3 out of 4 stars
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Twisted Threads by Kaylin McFarren
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
The book begins with the reader stepping into the life of a young, Japanese woman, Akira Hamada. It is clear that her life is complicated, that there is a backstory that has yet to be revealed. It is also clear that this backstory is essential to understanding this woman as a character. When we meet Akira, she is an assassin for a powerful Japanese crime family but had a serious mistake in her past. Akira leaves our initial meeting off for a Caribbean cruise, having received her next assignment. accepted with some reticence that is unclear, but offered enough intrigue to continue reading.
On the boat, Akira’s story unfolds. She has 10 days to not only identify her target, but kill him. If she fails at this assignment, she will be killed. We learn that Akira tried, and failed, to kill a powerful Japanese gang leader, Kaito Mitsui. As punishment, he killed Akira’s lover and forced her to give up her life as an geisha to become an assassin for the Yakuza gang. This assassination is her penance.
As soon as she boards the ship, Akira doesn’t waste time finding the best way to gather information about her targets, Paul and Sara Lyons. Devon Lyons, her target’s nephew, is handsome and is on the cruise as a favor to his aunt and uncle. It is easy for Akira to befriend Devon. But her initial objective of information gathering soon turns to a passionate and steamy romance, which muddles the waters for Akira and her assignment.
There are smaller stories and intrigues woven into Akira and Devon’s story that adds dimensionality and deepens the story. Mitsui sent a man, Takashi, with Akira to make sure she completed the assignment and to clean up the murder. He is increasingly worried about Akira’s romance and her commitment to his boss. Another character is Sara Lyons physician, Peter Bradshaw, a very close confidant, which adds a questionable facet to the Lyons’ relationship. And finally, Captain Brice, who tries to maintain his own captaincy by keeping any and all scandal contained on the boat.
I gave this book 3 instead of 4 stars because I thought the relationship between Akira and Devon moved too quickly. It seemed like the author vacillated between Akira’s aloofness and her seeming fall into love with Devon to perpetuate her mysterious nature, but also to continue the story’s ambiguity. This was a way to keep the reader interested, but it strained credulity, given Akira’s history of a trained geisha and assassin. But whether for the timeline of the story or for the needs of the assassination, or for the plot, the affair happened too fast. If the character development was a bit slower, it would have gotten four stars. The fact that this book prompted me to buy the first in the series is the reason it received 3 stars instead of 2. I would recommend this book to readers who like the combination of mystery and a bit of sexiness, without being overdone.
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Twisted Threads
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