Vanessa Michael Munroe seems to be invincible. Her stealth in investigation and her ferocity and skill in protecting herself and those she loves make Michael almost untouchable.
Almost.
Until an angry psychopath known as the Doll Maker enacts a plan to kidnap Michael and use the lives of those she loves as collateral to force her into performing a mission. She is to deliver a kidnapped girl to a wealthy client. But how far can Michael go when so many lives are on the line?
Taylor Stevens has done another great job of throwing readers right into the plot of the novel; pushing us into the action. Munroe is plunged into a dangerous situation, and her reactions to the order she’s given once again portray another layer of her vulnerabilities. Although her character is akin to a super-ninja-killer-spy, readers are also given glimpses of her frailties and weaknesses; what makes her human.
An early excerpt from the book artfully but succinctly sums up Munroe’s skill in what she does:
Do not let her hear your language…she will use language as a weapon. Keep the area around her free of objects, everything will be used as a weapon. Stay clear of her reach, she doesn’t need a weapon to kill you. Don’t use restraints, she will find a way out of them and they will only give a false sense of safety. Do not touch her…Leave her in peace, and treat her respectfully, only then will the violence stay muted. Disrespect these and make no mistake, she will kill you.
But this book is not just about the action. In it, we are taken deeper into the personality of Vanessa Michael Munroe. The events which unfurl in the story shake her to her very core. And yet, again, even with the danger she must face, and the extreme consequences of failure, she puts her compassion for others in front of her hard veneer, and does what’s right to save the one most vulnerable.
Taylor Stevens is skillful in how she plunges readers into both the action, and the mind of Munroe, who becomes more and more complex with every new book. Her plot is fast-paced and entertaining, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the Munroe series – THE CATCH.
Thanks for another great read Taylor!
