESS to be fast paced as I wanted to see if the main characters who were out of step with their families would get together. The twists and turns kept me involved throughout. There were several places where the formatting was off and I would suggest that the author go back through the process and correct them. The story was good enough that I didn't take away a star for it. Any reader who likes a period romance should find this an enjoyable novel.
3729121
This book presents a mystery plot that I thought I had solved at several points, only to have the story turn in a new direction.
87262
Warning: Spoilers Ahead

A twist within a twist. The story starts with an interesting premise--a writer with a gun to his head held by his mother! The story explores multiple levels of relationships in a family: Steven with his mother, Steven with his brother Tim, and then towards the end, with their father, and their father to their mother. It's a wealthy, dysfunctional family alright!

And then a staged tragedy turns real because tensions were finally and fatally unleashed. Some of the clever clues were cleverly planted by the author, and at first you would think that the narrator of the story was unreliable or making things up. But later in the story, you'd know that it was real!

There was just one confusing part of the story. What was the mother asking Steven to write? his father's will or a novel that he should be finishing? I was surprisingly entertained by this short tale.
1562265
While I was a tad confused with a few of the characters having similar names and roles, it appears to be a well written and plotted tale.  To be honest I didn't pick up the villain until near the end.  And there were not simply a bunch of red herrings tossed in.
4675226
It's amazing how the theft of one item can change the fortunes of so many in such little time.

Govin is a 15-year-old boy, forced by the death of his father to take on a role much too big for him-that of sole provider for himself and his mother.  He has decided to try his luck as a City Guard, where within two days he is thrust into a perplexing theft-that of a mysterious diadem said to have healing powers.

Tayla, a 13-year-old, starving street child, picks the wrong pocket (Govin's) out of sheer desperation, which was a mistake that puts them both in jeopardy.

With Govin's help, Tayla is caught-and accused of stealing the diadem, not just pickpocketing.  Govin is surprised and horrified when he learns that Tayla could end up in prison, or worse, without even the pretense of a trial.  Risking his life and his future, he frees Tayla and they both go underground.

They join together to learn who could have stolen the artifact.  The way events unwind, it seems that the culprit may be one of the inhabitants of the temple of the goddess Natifa, who supposedly created the diadem in the first place.

Then, in the midst of their sleuthing, Tayla disappears.  Govin must seek the aid of the priestess Larissa, and risks his own arrest by contacting a fellow Guard, Dalen, for his help.  Together, they search for Tayla, following clues to find her and bring her to safety.

And at the same time, to bring the true culprit to justice.

This middle-school-range book was a delight to read.  What stood out most was the character of the people involved.  Govin acted without putting himself first to right an injustice to someone generally forgotten by society.  Dalen and Larissa both risk their jobs for the same reason.  Tayla gives up the security of her anonymity to help Govin, to whom she feels she owes a great debt.

The character interaction was well thought out.  The reader can feel the warmth and the trust between these four people.  The story flowed nicely, and, yes, I could definitely tell there would be more of this story in the future.

Keep writing, Ms. O'Mara-you have a wonderful series started here.
1077450
This short story twists and turns right until the very end. It's written as a court transcript, so you need to be able to imagine what's happening, as those details are missing. What's great about that is that one reader might see what's happening in a different way than another reader. The story flows in a way that seems obvious, but it still hits you with a twist! It was quick and enjoyable to read.
854419
The circumstances under which we meet our hero and heroine are pretty traumatic; an armed holdup at a gas station. The repercussions of this cause both our hero and heroine to reevaluate who they are and what they want.
Not in some grandiose "what am I doing with my life" but "is this who I am?" that late teens encounter. It was interesting to see the knock on effects on friends and family as they try to find a new kind of normal.
4922337
This is a great story of a woman who lived a most unusual life and may or may not have been used.  It made a nice change from the fiction I have been reading lately.
1848818
Because of the somewhat unexpected twist, the book took on a more meaningful aspect.  Initially, it was kind of make-over fascinating, like watching some plain Jane being glamorized. Although not at all realistic, the book held my interest and was a quick summer read.
359396
Well written story with some surprising twists and turns.
3963636
Interesting with a twist. Actually a surprise. One would not suspect the bad guy to be a bad gal until late in the story. This is what makes it interesting and fun too. A good read.
4422216
Many twists and turns in this story. Leaves one feeling rather in a quandary about what I would do in a similar circumstance.
4508517
I really enjoyed Soul Identity. The technique is a bit unusual for a thriller. We experience the plot along with Scott, the smart-alecky security consultant hired to put Soul Identity on the WWW. There is no traditional narrator. We learn about Scott and all the characters, a goofy delivery man, a retired, one-eyed, wheelchair salesman who looks like Santa, a fortune teller, a beautiful Russian programmer, and more as they talk to Scott and the events unfold.

The plot leads Scott from Maryland to Boson, to India, to Italy in his quest to learn who is trying to harm the 2500-year old secret institution, Soul Identity. The concept of Soul Identity is that you can leave yourself wealth, knowledge, and treasures when you die and then recover it in another lifetime when your soul is identified.

Pretty preposterous for a sceptical security guy to believe and the opportunity for fraud is high. That's also what is fun about the book. More than double his normal fee keeps Scott interested in helping Soul Identity. He falls for a beautiful Russian programmer, and befriends the leader of Soul Identity.

The first third of the book introduces us to Scott, Soul Identity, and most of the major characters. After that, the pace really picks up as it becomes clear that someone is trying to prevent Scott from learning too much.

I read the book on a recent flight. It was a fun diversion.
2682910
Good book if you can get past the confusion of which character you are now.  That part was hard to figure out.
385657
This is a great story with a major twist. The characters are eccentric, but fun.
4866032
As a mystery unfolds and tensions rise the storyline leads to a twist in which the main characters learn a life lesson about trust.
2603720
When life happens and you must revamp all you know to the unfamiliar, that's when you find out who you really are. The change from Washington DC to the small doctor's office where you don't understand all that is happening right in front of your eyes can be a huge change in your life perspectives. A good dose of reality can happen to you in these circumstances. I loved the heart surgery! What a way to gain real understanding of life in an unusual way. I loved all the character descriptions and the detail used to describe her perceptions of situations as they happened. A wonderful read!