Tangled Threads

Elemental Assassin, Book 4

By: Jennifer Estep

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

"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)

Great book!

She did it again, hit the ball out the park. This is a great story and characters. The story line is building to be an awesome series. 😁🐛

B+ rating...

My Review:

Overall... 4.00 star
Performance.... 4.5 star
Story... 4.00 star
This series is a prime example of why I like to listen to Urban Fantasy on audio rather than reading the books. These books have a lot of mental dialogue within Gin's head. There is also a lot of repeated information from both the other books and within this single book. If I was reading the book, I think that would drive me nuts, but for me and listening to audio it works for me. This is a series that I can listen to an hour or two at a time and be okay leaving it for up to a week in between chores where I have the time to listen to audio.

And I liked where this particular book within the series took the series. OMG, I love Owen and how all-in he is with Gin. The scenes with him and his little sister, Eva, in this...LOVED!! I also like how things are developing with little sister Bria. And was completely and totally shocked about the revelations about Fletcher in this one....I did NOT see that coming.

The danger side of the story lacked a little bit on this one for me and looking back I'm not quite sure why because I liked the whole LeFleur/Mab dynamic. For me, it seemed like Gin just wasn't as smart with some of her choices in this one as normal. She only lived because LeFleur made mistakes, not because Gin was the better assassin....I'm used to Gin being the best, most kick butt assassin. I didn't like seeing that she truly could have died in this one and that she only lived because of LeFleur's mistakes. Also, I don't think she gave Bria the credit she was due for the fact that they both lived.

So overall, I rate the story lower for the action/adventure part of it, but I give it HUGE marks for the emotional/relationship part of the story. All in all, it was another great installment to the series. The question...will Mab go down in the next book? And Finn's new hook-up, I'm intrigued. hmm...

Nail biter, for sure!

As always, Jennifer Estep has brought the bad to Ashland. The big bad is here to kill Gin. But honestly, what is Mab thinking? She obviously isn't, because there is no way she can kill the Spider. This book brings to light all those people that love Gin and accept her for who she is. I love the intensity and the drama.

Fun and enjoyable

The series contains light reads with likable a heroin and supporting characters. Some neat magical concepts. Something you can enjoy without thinking too much.

Gripping and still gritty

This is the 4th book in the series and up till now it has exceeded my expectations. Gin's character develops with the storyline yet she still remains true to who/what she is.
Anyone who've read the previous books should love Tangled Threads.
The narrator is still very talented and her characterization is unique and exceptional.

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.

Tangled Threads

In this installment of Elemental Assains, Gin Blanco our favorite assassin has declared open season on Mab Monroe. As Gin has been steadily taking out Mab’s minions, Mab has fired back by sending the best assassin LaFleur after the Spider. Meanwhile Gin is also fighting an emotional battle with her feelings for Owen Grayson and her sister Bria.
This book is really predictable but I still think it was quite good. I like watching Gin start to work on her emotions and start to accept that she has people to lean on. I also think the author does a great job integrating the emotions with the action and it does not feel like it ever drags.

Overall my issues were minor one of them was the believable factor for example Finn who has these amazing sources and is an incredibly talented handler listens to a bartender for information yet does not suspect it could be a set up?? Another minor issue is how everyone knows Gin is the spider, except of course Mab because she is to stupid to recognize her voice. Last but not least is the constant repetition, I know the spider is the symbol for patience, I do remember what happened in the last three books please do not keep bringing it up.

Despite these issues perhaps it is because I listened to this as opposed to reading it and Ms. Lauren Fortgang (the narrator) just smoothed it all out, but I did enjoy listening to this one. While I was never scratching my head trying to figure out what comes next I did enjoy watching things unfold.