Review: This story is like one of those Russian dolls - the mysteries in this book will keep you guessing and reading.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2013
This story intrigues from the very beginning, with Tania's brother sneaking in and saying his goodbyes.  You know something bad is going to happen.  You can feel the emotion, the tension, as he says his final farewell, constantly cognizant of the enemies that lurk.This story is like one of those Russian dolls - you take off a layer, only to find another beneath it.  Each layer peels away, revealing more clues, more hints, until everything is made clear.  The mysteries in this book will keep you guessing and reading just to know - where did Tom put the formula?And it isn't just the mystery that keeps you reading on.  This book keeps you on the edge of your seat, never quite letting the tension, the suspense, the danger ease.One thing that surprised me about this book was how much I laughed and smiled through it.  I was fully expecting the novel to be dark - and it was.  But the author was just as good at bringing lighthearted moments just when you, the reader, needed them most.I only had three complaints about the book.  1) In the past, a character in the book was arrested for statutory rape.  However, according to Arizona law (Arizona 13-1405), statutory rape is "Sexual conduct with a minor to engage in sexual intercourse with someone under age 18."  That means, since one party was 16 and one party was 14, both would be guilty of statutory rape and the parents wouldn't be able to bring charges against the boy without consequently bringing charges against their daughter as well.  2) I've worked in restaurants before and restaurants never let employees go on break at 12:30pm, right in the middle of lunch rush.  Not to mention, restaurants routinely work on five-six hour shifts.  This because they don't have to give breaks to minors and it breaks the average restaurant's day into two shifts.  A "double shift" is generally 8-10 hours.  3) At one point, she mentions flash drives being hidden in object far too thin to hold them.  This took me out of the story momentarily.All in all, this was a good book, a good read, that kept me engaged with the characters, the plot, and the mystery straight to the end.