The Catch. Finished 7-8-14, rating 4/5, thriller, 368 pages, pub. 2014

Book 4 of the Vanessa Michael Monroe series  (1-Informationist) (2- The Innocent) (3- The Doll) (3.5- TheVessel)

In the wake of going head-to-head with international sex traffickers inThe Doll, Munroe has retreated to Djibouti, where, while passing as a man, she finds work as an interpreter for a small, private, maritime security company. Pressed into duty at sea by her boss, Leo, Munroe discovers she is part of a gunrunning operation and she wants no part in protecting the crew or cargo. When the ship is attacked by pirates off the Somali coast, Munroe escapes and takes the unconscious captain with her to get answers. Leo’s wife, Amber Marie, the only person Munroe has cared about since she arrived in Africa, is desperate when Leo goes missing along with the rest of the hijacked crew, so Munroe agrees to try to find him for Amber Marie’s sake. She soon realizes it’s not the cargo or the ship or the crew that the hijackers were after: they want the captain. On the run, wounded, without connections or resources, and with the life of the captain as bait and bartering chip, Munroe believes that the only way to save Leo, assuming he’s still alive, is to hijack the ship back.

from Goodreads

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Michael heads back to Africa in this fourth novel of the series and I liked that it felt almost like a return to the first book in setting and action.  She is just as damaged, even more so, and just as strong and lethal.  She also felt more lonely.  There was no interaction with Logan or Bradford, save for a few emails and they offered a glimpse of a future that could bring happiness for Michael.  And that’s one of the things I like so much about this character.  You never truly know what she’s going to do.  She may choose to stay away or she may choose happiness for a time, but there is always that restlessness that makes her unpredictable.

She was licking her mental and emotional wounds from her last job and loss and time at a small security company seemed like a good fit.  When a job goes bad and she comes as close to death as she ever has the story comes to life as it always does when Michael stalks her prey.  As I say in every review, she is a badass.  The hijacked ship made it seem like a very current story.  I loved the descriptions of the places and people of Africa and the blend of the setting action was perfect.  I admit I was a little confused about Michael’s motive in this one, it was more nuanced than in her previous books so that’s probably why.  I’m not nearly as smart as she is 🙂

This is a great thriller series with fresh characters, intriguing locales, and lots of action.

This was sent to me by the author.  Thank you, Taylor, for always appreciating your fans!