Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Exit Interview by Dana Cameron

Massachusetts resident Dana Cameron writes in multiple genres: historical fiction, urban fantasy, and crime fiction. Her first mysteries featured Emma Fielding, an archaeologist, and from there Cameron branched out. Her stories about Jayne Rogers, a counterintelligence operative, have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and in the anthologies Killing Malmon (Down & Out Books, 2017) and Shattering Glass (Nasty Woman Press, 2020). Exit Interview (Dcle Publishing, December 2022) is Jayne’s first full-length adventure.

Jayne is working on bringing a major player in the illegal weapons industry to account when her boss pulls her off the case. Next thing she knows, the arms dealer is dead, she’s accused of killing him, and her former colleagues believe she’s turned traitor. Her sole support is another operative named Nicole Bradley, whose cool analytical intelligence makes a satisfying contrast to Jayne’s more physical approach to problem-solving. The two conscript Washington Post reporter Amy Lindstrom because of her investigative work on the arms dealer.

What ensues is a hard-charging dash to learn who killed the illicit munitions supplier, find the remaining weapons caches, salvage Jayne’s reputation, and get Amy the Pulitzer story of a lifetime. It involves sprinting all over Washington, DC, and Arlington, Virginia; readers familiar with the area will easily follow the trio’s trail across the region, recognizing subway stops and well-placed landmarks. Car chases, gunfire, explosives, hand-to-hand combat, and other essential elements of modern fictional spycraft are involved. Nicole’s skill with backdoor IT contributes significantly to achievement of the end goal while civilian Amy is aghast at the mayhem that unfolds in front of her.

Jayne is a mashup of Orphan X and Xenia, Warrior Princess. Her resourcefulness is limitless, her energy is unflagging, and her courage is breath-taking. I found this fast-paced story engaging, an original spin on black ops thrillers. An excellent way to spend a holiday afternoon! Recommended.

 

·         Publisher: Dcle Publishing LLC (December 6, 2022)

·         Language: ‎English

·         Paperback: ‎316 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎1737153629

·         ISBN-13: 978-1737153627

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2022 

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.