In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.
She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.
Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.
When her former handler offers her a way out, she realises it's her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires makes her situation even more dangerous.
Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.
In this tautly plotted novel, Stephenie Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialised skill set. And she shows once again why she's one of the world's bestselling authors.
I'm someone who reads a wide variety of genres and I'd say I also read more than the average person. I also try to give books the benefit of the doubt and read several pages/chapters before I pass judgment. I'm going to be honest here, I had a hard time reading this book. I like this genre and was excited to read something new from this author. Sadly I felt like I was sludging through thick mud trying to get through the first slowly paced 100 pages. There were so many details page after page, that made it feel like I was reading a boring college textbook. There were many pages that needed a good editor with a red pen to slash the excess baggage that didn't contribute to the plot. Even after that, I never really got to the point where I cared about the characters, especially the main character Alex, which is a death sentence for me while reading a book. I've read every book Stephenie Meyer has written and I really loved The Host, so feeling this way about The Chemist was disappointing.
This book had so much potential but was wasted by flat cliched characters, unrealistic situations, a boring love story, and too many words; but...I liked the dogs. The dogs were good.
