Review by Booklist Review
The prolific Johansen's stock-in-trade throughout multiple action-thriller series has been the introduction of strong-willed, uniquely talented female protagonists who bristle with courage and conviction but are also vulnerable to romantic entanglements, often at the least opportune moments. Kira Drake is no exception to this rule. A forensics tracker sought after by international search-and-rescue agencies, Drake's distinctive talents lie in a veterinary practice in which exceptional animal longevity and unconventional interspecies communications collide. Accompanied by her canine partner Mack to the site of a devastating bombing in Paris, Drake finds herself drawn into the lengthy and deadly feud between Nobel Prize--winning scientist-entrepreneur Jack Harlan and Joseph Taylor, the man who murdered his brother and who is the mastermind behind the Paris attack. As is often the case with Johansen's heroines, Drake prefers to use her skills to pursue Taylor on her own but reluctantly accepts assistance and attention from Harlan. In seeking both revenge and justice, Drake, Harlan, and Taylor become embroiled in a high-stakes battle of wits and words.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Johansen's latest standalone revolves and revolves around a fight over a fabulous treasure that's personal for everyone involved. Jack Harlan may be a billionaire who's won two Nobel Prizes for developing technologies that will help all humanity, but he won't be happy until he gets revenge on Joseph Taylor, the former Harvard professor who wormed his way into the confidence of Harlan's brother, Colin, stole his invaluable encryption algorithm, and killed him. Taylor, for his part, won't rest until he avenges himself on the billionaire, who managed to shoot him in the stomach before he escaped. When Taylor blows up Harlan's new Parisian museum, Kira Drake and her explosive-sniffing golden retriever, Mack, are called to the scene, and it's her turn to get drawn into the battle. Instead of resting on her laurels after splitting a fortune she's discovered with her friend Jabir Kalim, [115] an Egyptian horse breeder, Drake is drawn to Harlan, who wants her to join in his hunt for Taylor. Nesting on a remote island with Harlan--and Colin's 15-year-old daughter, Fiona, whose loss of her father has given her a personal stake--Drake waits for Taylor to make a move so that she can pounce on him. That's not exactly how it works out, though, and soon Drake and Taylor have personal motives of their own for getting the best of, humiliating, or killing each other, and incidentally getting control of that treasure. The story is plotted like an upscale video game, with enough violent, high-stakes, low-impact encounters and reversals to make you wonder if you're ever going to make it to the end, or even to the next level. A perfectly good time-killer, best for fans who don't take it too seriously, or even a little seriously. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
