Book Banter - Web of Lies

Title: Web of Lies
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Oshkosh Public Library

Plot Basics: Retirement is kinda boring. So when Gin Blanco's customer Violet needs the help of the Tin Man, aka Fletcher, Gin decides that one last job is just the thing to alleviate the boredom.

Hell, it's hard to turn away an old friend in trouble. Even when the old friend brings along an evil coal mining tycoon.

Banter Points: I have to admit that I'm glad Gin found retirement boring. Running the Pork Pit is a great day job, but there is so much more to this character than meets the eye. Jo-Jo is convinced that there is more to Gin than Gin believes possible. By the end of the book, the reader believes it too.

Gin has a bumpy road in the romance department too. She's attracted to Donovan Caine, the last honest cop in Ashland, and the feeling is mutual. Only Donovan can't quite wrap his head around Gin's version of justice. Without spoiling the plot, Gin has others competing for her attentions - and he isn't likely to give up.

Gin's character is drawn out in the second book of the series. Her character has quite a bit of depth, and is well-thought out for a second novel. Learning more about her under-lying motivations and drive is a decent starting point for filling in the details behind this complicated assassin.

Bummer Points: I can't say what disappointed me the most without having a spoiler. But I will say that it involves Donovan Caine. I thought that he was tougher than this.

Stacie's Recommendation: Fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden series will find that Gin Blanco serves the same mission as Harry - only she really is a bad guy, while Harry is confused with one.
Bonus: Read the first chapter of Web of Lies.