The Mask (Stevens novel)
{{Short description|2015 thriller novel by Taylor Stevens}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book
| author = Taylor Stevens
| isbn = 9780385348966
| pub_date = June 30, 2015
| publisher = Crown Publishing Group
| awards = Barry Award for Best Thriller (2016)
| series = Vanessa Michael Munroe
| preceded_by = The Catch
| followed_by =
| image = The Mask - Stevens novel.jpg
}}
The Mask is a 2015 thriller novel by Taylor Stevens, the fifth and final book in her Vanessa Michael Munroe series. It won the 2016 Barry Award for Best Thriller.
Plot
{{No plot|date=August 2023}}
Reception
Publishers Weekly called The Mask "underwhelming" and "slow-grinding," indicating that "The fight scenes, though well choreographed, seem at times like an afterthought, thrown in when the plot frequently stalls."{{Cite web |date=2015-04-20 |title=The Mask: A Vanessa Michael Munroe Novel by Taylor Stevens |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780385348966 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827045103/https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780385348966 |archive-date=2023-08-27 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Publishers Weekly}} Further, they found the setting to be "under utilized" as though the book "could be set anywhere." However, they cited Munroe as a highlight of the novel, noting that "her propensity for rage remains a believable part of this series as she mixes her intelligence with her extreme martial arts skills."
Kirkus Reviews agreed that "Stevens takes longer to develop the action than usual," though they conceded that "any Munroe is better than none at all."{{Cite web |date=2015-03-28 |title=The Mask |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/taylor-stevens/the-mask/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151204045426/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/taylor-stevens/the-mask/ |archive-date=2015-12-04 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Kirkus Reviews}}
Booklist and Library Journal also reviewed the novel.{{Cite web |date=2015-05-01 |title=The Mask |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Mask-Taylor-Stevens/pid=7407415 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923175228/https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Mask-Taylor-Stevens/pid=7407415 |archive-date=2021-09-23 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Booklist}}{{Cite web |last=Moritz |first=Susan |date=2015-06-15 |title=The Mask: A Vanessa Michael Munroe Novel |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-mask-a-vanessa-michael-munroe-novel |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827050054/https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/the-mask-a-vanessa-michael-munroe-novel |archive-date=2023-08-27 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Library Journal}}
Awards and honors
The Mask won the 2016 Barry Award for Best Thriller.{{Cite web |title=Taylor Stevens |url=http://stopyourekillingme.com/S_Authors/Stevens_Taylor.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607184925/http://stopyourekillingme.com/S_Authors/Stevens_Taylor.html |archive-date=2023-06-07 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Stop, You're Killing Me!}}