The Informationist

A Thriller

By: Taylor Stevens

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Vanessa “Michael” Munroe deals in information - expensive information - working for corporations, heads of state, private clients, and anyone else who can pay for her unique brand of expertise. Born to missionary parents in lawless central Africa, Munroe took up with an infamous gunrunner and his mercenary crew when she was just fourteen. As his protégé, she earned the respect of the jungle's most dangerous men, cultivating her own reputation for years until something sent her running. After almost a decade building a new life and lucrative career from her home base in Dallas, she's never looked back.

Until now.

A Texas oil billionaire has hired her to find his daughter who vanished in Africa four years ago. It’s not her usual line of work, but she can’t resist the challenge. Pulled deep into the mystery of the missing girl, Munroe finds herself back in the lands of her childhood, betrayed, cut off from civilization, and left for dead. If she has any hope of escaping the jungle and the demons that drive her, she must come face-to-face with the past that she’s tried for so long to forget.

Gripping, ingenious, and impeccably paced, The Informationist marks the arrival or a thrilling new talent.

©2011 Taylor Stevens (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Stevens’s blazingly brilliant debut introduces a great new action heroine, Vanessa Michael Munroe, who doesn’t have to kick over a hornet’s nest to get attention, though her feral, take-no-prisoners attitude reflects the fire of Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander….Thriller fans will eagerly await the sequel to this high-octane page-turner.” ( Publishers Weekly)

excellent

This novel is fantastic. It's dark and twisted and clever. The main character is a strong woman (yay) who is working thru life by blurring the lines between good and evil. She takes no prisoners....not a single one. Ever. This is the first novel in the Monroe series that should be read first. You can understand the characters better throughout the following books starting with this one. I actually found this author by happenstance and have now become a faithful follower of this series. It's not fluffy and romantic...though I like romance books a lot.... Vanessa Monroe is cleaver ,strong and damaged. I highly recommend this series.

Good plot twists, good narrator

The characters were intriguing, the plot draws you in. The narrator's skill with accent and inflection makes this an easy listen. I use audible to keep me exercising... after this one, I'm tired! Couldn't put it down.

Mystery, Action, Adventure and a touch of Romance.

What made the experience of listening to The Informationist the most enjoyable?

I liked the fast movement of the story. The mysterious, tortured past of Vanessa Monroe.
Also, Hillary Huber does an excellent job of differentiation between the characters with the different voices.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the intrigue of the characters with their secrets and the interaction between the characters to get at those secretes. I liked the strong character in Munroe.

Which character ??? as performed by Hillary Huber ??? was your favorite?

I liked Munroe and Carlos, I'm not sure I'd care to chose between the two.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Munroe's intrepid journey into a lawless Africa pits her against government corruption, a former lover and secrets from her past.

Can't wait for more Stevens

I loved loved loved the heroine of this novel. I really appreciated that Stevens took the time to explain how Munroe got to be such a bad ass. The level of detail about various part of Africa was unlike anything I've ever read before and made what could have been a pretty standard thriller to into something far more interesting.

I wasn't thrilled with the narration, but it was fine enough. Overall though I definitely recommend this audiobook.

I needed distraction and I got it!

I generally don't like spy thrillers. Of course I loved The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because I just got sucked in, but mostly I avoid them unless I am in an airport, forgot a book and am going to be on a plane.

This is an exception. It is so tightly written and the protagonist multi-dimensional that I extended my exercise to keep reading it. It is a compelling story and has enough twists and turns that you are never bored. I highly recommend it as a sort of cracker in between classic novels.

Awesome read....

In my line of work, I listen to ALOT of books. I was feeling bored when I ran across this one. It caught me from the first chapter! Story line was intriguing and believeable. The back story made it better. Would recommend highly! I want more of Taylor Stevens....

Great the second time too

This is my second listen and still one of my all time favorites. Really enjoyed it.

The Informationist

This book was pretty good. This was the first time i heard one of her books. I think i will get another one by her

Fun listen, good for learning geography of Africa

This book is your typical thriller, which isn't a bad thing. I like thrillers, but often I have a hard time choosing one, and the fact that this book won Audiobook of the Year in Audible's annual tournament made my decision easy. And it was a good, fast-paced listen. The narrator was excellent, portraying a strong female character without losing her femininity. The main character is interesting, if a bit one-dimensional. And I admit, I did not predict the ending. But mostly I enjoyed hearing about Africa--even though this book doesn't show much of its good side. I ended up pulling out a map to follow the characters around.

Taylor Stevens not in the big leagues yet.

This novel is about a fiercely driven female action heroine playing on the world stage of espionage and intrigue. The author's feminism demonstrates that badly written women can be just as dopey as badly written men. To be fair, Taylor Stevens comes up with some great action bits and plot twists. But unfortunately the story and characters didn't feel human. The Informationist is much more plot driven than character driven and at its core I don't find the humanity that's the hallmark of the really good writer.

Hilary Huber as narrator is fine, and gives a plausible interpretation of wildly improbable material.