Blast from the Past

By: Mary Jane Owen

Narrated by: Sara-Margaret Cates

Anne Welsh is a typical single mom...until she stumbles into a bank robbery and is outed as missing CIA agent Trixie Bigotti.

After 13 peaceful years in suburbia, Trixie finds herself on the run with her teenage daughter. Between dodging aging mobsters and bumbling assassins, she has to come clean about her identity with the people who matter most.

FBI Agent Jay Stowe was madly in love with Trixie before her suspicious death and has carried a torch for her all of these years. When the love of his life pops back up—with a daughter who has his eyes—Jay is all in.

It’s time for this secret agent turned soccer mom to solve the mysteries of her past and protect her future from the dangers that surround her. Along the way she just may discover that she was never as alone as she thought she was.

©2022 Michael Owens (P)2023 Michael Owens

A Fun Romp, Narrated Well

Blast from the Past was a fun rom-com with lots of action, so don’t come into this expecting a hard as nails suspense thriller with ultra realistic gun fights. The villains are VILLAINY and our heroine is very much the heroine, maintaining her competent composure throughout. The performance by Sara-Margaret Cates was very good, helping to lend a noir vibe to the overall story and characters. Would recommend to anyone looking for a fun read!

Good, Multilevel Story

This book combines a very satisfying adventure with great characters. The hero and heroine are equals in talent and experience; in fact, she is the protagonist. Adding layers to the story are: 1) she is 40 and therefore no blushing ingenue, and 2) she has a teenage daughter. The daughter, who, by the way, is my favorite character, adds depth and perspective that aren't usually found in adventure tales.

Pure Fun

This was a fun listen. The characters are well fleshed out, and the story is fun. A lot is packed into this relatively short book! Excellent narration kept it suspenseful where it needed to be with excellent delivery of the lighter/humorous moments as well.

Rom-com with suspense

This story struck the right balance between suspenseful and light-hearted. It's a great read to take a break from heavier books. The relationships between the characters were adorable, and I found myself laughing out loud at several points. I listened to the audiobook, and Sara-Margaret Cates did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. The story idea was unique, with a former CIA agent navigating life undercover in suburbia due to a mafia family background. However, the story felt a bit incomplete, I needed more, perhaps an epilogue. It's a light, slightly humorous action comedy that reads more like a novella I think the author could have developed it more. While the premise was intriguing, I didn't feel much chemistry between the characters, and the ending felt chaotic. Overall, it had potential but fell short in some areas.