Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin #2) by Jennifer Estep

Released: May 25, 2010
Format: e-book
Pages: 260
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN-13: 978-1-4391-5544-8

After enjoying Spider’s Bite as much as I did (read my thoughts here), I’ve been quite eager to read the second installment in Gin Blanco’s adventures. I’m pleased to report I was mistaken about when the book was coming out (I thought it was summer) and even more pleased to say that I loved this book more than the first.

In Web of Lies, Gin has retired from the assassin life and is trying to content herself with running the Pork Pit, the restaurant left to her by her mentor Fletcher. It wouldn’t be a very fun book, though, if she were only cooking the whole time and so Jennifer Estep starts the novel off with a hold-up and an assassination attempt, leaving Gin to do what she does best.

All of the supporting characters from Spider’s Bite are back in Web of Lies: Finn, her mentor’s son and now her new handler; Sophia, the goth dwarf who helps Gin with both of her jobs; Jo-Jo, Sophia’s sister, an Air elemental who helps patch Gin up; and Donovan Caine, the reluctant love interest. There are also some great new characters, who I won’t mention in case it spoils it for other readers, and some more information about the heavies in the city, namely Mab Monroe and her lieutenants. Plus we get to learn more about Fletcher and Gin’s pasts, which is great, even though the author’s done it in such a way that I’m desperate to know more.

And, if that’s not enough, the writing is fantastic, just like in Spider’s Bite – the plot flows seamlessly, there are developments on several fronts, and the reader’s left dying to know what’s going to happen in book three, especially since the e-book comes with a preview of Venom. Thankfully, while checking out Jennifer Estep’s website, I learned that Venom is going to be out in the fall, so I won’t have long to wait, which makes me very, very happy.