SPIDER'S BITE by Jennifer Estep

Annnnd another fantastic urban fantasy series to add to my list of favorites J

I can't even tell you how much I loved this book.  When I say I'm adding it to my favorites, it's in some seriously good UF company. Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs meet Jennifer Estep whose books are about to make a place on my shelves right next to yours.

Spider's Bite was a thrill ride from start to finish.  Seriously, I could not put it down!  Everything from character to plot to romance was enticing and well done and totally badass.  But with Gin Blanco as the main character there was never any doubt that there'd be some serious bad assery in this book.

Gin Blanco (aka The Spider) is the biggest, baddest, best assassin in the South.  She has a talent for trouble, a heart of stone, and a deadly strike that never misses.  You don't mess with her unless you want to get dead--but when someone sets her up, Gin never sees it coming.  When one of her clients sends a second assassin to kill her and tortures her mentor to death, The Spider uses all the tricks of the trade to hunt down her prey.  Detective Donovan Caine, the only good cop left in a town gone bad, rouses feelings in Gin she shouldn't be having--especially since she killed his partner a few years back.  But if working with Caine will help her find the Air elemental that killed her friend, she'll do it.  The Spider always gets her man--and this time she's out for blood.

Gin was such a great character, with such a clear yet complex motivation, that I couldn't help but love her.  Actually, I was rooting her from page one and the connection only grew stronger throughout the book.  You really shouldn't love someone who's an assassin, but I dare anyone to read this book and not fall in love with Gin Balnco.  Sure, she kills people, but if you'll notice Estep did something kinda sneaky--and smart.  In the book, Gin only kills sleazebags who deserve it (mostly people who prey on young kids).  Life's given her some pretty hard knocks, but Gin was one tough cookie.  And I do love me some cookies lol J

Now, I will say one of things that I didn't love was Detective Donovan Caine.  Although I'd put Estep's writing right up there with Harris and Briggs in every other respect, I didn't love her male leads.  I liked Finn as a friend for Gin, but Caine just didn't do it for me.  I wanted to see him step up, kick the crap out of some lowlife or do what needed to be done without Gin having to convince him.  Basically what I'm saying is Caine wasn't good enough for Gin ;)  But hopefully he'll get better in the following books.

I would recommend this to anyone and everyone.  It is an adult urban fantasy, though, so younger readers beware.  But if you are old enough to read it, I'd say go for it.  You won't regret it!

Happy Reading,

Ninja Girl

*Side note: In the book, Gin works at a place called the Pork Pit located in Tennessee.  One of my friends from high school actually worked at a place called the Pork Pit in TN J Small world, huh?