The Innocent
A Vanessa Michael Munroe Novel
By Taylor Stevens
Read by Hillary Huber Random House Audio, 2011
An Unabridged Recording on 10 CDs
ISBN: 978-0-307-97139-5
Genre: Thriller
Vanessa Michael Munroe is the kind of woman that you to take great pains never to tick off. If you do, you might not live long enough to regret it, because one of the many hats that Munroe wears is that of a professional assassin. She is very good at killing people, but the job is slowly taking its toll on her, both physically and psychologically. In The Innocent, Munroe is asked by a friend to infiltrate a cult in Buenos Aires and rescue a young kidnap victim who is being held by the cult. The friend, a former member of the cult, knows that the girl, as well as other children in the cult, is being abused. This is not the type of case that Munroe typically takes on, but since it was her friend that asked, she agrees.
A fast paced thriller, this is the second Monroe novel written by Taylor Stevens. The first novel in this series was The Informationist. If possible, try to read these books in order, as The Informationist provides some background information on Munroe that is not repeated in this novel. Like its predecessor, The Innocent is rich in dialogue, and it is ideal for 'listening to'. This audio edition has been expertly read aloud by Hillary Huber. An award winning narrator, Huber not only brings the characters to live with her warm voice, but her cadence keeps pace with the story's brisk pace and ever rising tension. In writing this book, Stevens has captured the oppressive nature of many cults. In addition, her descriptions of how some of the cult's members are being abused, especially the children, are detailed and can be hard to listen to or read.
Throughout, Stevens' characters come across as real people - people that you quickly learn to love or hate. For instance, Munroe is a strong female character, but a flawed one who suffers from nightmares. This makes her a much more sympathetic character, and one which the reader can connect with, despite her profession. A well-plotted novel, Stevens' likes to put Munroe in difficult situations and her solutions to Munroe's problems are often unique and unexpected. Throughout, Stevens' keeps you guessing on just how successful Munroe will be at infiltrating the cult, known as The Chosen, and how she will manage to rescue Hannah?
In addition, Munroe normally works as a lone-wolf, but in this case she is saddled with a bevy ex-cult members who have made it their mission to help her. Can she survive their help? And will their presence cause more problems than it solves? Perhaps worst of all, this case brings some old demons from Munroe's past to the fore. Raised in abusive environment, her foray into the cult begins to bring up long suppressed memories and feelings that Munroe is not yet ready to deal with. All in all, Stevens keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering if, despite being tough as nails, determined, and well trained, does Munroe really have the means and the will to rescue Hannah? A compelling and suspenseful novel, The Innocent is an excellent read, and one that will leave you biting your nails as you await the next installment in the Munroe saga.
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