As the May 25 release date gets ever closer, the reviews for Web of Lies are starting to trickle in, including this 4 1/2-star review by Jill Smith at Romantic Times:

Retirement doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the assassin Spider. The second chapter of the first-person Elemental Assassin series is just as hard-edged and compelling as the first. Gin Blanco is a fascinatingly pragmaic character, whose intricate layers are just beginning to unravel. Estep has truly hit the jackpot with this outstanding series!

SUMMARY: Following the murder of her father-figure/handler, Gin decided to retire from the assassination business and run her inheritance, the Pork Pit BBQ joint. When a fire-elemental thug named Jake McAllister tries to rob the Pork Pit and threatens Gin’s customers, she gets pissed. Gin doesn’t kill Jake, but now her troubles have mulitplied, for Jake’s father is extraordinarily powerful — and out to get her. To cap off her week, someone shoots up the restaurant, and it turns out the target is not Gin, but rather college student Violet Fox. Gin decides to help Violet and her grandfather against a mine owner trying to drive them off their land. This time Gin is going to need both her stone and ice magic to survive. Some retirement this is! (POCKET, Jun., 384 pp., $7.99)

4 1/2 stars! Woot! Thanks for the great review, Jill. Although I wonder what a girl’s gotta do to get 4 1/2 stars and be an RT Top Pick. Ah, well. Maybe when Venom comes out in late September. As for right now, I’m doing the happy dance! 😉

Tags: About Books, Elemental Assassin series