Governments pay her. Criminals fear her. Nobody sees her coming.
"Munroe is a sensational character and Stevens is a sensational writer, and together they put The Doll high on my books-of-the-year list." --Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series
Available June 4, 2013
Kidnapped by an unseen opponent, Vanessa Michael Munroe is thrust into an underground world where women and girls are merchandise and a shadowy figure known as the Doll Maker controls her every move. While trusted friends race to find her and unravel why she's been taken, everything pivots on one simple choice: Munroe must use her unique set of skills to deliver a high-profile young woman into the same nightmare that she once endured, or condemn to torture and certain death the one person she loves above all else.
Driven by the violence that has made her what she is, cut off from help, and with attempts to escape predicted and prevented, Munroe will hunt for openings, for solutions, and a way to strike back at the man manipulating her from afar. Because only one thing is certain: she cannot save them all.
"In Stevens' powerfully contained follow-up to The Innocent, there is no release for the tormented heroine, only license to live another day." -- Kirkus
"In Stevens's harrowing third Vanessa Michael Munroe novel...Munroe remains as compelling as ever." -- Publishers Weekly
"Stevens's third series outing is another brisk, adrenaline-fueled adventure with a trail of bodies and a damaged protagonist who may live to kill another day." -- Library Journal
Eight years ago, a man walked five-year-old Hannah out the front doors of her school and spirited her over the Mexican border, taking her into the world of a cult known as The Chosen. For eight years, followers of The Prophet have hidden the child, moving her from country to country, shielding the man who stole her. Now, those who've searched the longest know where to find her. They are childhood survivors of The Chosen, thirty-somethings born and raised inside the cult who've managed to make lives for themselves on the outside. They understand the mindset, the culture within that world, and turn to Vanessa Michael Munroe for help, knowing that the only possibility of stealing Hannah back and getting her safely out of Argentina is to trust someone who doesn't trust them, and get Munroe on the inside.
Tautly written, brilliantly paced, and with the same evocation of the exotic combined with chilling violence that made The Informationist such a success, The Innocent confirms Taylor Stevens' reputation as a thriller writer of the first rank.
Read an excerpt of The Innocent
"Impressive. . . . The gripping plot runs on adrenaline as much as does Vanessa, who unleashes her violent tendencies when the powerless are threatened. . . . Vanessa makes for an intriguing heroine--at once tough, fearless, vulnerable, and compassionate." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Much-anticipated. . . . Stevens vividly depicts a dark domain of manipulation, indoctrination, and abuse."--Booklist
"Part Lisbeth Salander, part Jason Bourne, Munroe comes out swinging hard again. . . . A gritty, suspenseful novel."--Library Journal
"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 (boxed, starred review)
She's smart. She's fast. She's dangerous.
"A turbo-charged debut with a protagonist as deadly as she is irresistible ... a thriller that's smart, sexy, fast-paced—and impossible to put down."--Vince Flynn
I can sense your fear, hear the lie in your voice, know your weakness and will exploit it. I am a chameleon and a hunter. Have lived in eighteen countries, carry passports from three and speak twenty-two languages. I've killed more than once--not exactly what you'd expect from a child born to missionary parents in West Africa, but I've done what it takes to survive.
Work that has brought me through some of the world's most hazardous countries has finally led me home, and here, searching for answers into the disappearance of an American teenager, I have become the hunted. Left for dead, the only way I will survive is by returning to the history that made me what I am. My name is Michael Munroe, and this is my story.
Read an excerpt of The Informationist
"An utterly smashing debut, starring an unforgettable heroine who could go toe to toe with Lisbeth Salander--and claw her way on top. One of the best thrillers of the year!"--Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of ICE COLD
"Stevens debuts with a tightly written thriller woven around an uncommon heroine with a knack for putting facts together and coming up with the right answers...the writing is stellar, the heroine grittier than Lara Croft and the African setting so vivid that readers can smell the jungle and feel the heat--a gifted debut with much promise."--Kirkus
More Praise for The Informationist
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