I really enjoy Thomas Perry's works, other than his Jane Whitefield entries. This is the second one starring Jane that I read and... it's not even as enjoyable as the first one. There isn't much of a plot, more like a series of "catch, torture, escape" segments. She is so awesome at the end, one has to ask how she was so useless at the start in order to even kick off this story.

Ahh, well, maybe it's a male author trying to write a strong female lead where the failure is occurring - Jane doesn't feel "right". Very cardboard perhaps. She is involved in a lot of dangerous events, but doesn't connect to any of them, isn't scared, isn't mad, isn't worried, just... stoic.

Maybe she's supposed to be sociopathic?

I will pass on any other Jane Whitefield stories, but will read the rest of Perry's stuff. ( )

Poison Flower is the seventh book in this series, but the first one I stumbled on. I loved it. Jane is one of the most unique characters I have ever met. She's straightforward, strong, moral, yet fearless. She's your savior or worst nightmare, depending on your life choices. The book explodes into action from the first page and doesn't quit. I will definitely continue reading this series. ( )

Jane Whitfield helps an innocent man (Jim Shelby), wrongly convicted of murder, escape from a courthouse, but is captured and tortured to reveal his location. Once her captors discover who she is, they decide to auction her off to the many people after her for rescuing and relocating their captives in new lives. Badly hurt, Jane goes to a shelter for battered women, and picks up another stray, fleeing an abusive husband. Meanwhile, Shelby's sister is grabbed by the same thugs, and once again, Jane is subdued and narrowly escapes after being sold for $8.1 million in a gunfight among the bidders. Along the way, Jane and the sister learn the identity of the real killer: a drug-dealing, nasty piece of work and Jane goes to war to protect her charge. ( )

BOTTOM-LINE:
Over the top for violence
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PLOT OR PREMISE:
Jane breaks an innocent man out of jail but the real criminals grab her and torture her to talk. She doesn't, of course, which sets off a long series of other events.
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WHAT I LIKED:
The crooks figure out that Jane is a pro, and that others must know who she is, so a lot of other hunters from previous books show up again. She ends up managing almost three fugitives at the same time -- the original, a stray she picks up along the way, and herself.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The storyline is a bit hard to follow, as well as the original crime itself, the reason for everything getting started, and the logic behind how the medical supply stuff was all supposed to work. Equally, some parts seem almost like a dumb Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis movie where the good guy gets tortured, and a short while later, is ready to rock and roll again.
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DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media. ( )

This is yet another Jane Whitfield books. They are pretty much all the same and I cannot get enough of them. I'm just going to learn to live with the fact that Jane is going to try to help someone, get in huge piles of very dangerous trouble and I will worry about her until 10 pages from the end of the book when everything works out.

If I had another right here right now, I'd be reading it instead of writing this. Is there a 12 step program? ( )