A Smuggler’s Last Song

Emma Grant has been appointed–or rather, threatened–into taking on a new project for her grandfather, Richard Grant, who does not take no for an answer. His devious methods to convince Emma that her immediate assistance is mandatory only reinforces Emma’s wish that this will be the last time her grandfather will make such demands. Upon arriving in Paris, delivered by the luxury of a Grant family jet, Emma embarks on numerous endeavors. It’s not only assassins who want her dead, but family members line up for their shot at her, too. Eventually, Emma begins to realize her strengths and who she can trust. All the while, Emma sees her desire to return to normal life fading with each mortal combat.

“A Smuggler’s Last Song” puts a spin on the trope of the family member who doesn’t want the money with the strings attached. Emma is a fun character to follow around as she escapes her bizarre family. However, the numerous names involved with each scene begs the need for a diagram of who’s who, and bogs down the pacing this kind of story deserves. The romances Emma could have had would have made the story much more tantalizing and edgy. Unfortunately, readers may also find a delay in action due to the abundance of over-saturated details such as “caramel eyes” and “chocolate hair” to describe the onslaught of characters. For stories such as these, with near-death experiences, readers want action. “A Smuggler’s Last Song” is a great kick-off to a series that has explosive potential.

Moira Wolf