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Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
Genre: Fiction / Thriller / Crime / Suspense / Action

Book Review:
''The Insider'' by Ava McCarthy is the most exciting thriller debut of the year. Until recently, the toughest part of Henrietta ''Harry'' Martinez's life was hiding her troubled past. But now the former hacker turned security expert is in danger. Someone wants her dead.

Her father, Sal, taught her everything he knew about taking risks, but it seems he made a bad gamble with the anonymous trader known as the ''Prophet.'' Sal was jailed for fraud. Now the Prophet wants Harry to pay up. With no money and little time, Harry must track down Sal's crooked partners while trying to escape the people on her tail—journalists, police, and hired killers.

But Harry has secret skills, honed by her father and perfected by her—skills her enemies haven't anticipated. So now the chase is on. The stakes are high, and the bets are off.

McCarthy's writing is tense and gripping. Harry is one of the most likeable heroines in recent fiction: plucky, stubborn, vulnerable, and smart. If you enjoy thrillers, crime fiction, or fast-paced action, The Insider is a must-read. Highly recommended!