Helpful Score: 6
I listened to the unabridged audio version of Iris Johansen's newest book, "Deadlock." The premise sounded great: an archaeologist sent into war-torn countries to try and protect and preserve their cultural treasures.
What ruined this story for me was the horrible writing! I have no doubt that she lifted dialogue from quarreling siblings: "You have to stay here." "Don't boss me around, I'm coming with you!" "No, you can't come with me, I must protect you!" "I can protect myself, stop bossing me around!" "Alright, come on, but do exactly as I say." "Stop telling me what to do!" Every time a character says something, another character pops up to disagree with him/her. They fight about everything. Every.Single.Time.
Johansen also uses the phrase "Angel of Death" to describe Emily's impression of the hunky Garrett. Angel of Death...six, seven times.
Please. She also sets up a situation, and then magically resolves it. Garrett gets Emily a phony passport: "Here. I had this done (in the wilds of Pakistan or Siberia, while he was waiting). "This doesn't look like me; I have blonde hair and fair skin." "But if you had dark hair and dark skin, it would look just like you." "This will never work, I look nothing like this." "We'll just stop at the Theatrical Store on the way to the airport." Seriously. I know several Theatrical stores on the way to the airport. It's easy.
When they need to break into the bad guy's house...they go on the Internet, and find the layout of his house, a description of the alarm systems, where each is located and how it works. When they have to find the bad guy's car, in Russia, they get on the Internet and take over a spy satellite to pinpoint his location. Easy.
My daughter and I were stuck in the car for six hours, and this book made the time fly by. We were laughing hysterically or groaning in pain, or chanting "Angel...of...DEATH" in spooky voices. It's ten hours long, and neither one of us care to even finish the thing.
Save your credits.
What ruined this story for me was the horrible writing! I have no doubt that she lifted dialogue from quarreling siblings: "You have to stay here." "Don't boss me around, I'm coming with you!" "No, you can't come with me, I must protect you!" "I can protect myself, stop bossing me around!" "Alright, come on, but do exactly as I say." "Stop telling me what to do!" Every time a character says something, another character pops up to disagree with him/her. They fight about everything. Every.Single.Time.
Johansen also uses the phrase "Angel of Death" to describe Emily's impression of the hunky Garrett. Angel of Death...six, seven times.
Please. She also sets up a situation, and then magically resolves it. Garrett gets Emily a phony passport: "Here. I had this done (in the wilds of Pakistan or Siberia, while he was waiting). "This doesn't look like me; I have blonde hair and fair skin." "But if you had dark hair and dark skin, it would look just like you." "This will never work, I look nothing like this." "We'll just stop at the Theatrical Store on the way to the airport." Seriously. I know several Theatrical stores on the way to the airport. It's easy.
When they need to break into the bad guy's house...they go on the Internet, and find the layout of his house, a description of the alarm systems, where each is located and how it works. When they have to find the bad guy's car, in Russia, they get on the Internet and take over a spy satellite to pinpoint his location. Easy.
My daughter and I were stuck in the car for six hours, and this book made the time fly by. We were laughing hysterically or groaning in pain, or chanting "Angel...of...DEATH" in spooky voices. It's ten hours long, and neither one of us care to even finish the thing.
Save your credits.
Helpful Score: 3
enjoyed it a lot - new characters, fast pace
Helpful Score: 3
Good enough to stick with and finish, give her credit for research but too much history of Russian Tsars that I didn't care for so skipped a lot of that just to get on to the next phase of the story.
Helpful Score: 1
Another great Iris Johansen romantic suspense. Emily Hudson is moving artifacts from an Afghanistan museum when she is attacked and taken hostage by a dispicable Australian who proceeds to torture her coworker, Joel while trying to get Emily to tell him where Zolov's hammer is. Emily has no idea what he is talking about and thus watches while over a week, Joel is brutally tortured, terrorized and killed. The CIA sends in a contracted individual who rescues Emily just in time. The story proceeds, the romance develops and Emily and her rescuer, Garrett, try to solve the mystery of Zolov's hammer. It is a turn pager with some interesting Russian historical background.
Helpful Score: 1
It was pretty predictable and I wasn't really drawn into the story emotionally, but it was a good read overall.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book overall although I think it could have moved along faster. It might just have been my personal feelings at the time of reading.
Good read...enjoy.
Good read...enjoy.
Helpful Score: 1
I love Iris Johansen. I read this book in one sitting. I started it and got dragged in. It moved along very quickly with many twist and turns. I never saw the twist at the end coming. I highly recommend this book. Great read!
This is a good thriller from the author of the Eve Duncan series. Different characters, but every bit as much intense drama--and some truly terrifying bad guys!
From back cover: What began as an innocent mission has become a desperate race for survival.
Emily Hudson is a renowned archeologist who travels the world to save priceless artifacts from theft or destruction. Her best friend and partner, Joel Levy, is always at her side--until one day, when her entire crew comes under attack. Joel and Emily are taken hostage by a sadistic captor who is determined to find the missing link to a legendary treasure. For weeks they struggle to survive against terrifying odds, pushed to their limits--and beyond...
John Garrett has worked for the CIA, British intelligence, and whoever else was willing to pay for his services. This time, a Washington operative hands him what at first appears to be just another assignment: to track down, and save, Emily and Joel. But it quickly becomes much more, especially when Garrett finds himself drawn to someone as dauntless and bent on revenge as Emily. Soon, they're catapulted into an astonishing adventure in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems. And lives hang in the balance as one man and one woman unravel the explosive truth behind a conspiracy hidden for generations.
From back cover: What began as an innocent mission has become a desperate race for survival.
Emily Hudson is a renowned archeologist who travels the world to save priceless artifacts from theft or destruction. Her best friend and partner, Joel Levy, is always at her side--until one day, when her entire crew comes under attack. Joel and Emily are taken hostage by a sadistic captor who is determined to find the missing link to a legendary treasure. For weeks they struggle to survive against terrifying odds, pushed to their limits--and beyond...
John Garrett has worked for the CIA, British intelligence, and whoever else was willing to pay for his services. This time, a Washington operative hands him what at first appears to be just another assignment: to track down, and save, Emily and Joel. But it quickly becomes much more, especially when Garrett finds himself drawn to someone as dauntless and bent on revenge as Emily. Soon, they're catapulted into an astonishing adventure in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems. And lives hang in the balance as one man and one woman unravel the explosive truth behind a conspiracy hidden for generations.
Great read. Lots of suspense and action.
Could not put it down . Iris Johansen has done it again . Must read .
Great read. Fast paced, keeps you wanting to read to get to the end to see what happens.
I have always liked this author and this book did not disappoint me. The only thing that I felt was that the last chapter was totally unnecessary. It ended a little too frilly but other than that it was a good read.
An archeologist is caught up in a tangled web of deception looking for a hammer that goes back to the time of the Rasputin.
ordered this book for my daughter she tells me that she loved it
Honestly.....I found this to be one of the WORST books she has written! I totally agree with Vicky Jo's comments!!! This book just was not the usual Iris Johansen book......everyone has a bad book now and then as they can't ALL be GREAT books!
It took me a little longer to get interested in this book but once I did I couldn't put it down.
