Julian Black avoids people. Tormented by the ability to experience their most intimate, painful memories with a single touch, he reluctantly begins using his skill to assist tenacious Philadelphia police detective Lela Mars. But his life is soon upended when he’s captured by an equally gifted man claiming to be from his past—a suave master thief who can make people forget.
Now this mysterious stranger is ordering Julian to obtain a vital government secret that could shift the balance of world power. With Lela Mars as his only ally, Julian faces an impossible choice: Comply or pit his wits against the world’s most secretive and deadly crime organization.
Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: The Mirror Man is a sophisticated and high-energy book that ticks all the right boxes—suspenseful, engaging, and full of memorable characters. The action is nail-biting at times, and the storyline does not disappoint.
Prose: Manas is clearly a skillful writer and equally talented at crafting action, description, and dialogue. The pacing is perfect, and the story flows seamlessly, evoking the dirty secrets of politics that often underlie deadly crimes.
Originality: This high-speed novel won't disappoint, and the tension goes hand in hand with expert plotting.
Character Development/Execution: Manas drops riveting clues that strengthen characterization for Blaine and Julian, and minor characters are both supportive to the plot and appealing in their own right.
Blurb: Brace yourself for a riveting ride that will keep you the edge of your seat.
Date Submitted: August 24, 2022
In The Mirror Man by J.B. Manas, one man can read memories and the other can make you forget. When the memory of a kidnapped scientist is tied to state secrets that could impact the balance of global powers, no expense is spared to retrieve it. This is the battle in which we find Julian Black and Sebastian Blaine. From opposite sides of the Atlantic, these two are on a collision course, but only one of them is aware of the other.
Manas has married a modern spy thriller with speculative elements and old-school hints of Hitchcockian crime noir to establish a genre-busting, white-knuckle novel that will keep you turning the pages.
An epic supernatural spy thriller that may be the first entry in a blockbuster franchise... The Mirror Man is the tale of two men, Julian Black and Sebastian Blaine, whose supernatural powers are manifested through touch. When Julian holds someone’s hand, he accesses some of their most intimate, and often traumatic, memories. Alternately, Sebastian’s touch enables him to delete his victims’ memories with frightening precision...
... The story clearly belongs to Julian, but antagonist Sebastian often steals the show, as he does in the diamond heist that serves as the novel’s first scene... Throughout, fans of vintage James Bond will appreciate Sebastian’s disarming flair and charisma... Adding to the book’s charm is the way that The Mirror Man manages to feel urgent and contemporary without resorting to the over-the-top graphic violence and gore that has become so pervasive. That’s rare among thrillers today, and should earn the book wide readership. Highly recommended.
THE MIRROR MAN includes all the essential elements of successful suspense story writing—high stakes, conflict, drama, quick pacing, red herrings, cliff hangers, and a satisfying ending... Connections between characters are well-defined and robust—with one association in particular coming as a complete surprise... A complex and intriguing plot, an abundance of action and outstanding characterization make THE MIRROR MAN a compelling read.
A stylish and engaging crime tale... The well-developed characters and their intriguing powers help set this thriller apart from the pack... Manas generates an insistent sense of momentum that makes the reading experience tense and enjoyable.
A new book trailer has been released for the book, The Mirror Man, by J.B. Manas, described as "Hitchcock meets Bond.". In this stylish, twisty thriller, a reclusive writer with the power to read memories is forced by a mysterious stranger to steal government secrets.
The Mirror Man has won the BestThrillers.com Book Award for Best Sci-Fi Thriller of 2022.
The award series recognizes the year’s top English-language books across 15 major categories: Action Thriller, Crime Thriller, Conspiracy Thriller, Fantasy, Historical Thriller, Horror, Legal Thriller, Medical Thriller, Military Thriller, Mystery, Political Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Romantic Suspense, Sci-Fi and Spy Thriller.
