Broken Wings: Blackbird & Confessor, Book 1 Paperback – September 17, 2012

Blackbird, the main character, lives an isolated existence. Communicating in chat rooms and regular online backgammon games is her only connection with others. She buys and refurbishes computers to support herself and imagines what the lives of those "normal" people are like. Her father was killed when she was 5 and her only goal in life is to find and kill the man who killed her father. Over the years she has figured out the "aunt" who raised her did so as part of some kind of witness protection. Blackbird's deepest online connection goes by the name Confessor and she tells him all her thoughts and feelings except her plans to kill her father's murderer. Her opportunity to achieve her goal comes in the latest computer restoration. Will she achieve her goal? Is Confessor friend or for? Will Blackbird ever get to live a life outside her online community?

This book started out so well... The beginning was gripping and taut, but towards the middle of the book, the plot began to unravel and became weirdly convoluted. I initially liked the main character, a young woman who was in hiding from the man she'd witnessed killing her father. She had very little face-to-face human contact and spent most of her time purchasing, repairing and selling used computers, playing on-line backgammon, google-searching her own name for reports of her own death, and worrying that her father's killer would track her down. So far, so good... And yet this extremely security-conscious woman spends part of nearly every day confessing her secrets to a stranger in a chat room... She purchases a used computer at auction and finds a photo of her father's killer on the hard drive and becomes obsessed with the former owner of the laptop. Then she finds herself attracted to the on-line profile of one of the former laptop owner's friends. Then she finds out about a national backgammon tournament located in the same city as the laptop's former owner and his friend, and of course, her father's killer, so of course she decides to register to play in the tournament and meet her crush in person and... of course... to try to kill her father's killer... Strange implausible coincidences really hurt this story.

Mara Jacobs sucked me in with her first chapter and didn't let go until the end of this suspenseful read. The damaged, sarcastic character of Blackbird, taking her broken wings and learning to fly, is incredibly sympathetic. And having had my share of chatroom crushes and online gaming buddies, I thought the author did a great job of evoking the world of online interactions. The mysteries surrounding Blackbird's past deepen and deepen, and just when you think it's all sorted out, the author throws a complete curveball.I admit, I did see one of the plot twists coming, concerning Confessor (the mysterious online persona who knows *almost* all of Blackbird's secrets), but I was glad of it.Overall, I highly recommend this as a terrific read. Anyone who loves suspense, great dialogue, romance, the world of computers, and gripping mystery (not to mention the Nashville music scene) will enjoy Broken Wings. I can hardly wait for the next installment!

It started out slow with a lot of background. I almost put it down but then the pace picked up and it all made sense. I won't spoil it for you but the plot revolves around a five year old girl who sees her father killed and is placed in witness protection by the FBI. She is grown now but it still in danger. Definitely different but very interesting story.

Starts out a little uneventful it seems, but before long the plot begins to thicken and the last half of the book kept me up half the night. A good read. Definitely off the path. Mara Jacobs is a new author to me. I'll be looking for more from her.

Look out Evanovich here comes Jacobs! I was happy to find this suspense/mystery title by one of my favorite authors, Mara Jacobs. I wouldn't have guessed that a main character who sits around in her sweatpants and rehabs computers could provide an edge-of-your-seat ride, but she does. I couldn't put this one down.I'm not a big romance fan, and Jacobs is known for romance titles, but don't let that stop you from picking this book up....or any of her titles for that matter. Great character development, quirky quotes and great suspense make all of her books worth the read.

Very much worth reading. A plot that will keep you reading because you've just got to know who is she, why is she hiding. The longer you read the more determined you are to find the answers. Nashville and Mt. Juliet are comfortably home to me as a person, not just a reader. I know the area and the book is good with the geography. Want to know who done what? Then you'll just have to read this book because I ain't telling the ending. It's worth the read......believe that.

This was better than I expected. It was a very unusual story line and that made it even better As a mystery/romance. There were twists and turns that kept you wondering if you were right or wrong about the characters. The characters were very well written and all enjoyable, even the bad guys. I like loved it. I will read more of Mara's books.

A very interesting story line and it certainly kept me interested. The first few pages I thought to myself that maybethis wasn't the story for me but one or two more chapters had me hooked and I must say that I stayed hooked.I would give this book a close look Amazon readers. One never knows where the next page will lead you.

A very interesting story ! I did enjoy it right to the end !! Mara Jacobs is a talented writer !!

Still haven`t finished this ,probably never will.Very slow,story never really gets going,do not know why she is scared and don`t really care

There are two or more concurrent themes through this book, only one of which is the traditional "who is the killer", and this is not a particularly good one of its type. Where this book scores is in the very strong back up lines. The heroine saw her father shot dead when she was 5 years old. She is now in hiding from a man sent to kill her. During her day job of buying up old computers, doing them up and reselling them she stumbles across a picture of the man who killed her father. Driven by the need for revenge she sets off to track down this man and kill him.There are romantic sub plots and she gradually reveals and at the same time we learn more about her previous life.It reads very well, dragging you into the plot and into her life. If, like me you are hooked, you overlook the gaping holes and far fetched coincidences, I can imagine that if you don't (overlook them) you would find it all a bit daft.If nothing else it gives a very interesting insight into the lives of the internet generation as she lives almost reclusively, with only her various on line games and chat room buddies as virtual friends.

Builds up an interesting backstory. Read this in one go.A little predictable at times but the initial premise and main characterisation of the principle character are more than sufficient to carry you through and annoy you that the next book isn't out 'til 2016Overall a really good way to waste an afternoon and I am left waiting to see how the two main characters develop