The Manolo Matrix by Julie Kenner

If you liked The Givenchy Code, you MUST read the sequel. Really. It's good. And involves Broadway (hell, I even was able to get an idea of some of the clues on my own). And a bird bitch. And shoes, but they really aren't an overpowering part of the book. I mean, every woman's allowed to lust after some impractical thing, right?

USA Today bestselling author of The Givenchy Code Julie Kenner reloads for her second novel of high-heeled thrills as another woman gets pulled into a mysterious world of extreme gaming where she must play or die.

Aspiring actress Jennifer Crane knows all about games -- the games girls play to get a guy; the games actresses play to land a part; and the good old game of credit-card roulette. (How else is a girl supposed to afford her shoes?) But she never expected to be playing a game with life-or-death consequences. Unable to successfully score an acting gig, she has, instead, been cast in the role of reluctant bodyguard to a real-life assassin's target -- a dashing FBI agent of all people! -- and must embark with him upon a scavenger hunt across Manhattan in search of the ultimate prize: survival. Before this, Jenn's definition of fighting dirty has been elbowing her way to the front of the line at a Manolo sample sale. Now, if she wants to stay alive, she's going to have to learn a few new uses for her stilettos. . . and they ain't pretty.

Fast, flirty, and full of great footwear, The Manolo Matrix is another electrifying adventure in this breakout series for fashionistas who love a perfectly appointed mystery.

It really helps to know about the events that happened in The Givenchy Code to fully appreciate the book, but I do think it could stand alone okay. Again we have an assassin, a protector, and a target playing a game to the death. And it's obvious something really nefarious is going on because this time, things are even more personal than they were in the first game.

The book's voice takes a bit of getting used to, but only for the first few chapters. Kenner really has made her characters' voices very distinctive, so even though Jennifer and the bird bitch's chapters are both in first person, you easily know who it right away. And you also get Devlin's perspective too. The chapters mention whose POV it is, but you can pretty much figure it out on your own without that cue. Basically I mean to say that it really works and I enjoyed getting into the characters' heads.

I really enjoyed the clues and the chase. And the romance between Jennifer and Devlin is well-done and I never got the impression that things were moving too fast. This is a quick read and loads of fun.

So I'd say I definitely recommend The Manolo Matrix by Julie Kenner and I can't wait for The Prada Paradox, the last in the trilogy. But *whine* it doesn't come out until 2007!!!!