I've read several Iris Johansen books, but VENDETTA is the first I've read in the Catherine Ling series, not that I let that stop me. I love Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan series, so getting a chance to read a book in one of her other series was great.

Iris Johansen has a knack for writing suspenseful thrillers with a dash of romance in them. VENDETTA is not an exception. It is action from the beginning until the end, and that is what I liked about the book. However, I would not have minded if the romance part was kept at bay, both when it comes to Rachel and Catherine. Although Catherine's story with Richard Cameron far outshines Rachel's with Brandon. I'm picky when it comes to romance in books, and if it works is it great, but when it doesn't, then I find it hard to really enjoy reading it. But, that's just me. I bet lots of readers will love the sexual tension between Brandon and Rachel. Also, Max Huber? This shows just that inheriting someone's fortune (in this case a criminal empire) doesn't make you cut to run the thing. Max Huber is like a spoiled brat whose favorite toy has been broken and he's now throwing a tantrum.

VENDETTA, a fitting name for the book, is a so-so book for me. Catherine Ling, her mentor Hu Chang and Richard Cameron are by far the best characters in the book. I definitely want to read the previous books in the series to see if I will like them better when Catherine is the main character.