Isadora DayStar by P.I. Barrington

When drug addled assassin Isadora DayStar finally snags a major interplanetary killing job, she thinks it will both support her habit and revise her status as the laughingstock of her profession. Instead, she embarks on a journey that brings her face to face with her tortured past.
After botching yet another assassination job, ex-military gunner Isadora steals a highly desired new type of weapon as payment. To escape her infuriated employer she stows away on a plague infested ship that spirals downward toward the nearest planet. In an attempt to escape the crashing craft, Isadora finds both an escape pod and the only other survivor, a teenage girl, Iphedeiah. They take flight on a series of encounters from murderous monks to interplanetary pirates while Isadora tries to hide her addiction along the way. They slowly form a grudging bond that grows into friendship and trust. When Isadora kills an old contact to save the girl, they are separated only to be captured individually and then tortured by Caine Dureaux, Isadora's employer to extract the location of the weapon. Who will blink first?

Goodreads Summary

Isadora is an interesting character, she is not without flaws and the author does not bother to try to make her "perfect."  This quality adds to her appeal.  When she once again messes up an assassination job, she flees with an expensive weapon as payment.  Her employer is understandably enraged.  She ends up on a ship that is doomed.  She flees that situation as well and ends up with the only other survivor.  Forced together, they gradually get along and eventually even develop a sort of friendship.  Life is never perfect, they are eventually forced apart.  The story takes off from there.

The novel is definitely worth a second look.  There is plenty of action, even violence, in the book.  The characters each have their own unusual quirks and qualities that makes the majority of them very memorable.  The ending is satisfying.  This book is recommended to adults. 

4 Stars