The sixth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series featuring Gin Blanco, who by day owns a Tennessee BBQ joint, and by night is a tough female assassin known as the Spider.
I never thought I’d need a vacation from being an assassin….
My name is Gin Blanco, and I’m the assassin the Spider. All the Ashland’s lowlifes are gunning for me and trying to make a name for themselves by taking out the Spider. So I think it’s a good idea to get out of Ashland for a while until things cool down.
So I’m headed south to a swanky beach town, along with my baby sister, Bria, for a weekend of fun in the sun. But when an old friend of Bria’s is threatened by a powerful vampire with deadly elemental magic, it looks like I’ll have to dig my silverstone knives out of my suitcase after all. But this time, not even my own Ice and Stone power may be enough to save me from coming home in a pine box…
I was worried about the plot of By a Thread in the beginning. Gin and Bria take off on a vacation to Bria's old hometown, where they learn that her best friend is being harassed by a big businessman who wants her restaurant. Sound familiar? It's the same basic plot as Web of Lies! Since Gin will do anything for her sister, and can't stand to see someone bullied, Gin offers her services to Callie. Pro bono, of course. Luckily, the plot similarities stop there. This job is a mess from the beginning, since everyone knows that Gin is (not so) secretly the Spider. And her opponent is a vampire, who can absorb elemental magic by drinking elemental blood. He might be even tougher than Mab Monroe.
I ended up really liking By a Thread, even though it started off with a sense of deja vu. Once it was clear that Gin couldn't use her usual tricks to take out the vampire, things got exciting and tense. She may be able to control two elements, but he can use all four if he has the right blood donors! While I'm definitely on Gin's side, it was nice to see her knocked down a notch, since she's starting to get a bit cocky.
There also a nice surprise in By a Thread: a blast from the past! Someone who has hurt Gin in previous books happens to be engaged to Callie, and is determined to help her his way. I was shocked and pleased by his presence! I had some high expectations for how this situation could play out and I was not disappointed! Well, I kind of was, since I wanted one thing to happen, but it didn't. But then again, I was glad that it didn't, since that would be a mess. But still, I loved this little side conflict.
In the end, By a Thread is another great addition to the series. It shows that just because Gin's greatest enemy is out the way, she's not safe. Everyone knows who she is, so she can't rely on her "human" identity to get her places anymore. Plus, it's obvious that she still has at least one major enemy that she needs to take out. I hope she gets him!
