Spider's Bite

December 14, 2009
Bodies litter the pages of this first entry in Estep’s engrossing Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. In the corrupt Southern metropolis of Ashland, weather witches mingle with vampires, giants, and dwarves. A mysterious client hires assassin Gin Blanco, known as the Spider, to murder a whistle-blowing financial officer named Gordon Giles. Then the client attempts a double cross and brutally kills Gin’s mentor. Now Gin, a stone elemental with a hard-boiled attitude, a closely guarded heart, and a penchant for throwing knives, has to join forces with one of the few honest cops in Ashland, sexy detective Donovan Caine, who hates her for killing his partner. Fans of Estep’s humorous paranormal romances (Jinx
; Hot Mama
) may be taken aback by the gritty violence and steamy sex, but urban fantasy fans will love it.

January 15, 2010
Gin "The Spider" Blanco is no stranger to murder. After her family was brutally killed, she lived on the streets of the Appalachian town of Ashland, until Fletcher Lane, owner of a local barbecue joint and professional assassin, took her in. Gin's ability to harness the power of stone, combined with Fletcher's training, make her a deadly opponent. When Fletcher is brutally murdered, Gin vows revenge. As her investigation uncovers a conspiracy that could destroy her hometown, Gin finds herself uncontrollably attracted to the hot cop handling the case. VERDICT The combination of humor and brutality can be jarring at times, but the fast pace, clever dialog, and intriguing heroine help make this new series launch by the author of the "Bigtime" paranormal romance series ("Karma Girl, Hot Mama, Jinx") one to watch. For readers of paranormal romance.

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