A review by writerjholland
The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton

3.0

Read the full review on http://www.talesbetweenthepages.comThe Second Life of Nick Mason is an unconventional crime thriller that asks the audience to trust Nick Mason, long-time thief released from prison twenty years early. He returns home to Chicago as another kind of prisoner---slave to the whims of Darius Cole, a man who runs an empire from his prison cell and is responsible for Nick's release. In exchange for a lavish lifestyle, all Nick has to do is answer the phone when it rings and carry out the job instructions given to him. When he's forced to kill a man (the one thing he swore to himself he'd never do), Nick faces a crisis like no other. He's forced to balance ethics and responsibility with the second life Darius Cole has given him. While this is a solid start to a new series, The Second Life of Nick Mason isn't without its problems. The book is too short for the story it needs to tell. Hamilton truncates two story lines, leaving the story itself feeling rushed. The female characters are largely superficial and under developed, especially Nick's love interest. Nevertheless, Hamilton's well-written unconventional hero is enough to keep this reviewer sticking around for the next book. Verdict: Borrow it, but don't quit the series just yet. Steve Berry's Cotton Malone books started off rocky too but has grown into a series worthy of the thriller genre. This reviewer has faith that Hamilton will do right by Nick Mason and is willing to wait it out.This review was originally posted on Tales Between the Pages