Review: Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

Book: Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep
Stand Alone or Series: Elemental Assassin #4
Previous Books in Series: Spider's Bite (1), Web Of Lies (2), Venom (3)
Pages:  384 
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Buy A Copy: Amazon | Book Depository

Available Formats: Paperback & Ebook
Publication Date: April 26th, 2011

Publisher: Pocket

How Did I Get This Book: From Author, For Review

First Line: “Are you going to kill this guy? Or are we just going to sit here all night?"

Description: I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead.

Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too.

The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .

Like the preceding books in this thrilling series, Tangled Threads packs a great deal of punch. Gin is back, guns (or shall we say, knives) blazing and is reeking havoc on Mab Monroe and her followers. Once again, Estep delivers Gin's story in the same dark, gritty tone that we as readers have grown accustomed to.

However, what makes the fourth installment standout is that Gin's emotional ride takes the front seat, when in the past the books have been more focused on her career and skills as an assassin. We are finally able to see her develop stable relationships with those around her, namely Owen. Can I just take this moment to say, Donovan Caine, who? The storyline with Gin's long lost baby sister also finally see's some development. I don't want to say what exactly happens, but just know that there is a great deal of progression in the sisters' storyline.

Finn, Gin's foster brother is also back as her trusty partner-in-crime. I have to be honest, the relationship between these two is my favorite of the series. They bicker and banter, but at the end of the day they really do love each other. Plus, I won't lie, I kind of love Finnegan Lane.

By shaping these relationships for Gin, Estep continues to do the seemingly impossible task of creating an assassin with a heart. Honestly, that is one of the highlights of this series; Gin is such a contradiction - she is overwhelmingly tough, yet she is a pushover at the same time. Once again, in Tangled Threads, Gin's heart gets her into some sticky situations. But that's what is so appealing about her - it makes her a character you want to champion, even though she making a living killing people.

The villain in the story, Elektra, is easily my favorite of the series. She is the assassin that Mab hires to take Gin (well, the Spider) out. Elektra is the kind of villain we all love to hate - she is extremely confident and completely evil. She, like Gin, is an elemental - she has power over electricity. This nice lady loves to fry people. Obviously, she is easy to hate, but she is also a fun character to read about. I much prefer her to the Tobias Dawson and Elliot Slater.

The only complaint I have about Tangled Threads is the same complaint I had for Web of Lies  and Venom. There is just simply too text that deals with repeating prior storylines. I get what Estep is trying to do, she wants to make sure readers remember all of the key points so that there isn't any confusion moving forward. However, I literally skipped pages worth of writing, because the recaps are insanely in depth.

 Favorite Quotes

"But I'd much rather face a dozen assassins like LaFleur any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings."

"This is the first time I've dated an assassin. I don't want to piss her off."

"Killing people was far easier than making polite chitchat."

"The romantic reunion and thank-you-for-saving-my-life sex would have to wait until later."

"are you coming along peaceful-like, or am I going to have to hog-tie you and put you in the car?"

"All I'm saying is that I understand if the novelty's worn off and you want to get off the carousel ride now before it kills you."