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)

Highly Entertaining and Well Read

Fast action in a leisurely setting. The heroine is not like Lisabeth Salander re: computer, chess, and photographic memory, but is very smart and is one tough chick. The main area of action is throughout equatorial Africa making it exotic. Hilary Huber read the book well speaking calmly while all hell is breaking loose. Not believable in parts, but still captivating. The book would make a great film with the action star being a female for once instead of the usual male.

Unique Setting Makes this One a Winner

Thrillers with a female lead aren't too common and often feel a bit forced, but Stevens only pulls this one off thanks to the unique setting of this novel.

Taking place primarily in some of the most lawless parts of the world, the listener gets a peak into subsaharan Africa. I was never really convinced that the view was authentic, but I could suspend my disbelief and revel in the story for awhile.

Honestly though I was expecting a more original/interesting character in Monroe. I never thought she developed into a true heroine. Sure she has a Type A personality and can kick some ass along with an interesting life, but that's a dime a dozen in thrillers. Nothing stood out to make her stand out.

Informationist

As good a character as Stieg Larsson's "Lisbeth Sanders". I couldn't put it down. There wasn't a slow point in the whole book. I hope Taylor Stevens continues the character in her next book. This is a whole new kind of hero and thriller. Better writing than anyone else is doing right now.

Enjoyed it and recommend, but it's not Larsson

Enjoyed the book and recommend it if you like "situational thrillers". Not as good as the Stieg Larsson or Millennium Trilogy books, but if you like the genre you will like this book. The authors background is interesting and comes through the book.

The Informationalist

What a fantastically presented book! This was the first audio book I have listened to and it was fantastic! Great story, kick ass heroine and so well presented *****

Worth a listen esp. if you want a strong heroin

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I wanted to hear a bit more intrigue and perhaps have more twists, but I haven't read a suspense novel in a long time and this one was as well done as most others. I really liked the heroin and her personal struggles.

If you’ve listened to books by Taylor Stevens before, how does this one compare?

Much better than the second in this series, which rambles on and has very little going on.

What about Hillary Huber’s performance did you like?

Love this reader.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, I would see this movie, but not the second in this series. The plot fell short.

Poor man's Dragon Tattoo...but still good!

Any additional comments?

This is a strong start to a series with the Vanessa Munroe character--girl with a past, a specific set of skills, tasked to find a missing girl in Africa. Though as I listened, I kept thinking of the Girl with the Dragon tattoo, it lacks the depth that the Salander character had. I could believe that she had this strange and troubled childhood that led to her current job, but Munroe lacked any vulnerability that would make her a more believable character. In troubling moments, she immediately had to kill someone with her bare hands, handle a knife, shoot a gun, etc.....it made her a little super human and unreal.

What made the book interesting was the intricacies of maneuvering through Africa, her knowledge of languages, that she was intelligent and yes...that she could physically defend herself.

Hilary Huber does a pretty good job with the narration. She's not great with male voices, but with all the books I've listened to, I haven't found many to be.

At last

Finally I was able to find another novel that kept me transfixed during my long and boring three hour commutes. I spend hours searching and listening on Audible, sometimes I succeed and this one was riveting.

You have to be kidding me!

How this book was able to get into the semi-finals of your contest is beyond me. Should have been knock off in the second round. It dosn't come close to being as good as 11-22-63.

She's interesting, but she's no Lizabeth Salendar

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but expectations of Michael Munroe being another Lizbeth Salander fall short. Looking forward, however, to Taylor Stevens next book in the Informationist series.