Three girls, who are geniuses in very different areas, must part from each other for the very first time in their lives, only to be drawn back together in a twist of mystery and danger.

The FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—are three orphaned girls and best friends. Now heading off to different colleges thanks for their very different areas of talent, they must face the world on their own. Mackenzie, gifted in math and problem solving, takes center stage in this book as she finds herself in China on a mission to find a missing, ancient ingredient, and ends up in the middle of so much more.

This is the third book in the series and works perfectly as a stand-alone. I did not read the other books first and had no trouble diving into this one. The first 75 or so pages are mostly filled with backstory, allowing the reader to dive into the characters and their situations. It makes for a slow beginning. After this, however, the story picks up pace and draws in until the last page.

The mystery is well woven and offers many unexpected twists. This isn't a mystery with light depth, but the author uses the girls' genius attributes to bring intellectual depth into the mystery. Still, the girls manage to come across as their age and face normal problems of awkwardness and confusion, which girls heading out on their own often face. It was easy to connect to the girls and Carolina. There's a nice addition of darkness through the gypsies, which I loved. It adds just the right amount of tension in the early part of the book without revealing too much.

This is written from several points of view, which change with the chapters. Unfortunately, it's not clear who's turn it is until reading the first sentences—which is normally not a problem, but the point of view is not restricted to the girls and Carolina, but touches on other characters as well. It allows the mystery to gain wonderful hints and dabs, but took a few seconds to figure out who the character was and what their purpose might be. Still, the story flows nicely, and the writing is well done and natural.
The FIGs are fun to get to know, and I'm now curious to go back and see where their other mysteries have led them.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed reading this enough to want to leave my honest thoughts. ( )

The three "FIGS boarded the plane leaving to their various destinations. They will be attending separate Universities and will be separated for the first time in over two years. They would be leaving Caroline behind. They would avoid separation anxieties by Skyping each night at 8:30 p.m. Caroline's time.
​ Jennifer was in one of her creative trances and everyone knew to avoid disturbing her until it was complete. Something was seriously happening. Soon Caroline's gypsy mother, and McKenzie knew something big was coming. They soon discovered this involved more than just them and in a faraway place.
This is the third boo of the F.I.G. series and was just s captivating than the others, if not more so!
*This was gifted me with no requirement for a positive review. This is my honest review. ( )

As I have read the other two prior books, I have gotten to know the FIGs aka Mackenzie, Dara, and Jennifer. You could say that I have watched them grow into smart, young women. Although, credit has to be given to Carolina. She really had been a great mentor to the girls.

Yet, in this book it is time for Mackenzie to really shine as the star. Just like the other prior books, the girls find themselves attempting to solve a mystery with their intelligent. The places that the girls traveled were interesting. However, through all of these books and adventures, I never fully could find that strong grip of a connection to any of the girls. Thus, at times I had to re-read sections as my full attention was not there. Overall, those I did like this series. ( )