Chaotic Ninja

The Girl Who Had No Fear is the fourth book in the series and arguably the most complex. It takes you from one point to the next not only in a geographical sense but also in emotional terms. There is a clear character progression for George McKenzie as she attempts to infiltrate a drug cartel in Mexico while she struggles to deal with the unprocessed emotions leftover from the previous three books. And let’s talk about the new locations, the new seedy characters, and the seemingly outrageous situations introduced in the book. Of course, I’m not going to go to spoiler territory, but let me just say that there are moments in the book that could have very well been lifted from science fiction or steampunk trope. But as they say, truth is stranger than fiction. Friend: That’s outrageous! That’s not believable at all, ninja. That could not happen in real life. Me: Two words: Mauner Mahecha. Friend: Say what? Me: Go on, Google it! Later… Friend: *MINDBLOWN* Me: Told ya.   ...

Third book in the series. Tough to review but e arly reviewers have already raved about it here , here , here , and here .  Not that you need more convincing, but instead of a review, I'm giving you my Top 10 reasons why you should read "The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows " by Marnie Riches . 1.    Confident writing. So confident it can be brutal. You know, the in-your-face kind of brutal that leaves a black eye in the morning. Get some ice. 2.    Bursting at the seams with fascinating and flawed characters:  from the morally ambiguous to the sordidly immoral to the sexually fluid to the emotionally crippled. (The author could be talking about my family, but I digress.) 3.    Unrelenting suspense. So tense that you might find your heart fibrillating. Okay, that may be a tad too much, but it can happen, yes? 4.    Reading it is like assembling the most difficult jigsaw puzzle while playing “Where’s Wally”. (And ...

Reviewing The Girl Who Broke The Rules  by Marnie Riches   is hard. Let me explain. All the elements I love in a crime thriller are masterfully depicted against the backdrop of the seedy underbelly of Amsterdam. The suspense is relentless; the characters unyielding. Shifting timelines and switching points of view offer reprieve from the most gruesome depiction of madness and perversion. The feverish storytelling never lets up and the palpable sense of danger and menace lingers like a shadow with a scythe. Then there’s Georgina McKenzie. George. The feisty and sometimes irreverent heroine who brings emotional turmoil to an already besieged Chief Inspector Paul van den Bergen, who’s at his breaking point. For a heroine, she’s not all that likeable. Therein lies the rub. It’s difficult to reconcile the fact that I love this sequel so much, but have a hard time “liking” George.  But liking a main character is never a rule to enjoying a twist...

The Girl Who Wouldn't Die by Marnie Riches ★★★ ★ ★ 5/5     The book puts you through a series of events that didn’t make sense at first. They were just pieces of a complex puzzle bolstered by misdirections, red herrings, shifty characters, and a frantic storytelling that will drive you insane. I wanted the story to end fast to make sense of it all. But when it ended, I didn’t know what to do with myself (I call this the Amsterdam Syndrome). It’s a searing slow burn of a book. And it’s brilliant.  There's a heavy Stieg Larsson influence but I still wasn't prepared when the author drops the bomb. And George McKenzie? We didn't hit it off, not immediately. But when she reveals bits and pieces about herself in every chapter, I knew I found a badass character that I want to get to know more. This is a crime book junkie’s fix. It takes a while to kick in, but when it finally does, you’re in for one explosive ride.   ** I'd ...