The Barnes Noble Review

Passion, power, and political intrigue clash with deadly results in Iris Johansen's latest tale of romantic suspense, Final Target. At the heart of this fast-paced thriller is the seven-year-old daughter of the president of the United States, who has witnessed something so awful it's left her in a catatonic state. Now, the woman who hopes to save her must trust her heart and her life to a mysterious man with a nefarious reputation.

When masked intruders break into a presidential stronghold and try to kidnap the president's daughter, Cassie, the child witnesses several brutal murders. She survives, thanks to the efforts of Michael Travis, a man who skirts the law and makes a living in the international underworld, but the shock leaves her dwelling in a state somewhere between consciousness and death. The president puts his daughter in the hands of Dr. Jessica Riley, who helped her younger sister, Melissa, recover from a similar condition a few years earlier. Though fully recovered, Melissa's bout with catatonia left her with a curious side effect: the ability to merge her mind with the consciousness of others who are catatonic.

As Cassie's condition worsens, her only hope lies with two people: Melissa, who can get into Cassie's mind, and Travis, whose presence has a calming affect on the child's life-threatening seizures. But there's a problem: Travis has a host of deadly assassins breathing down his neck and isn't inclined to stay, yet his conscience won't let him desert the child, either. So he takes Cassie, Jessica, and Melissa with him, sneaking them out of the country and into Europe, where he becomes embroiled in a deadly game of international intrigue. With the president's forces now breathing down his neck in the belief that he has kidnapped Cassie, and his attentions increasingly drawn toward Melissa, whom he has come to care for, Travis becomes distracted enough to make a deadly miscalculation. The tragedy that results will have a monumental effect on everyone involved and may mean the end of any hopes they hold for the future.

Johansen is a master at keeping her readers on edge, and Final Target is a perfect example of this master at work. The pace zips, the plot twists, and each turn of the page brings a new surprise. But the best part of Johansen's latest effort is her characteristically explosive mix of chilling terror and heated passions. (Beth Amos)

After young venture capitalist Simon Ayot finds his father-in-law lying dead from a gunshot wound, and all the damning evidence points to Simon. With the police determined to prove his guilt, and even his grief-stricken wife beginning to suspect him, he races to clear his name and save his marriage-all too aware that the next murder may very well be his own…

"Move over, John Grisham. A new star has entered the world of popular action fiction." -Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan

"Michael Ridpath plots his story tightly and smoothly and roams all his worlds, virtual and otherwise, with authority."-New York Times

"[Ridpath] makes you feel… the thrill of playing a hunch and getting it right."-Los Angeles Times

"Entertaining…Succeeds at becoming more than a thriller without breaking the mounting tensions of the story." -Newsday

George W. Bush’s words as he signed the Homeland Security Act. Neither he nor anyone else suspected that a traitor could be one of those public servants.

Deep inside Homeland Security a group of elite officers is gathered — from the police, the FBI and the CIA — operating in deep cover, their contact with each other and with other agencies strictly compartmentalised.

One is Brian Doyle, an NYPD detective, chosen for his determination as much as his deductive prowess. Another is ruthlessly using the carefully gathered intelligence to unleash a biological attack across America.

And when Doyle does work out that person’s identity, it seems as though he will be too late to prevent the attack.

George W. Bush’s words as he signed the Homeland Security Act. Neither he nor anyone else suspected that a traitor could be one of those public servants.

Deep inside Homeland Security a group of elite officers is gathered — from the police, the FBI and the CIA — operating in deep cover, their contact with each other and with other agencies strictly compartmentalised.

One is Brian Doyle, an NYPD detective, chosen for his determination as much as his deductive prowess. Another is ruthlessly using the carefully gathered intelligence to unleash a biological attack across America.

And when Doyle does work out that person’s identity, it seems as though he will be too late to prevent the attack.

From one of the most acclaimed crime writers in America comes her most astonishing novel: a story of love, loss, death-and discovery.

Over the course of eight novels, Carol O'Connell and her protagonist, New York detective Kathy Mallory, have carved out a unique place for themselves. But all that has been prelude to the remarkable story told in Find Me.

A mutilated body is found lying on the ground in Chicago, a dead hand pointing down Adams Street, also known as Route 66, a road of many names. And now of many deaths. A silent caravan of cars, dozens of them, drives down that road, each passenger bearing a photograph, but none of them the same. They are the parents of missing children, some recently disappeared, some gone a decade or more-all brought together by word that childrens' grave sites are being discovered along the Mother Road.

Kathy Mallory drives with them. The child she seeks, though, is not like the others'. It is herself-the feral child adopted off the streets, her father a blank, her mother dead and full of mysteries. During the next few extraordinary days, Mallory will find herself hunting a killer like none she has ever known, and will undergo a series of revelations not only of stunning intensity- but stunning effect.

One will change your life. One will end it. Who will...

FIND YOU FIRST?

With just months to live, a billionaire businessman decides to track down his long-lost children. But a deadly killer is one step ahead of him.

Tech billionaire Miles has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of — except time. Now facing a terminal illness, Miles knows he must seize every minute to put his life in order. And that means taking a long hard look at his past.

Somewhere out there, Miles has children. And they might be about to inherit both the good and bad from him — possibly his fortune, or possibly something more deadly.

So Miles decides to track down his missing children. But a vicious killer is one step ahead of him. One by one, people are vanishing. Not just disappearing, every trace of them is wiped.

It’s a deadly race against time...

The eight-year-old boy had vanished from the car and – as if by slick, sick magic – had been replaced by a note on the steering wheel… ‘You don’t love him’…

At the height of summer a dark shadow falls across Exmoor. Children are being stolen. Each disappearance is marked only by a terse note – a brutal accusation. There are no explanations, no ransom demands… and no hope.

Policeman Jonas Holly faces a precarious journey into the warped mind of the kidnapper if he’s to stand any chance of catching him. But – still reeling from a personal tragedy – is Jonas really up to the task?

Because there’s at least one person on Exmoor who thinks that, when it comes to being the first line of defence, Jonas Holly may be the last man to trust…

****In this blockbuster novel from Danielle Steel, two estranged sisters get the chance to connect again and right the wrongs of the past.****

Melissa Henderson is leading a quiet life. Once a bestselling author, she now pours all her energy into renovating a Victorian house nestled in the foothills of rural New England. Six years ago, she lost her young son to cancer, and her marriage dissolved. She stopped writing. It was only when she bought the old house that Melissa found a purpose, and came alive as she made it beautiful again.

After a wildfire that threatens her home appears on the news, Melissa receives a call from her sister, Hattie. They were close once, but that was before Melissa withdrew from the world. Now Hattie, who became a nun at twenty-five, is determined to help Melissa turn a new page, even if it means reopening one of the most painful chapters of her life.

At sixteen, a pregnant Melissa was sent to a gloomy convent in Ireland to have-- and...

In his quest to unravel the threads left by his brother's death in Cambodia, Thomas Reed travels to the streets of Manila and the jungles of Cambodia, where he gradually pieces together the information that will lead him to his brother's lost child.

SURVIVING NEVER GETS EASY.

With a child on the way, Max makes the toughest decision he’s ever made. He leaves home. And now he doesn’t know if he’ll make it back.

Without proper medical care, Mandy hopes that she’ll deliver her baby without complications.

When her daughter goes missing, Georgia must leave camp once again. She has the courage and determination to find her, but she doesn’t even know which direction to head in.

Finding Shelter is book 8 of The EMP, a post-apocalyptic survival thriller series. It deals with real people fighting for their survival every inch of the way.

A wealthy, slightly sinister London art dealer develops a voyeuristic obsession with his assistant, Anna, and hires an amoral male model to seduce her while he watches from behind a screen — but his impulses lead to nasty surprises — including murder.

Derek Mason arrives in Charlotte, North Carolina for the funeral of his Aunt Walterene. He encounters the family who sent him away because he revealed he was gay. His mother and Uncle Vernon want him out of town because of Vernon’s senate campaign. His sister and Aunt Ruby urge him to stay. His cousin Mark denies their past relationship. Derek uncovers mysteries in the death of a family gardener, possibly at the hands of a young Vernon. Secrets and lies unravel as Derek digs into the family history with the help of hunky reporter Daniel.

Detektyw Alex Cross przybywa do mieszkania swojej zamordowanej partnerki i przyjaciółki, agentki FBI.

Już wie, że za jej śmierć odpowiedzialny jest jego zaprzysięgły wróg, nieuchwytny psychopata, nazywający siebie Supermózgiem, który ma sumieniu wiele zbrodni.

Prowadzone od dłuższego czasu śledztwo nie przyniosło dotąd rezultatów. Można przypuszczać, że ktoś celowo blokuje pracę policji…

Corruption. Deceit. Cold-blooded murder. These skies are far from friendly.

Tough, resourceful, and beautiful, Alex Shanahan survived the cutthroat corporate world on her own terms. But now, she's using her hard-earned experience for herself – as a private investigator. Alex is hired to check out an airline that's been serving more than just complimentary peanuts: there's a high-end prostitution ring catering to first-class passengers. Alex goes undercover as a flight attendant to infiltrate the group, and gets more than she bargained for as she gets closer to the cunning and dangerous woman who runs it…close enough to kill. When her cover is blown, she knows it's only a matter of time before her next flight is her last…

BATTLE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Following a catastrophe with the Block Island Ferry, an assassination in Turkey, and the collision of two ships in the Sea of Japan, American forces have only five days to stop a Soviet plot and the prevent start of World War III. Led by Admiral David Pratt, the Americans assemble two teams to strike at the Soviets in their own back yard. The first, a strike force team of Navy SEALS, has the task of infiltrating a base of Black Berets in Spitzbergen. The other, an effort led by Russian-speaking Henry Cobb, is to capture the head of the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Soviet Union. Only their combined efforts can win the day.

Filled with non-stop action on the land, air, and sea, death-defying escapes, and tension-filled submarine and carrier battles, First Salvo is a classic tale set against the backdrop of the Cold War era.

First published February 1st 1985