Smoke & Mirrors by Marie Treanor

Description:

Deceit and desire, and a treasure beyond price...

When struggling Scottish writer Nell Black accepts a one-off job with the police, translating for an arson suspect from the isolated ex-Soviet republic of Zavrekestan, she stumbles into a terrifying world of organized crime and paranormal abilities that turns her whole belief system upside down. Faced with an incomparable thief, hit men who spontaneously combust, gangsters, drug dealers, British Intelligence and a fiery goddess, Nell no longer knows who to trust. The man who saves her life is a criminal to whom deceit is second nature. He has more smoke screens and more plans in motion than anyone else can keep track of. He is, moreover, probably insane. Even his fellow gangsters are afraid of him. So why is he the one man Nell wants to touch her?

Rodion Kosar is in trouble. His convoluted plans all lead to one goal - the retrieval of his treasure - and to achieve that, he needs Nell to believe he isn't the bad guy. He has many reasons beyond his own desires to make love to her. Especially when a plan goes wrong and he has to play dead before someone really kills him - either the police, the menacing Russian crime lord known as the Bear, or the powerful Guardian of the Gifted whom he's defied once too often. Nell's burgeoning gift of second sight could be his best route to the treasure, and yet keeping her with him spells danger. For Nell has her own agenda, her own mission, and she could just as easily cause his final downfall.

My Review:

Smoke & Mirrors by Marie Treanor

5 out of 5

Let me tell you, this is another great book by Marie Treanor, BUT I still prefer my ancient vampires to her fire starter.  Still, this book is amazing. 

Yelena “Nell” Black is an interesting character.  Skeptic, psychic dreamer, daughter of an immigrant and a thief, a translator, and after all of that, she is completely unsure of herself.  She makes one of the best unlikeliest heroes ever, and I love that.  You know she will be one of the heroes, but you just aren’t sure how she is going to become the hero.  I love that!

Rodion Kosar is a criminal from Zavrekestan, a gifted supernatural fire-starter (would that make him a pyropath?), and is a major pain in the ass to the Guardian.  Overall, the best kind of bad boy in a book that I’ve read in a while.  Tough, sexy, and trying to save his siblings just tip that sexy bad boy scale in his favor, of course!

Full of action, sometimes, I had was wondering when they were going to have some down time for some loving!  J  I mean, I love the action, I love the mystery of everything going on, what the treasure is, and if Nell and Rodion is going to make it, but I really wanted those steamy, yummy chocolate dipped scenes.

There was a bit of confusion for me when it came to the drug lords.  You know, like who was who, and then there was the confusion on who Derryn was and what he had to do with the actual story. 

Favorite quote:  “I love you.” “Thank you.”  Really, it was the closest thing to Han & Leia’s “I love you.” “I know.”  I literally laughed out loud, and so hard that my co-workers thought something was wrong!  I mean, what girl wouldn’t want to tell someone that you love them and them tell you “Thank you.”  What the heck!  But, Nell  knew exactly what he meant. 

Going from Scotland to Zavrekestan, seeing different cultures, languages and lifestyles, and everything in between the growing relationship between Nell and Rodion, it is one wild ride.  Overall, this is a great book, and I’m looking forward to more from this series, as well as more from Ms. Treanor. 

Happy Reading!

Cana