Review + Excerpt: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

by 8:50 AM 0 comments
Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.

I'm Gin Blanco.

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren't aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coal-mining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn't made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.

Overall Thoughts:
After reading this novel, I felt mentally and emotionally drained! Have you ever felt personally tired after reading about some kind of excited, action-packed adventure, as if it happened to you in real life? Well, this book does just that!

Web of Lies takes place a few months after Spider's Bite, where the main protagonist, Gin Blanco, is now a newly retired assassin. She spends her days doing mundane activities like: working at the Pork Pit, attending various community college courses, and reading classic novels. Blanco finds herself missing the excitement and fast-paced lifestyle of her former spy days. That is, until a college student named Violet Fox walks into the Pork Pit one day looking for the "Tin Man," Gin's now-deceased former handler, who was a renowned assassin as well. Minutes later, Gin and Violet find themselves face down on the floor of the Pork Pit after someone tries to brutally murder Violet, for some unknown reason.

Turns out, Violet Fox and her grandfather, Warren T. Fox, are in imperious danger when Tobias Dawson, a wealthy collier, is looking to buy their land in order to expand his company and will stop at nothing to obtain it - even if it means murdering two innocent people. For some reason, Gin finds herself wanting to help these two because it reminds her of the relationship she once shared with the "Tin Man," otherwise known as Fletcher Lane.

To top it all off, as Gin is struggling to find and end the very Tobias Dawson, all while keeping the Fox's safe, she has to deal with the ardent feelings she has for a certain detective, who goes by the name of Donovan Caine - the very same man who had previously rejected Gin because of her wanton profession.

What I liked about this book:
Truly, I believe Jennifer Estep has a gift for action novels. She is phenomenal when it comes to setting up the story in a clear, concise manner; then, making the reader feel as though they've journeyed with these beloved characters; and finally, delivering a final blow in the plot with a dash of fanfare in a dynamic and suspenseful way!

What I disliked about this book:
I do feel like this book had a few fillers - not many - but enough to be noticeable. They were a bit superfluous, and took away from the story and the action.
Venom (Elemental Assassin, #3)
Verdict:
If you are into spy novels or thrilling action stories with driven characters, I highly recommend this series!

The next book in this series is Venom (Elemental Assassin, #3), and it's already out!




4 TARGETS!


Excerpt:

"Gin."

"Detective."

We stood there, staring at each other. An invisible electric current hummed between us, firing off sparks of hot desire in every direction. I breathed in. The detective's clean, soapy scent filled my nose, overpowering the cumin, red pepper, and other spices in the air. Donovan looked away and cleared his throat.

"You want to tell me what happened?" He asked in a low voice.

"You want to tell me why you're here?" I countered.
Pages: 26-27

Carmen Shaw

Developer

Carmen N. Shaw is currently a biology major at Georgia State University. She is the owner and developer of the book blog, Understanding Carmen's Story.

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