By: Allison Brennan
Narrator: Eliza Foss
Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 9781250164421
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 08/08/2023
Format: Other
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
New York Times bestseller Allison Brennan’s latest standalone is an unputdownable race to the dramatic finish.
After five years in hiding from their murderous father, the day Kristen and Ryan McIntyre have been dreading has arrived: Boyd McIntyre, head of a Los Angeles crime family, has at last tracked his kids to a small Montana town and is minutes away from kidnapping them. They barely escape in a small plane, but gunfire hits the fuel line. The pilot, a man who has been raising them as his own, manages to crash land in the middle of the Montana wilderness. The siblings hike deep into the woods, searching desperately for safety—unaware of the severity of the approaching storm.
Boyd’s sister Ruby left Los Angeles for the Army years ago, cutting off contact in order to help keep her niece and nephew safe and free from the horrors of the McIntyre clan. So when she gets an emergency call that the plane has gone down with the kids inside, she drops everything to try save them.
As the storm builds, Ruby isn’t the only person looking for them. Boyd has hired an expert tracker to find and bring them home. And rancher Nick Lorenzo, who knows these mountains better than anyone and doesn’t understand why the kids are running, is on their trail too.
But there is a greater threat to Kristen and Ryan out there. More volatile than the incoming blizzard, more dangerous than the family they ran from or the natural predators they could encounter. Who finds them first could determine if they live or die. . .
My Review
Allison Brennan’s latest standalone, NORTH OF NOWHERE, is an adrenaline-fueled action suspense crime thriller in a race against time during a blizzard as two siblings fight for survival to escape a murderous crime family.
Kristin (Kris-16) and Ryan (11-deaf) McIntyre have been hiding from their murderous father, Boyd, head of a LA crime family (McIntyre organization) for five years.
He has tracked the kids to Big Sky, Montana, where they have lived with Tony Reid. Tony had done everything to protect them, and they considered him their father. They always had a backup plan, knowing one day Boyd would come for them.
Plan B was a remote cabin more than three hundred miles from Big Sky with enough food and wood to last them all winter until they could disappear again. Plan B is where he would steal his boss's twin prop and fly to Ennis, land in a field, steal a car, and head to the cabin near the Canadian border, swapping out cars—same endgame, different path. Time was not on his side because he had to get them out before Boyd arrived.
Tony knew Boyd would kidnap the kids and kill him (out of their sight). Tony was his former best friend and partner. Boyd wanted to punish Tony.
Five years, two months, two days. That was how much time Tony had stolen from Boyd.
Things do not go as planned. The plane crashes, and Kristen and Ryan find themselves on the run in the Montana wilderness with a blizzard on the way. Their aunt, Ruby (Boyd's sister) has been in hiding too; however, she is alerted by Tony's employer, Nick, that something is amiss, and she and Nick Lorenzo head out to rescue them.
Boyd and his men are in pursuit and will stop at nothing to bring them in. Will they be able to reach the kids in time?
The impending blizzard, predators, and a team of killers are after them. Boyd has hired a tracker to find them. Who will find them first?
NORTH OF NOWHERE is a complex, twisty, action-packed wilderness adventure thrill ride with heart-pounding suspense. We hear from multiple points of view, Kristen, Tony, Boyd, and Ruby, and a cast of supporting characters —all the while not knowing who to trust.
A story of survival, adventure, and mystery. At the core of the story is family, forgiveness, and hope.
Atmospheric, the Montana setting is a character; vivid descriptions and the weather, wilderness, and snowstorm blizzard compound the suspense. I enjoyed Nick, his son, Ruby, and the Sheriff. My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more.
I read the e-book and listened to the NORTH OF NOWHERE audiobook narrated by Eliza Foss for an engaging performance read with tension and suspense.
Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Aug 8, 2023
Praise
“I adore a good wilderness mystery, and this one kept me reading deep into the night. The perfect blend of adventure and mystery.”
–Kelley Armstrong
"Intense, relentless, and absolutely riveting. The incredibly talented Allison Brennan jumpstarts the action on page one, and never takes her foot off the accelerator―creating a pageturner of the highest order! This wilderness adventure is Ozark meets Succession in Big Sky country, and I could not put it down. Blazingly written, this compelling tale of family dynamics and gorgeous settings is full of relentless action and unending heart. What a terrific book."
–Hank Phillippi Ryan
"In North of Nowhere, Allison Brennan has created a gripping, eerie thriller set in the Montana wilderness amidst a building snowstorm. You will fly through the pages as Brennan’s unforgettable characters race against time and battle the elements in search of safety, redemption, and the meaning of family. North of Nowhere leaves you chilled to the bone in all the best ways."
–Heather Gudenkauf
About the Author
Photo by Brittan Dodd
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year. Reviewers have called her “a master of suspense” and RT Book Reviews said her books are “mesmerizing” and “complex.” She’s been nominated for multiple awards, including the Thriller, RWA’s Best Romantic Suspense (five times), and twice won the Daphne du Maurier award. She lives in Arizona with her family and assorted pets. WEBSITE
