Indianapolis Zoo

From the other weekend when we celebrated our anniversary. This zoo is surprisingly nice and you could see most every animal up close. We chose the perfect time to go, there are barely anyone there and the weather was moderately cool. Elephants will always be my favorite but I also loved watching the lemurs and orangutans (which I couldn't really get a pic of due to glare).

The Doll by Taylor Stevens

 I chose this book not realizing it was the third installment in the Vanessa Michael Munroe series. Munroe is a highly skilled dark heroine with a sordid past and who has been compared to Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series (which I loved). The story begins at a fast pace, with Munroe being kidnapped off the street and whisked away out of the country by a mysterious captor. Her disturbed kidnapper, The Doll Maker, heads an international sex trafficking operation with the aim of fulfilling their customers with any type of woman they desire - even celebrities. When Munroe realizes they are holding someone she loves hostage, she must make the decision whether to help The Doll Maker or not. The action divides time between Capstone - the private security firm Munroe works for in Dallas and with Munroe across various countries in Europe.

This book worked fine as a standalone novel with no confusion, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the other two books first and learned more in depth about the characters and their relationships. I enjoyed how the heroine has to depend mostly on her wits against the enemies (at least in this particular book). Despite the fact she is so strong and skilled, it's interesting to discover what her weaknesses are and how she deals with it. The quick pace of the story leaves few dull moments and there are a few surprising twists. I recommend it if you are a fan of thrillers and are looking for a quick entertaining read.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review