The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Goodreads Summary: In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

In this tautly plotted novel, Stephenie Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she’s one of the world’s bestselling authors.
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: A woman used to work for the US Government until she found out they planned to kill her. Now she lives on the run, going through names, fake IDs and towns at a high rate. When her former handler, Lowell Carston finds and contacts her through email, she takes the bait, heading to DC for their meeting. But she is still careful, more paranoid than they know...

What surprised me about The Chemist from the start is that each and every page of this novel are filled with details. It's not unnecessary information but everything you could possible need to know, written in an interesting way designed to catch your interest rather than pages and pages of boring lists. This nameless woman adapts to her name changes superbly, and I can't help but love her security system.

Kevin and Daniel Beach become the source of this woman's problems. When she kidnaps Daniel, she eventually realises that there's something wrong with the situation. A team effort sees her targeting her former employers and the CIA. There are many cleverly orchestrated situations leading to more conflict, a sign of great mystery thriller writing. These characters and their personalities fit perfectly into Stephenie Meyer's mould; the interrogator, the spy and the innocent.

Not once are they actually safe. The reasons behind this aren't repetitive or simple, instead they're complex, manufactured situations with plans that get put into action before you know what's happening. There is the right balance between real and fake alarm to set readers on edge every time there's a scene, never doubting for a second that a real incident may occur. Stephenie Meyer's intricately sculpted novel The Chemist is a must-read for all who love mystery thrillers.
Purchase Location: Borrowed From Library
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of mystery thrillers.