The Informationist: Summary and book reviews of The Informationist by Taylor Stevens, plus links to an excerpt from The Informationist and a biography of Taylor Stevens.
The Informationist A Thriller
by Taylor Stevens
Hardcover: Mar 2011,
320 pages.
Paperback: Oct 2011,
336 pages.
Vanessa "Michael" Munroe deals in information - expensive information - working for corporations, heads of state, private clients, and anyone else who can pay for her unique brand of expertise. Born to missionary parents in lawless central Africa, Munroe took up with an infamous gunrunner and his mercenary crew when she was just fourteen. As his protégé, she earned the respect of the jungle's most dangerous men, cultivating her own reputation for years until something sent her running. After almost a decade building a new life and lucrative career from her home base in Dallas, she's never looked back.
Until now.
A Texas oil billionaire has hired her to find his daughter who vanished in Africa four years ago. It's not her usual line of work, but she can't resist the challenge. Pulled deep into the mystery of the missing girl, Munroe finds herself back in the lands of her childhood, betrayed, cut off from civilization, and left for dead. If she has any hope of escaping the jungle and the demons that drive her, she must come face-to-face with the past that she's tried for so long to forget.
Gripping, ingenious, and impeccably paced, The Informationist marks the arrival of a thrilling new talent.
Belying the book's title and high-tech looking cover, Taylor Stevens's debut work, The Informationist, is a decidedly low-tech, old fashioned action-adventure novel. You won't find exotic weaponry or computer hardware here; characters are dispatched with knives and the quick twist of a head, and information is gathered through interviews and keen deduction instead of via an Internet search. The traditional format employed here works very well set against the milieu of equatorial Africa. (Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
Booklist
Dazzling… Munroe is a model of an emerging action heroine: like Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander, not a guy in a girl suit but not one to whimper in the corner, either.
Kirkus Reviews
Stevens debuts with a tightly written thriller woven around an uncommon heroine with a knack for putting facts together and coming up with the right answers... the writing is stellar, the heroine grittier than Lara Croft and the African setting so vivid that readers can smell the jungle and feel the heat - a gifted debut with much promise.
Library Journal
Starred Review. Stevens has penned a fast-paced, gripping, edgy mystery with a heroine whom even Lisbeth Salander would admire.
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. [A] blazingly brilliant debut... Thriller fans will eagerly await the sequel to this high-octane page-turner.
Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Ice Cold
An utterly smashing debut, starring an unforgettable heroine who could go toe to toe with Lisbeth Salander - and claw her way on top. One of the best thrillers of the year!
Michael Palmer, author of The Last Surgeon
A terrific thriller with piercing tension, chest-tightening adventure, and a one-of-a-kind heroine I've continued to think about long after finishing the last page. Taylor Stevens is a born storyteller. I couldn't put The Informationist down.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by mainlinebooker Harrowing! I read this book when it first came out but I only remember not being able to put it down. I just finished her latest sequel,The Innocent,and have to let everyone know that they should run out and read it. It is just as good as the first!! Fast... Read More
Rated of 5
by J Edeker Must Read Fast paced and loaded with excitement. Heroine kicks butt with apologizing or whining about her life. This is a must read for all who love suspense. Can't wait for the next one!
Rated of 5
by Eddy Matthews Looking for something new? If you are a Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Lee Child fan. If you like "The Girl" books and you are looking for something new, definitely check out Taylor Stevens "The Informationist" I know it is a worn out statement to say "I... Read More
Rated of 5
by gsbarbie Pick up this "can't put down" thriller! I highly recommend this fast paced thriller! Ms. Stevens does an excellent job creating an interesting plot with complex characters. I wanted to keep turning the pages to find out what was in store. Be aware that once you start reading this book,... Read More
Rated of 5
by CarolK One Gutsy Woman I picked this one up for several reasons. First, I love the title and the picture it evokes. An Informationist, someone who deals in information. In this case this person is one Vanessa "Michael" Munroe,. That's the second reason I picked... Read More
Rated of 5
by Peggy Kincaid Dark Africa This is just a wonderful read. Mystery, suspense, thrills and chills abound in this book. It is also a very solid plot line telling you so much about Africa keeping your attention riveted until the very end. I am looking forward to the next book... Read More
A Look at Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, the locales of The Informationist
Cameroon's official name is the Republic of Cameroon. It's located on the western coast of Africa on the Bight of Biafra, which is part of the Gulf of Guinea. At 183,568 square miles, the country is a little larger than the state of California. It's been called "Africa in miniature" by the government due to its geological and cultural diversity, and within its borders one can find beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests and savannas. The climate, too, is varied, ranging from tropical along its western coastline to semiarid and hot in the north. The country is also known as the "hinge of Africa," as a geologic fault line runs through it, and the area is, consequently, very seismically active. Mt. Cameroon, the highest mountain in sub-Saharan West Africa at 13,435 feet, is the most active volcano in West Africa and erupted as recently as 2000. Consequently, lakes in the Oku Volcanic Field...
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Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Ice Cold
of 5
by mainlinebooker
of 5
by CarolK
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Cameroon's official name is the Republic of Cameroon. It's located on the western coast of Africa on the Bight of Biafra, which is part of the Gulf of Guinea. At 183,568 square miles, the country is a little larger than the state of California. It's been called "Africa in miniature" by the government due to its geological and cultural diversity, and within its borders one can find beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests and savannas. The climate, too, is varied, ranging from tropical along its western coastline to semiarid and hot in the north. The country is also known as the "hinge of Africa," as a geologic fault line runs through it, and the area is, consequently, very seismically active. Mt. Cameroon, the highest mountain in sub-Saharan West Africa at 13,435 feet, is the most active volcano in West Africa and erupted as recently as 2000. Consequently, lakes in the Oku Volcanic Field...
