I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Snared
by
Jennifer Estep
It is part of the Elemental Assassin #16 series and is a urban fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Pocket Books on April 25, 2017 and has 371 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
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, Tangled Schemes, 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, Kill the Queen, "Winter's Web", Last Strand, Sharpest Sting, "Unwanted", Dirty Deeds 2, "Heart Stings"
Sixteenth in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series set in Ashland, North Carolina, and revolving around a retired assassin and the new queen of crime. If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of the Elemental Assassin books on my website.
My Take
Oh, mama! We’re getting more details into Gin’s past, specifically the night her entire life changed. The most interesting bit was Tucker’s role in that night. And the truth of his position in the Circle. Almost makes ya feel sorry for him.
I had one major issue with this story, and I do NOT understand how Gin never thought of checking out either of these two places. I mean, DUH, the CLUES were all there!!
The overall series arc is Gin wanting to know who put out the order to kill her mother. The emotion of Gin’s determination really hits home as Estep uses first-person protagonist point-of-view, and we get a few steps closer to finding this shadowy central figure…with Estep sneaking in that cliffhanger well before the end. And now I gotta wait to learn more!
Some of the plot beats include that bit of foreshadowing with Gin’s pendant, and there is definitely a ticking clock scenario in this, as they must find the latest victim before she breathes her last. And, naturally, there’s a villain speech. What is with people that they can think this way??
The Story
A cry for help sends Gin Blanco down an increasingly dark, dangerous path, as she hopes desperately to find Jade’s missing sister before it’s too late.
It’s a trail that spikes Gin’s nightmares, recalling that night of the fire that changed her life.
The Characters
Gin Blanco, the former Genevieve Snow, is a retired assassin — with elemental gifts of stone and ice — and unhappy underworld queen. Finnegan “Finn” Lane is her well-loved foster brother who has an interest in the finer things in life and an appreciation for the ladies, although he is in love with Bria, Gin’s sister. Dierdre Shaw (Spider’s Trap, 13, through Unraveled, 15) had been his mother. Owen Grayson has an affinity for metals, and he’s Gin’s lover. These two have had some interesting ups and downs. Eva Grayson is his little sister. Violet Fox is Eva’s best friend. Silvio Sanchez, a vampire and former second-in-command to a mob boss, is Gin’s efficient personal assistant. Tristan had been Gin’s father until his “accident”. Annabelle was the sister who died with their mother.
The Pork Pit is…
…a barbecue restaurant Gin inherited from her foster father and assassin mentor, Fletcher Lane. The goth Sophia Deveraux is the head cook with some useful skills with her air elemental power…she does good “clean-up”. Catalina Vasquez is Silvio’s niece and Gin’s best waitress.
Jolene “Jo-Jo” Deveraux is Sophia’s older sister and also a dwarf. She uses her air elemental power in the beauty salon she runs. Rosco is her basset hound. Lorelei Parker and Jade Jamison are two of the underworld bosses and friends of Gin’s. Elissa Daniels is one of Jade’s “talkers” and has gone missing. She’s also Jade’s little half-sister. Kelsey was their mother; Stephen was Elissa’s dad. Anthony Fenton is Elissa’s jerk of a boyfriend. Rose Sears is Elissa’s bitch of a former best friend.
Stuart Mosley, a dwarf, is president of First Trust bank and Finn’s boss. Joanna Mosley, Stuart’s great-granddaughter, had been a victim of the Dollmaker’s. Stuart’s wife, Jane, died a few months later. Lacey Lawrence went missing after her shift. Sandra Reeves was his first victim.
Ashland PD
Detective Bria Coolidge, Gin’s sister, is one of the very few cops who isn’t corrupt and works hard at her job. Xavier, a giant and Roslyn’s boyfriend, is her partner. Dr. Ryan Colson is the head coroner, grateful to Gin. Detective Sykes is one of those lazy slobs.
Northern Aggression is…
…Ashland’s premier nightclub owned and run by Roslyn Phillips, a vampire who is a good friend of Gin and Finn’s. Lisa and Catherine are Roslyn’s sisters. Gerald and Tim are a couple of the giant bouncers.
Five Oaks is…
…a very upscale country club managed by Marco.
The Circle is…
…a super-secret organization that runs Ashland and its criminals with Hugh Tucker as their number one vampire enforcer. Gin’s mother, Eira Snow, had been a part of it. Damian Rivera, a trust fund drunk and womanizer, is one of their members. Maria and Richard Rivera had been his parents. A dwarf, Bruce Porter, is in charge of Rivera’s security. Some of the thugs include dwarves Ken and Henry.
Harley Grimes had been a serial killer in Heart of Venom, 9. Mab Monroe had been a vicious part of the Circle. Barry, Chuck, and Carlos had been with her that night. Glo-Glo is a makeup company out of Bigtime, New York.
The Cover and Title
The cover is deep purples of a stone wall and house in the background, a bright orange light shining from an upper window. Gin, her hair moving in the breeze and wearing black jeans and tank top and a brown leather jacket, with one of her silverstone knives on her hip, is contemplating the blood flowing from the spider runes burned into her palms.
My best guess on the title is the trap, for they Snared the killer.
