Valentina Rednikova, better known as 'Rose Red', is one half of an assassination duo with her partner, Snow White, also known as Carolina Cabral.

Ms Rednikova is of Russian descent, from an ethnic group referred to in Russia as the Tsyganie, or Romani people. Valentina grew up leading a nomadic lifestyle characteristic of many of the Russian gypsies that make up the Tsyganie. She joined a circus at an early age on account of her many family members who were also circus performers.

During her apprenticeship, Valentina mastered many tricks and skills: some using her body alone to perform all sorts of acrobatic and balletic moves and stunts, others with props such as the 'diabolo'. Through her travels worldwide with the circus, Valentina encountered other performers: when she met Carolina Cabral, the two of them hit it off immediately and became best friends, and 'sisters' in the Romani tradition.

Sharing their different skills and knowledge with each other, Valentina and Carolina each became much more accomplished and skilful than they could have achieved alone. They learned and practised ever harder and more dangerous stunts together and impressed audiences wherever they went with their mixture of beauty, athleticism, daring and catchy fairy tale names they adopted: Snow White and Rose Red.

Behind the scenes however, the addiction of the thrills of danger were not enough. Carolina slowly introduced Valentina to aspects of her violent past, including some of the underworld connections that had kept tabs on her. Snow White and Rose Red soon found that their combined skills were hot property – and it was a commodity they were only too willing to license to the highest bidder.

After a number of jobs for various shady characters, Snow White and Rose Red were approached by The Three Bears to take part in their secret plot.

Find out more about the plot, Rose Red's creative use of the diabolo and her seductive charms by reading the book available from this link.