#Bookreview of Mexican Hit Girl (Mason Church Book 1) by S.C. Smith

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#Bookreview of Mexican Hit Girl (Mason Church Book 1) by S.C. Smith

BURB:

The drug war in Mexico has reached critical mass, and the high ranks of Washington suspect a mole. After the head of NCS is assassinated, the US government recruits decorated soldier Mason Church to take down Mexico’s most powerful drug kingpin.

Haunted by memories of the past, Mason reluctantly accepts the assignment. Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Valentina Vargas witnesses the massacre of her family by the ruthless drug lord.

Maneuvering their way through a labyrinth of drug cartels and corrupt government officials, Mason and Valentina come to realize that their only hope of survival lies with each other.

MY REVIEW:

Another book from 2015 that I’m just now getting around to reading and reviewing.  Even though the caption says Mason Church Book 1 there is no further books in this series.  Sad, actually, as I really wanted to know what happened to Mason after his assignment in Mexico. 

Mason is a man without a purpose, especially after coming back from his tour in the Middle East.  He’s just drifting through life, trying to make a living from odd end jobs when he answers an advert on the internet from a research center looking for volunteers to partake in a study.  Little does he know how this one simple action will change his life. 

This story is told in first person through Mason’s eyes, but does jump to 3rd person where needed.  I had no problem following WHO was the POV for each scene and chapter.  Even though the majority of the story was from Mason’s POV, he never really came off as a 3rd dimensional character.  There wasn’t much internalization with him, until about the half way mark.  I’m not sure if Smith wrote his character that way, or he just got better at writing Mason as the story progressed.  Either way, there was a disconnect for me with Mason. 

For readers who don’t like violence, rape, or gruesome deaths, you won’t want to read this book.  I felt some of the grisly scenes weren’t quite necessary, like everyone getting shot on the bus.  But, the shock factor did add to the story.  This is also a story with a political statement.  The drug cartels in Mexico are run by our secret government agencies.  We all know that, yet they still do it.  They push the drugs they claim to be trying to stop.  It’s a farce that we the America taxpayers foot the bill for. 

I felt and connected with Valentina, but I also thought her character wasn’t quite true for her age.  Yes, she wanted revenge for the death of her family, but I don’t see her going to the extremes that she did.  For me, the ending was somewhat anti-climatic.  I didn’t really know who the mole was until the end, like Smith intended, but by then, my mind was still reacting to a heart-wrenching scene that happened several chapters before.  Smith did an terrific job with that part of the story, but unfortunately, the emotions it wrought took away from everything else that happened after Mason ended up back in America.   

If you love spy novels with action, blood, and gore, you will want to read this book.  As mentioned earlier, I would read the 2nd book about Mason if it ever came out.  I give this book 4 Man From UN.C.L.E’s.