SUNNY - ARC REVIEW: "Poison Promise" by Jennifer Estep

SUMMARY:

In book eleven of her New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin series, author Jennifer Estep continues “one of the best urban fantasy series going on the market” (Fresh Fiction).

Gin Blanco is hard-nosed, sexy, and lethal. Nicknamed “The Spider,” she’s a stone elemental assassin who brings her unique mix of magic and tact to every assignment, no matter the target.

There’s a new drug on the streets of Ashland, and its name “Burn” sums up the potent effect it has on its users. When one of her restaurant employees is threatened by dealers of the drug, Gin steps in to set things straight…

Poison Promise is book 11 in the Elemental Assassin series. 

The joy of reading a long running series is the attachment I feel toward the characters. I love Gin and her friends. I love her overwhelming need to protect them.  Each book brings a spotlight to one of those relationships.  This time we, the reader, get a little more into the dynamics between Gin and her sister, Bria.  Jennifer Estep does a fantastic job of revealing the love, competition, resentment, and admiration in a relationship between older and younger sisters.  I don’t know if she has a sister, but she nailed this one on the head. This struggle happens all within the context of Gin battling an evil gangster and the emergence of a new super villain. 

Beauregard Benson is flooding the streets of Ashland with a new drug called Burn.  It’s highly addictive and seems to affect Elementals especially hard. Benson is not a new criminal in Ashland, but he is making his move to become a big player.  Benson is not only a drug pusher, but considers himself a scientist noting with Mengele-like eeriness the pain and suffering as he pumps the drugs into his subjects.

Bria is desperate to bring Benson down and the stress brings certain emotions to the surface. Being on opposites side of the law, she and Gin have a conflicted relationship already and the pressure of this pursuit results in a painful confrontation for both.  This is not the first time they have clashed, but this one is unexpected considering things are going well between them.  Gin is different too. She is tired of constantly looking over her shoulder and fighting for her life.  Her weariness makes her think twice about engaging with Benson.

As this conflict resolves, a new one emerges.  We learn the identity of M.M. Monroe.  This sets up a whole new set of challenges for Gin and for me, restarts the series.  M.M. Monroe promises to be a worthy adversary for our beloved Gin and I am looking forward to this epic conflict.  

A fantastic addition to the Elemental Assassin series, Poison Promise is a heart-satisfying story with dramatic turns and suspense.  Highly recommended.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.