Tangled Threads

Elemental Assassin, Book 4

By: Jennifer Estep

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

"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 doesnt shy away from my past - or my present. And right now I have a bulls-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 50-50 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."

Listen to more in the Elemental Assassin series.©2011 Jennifer Estep (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Estep has truly hit the jackpot with this outstanding series!" ( Romantic Times)

Better than chocolate!

I’ve been barreling through this series like a woman on a mission. I know that I say this in every review that I write for Jennifer Estep’s books but it really is worth repeating: these books are the bomb! The writing is out-of-this-world outstanding, Lauren Fortgang’s narration is mesmerizing and the characters… Oh. My. God! I ♥ Gin, Owen, Finn, Sophia & Jo-Jo! In this installment we have the showdown to end all showdowns; I’m talking assassin vs. assassin. I mean no disrespect to the athletes I’m about to reference but the fight sequence between Gin and LaFleur puts MMA fighters to shame! In Tangled Threads emotions run sky high, the trademark action is kicked-up an extra notch and the secret that comes out about Flether Lane is just… wow. This book is a masterpiece, plain and simple!
I’m going to try my hardest to avoid spoilers but when you’re reviewing the fourth book in a series it becomes incredibly challenging so please excuse me if I goof. The build-up to the inevitable fight-to-the-death between Gin and LaFleur is incredible. If you’re not a nail bitter, you will be by the end of this novel. McAllister enlists Elektra to kill Blanco without realizing that she’s the Spider. As a result, the hired gun repeatedly pops in to case her mark which left me in a perpetual state of “is this it? The. Fight?” Of course not! You still have 150 pages left to read you silly girl (Yes, I talk to myself when I read)! Although, you never know with Estep; she’s good at keeping her readers guessing.  To say that the plot of this novel is suspenseful would be an understatement.

Owen Grayson is the perfect match for Gin, he really is. His elemental power complements her own, he pushes her to succeed even though doing so means upping her body count and he’s just so darned thoughtful. I was thrilled to see Blanco finally take the plunge and embrace her feelings for him. She deserves to be happy and shouldn’t let a douchebag like Donovan stand in her way. Also (not that I’m taking notes or anything *wink-wink*) the sex between Owen and Gin is WAY hotter because it’s not just about physical attraction. I’m just a little fearful that their match made in heaven is too good to be true and that something (a.k.a. Cain) is going to rear its ugly head and mess it all up. I think that there’s enough action in this series to make romantic drama unnecessary but I’m not discounting the possibility just yet. 

Gin is the shining center of the Elemental Assassin series’ universe; I absolutely adore her as a character. Blanco's patience and ability to take advantage of her nemesis' mistakes are remarkable and skillfully integrated. I like the way that she keeps track of time and of LaFleur’s blunders in her head. A number of new developments occur with regards to Bria Coolidge and her relationship with Gin. I understand that she’s a cop and follows a strict moral code as a result but this is her sister we’re talking about! At least Christmas has a way of bringing families together. All is not forgiven but at least they now have a starting point. Lauren Fortgang impressed me once again with her skills as a narrator and I particularly enjoyed her Russian accent. 

Tangled Threads is better than chocolate and that’s not a claim I make lightly!

Like

I like her her books my only complaint is she tends to over explain things. Like how certain elements don’t like it or who she helped in the previous books etc

A lot of action

This was just as action packed as the first ones. It just didn't do it for me. I think it was all the fighting and blood...it just isn't as exciting as it once was. Maybe it's because I've read so much of it. I give it 3.5 stars...maybe 3.75. It is an enjoyable read and I will definately be looking for the next book.

Good, solid series.

I really like these books. Gin is a good character and her friends are awesome. The only negative thing I can say is that Estep spends a lot of time repeating Gin's backstory. I guess it could be for people who just randomly pick the book up out of order but because of the long drawl, it feels long winded. Fortgang does a nice job. Her male voices aren't my favorite but she's growing on me.

book 4

if you are not a fan of this author, you should be! if you are but have not gotten to this one yet, use you credit NOW! you will enjoy this one as much as the others!

the spider is at it again with all the knives, mystery, thrills of past books.

if you are not into these books yet, our spider is an assen, a dangerously good one but one that is more inclined to good instead rather than bad, even when she has to use her sure shot knives.

i enjoy this series and than mystery lovers will also!

Best yet, despite the flaws

This book is great for the nutters who live dangerously and don’t listen to a series in sequence. Lots and lots of recaps to fill you in with backstories, connections, and motivations. For the rest of us who went through books 1-3 to get here, the recaps are unnecessary filler, but ultimately not too painful to move the plot (finally) towards the Mab vs Gin showdown … which doesn’t happen until the next book (curses, another tease).

I liked that we finally have a book where Gin doesn’t get the snot beat out of her. I like that Gin has a healthy, flirty relationship here that vibes better than the first two book’s angsty romance. I like that Gin is starting to form friendships and enlarge her family, especially with her sister. These are fun comic-book style urban fantasy listens.

Are the annoyances still there? Yes.
Here’s yet another book where the victim for Gin to save is female and gets touched by bad men. Thankfully, the girl’s harm is barely mentioned and the story moves on quickly… but can’t we for once have Gin rescue a woman in peril from something other than lecherous men?

Here’s four books in a row where Gin is an assassin who never trains using her magic, who barely mentions training with her knives, and who never goes with the smarter, long-distance assassination techniques. She’s the most powerful stone and ice assassin. Why not hurl an ice shard from a distance? An ice knife thru the heart would also melt, removing evidence. Or, smack someone’s head in with a brick from three stories up. No, her modus operandi is to get close enough for her opponent to get her hands on her, forcing a come-from-behind “surprise” victory.

The plot twists are pretty obvious, like the whole trope of Mab’s self-fulfilling prophecy: the whole reason Gin is after Mab is because Mab killed Gin’s family, but Mab killed Gin’s family only because Mab wanted to kill the person prophesied to take Mab out. Obvious irony, but still makes for a pulpy listen.

Not Sure WHY Folks Are Complaining

Any additional comments?

I just don't get the negative reviews that I glanced at before buying this book in spite of them. I found story great, the timeline consistent, the narrator wonderful. Since my dad came from the mountains of North Carolina, I find her accent soothing and charming. I was so sucked into this crime filled fantasy that is filled with giants, dwarves, vampires and magic, that I listened to the entire series over the last couple of weeks. Totally wonderful!

What Can I say....

I have been in love with this series since the very first book. What can I say except that each book is great!

Always good.

These are always good and I do like the progression of Gin's life. This one brought her and Brea together. I do like all the characters tough, main and secondaries are all fleshed out well. Some nice twists in this story that I never saw coming.

Lauren Fortgang did a very nice job reading this. I like her voice for Gin.

Meet Gin Blanco, world's worst assassin.

What did you like best about Tangled Threads? What did you like least?

Best thing about these books are that they are fast-paced and set in an interesting world. There is a lot of repetition between the books, same descriptions, same jokes, and the author seems to think that you can have a detailed conversation with everyone just by looking into their eyes since that's all people seem to do.

What was most disappointing about Jennifer Estep’s story?

Gin is a terrible Assassin. Jennifer goes on and on about how awesome she is and what a pro she is, citing all her perfect training... Which she consistently ignores "just this once". She certainly gave Gin all the skills and resources that she should need to take care of business, but she is always screwing up each hit over and over again, steadfastly refusing to use her magic until she's been beaten into a bloody pulp. She always manages to survive through pure luck, which she is constantly cursing. With all the possibilities surrounding elemental magic she sticks to her knives, rather than exploring ice shards or flinging 100 pound rocks at her enemies. Except for some very minor uses of a crossbow (so far, I'm partly through the next book) she invariably passes up great opportunities to pop targets anonymously and from a distance with a rifle or crossbow in favour of getting her butt kicked again. Also, do explosives not exist in this world? A small shape charge could have offed half her targets that are so tough. Don't worry though Gin will always survive because every single enemy will try and talk her to death rather than offing her with a bullet to the head.

Which character – as performed by Lauren Fortgang – was your favorite?

Fin is by far the best character, he actually carries a gun.

Was Tangled Threads worth the listening time?

I guess, I bought the next one, so it was good enough. Really wish the series would get some variation going though.