cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
5.0
--Recommended by Connie. Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sinnocent+stevens__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book almost as much as the first one. I found it odd, however, that the author makes no reference to Francisco Beyard from the first book in the series.
coach_sean's review against another edition
3.0
The first one had me riveted from the first word. Same reader, same author, same characters, and it seemed to suffer the sophomore jinx for me.
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
The blurbage mentions Lisbeth Salander as similar to Vanessa (or Michael) Monroe, but don't let that influence your reading this book.
Monroe is one of those multilingual, multi-deadly-force types, a one-woman killing/vengeance/rescue team. She's recovering from her previous assignment and starting to break up with her current lover when an old friend asks for her help. Seems that Logan was raised in a religious cult and is trying to get Hannah, his daughter, out to safety. It's not necessary to go into any more details about the surveillance, plotting and violence that ensues.
What was interesting was the depiction of this cult, The Chosen. It's multinational in both membership and compounds (called Havens), with members moving from one Haven to another rather fluidly; the Havens themselves aren't a fixed place but move as needed. The questions of who joins a group like this and what it's like on the inside are always interesting, as well as exploring what happens to those who leave and those who stay. At one point the concept of the members being brainwashed is raised: why would you need punishments in a brainwashed society? All of which was, to me, worth the read and elevated a predictable plot.
ARC provided by publisher.
Monroe is one of those multilingual, multi-deadly-force types, a one-woman killing/vengeance/rescue team. She's recovering from her previous assignment and starting to break up with her current lover when an old friend asks for her help. Seems that Logan was raised in a religious cult and is trying to get Hannah, his daughter, out to safety. It's not necessary to go into any more details about the surveillance, plotting and violence that ensues.
What was interesting was the depiction of this cult, The Chosen. It's multinational in both membership and compounds (called Havens), with members moving from one Haven to another rather fluidly; the Havens themselves aren't a fixed place but move as needed. The questions of who joins a group like this and what it's like on the inside are always interesting, as well as exploring what happens to those who leave and those who stay. At one point the concept of the members being brainwashed is raised: why would you need punishments in a brainwashed society? All of which was, to me, worth the read and elevated a predictable plot.
ARC provided by publisher.
suzannedix's review against another edition
4.0
This series is excellent...disturbing and violent, yes, but thought-provoking and fast-paced as well.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
The Informationist introduced Vanessa 'Michael' Munroe, a damaged heroine with a set of unique skills developed as a means of surviving her troubled childhood. While The Informationist made it on to my wishlist last year I hadn't the opportunity to read it before this arrived for review. It's a shame because I think that my enjoyment of this novel would have been enhanced with a fuller understanding of Munroe's history. That being said, it matters little in terms of the story in this second installment of this new thriller series.
Fast-paced and action packed, The Innocent sees Munroe infiltrating a cult in Argentina to retrieve a thirteen year old girl at the behest of Logan, Munroe's closest friend. In the eight years that Hannah has been held captive by 'The Chosen' she has been moved frequently but Logan finally has reliable information she is in Argentina and hopes Munroe can rescue her before she disappears again. The plot is fairly simple though the logistics of the mission requires a mix of complex skills including surveillance, infiltration and covert ops. There were elements of the plot I thought could have stronger, particularly the motive of The Chosen for taking Hannah and working so hard to keep her hidden. Oddly, despite the high stakes, violence and potential for problems to arise, I found the tension quite weak at times. Mainly I think because the cult posed little threat to someone with Munroe's talent and Hannah's rescue was rarely in doubt.
Munroe is an unusual contrast of incredible deadly skill, emotional vulnerability, a champion of the innocent as well as a borderline sociopath. During The Innocent she is plagued by nightmares, struggling with guilt and vulnerable because of the internal conflict, as well as the importance of this operation to her personally due to her relationship with Logan. This adds some risk to the case, but not quite enough for it to be a source of suspense. Still Munroe is an appealing and complex character who makes for an intriguing and original protagonist.
What I found particularly fascinating as background to this novel is Stevens personal history as a former cult member and how it informs the story of The Innocent. Stevens places her own emphasis on the cults operation and the repercussions for it's members, both current and former. Stevens experience brings an authenticity to the storyline without the sensational tone most exploit.
The Innocent is an entertaining thriller and though it didn't quite reach its potential for me, the series is one that holds much promise. I would like to read the first and will look for the third, titled The Doll, which puts Munroe in conflict with human traffickers and is expected to be published in 2013.
Fast-paced and action packed, The Innocent sees Munroe infiltrating a cult in Argentina to retrieve a thirteen year old girl at the behest of Logan, Munroe's closest friend. In the eight years that Hannah has been held captive by 'The Chosen' she has been moved frequently but Logan finally has reliable information she is in Argentina and hopes Munroe can rescue her before she disappears again. The plot is fairly simple though the logistics of the mission requires a mix of complex skills including surveillance, infiltration and covert ops. There were elements of the plot I thought could have stronger, particularly the motive of The Chosen for taking Hannah and working so hard to keep her hidden. Oddly, despite the high stakes, violence and potential for problems to arise, I found the tension quite weak at times. Mainly I think because the cult posed little threat to someone with Munroe's talent and Hannah's rescue was rarely in doubt.
Munroe is an unusual contrast of incredible deadly skill, emotional vulnerability, a champion of the innocent as well as a borderline sociopath. During The Innocent she is plagued by nightmares, struggling with guilt and vulnerable because of the internal conflict, as well as the importance of this operation to her personally due to her relationship with Logan. This adds some risk to the case, but not quite enough for it to be a source of suspense. Still Munroe is an appealing and complex character who makes for an intriguing and original protagonist.
What I found particularly fascinating as background to this novel is Stevens personal history as a former cult member and how it informs the story of The Innocent. Stevens places her own emphasis on the cults operation and the repercussions for it's members, both current and former. Stevens experience brings an authenticity to the storyline without the sensational tone most exploit.
The Innocent is an entertaining thriller and though it didn't quite reach its potential for me, the series is one that holds much promise. I would like to read the first and will look for the third, titled The Doll, which puts Munroe in conflict with human traffickers and is expected to be published in 2013.
readinggrrl's review against another edition
4.0
Its been a long time since I read the Informationist which is the first book in this series. I do remember liking it and wanting to return to it so here I am a few years later. Michael Munroe is a deadly chameleon. She can change her appearance, fluently speaks several different languages and knows how to blend in. Her expertise is information.
When her friend asks her to help get a child out of a cult she reluctantly takes the job. She is having a difficult time and is having nightmares that leave people in danger. Hopefully she can suppress this long enough for her to find Hannah and get her out of the cult before she gets moved again.
I found myself a little lost on what the nightmares were about, maybe it was something that happened in the first book that I don't remember but her violent episodes were such a central part that I felt I was missing something. However it didn't take away from the overall story. The Chosen are terrifying in the realistic portrayal of a religious cult and the way in which Michael infiltrates them is brilliant and simple. The characters are well developed with many layers.
I don't think I will wait so long to read the next book in this series.
When her friend asks her to help get a child out of a cult she reluctantly takes the job. She is having a difficult time and is having nightmares that leave people in danger. Hopefully she can suppress this long enough for her to find Hannah and get her out of the cult before she gets moved again.
I found myself a little lost on what the nightmares were about, maybe it was something that happened in the first book that I don't remember but her violent episodes were such a central part that I felt I was missing something. However it didn't take away from the overall story. The Chosen are terrifying in the realistic portrayal of a religious cult and the way in which Michael infiltrates them is brilliant and simple. The characters are well developed with many layers.
I don't think I will wait so long to read the next book in this series.
ncrabb's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book in a series about a remarkable fictional woman who escaped a cult as a young person and gradually build skills that enable her to flow effortlessly among cultures and societies garnering intelligence and information that enables her to assist individual victims or even national governments.
Vanessa Michael Munroe is comfortable and well practiced in the use of knives, but as the book begins, you see a troubled person. Her friend calls on her in Morocco to take a case that is highly personal for him. He determines as part of his visit that she is self medicating and sleeping with knives near the bed when she sleeps at all. He needs her to be clear and lucid, and he's concerned about her ability to perform.
Eight years earlier, a man well known to a five-year-old girl named Hannah nonchalantly takes her away from her school, spirits her across the Mexican border, and closets her away in Argentina in a cult known as the Chosen.
Hannah is the daughter of the friend who finds Michael in Morocco. She ultimately agrees to help him free the young woman who is now a teenager. She puts together a small crew, some of whom are former Chosen cult members, to help her find Hannah.
But there are undercurrents of mistrust among the small group. Michael worries that some of the group could unwittingly endanger them all. Michael manages to insinuate herself into the cult as a troubled young woman with a small self esteem and a large bank balance in an attempt to snag the girl and whisk her to freedom with her mother, who is no longer a member.
There are detailed scenes here that clearly point to child sex abuse on the part of the cult leaders. They will sicken you, but they're necessary because they enhance your desire to pull for Michael and her associates.
I've very much enjoyed both of these Taylor Stevens books I've read so far. They are gripping suspenseful reads. She writes extremely well, and she draws you into her books and immerses you in them. I'm not thrilled by the audio book narrator. She comes across sounding like a four-pack-a-day elfin creature, and I'm sure it wasn't my Apple earpods that created the impression for me. You'll get used to her, and so good is the plot that she won't distract or be a liability, but she wouldn't be my first choice to narrate this.
Vanessa Michael Munroe is comfortable and well practiced in the use of knives, but as the book begins, you see a troubled person. Her friend calls on her in Morocco to take a case that is highly personal for him. He determines as part of his visit that she is self medicating and sleeping with knives near the bed when she sleeps at all. He needs her to be clear and lucid, and he's concerned about her ability to perform.
Eight years earlier, a man well known to a five-year-old girl named Hannah nonchalantly takes her away from her school, spirits her across the Mexican border, and closets her away in Argentina in a cult known as the Chosen.
Hannah is the daughter of the friend who finds Michael in Morocco. She ultimately agrees to help him free the young woman who is now a teenager. She puts together a small crew, some of whom are former Chosen cult members, to help her find Hannah.
But there are undercurrents of mistrust among the small group. Michael worries that some of the group could unwittingly endanger them all. Michael manages to insinuate herself into the cult as a troubled young woman with a small self esteem and a large bank balance in an attempt to snag the girl and whisk her to freedom with her mother, who is no longer a member.
There are detailed scenes here that clearly point to child sex abuse on the part of the cult leaders. They will sicken you, but they're necessary because they enhance your desire to pull for Michael and her associates.
I've very much enjoyed both of these Taylor Stevens books I've read so far. They are gripping suspenseful reads. She writes extremely well, and she draws you into her books and immerses you in them. I'm not thrilled by the audio book narrator. She comes across sounding like a four-pack-a-day elfin creature, and I'm sure it wasn't my Apple earpods that created the impression for me. You'll get used to her, and so good is the plot that she won't distract or be a liability, but she wouldn't be my first choice to narrate this.
jonid's review against another edition
4.0
Book #2 in this series rewards you for reading book #1 and will be hard to follow if you don't. While the 'going to gray' gets a bit repetitious - you appreciate that Vanessa (Michael) Monroe has a past filled with terror and violence and that if anyone (bad guys) , say something, or do something that sets her off, she explodes into an automatic rage and killing machine. This story is about retrieving a child from a religious cult. I am guessing that it serves as a vehicle for the author o share some of her own story through this factionalized account. Fast paced, using the same clipped style, I liked the story, the pace, and the characters.
dmchurch's review against another edition
4.0
The opening finds (Vanessa) Michael again battling her past demons in nightmares that require drugs for her to sleep. In the meantime, Logan, an old friend that Munroe considers her family, approaches her for help in rescuing his daughter from the cult he escaped. Michael enlists the help of her formerly imposed partner, Bradford as they travel to Argentina. However, the cults connections to a large mafia family complicate the extraction. Yet, in Bradford s acceptance of her, Munroe finds the strength to embrace her talents to save Hannah. Stevens brings the reader to a suspension of disbelief as we watch uberheroine Vanessa once again save the day.