In case you haven’t heard of Miranda Darling, she’s also the author of The Troika Dolls, another book about the protagonist of The Siren’s Sting, Stevie Duveen. Although it might be helpful to read The Troika Dolls, The Siren’s Sting can easily be read as a stand alone book (which is what I did). Despite Stevie’s name, she’s a feminine girl who knows her labels as well as her weapons. While this is a high action thriller involving pirates, weapons and secret armies, this book also appeals to label lovers (Stevie has some great Pucci clothes) and those with a wanderlust for living the high life in exotic European locales.

The book opens with Stevie acting as protector (or officially, ‘companion’) to a famous opera singer on a cruise ship. When the ship is attacked by pirates, Stevie is on the case, helping to stop the ship from being taken hostage. Back on dry land, Stevie is then asked by her boss (who she has a crush on) to assess the security risk of an old flame of his, whose husband happens to run a private army with a few ‘extra’ sidelines… The story then moves to Sardinia where Stevie joins the jet set on one of the flashiest superboats in the sea. Posing as a vacant socialite, Stevie finds out that nothing is as it seems, everyone has an agenda – and one of them is trying to kill her…

It’s not all yachts and YSL though. There’s the return of Henning, who Stevie met in the first novel but still knows very little about. She thinks she likes him and there’s a touch of romance. Henning’s mother, Iris, is also a well-written character who influences Stevie’s feelings. Minor characters such as Stevie’s cousin and fiancé (possibly the most annoying girl in the world) provide some light hearted relief.

The settings of this book are also envy-inducing. Stevie resides at either her grandmother’s villa in Sardinia (which is described in such glorious terms I’m putting it on my holiday list) or her flat in Zurich. She also spends time in Turin, Venice and Spain. Darling paints the settings very clearly in the mind, and the interiors tend to reflect that character’s place in this shady world.

For an action novel, there’s very little use of guns and there’s not endless bodies littering the pages. The action is based on innovative technology (such as ceramic guns – Darling, via Stevie, explains why these generally don’t work), double crossing personalities and characters not knowing each other’s agenda. Darling’s style is intelligent action and the novel would appeal to both men and women.

While I’ve been writing this review, I’ve just bought a copy of The Troika Dolls to read. I think Stevie is a character who will be with us for a long time and grow stronger and stronger with each novel. Well done Ms Darling. ( )

With a James Bond-esque feel, The Siren’s Sting is set among the playgrounds of the very rich in luxury yachts and coastal mansions from Italy to the Mediterranean. It is a lifestyle of privilege and power populated by ruthless business men and glamourous women.
As an undercover risk assessment agent, Stevie is supposed to remain removed from her clients lives, but a favour for her boss, David Rice, involves her a deadly game of modern day piracy, kidnapping and the amorality of the uber-rich who play by no one’s rules.
The Siren’s Sting has a fast paced, action packed plot that teeters on the boundary of believability but nevertheless is entertaining with clever twists. Darling delves into the seamy side of those to whom money and power mean everything and have no qualms at profiting from an innocents fear or death. It’s actually quite frightening to consider there is likely a truth to the author’s fictional auction scene.
I liked Stevie, she is determined, capable and keeps a cool head under pressure but I felt she lacked passion. Perhaps the author relies on the reader having read Troika Dolls to get clearer picture of who Stevie is and how she came to join Hazard. There are hints at the events in Troika Dolls, particularly when Henning surfaces, and what I would assume are reminders of Stevie’s background, but they tended to be rather vague. Stevie’s relationship with Henning obviously begun in the first book and his appearance in the middle of this case leads to some fairly low key romantic tension.

I wish I had read The Troika Dolls, the book that introduces Stevie Duveen, before reading The Siren’s Sting because though not strictly necessary I think the background would have added to my enjoyment of this thriller by Australian author Miranda Darling. Once a globe trotting lingerie model, Darling entered academia earning a Masters in Strategic Affairs which gives her fictional international story of terrorism and corruption an edge of credibility. The Siren’s Sting is one of the 50 Books You Can’t Put Down chosen for Australia’s Get Reading 2011 Campaign and is an absorbing thriller with a major cliffhanger twist at the conclusion that will lead to the third Stevie Duveen novel. I am interested to see how Miranda Darling will develop the characters and story and look forward to her next release. ( )

THE SIREN'S STING is the second Stevie Duveen novel from Miranda Darling, following on from THE TROIKA DOLLS.

These books are thrillers, featuring Stevie who works as a risk assessor in the personal / company protection game. Starting off much where the first book ended, Stevie has been assigned to mind a temperamental opera star travelling on a luxury cruise near Somalia when pirates strike. Helping drive off this attack, there's something a little odd about how easily the pirates withdraw. But there's not a lot of time to consider that until later, as Stevie undertakes her next job - working on a threat assessment for the young son of her bosses ex Clémence Krok and her now husband Vaughan.

Stevie has very little trouble posing as a jet-setting party girl friend of Clémence, cruising around on the Krok's luxury yacht, surrounded by a suitably threatening cast of arms dealers, aristocrats and billionaires. To say nothing of love interest Henning and his very glamorous mother.

Needless to say there's going to be a connection between all this luxurious sailing around, Krok's mercenary army and arms dealing, the pirates and just about everybody in this circle, even including the glamorous opera star and the Greek billionaire she picks up on the original voyage.

THE SIREN'S STING takes what was originally more than just a tad of James Bond type scenarios and settings in the first book and slathers that on plus some. There's glorious women, sinister men, arms-dealing, money, diamonds, luxury yachts, fancy speedboats and all sorts of elaborate machinery and gadgets. There is a plot as well, and whilst there doesn't seem to be quite as much action from Stevie as there was in the first book she's not above a bit of combat, and her own life is under real threat at a few points. There's also an interesting twist with another female character who starts out being one of the villains and comes across to the good side just when she's needed.

It really has to be remembered that both of these books are thrillers - they are entertaining, slightly frenetic, often borderline unbelievable and fast paced. The plot in THE SIREN'S STING is made up of quite a few elements, which you know are going to come together (it's a thriller after all!) but there's some nice twists and turns along the way. There's a sprinkle of romantic tension, there's a fair bit of sightseeing around glamorous locations and there is a particularly big twist at the end, telegraphing book 3 in the series. Undoubtedly there's some aspects of this ending that are a risky undertaking for an author. It's either going to excite some readers with the possibility of what's to come, or disappoint other readers who hate that sort of "and in our next episode" closing.

Either way, I really liked the first book in this series (THE TROIKA DOLLS). In THE SIREN'S STING Stevie did feel a little more subdued, but really, for a reader like me who wouldn't recognise a "Brand" if she fell over it, who breaks out in an allergic reaction at all that "socialite" stuff and gags at the sight of too much romantic twaddle, I was hugely entertained and happy to spend some time with Stevie Duveen. As far as I'm concerned - bring on the third book. ( )