I received this book for free from the author as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author as a free story
Tangled Schemes
by
Jennifer Estep
It is part of the Elemental Assassin #3.7 series and is a urban fantasy in eBook edition that was published by the author on 2011 and has 15 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads
Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Jennifer Estep, Venom, Karma Girl, Tangled Threads, Touch of Frost, Spider's Revenge, Kiss of Frost, Hot Mama, By a Thread, Dark Frost, Widow's Web, Crimson Frost, Deadly Sting, Midnight Frost, Heart of Venom, The Spider, Killer Frost, Tangled Dreams, Spider's Bargain, "Poison", Spider’s Nemesis, "Wasted", "Web of Death", "Web of Deceit", Black Widow, Poison Promise, Cold Burn of Magic, The Spider's Trap, Dark Heart of Magic, Bitter Bite, Unraveled, "Nice Guys Bite", Bright Blaze of Magic, Snared, Kill the Queen, "Winter's Web", Last Strand, Sharpest Sting, "Unwanted", Dirty Deeds 2, "Heart Stings"
This short story is 3.7 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and focuses on Bria Coolidge.
You can read this short story for free on Estep’s website.
My Take
This is from Bria’s point-of-view and examines her conflict over sister versus Spider as she remembers life before Mab destroyed her family. Life with her sister Genevieve. We also get a ringside seat on her chat with Donovan Caine that’ll bring Bria home to Ashland as well as a browse through her thoughts about Mab Monroe and the very corrupt Ashland P.D.
I think Bria has her order of non-contamination screwed up. Shouldn’t she have put the gloves on before she started feeling up that envelope?
Most of this simply reiterates what’s already in Venom, 3. It’s just a different POV.
The Story
Detective Coolidge is getting desperate for information about the Spider. Desperate enough that she’s willing to pay out for that info from her own pocket.
The Characters
Detective Bria Coolidge, is an elemental with a gift for Ice, and she’s with the Ashland PD, one of the very few honest cops. She’s also conflicted about this new information that the Spider is also Genevieve Snow, her older sister. She has sworn to take her in. Xavier, a giant, is her partner on the force, and he’s in love with Roslyn Phillips.
She sees Finnegan Lane as a “sleazy investment banker”, even if she is attracted to him. Sophia is a Goth dwarf who cooks at the Pork Pit that Gin Blanco owns. A restaurant where Bria feels at home.
Harriet Montgomery is an informant who claims to have information about the Spider. Selene is the friend with the actual info.
Mab Monroe is the Fire elemental who killed Eira, Bria’s mother, Annabella, her oldest sister, and, she had thought, Genevieve. Elliot Slater was Mab’s giant enforcer.
The Title
I’m thinking the title refers to the muddle of people in this series, all of whom have their own reasons for hiding or exposing Gin; it’s a series of “Tangled Schemes”.
