Sunday, September 6, 2020

Review - Chaos

Title:   Chaos
Author:  Iris Johansen
Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   624
Date of Publication:  September 1, 2020
My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author introduces CIA agent Alisa Flynn, who is willing to go rogue if it means catching the most heartless band of criminals she's ever encountered.

When CIA agent Alisa Flynn flaunts the rules by breaking into a mansion in the middle of the night, she skillfully circumvents alarms and outwits guards only to find herself standing in billionaire Gabe Korgan's study . . . busted by Korgan himself. This could cost her her job unless, in a split second, she can turn the tables and try to convince him to join her on the most important mission of her life.

In a ripped-from-the-headlines plot, schoolgirls in Africa have been kidnapped, and Alisa knows that Korgan has the courage, financial means, and high-tech weaponry to help rescue them. With so many innocent lives hanging in the balance, what she doesn't reveal is that one of those schoolgirls is like a little sister to her. But when the truth gets out, the stakes grow even higher.

Calling in additional assistance from renowned horse whisperer Margaret Douglas, Alisa and Gabe lay their plans, only to see them descend into chaos as the line between right and wrong wavers before them like a mirage. Every path is strewn with pitfalls, each likely to get them -- or the hostages -- killed. But with the help of a brave team and a horse with the heart of a warrior, they might just get out of this alive.

MY THOUGHTS:

Having read three connected series by Iris Johansen, Eve Duncan, Kendra Micheals and Catherine Ling, it was nice to meet a new protagonist,. This thrilling story does have a brief cameo by Eve Duncan and an extended role by Margaret Douglas. I am more than familiar with the brilliant horse whisperer as she was the primary protagonist in No Easy Target, and she was also in at least six of the Eve Duncan series titles, including Hunting Eve and Shadow Play.

However, this book introduces CIA Agent Alisa Flynn who often writes her own rules. As this book opens, Alisa is in Morocco and is clearly breaking into billionaire Gabe Korgan's study. She is not sure how she was noticed by the guard dogs, as her planning was flawless. At first she waits and hopes they become silent, but in just moments she hears his voice. She's caught! Always a quick thinker, Alisa has a plan in mind. Can she get Korgan to help her in a dangerous mission?

And what a mission! Schoolgirls in Africa are being kidnapped, and one of the missing girls is someone that she views as a sister. Alisa is after a man named Jorge Masenak. Through careful research Alisa has learned that Masenak is a common enemy between them. She is more than confident that she can get Korgan to work with her to rescue the girls. 

One of the girls, Sasha, is truly gifted. Even though held prisoner, she managed to release some special horses and this has truly angered Masenak. Sasha is said to be a horse whisperer. As things turn out, someone else called into play once Korgan agrees to work with Alisa, and that is Margaret Douglas, a renowned horse whisperer. Can the three lay a trap and rescue the girls - and the horses - and catch Masenak? 

Certainly none of this will be easy, thus this book lays the groundwork for a a thrilling new title by Iris Johansen. Chaos reigns in the efforts that take them deep into the jungles of Africa as they track the missing girls. This book is not for the faint of heart. The girls are grossly mistreated, even as Alisa was when she was much younger. Yet, if you want a story that will keep you turning pages long into the night, go no further, Chaos will fit the bill. All of Johansen's books I have read thus far have romance in them, and this book is no different.

Chaos is a fabulous book and would make a great series! I would love to see where Alyssa and Korgan can go from there, and of course, I love how Johansen ties in characters from previous series. Despite its length, this book was a one-sitting read for me! Johansen makes her books quite like a movie with action, drama and compelling characters. I am eager for whatever next she has in store for her readers.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve,Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand,Killer Dreams, On The Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, and more. And with her son Roy Johansen, she has coauthored The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

Johansen began writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success. She had seventeen consecutive New York Times bestsellers as of November 2006.


Johansen lives near Atlanta, Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.


7 comments:

  1. This sounds like it would be a good movie

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  2. I second DJ's comment! This could be a fast-paced movie! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!

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  3. Glad you enjoyed - and @ the other comments, who knows? Maybe it'll be a feature film some day.

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  4. I want that book for the cover alone! The horse is calling me ;)

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  5. I think I have read Iris Johansen and enjoyed her books.. this sounds exciting too..

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