Note.32 The Informationist - Taylor Stevens

For me till now it is really hard to find appropriate as well as precise word to translate the title to Vietnamese (not to confuse with the role of newspaper reporter) "kẻ săn tin". Classified as one of best thriller from the thriller authors, I immediately searched and borrowed it from the Central Library.

The book tells about adventures of Vanessa "Michael" Munroe in one of her tasks to find a lost girl from an America millionaire family travelling to Africa. Vanessa is regarded as an expert in dealing in information for corporates, head of states, private clients and anyone else who can pay for her unique brand of expertise. Vanessa will soon reminds readers of Lisbeth Salander but really really differently. Vanessa is not a 24/24 pc-guru, it's just the means nuturing and sharpening her skills. She is a wild, courage, smart, tough and hurtful one. The finding route to Africa is also the home-returning way of Vanessa that she wants to forget and runaway from it and aslo the past story or childhood of Vanessa and tell us what she is made from and of. The route helps her to find herself, hurt her and release her if possible. Adventures, love, hadred, racing, killing .. keep on twisting intelligently together with the Africa world so wildly and vividly. The readers will keep on opening mouth to follow Vanessa's feelings, steps and adventures. The story is really interesting and good source for an interesting movie if the film-makers concern.

If the readers get familiar with thriller novels, they can easily figure out where the story goes. Even then, the attraction of the story is still undeniable. I can not put it down till the last page. The end of the book seems to promise series of next adventures of Vanessa.

Taylor Stevens is known as spending considerable part of her life journeying the globe so it's no surprising that her rich experience and information about African countries and their cities. This is the first book I read so dedicated to Africa to cities of Cameroon such as Yaounde, Douala .. to islands with specific coordinates of Equatorial Guinea. The chaos of these countries as well as rotten government are mentioned in her book, especially Equatorial Guinea is really a bad taste to Taylor. I hope it's true and people there won't find to be insulted when reading the book.

Although this is Taylor's first book, it turns out to be so successful and best-seller and was highly commented from the best-seller thriller authors such as Tess Gerritsen and Michael Palmer ... to be the best thriller book of the year and standing in top list always then. Taylor Stevens from now on will aslo be one of the thrilling authors I am waiting for her books. Goodluck, Taylor!