Bitter Bite

January 4, 2016
Estep drags readers along the tracks of an emotional roller-coaster right along with her protagonist, the infamous elemental assassin known as Gin Blanco, who heads the criminal underworld of the fictional Southern U.S. city of Ashland. This 14th book (after Spider’s Trap) finds Gin desperately trying to figure out a way to break some unwelcome news to her foster brother, Finn. Unfortunately, someone else leaks it first, leaving Gin and her cohorts to pick up the pieces and avert disaster. As always, Estep delights in torturing the characters in her urban fantasy series, perhaps a little bit more than they deserve. Even though some may argue that Gin’s own actions have led her down this path, Estep’s willingness to pile on the troubles keeps Gin sympathetic, ensuring that readers will continue rooting for her. This installment’s plot is intriguing, but it’s primarily a transition book, setting the stage for the next act in the series. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

December 15, 2015
Retired paranormal underworld assassin Gin Blanco can handle almost any physical threat, but when a figure from her past returns to charm her best friend and foster brother into a close relationship, she's convinced the woman is up to no good. Gin is queen of the underworld in the Southern criminal stronghold of Ashland, though she doesn't want to be. She's spent the last few years creating a tight-knit quasi-family from a motley crew of friends and just wants to run her barbecue joint in peace. Unfortunately, she's a prime target for a huge line of villains who want to take her out of the picture. Recently, she's discovered that Fletcher, her mentor and father of her best friend, Finn, left her some post-mortem clues as to a shadowy figure from their past who everyone believed was dead but isn't. Should that woman, Deirdre--Fletcher's wife and Finn's mother--ever come back to Ashland, she'll be up to no good. By the time Gin gathers all the pieces and proof together, Deirdre has already reconnected with Finn, and he's resentful of Gin's attempts to protect him and angry at her refusal to believe Deirdre's intentions are good. So she plays a precarious game of trying to be supportive of Finn's genuine desire to reconnect with a woman she believes betrayed him in the past while also quietly probing what Deirdre's true motives are so that she can help Finn when she betrays him again. The 14th title in the Elemental Assassin series is a fast, furious, and entertaining romp in an intriguing though violent paranormal world, and Estep does an admirable job of moving the story forward, expressing Gin's obvious discomfort at the complicated emotions she and her friends are navigating, all while balancing the psychological and physical threats Deirdre brings to Ashland. Occasionally, though, scenes and plot elements seem to be inserted more for shock value rather than growing authentically out of the characters or story. An intense yet engaging urban fantasy jaunt.

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January 1, 2016

In her 14th adventure (after Spider's Trap), Gin Blanco is still adjusting to her new status as queen of the underworld. With mobsters and supernatural dealers attempting to put her in the ground, Gin has always relied on her chosen family--related and not--to get her through the hardest times. Her foster brother, Finnegan Lane, has had her back until his mother, long presumed dead, arrives in town to reestablish ties. Gin's intuition tells her that Finn's new family is up to no good. Finn will not hear any of it, and between robberies, death threats, and secrets from the (literal) grave, Gin will fight for her life and her family relationships once again. With her assassin's instincts and a few good friends, Gin is determined to discover the truth about Finn's mother, which will lead to some revelations about her own. VERDICT Estep's street-smart characters, lively narrative, and ever-evolving stories keep this series alive and kicking. If readers are still coming off a Netflix Jessica Jones high, Gin Blanco will make a good follow-up.--KC

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