In the first, electric moment Rita's eyes catch Jerry sliding a wallet from a stranger's coat, intrigue sparks within her. From this serendipitous encounter blooms an unconventional romance that propels them across the globe, bound by love and a shared aversion to the mundane. With dreams larger than a teacher's salary could ever afford, she teaches him the delicate dance of pickpocketing. Their ambitions swell, morphing from petty thefts to the dizzying heights of insurance scams and art heists, all to fuel a life of adventure and provide for their family. Yet, beneath the thrill of their escapades lies a constant dread: the fear of an ordinary existence and the terror of their secret lives unraveling before the unsuspecting eyes of their loved ones. Their tale reaches a crescendo with the theft of a painting valued at $160 million—a masterpiece they soon discover is as impossible to sell as it is to ignore the price of their choices.
Join me as I unravel the hidden depths of Jerry and Rita double lives… intertwining a deep, romantic love story with the high-stakes world of international art theft, drawing parallels with "The Notebook" and "The Thomas Crown Affair." Offering readers a tale of intrigue, deception, and the remarkable lengths to which two seemingly ordinary people go to pursue an extraordinary secret… hidden for a lifetime.
in the News
Who were Jerry and Rita Alter?
How did they keep their secret hidden their entire life?
And how did a painting valued at $160 Million wind up in the Alter’s home, behind their bedroom door?
IN OUR SECRET LIFE, the upcoming novel by A. Tony Mendoza, unveils the hidden depths of Jerry and Rita Alter’s lives in a tale of intrigue, deception, and the remarkable lengths to which two seemingly ordinary people went to conceal their extraordinary secret.
Right off the bat, I want to say that I loved this book you had me hooked from beginning to end. What really hit me was how you made me absolutely love these two (objectively) horrible people. On paper, they’re downright awful. They didn’t steal merely to survive, they stole to live the high life, and they continued stealing long after they were old and financially stable…solely because they liked to. Not only that, but I was actively rooting for them not to get caught, and I wanted them to live the happily ever after!
This is a romance I’ve never read before, that’s for sure! You’ve created the perfect love story between these two people who we quite literally grow old with. Getting to be part of all their life adventures (although criminal) created a connection between characters and readers that made every moment an emotional event for us as much as them. I grew to love these two fictional people, and I wanted nothing more than for them to find peace in life.
I really enjoyed your book. It was fun to read and I liked the characters a lot. The prologue was a great “hook” to get your readers interested. After the description of the house and Rita, I was interested in her story and looking forward to continuing reading. It was fun to read and was certainly an adventure. I loved the mix of genres. Who knew that adventure, mystery, and romance could mesh so well together?
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THE COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED!!!
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