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MAYA RAINES

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Full Name: Maya Raines
Nationality: New Zealander
Organization: Section One
Occupation Agent

Creator: John Ling
Time Span: 2012 - 2018

ABOUT THE SERIES

Maya Raines is an agent with New Zealand's Section One.

Section One is an ultra-secret member of that country's intelligence community and is charged with numerous duties but chief of them is the removal of enemies of the country that cannot be gotten rid of through legal channels. Wet works if needed. It was described in the narrative as "a black-ops programme that combined civilian intelligence gathering with paramilitary direct action. It allowed small teams of covert operators to find, fix and finish threats anywhere, everywhere". Additionally, "for all intents and purposes, Section One was a revolution. One that hit fast and hard, neutralizing persons of interest, disrupting terror networks. And it laid the groundwork for a new intervention policy - why publicly commit thousands of troops for kinetic action when you can just send in a handful of quiet professionals? Easy in. Easy out. Seamless".

At least it was until an op went very wrong in Kuala Lumpur and a key agent named Nathan Raines died. Then the same politicians who had eagerly created it went about gutting it. Now it is run by Deirdre Raines, former agent herself and widow of the slain agent. She is a woman who holds the appellation of Ice Queen, has earned that nickname many times over, and who would appreciate knowing she owned it but who would have been very unpleasant to the one letting her know.

Maya Raines is one of the top members of Section One. Her last name places her connection to Section One rather obviously but she is not an operative because Papa had been one nor because Mama is the head of the organization. She is one of the best because the same drive and innate abilities that coursed through their blood does through hers as well. In every form of armed combat, guns or knives or other, she is dangerous. With hand-to-hand combat she is positively lethal. She doesn't just know how to fight - she knows how to make sure she wins.

BOOKS

Number of Books:3
First Appearance:2012
Last Appearance:2018

This is a sibling series, a term I use for one that has its own identity and path but which is connected to and sometimes combined with another series. In this instance, Maya Raines has a fellow agent, Kendra Shaw, who is her close friend and a fellow operative and occasional partner.


1 The Blasphemer The Blasphemer
aka Collision
Written by John Ling
Copyright: 2012

Abraham Khan is a Muslim who is speaking out for liberalization and peace with the West, an idea that has made him the target of many hateful people. Maya Raines is the operative told to protect him while he visits her country but since the man will not shy from the limelight, her mission is next to impossible.
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2 Rebellion Rebellion
Written by John Ling
Copyright: 2017

Being half-Malaysian, Maya Raines knows she cannot just watch when a female terrorist named Khadijah kidnaps the young son of an American businessman. Tracking them down means learning about the woman and that will change things considerably.
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3 Vengeance Vengeance
Written by John Ling
Copyright: 2018

Maya Raines has wanted for years to find and punish the man who killed her father, a legendary operative. Now the assassin who pulled the trigger years ago has surfaced and Raines and fellow operative Kendra Shaw have a chance to track him down and learn who was responsible.
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MY COMMENTS

My first point of interest on this fun series is the fact that the main character, Maya Raines, is from New Zealand. That makes her just one of a very few operatives in this compendium from that beautiful nation (never been there myself but love the photos I've seen of the place and am a huge fan of a couple of shows from there on television).

I've also become a fan of Maya. I love her mixed heritage which sort of makes her part of two 'worlds' and sort of doesn't. And she has some very challenging assignments thrown at her which she is able to, with difficulty, pull off. 

Another very interesting aspect to this series is that she has to work in the shadow of her slain super-spy father and under the direction of her rather authoritative mother. And still be her own person.

The author (or publisher) dubs this series part of the Raines/Shaw series because they both operate in the same universe and because they share one adventure together. I choose to separate them but make note of the fact.

GRADE

My Grade: B+

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SpyGuysAndGals is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and links with the Buy from Amazon button are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.