Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Book Review - The Family Girl - Katherine Brankin

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Stars 4 out of 5

Review:
Every girl has her weakness Catalina Bennett isn’t any different with her endless Christian Louboutin shoes, extensive art collection and Faberge egg.  Catalina Bennett looks like a model with her long blonde hair and ice cold eyes but she is an assassin for Sicilian Famiglia.
Catalina's last hit causes her trouble sending her into hiding with her brother, his daughter and her father Frank who prays he can keep Catalina safe from the CIA and his nosey neighbors.

Her handler send hers on a job, as payment she is given a fabulous Faberge egg for her collection, but instead of walking away the CIA is soon hunting her down and the agent just happens to be someone Catalina put a bullet in once Jim Campbell. 

As she takes refuge in Chicago- Catalina begins putting together the puzzle that takes her from New York, Washington DC and finally to Miami where she is ready to settle all her affairs.

Where to start -The Family Girl by Katherine Brankin is like watching a movie with endless characters that caused the book to be drawn out losing its steam halfway through.  Catalina is described with cold eyes throughout the book and after a while I wanted to yell I got it she is a killer can we move on please.  Several times in the book you would get a glimpse that Catalina loves her brother, niece and father but then the reader would be sent to another character. I wished the author would have spent a little more time allowing the reader to feel a connection to any of the characters but she doesn't give you enough time before she moves onto another scene.  The flow of the book was extremely choppy due to the parade of the different characters throughout the book.  If this was a movie it would be much easier because you can see each scene played out in front of you but as a book I would found myself lost having to reread certain pages to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Sent to me from Netgalley

Synopsis:  Ice-cold assassin Catalina Bennett wants a Faberge egg. A CIA funded venture-capital investment firm wants to get the mysterious product they’ve been funding. Mother, Catalina’s handler, wants her dead. CIA operative Jim Campbell wants to catch her. And all her father Frank, a retired assassin, wants is for his daughter not to shoot his neighbors. 
The Family Girl introduces Catalina Bennett as one of the deadliest and most effective assassins in the world, bred to kill by a quiet and secluded Sicilian Famiglia. Her success is illustrated by an extensive collection of art and Christian Louboutin shoes. 

Her latest job seemed like an easy way to procure a fabulous Faberge egg for her collection, but Catalina ended up opening Pandora’s Box when she learned that the mark was an asset for the CIA. Soon she is on the run, being hunted by the veteran intelligence agent, Jim Campbell. 

She takes refuge with her father in the suburbs of Chicago, and discovers that dealing with the neighbors can be just as dangerous as dodging bullets. Using her network of connections, spearheaded by the imposing Eddie Washington – her childhood friend turned arms dealer – Catalina begins putting together the pieces of the puzzle. Her journey takes her from Chicago to New York, Washington D.C., and finally Miami, where she aims to settle all her affairs… or go out with a bang. 
Katherine Brankin
Author Information:  Katherine Brankin grew up on Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, but matured on Ian Fleming. She is an award-winning graphic designer, typographer, and blogger, and a lives in Suburban Chicago with her family and nocturnal pets.

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