Without even cracking it open, we already guessed that Ms. Lively will no doubt have to endure all manner of of martial arts and firearms training (probably a special feature on the Blu-Ray).......since the book's heroine, Stephanie Patrick, both dispenses and receives plentiful violence as she mixes it up with a host of international creeps, thugs and terrorists.........
Many of Stephanie's beloved family members have perished on a plane exploded by a terrorist bomb. Consumed with grief and something of a lost soul to begin, the 23 year old woman sentences herself to life as a prostitute.....and all the accompanying degradation, dehumanization and sexual sadism at the hands of her customers and psychopathic pimp.....
She forgoes her hellish existence when a freelance investigative journalist seeks her out with information about the man responsible for planting the bomb that destroyed her family.....
But her attempt at vengeance by assassinating the terrorist is rudely interrupted by one of those super-secret, off-the-grid counterintelligence agencies so favored by thriller novelists. They're after bigger game, the masterminds.....and offer Stephanie the chance to train as one of their agents, dangling the promise of one day letting her go after the chief madman who slaughtered her loved ones.....
So begins our fearless gal's first mission. Adopting multiple identities, she hops around Europe, slowly working her way up a ladder of shady, dangerous characters who will ultimately lead her to "Khalil", the mysterious chief terrorist who's plotting a fresh, catastrophic 9-11 style atrocity that will kill thousands.......and if things aren't complicated enough, she's falling-- in love, 'La Femme Nikita-'style, with her nice-guy next door neighbor.......
We wish we could describe this as a breathlessly paced thriller that will keep you up all night......sorry.......it simply isn't.......and we got plenty of sleep while reading it.
Burnell moves his story along at only a moderate speed......and frequently slows it to a crawl with an over reliance on Stephanie's internal monologues. While we applaud him for his deeply ironic final showdown between Stephanie and her nemesis aboard a hijacked 747. he takes way too long arriving there.....
And as for the book's last final plot twist.......you'll have little trouble guessing it before you're halfway through.....
Though we staunchly stand by our commandment "Thou Shalt Read The Book First, It Shall Be Better Than The Movie".......this book could use some streamlining, pruning and overall improvement by whichever screenwriter adapts it.......especially if the filmmakers hope to continue Stephanie's exploits in further installments. So we'll spy with our little eye 2 & 1/2 stars (**1/2).....Blake, darlin', .....start working on those karate kicks......
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