Review

"... Johansen's characters project believability, and her world is full of rich and vivid detail... High fantasy for lovers of mythology and of powerful beings in human form, this adult fantasy debut should appeal to fans of Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series." - Library Journal, Aug. 2011

About the Author

K.V. Johansen is a successful author, editor, freelance journalist, and illustrator.

SUMMARY: A CIA agent’s two-year-old child was stolen in the night as a brutal act of vengeance. Now, eight years later, this torment is something Catherine Ling awakens to every day. Her friends, family, and colleagues tell her to let go, move on, accept that her son is never coming back. But she can’t. Catherine needs to find someone as driven and obsessed as she is to help her – and that person is Eve Duncan. She knows that Eve shares her nightmare, since closure is also something that eludes Eve after the disappearance of her daughter Bonnie. Now, Eve must take her talents as a forensic sculptor to another level, using age progression as a way to unite Catherine with her child. As Eve gets drawn deeper into Catherine’s horror, she must face looming demons of her own.Bonnie’s killer is still out there. And a new killer is taunting Eve and Catherine at every turn. Is Catherine’s son alive, or not? These two women endure the worst fear any mother can imagine in Iris Johansen’s latest thrill ride, a gut-wrenching journey into the darkest places of the soul.

From Publishers Weekly

An especially far-fetched plot and unconvincing dialogue mar this romantic thriller, set primarily in Afghanistan and Russia, from bestseller Johansen (Dark Summer). Emily Hudson, a U.N. artifacts expert, is trying to track down a vicious criminal who may have stolen Zelov's hammer. Hidden inside the old mallet is a treasure map to the long-lost riches of Russia's assassinated Romanov family. Helping Hudson is a rough-and-ready CIA tracker, whose physical charms prove irresistible to the usually proud and independent Hudson. As is Johansen's wont, the romance competes head-to-head with the chase, with annoying effect. Love scenes and hokey romantic dialogue closely follow or precede those of perilous action. On one page, Hudson will be steely and adept, then, on the next, fragile and feeble. By the time the plot hits the homestretch, many readers will have a hard time taking it seriously. 650,000 first printing. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The incomparable treasures of the Romanovs continue to provide an irresistible lure to writers of action-adventure thrillers, and the prolific Johansen joins in, seeking fictional riches yet to be mined from the imperial family’s massive and, in this instance, missing wealth. Charged with the mission of rescuing cultural artifacts from war zones, Emily Hudson and her crew of UN archaeologists are sent to Afghanistan to rescue Russian antiquities on loan to a local museum. Believing that a critical part of the czar’s legacy is included in the trove, a vicious gang of thugs ambushes the team. Led by the fiendishly malevolent Staunton, they hold Emily hostage while her best friend and colleague, Joel Levy, is tortured to death after failing to provide the information Staunton desires. About to be turned over to a sexually sadistic Afghani warlord, Emily is “nick-o’-time” rescued by John Garrett, a dashing, James Bondian soldier of fortune who joins Emily’s struggle to avenge Levy’s death, locate the Romanov cache, and end the cycle of murder its disappearance has wrought. Despite the lack of dimension demonstrated by Johansen’s otherwise taut cast of heroes and rogues, this suitably intricate tale of international and historic intrigue maintains a riveting electric tension right from its robust beginning. --Carol Haggas

It all begins with a painting called Guilt. Eve Duncan’s daughter, Jane, has no idea why she painted the portrait of the chilling face that now hangs in a Paris gallery. But those who belong to a powerful cult—one that dates back to the time of Christ—know both the face and the significance behind it… They believe that Jane must die—when the moment is right, and not an instant before she leads them to an ancient treasure whose value and power are beyond price. But for now, they target those close to Jane, killing without mercy or conscience.From Paris to the Scottish isles to the Holy Land, Jane finds herself in a desperate race against time to unravel the mystery surrounding her painting…and save her own life. Even with Eve’s help, can she possibly succeed before her time is up?

Amazon.com Review

Jessica Riley is a psychiatrist whose experience with catatonic trauma is personal as well as professional: she brought her beloved sister Melissa back from total mental withdrawal with her patience and skill. When the daughter of the president retreats into blankness after seeing her nanny and her Secret Service protector murdered, Jessica is summoned to treat the little girl. Although Jessica can't reach into her young patient's frightened mind, Melissa can--and only Melissa understands why Cassie's so afraid. When Michael Travis, the mysterious and not totally benign stranger who rescued Cassie from the kidnap-assassination that traumatized her, arrives at Jessica's Virginia estate, he's able to stop the child's nightmares long enough for Melissa to join Cassie in her self-imposed darkness and pull her back into the light. But the price he asks for his continued presence is one that Jessica, Melissa, and the president may not be able to meet. Is he an ally or an enemy? Even Melissa isn't sure--and her complicated feelings for Travis and Cassie are especially tortured because her unusual gifts allow her to see a bloody future for both of them, one she may not be able to prevent.

Iris Johansen (The Killing Game, The Search) ratchets up the suspense in this fast-moving thriller, which ranges across international borders from Washington to Amsterdam to Paris with the help of Air Force One and Two. While the president isn't very satisfactorily developed except as a frightened father who'll do almost anything to save his daughter, Travis and Melissa are fascinating characters who linger in the mind after the last explosive page; hopefully, Johansen will revisit them in a future adventure. Meanwhile, this is her best and most engaging read in years. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly

At the center of Johansen's latest suspense thriller (after The Search) is the Wind Dancer, a priceless gold statue of the winged horse Pegasus. The statue has been in the Andreas family since the fall of Troy and now, centuries later, U.S. President Jonathan Andreas is in Paris to lend the family heirloom to a museum. On the night of the ceremony, his daughter, seven-year-old Cassie, is awakened at the family's farmhouse in the south of France by masked men who murder her nanny and her nurse, intent on kidnapping Cassie and ransoming her in exchange for the Wind Dancer. Cassie is saved in the nick of time by the arrival of Michael Travis, international underworld information dealer, but eight months later, the child is being treated in the Virginia home of psychiatrist Dr. Jessica Riley and Jessica's psychically extrasensitive sister, Melissa, for severe catatonic trauma. She hasn't spoken a word since the raid and has retreated into an imaginary tunnel where the Wind Dancer rescues her from pursuing monsters. Michael Travis then reappears and lures Cassie and the Riley sisters into a web of intrigue, taking them to Amsterdam, Paris and eventually back to the scene of the crime. There's a lot going on here, what with the telepathic dream sequences, a demented art fanatic determined to steal the statue, a subplot involving the Russian diamond cartel and the romantic tension between Melissa and Travis. Johansen's fans will enjoy the swirling plot lines, staccato dialogue and abrupt scene shifts that mark her style. National advertising. (May 29)Forecast: Fans may recognize the Wind Dancer, the subject (and title) of one of Johansen's mass market romances. The author's dependable mix of suspense and romance will make for good beach reading, but some may prefer to wait for the paperback.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen’s gripping novel of romantic suspense, a man’s lust for revenge turns into an obsession with his brother’s wife.

Beautiful actress Mallory Thane endured the harsh, unforgiving glare of publicity during the trial in which she stood accused of murdering her husband. But even the acquittal that set her free couldn’t ease the heartache of her ordeal. Desperate to get back her life, her career, and her sanity, she accepts a new movie deal on an island paradise–only to realize that she has walked into a trap.

Her captor is power player Sabin Wyatt, a dark, enigmatic man who still holds Mallory responsible for his brother Ben’s death. But at the root of his scheme is his obsessive need to possess the woman who haunts his dreams, no matter what truth she’s hiding.

About the Author

Iris Johansen is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including Killer Dreams, On the Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, and No One to Trust. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

Product Description

From New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen comes a timeless tale about the immutable power of attraction, as two lovers forge a bond so undeniable that nothing can break it…

Samantha Barton survived imprisonment on the war-torn island of St. Pierre. Her family wasn’t so lucky. Now, in her new identity as the tough-as-nails revolutionary code-named Topaz, she enlists the aid of an enigmatic industrialist, Fletcher Bronson, on a risky mission to rescue some stranded refugees. Trapped behind enemy lines with a man she both fears and desires, Samantha finds herself irresistibly drawn by his promise of a new life away from the hail of gunfire. For Fletcher, Samantha is more than just an intriguing new lover. She’s an object he must possess and protect at all costs. Opening his heart to her was never part of the bargain. But when new developments from Samantha’s past life threaten to disturb his careful plans for their future, Fletcher must come to terms with the changes she’s wrought in him—and reconcile himself to the truth of the warning she once delivered: “I’m Samantha, but I’m also Topaz.”

From the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Iris Johansen, who has more than twenty-seven million copies of her books in print, has won many awards for her achievements in writing. The bestselling author of Killer Dreams, Blind Alley, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, Body of Lies, The Search, and many other novels, she lives near Atlanta, Georgia, where she is currently at work on a new novel.

Product Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen explores the darkest corners of the human heart as forensic sculptor Eve Duncan closes in on the killer who stole her daughter so many years ago. 

As a former Navy SEAL turned cop, Joe Quinn has seen the face of evil and knows just how deadly it can be. When he first met Eve Duncan, he never expected to fall in love with a woman whose life would be defined by her dual desires to bring home her missing daughter and discover the truth behind her disappearance---no matter how devastating. With the help of CIA agent Catherine Ling, they make a shocking discovery that sheds new light on young Bonnie’s abduction and puts Quinn squarely in the crosshairs of danger. Eve’s first love, John Gallo, a soldier supposedly killed in the line of duty, is very much alive---and very much a threat. 

Emotionally charged, with one shock after another, Quinn reveals the electricity of Joe and Eve’s first connection, and how they fell in love in the midst of haunting tragedy. As their search takes them deeper and deeper into a web of murder and madness, Joe and Eve must confront their most primal fears . . . and test their resolve to uncover the ultimate bone-chilling truth.

About the Author

Iris Johansen is the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Night, Blood Game, Eve, and Eight Days to Live, among others. She began writing after her children left home for college, and first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, she began writing suspense historical romance novels, and in 1996 she turned to crime fiction, with which she has had great success. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: ***The #1 *New York Times *bestselling author teams up once again with her Edgar award-winning son to bring us a new heart-pounding thriller involving the search for a mysterious Atlantean city ***While mapping the ancient underwater city of Marinth in the Atlantic Ocean, submersible designer Hannah Bryson makes a shocking discovery: she may have finally uncovered the truth about the once-glorious city’s mysterious demise. Long ago it was a thriving metropolis bursting with culture and life—Marinth’s sudden disappearance has plagued scientists for years. But now, with her unexpected new findings, Hannah realizes that the ancient city’s explosive secret could have dire consequences for the modern-day world. But Hannah isn’t the only one who realizes it. When her key artifact is hijacked en route to a research lab, she is thrust into an adventure in which she must match wits against a terrifying enemy who will kill anyone who stands in his way. And when Hannah becomes his target, she knows that her best hope for survival lies with Kirov, a mysterious and deadly man from her past. Together they will race to unravel Marinth’s last great secret in order to prevent a catastrophe of global proportions. Before the lethal game is over, however, Hannah will realize that no one is above suspicion.

Product Description

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen comes a classic tale of thrilling adventure and unbound passion, as two people embark on a journey through terror and desire….

At twenty-one, Zilah Dabala has already survived a harrowing past. Now she’s convinced she can handle anything on her own—even being held hostage by a terrorist group. But Daniel is determined to rescue her. And soon their escape ignites an intimacy neither has ever known. Once Daniel learns Zilah’s tragic secret, however, he fears she may be lost to him forever. He’s defied death many times over—but can he teach a young woman the healing power of love?

Daniel Seifert has spent his life on the edge of danger, carrying out high-risk security missions across the globe. But it’s more than adventure that compels him to tempt fate yet again—it’s a young woman in a photograph, a woman whose warm, wise-beyond-her-years smile gives Daniel the inexplicable feeling that he’s found something he’s been searching for all along.

From the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Iris Johansen is the New York Times bestselling author of Killer Dreams, On the Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, No One to Trust and more. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

Product Description

From New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen comes a tale of danger and desire, as a woman caught up in another country’s revolution finds herself falling in love with a charismatic freedom fighter.
 

Lara Clavel knows that her mission to the war-torn Caribbean island of Saint Pierre is fraught with danger. But she is determined to rescue the imprisoned rebel leader Ricardo Lázaro—if only to prevent her twin brother from rejoining his revolutionary army. What she doesn’t expect is the powerful attraction she feels for the legendary poet-warrior. And the heat is mutual. From the instant they meet inside the confines of his jail cell, Ricardo seems bound and determined to possess Lara. But is love possible with a man whose every waking moment is spent in the crosshairs of some would-be assassin’s rifle? Even after Ricardo is freed, Lara will find her feelings for him put to the ultimate test, as she fights to tame a savage rebel skilled in the arts of combat and seduction.

From the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Iris Johansen is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including Killer Dreams, On the Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, and No One to Trust. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

Product Description

A timeless novel of love and adventure set among the hot sands of an endless desert, here is the scintillating story of a fearless princess and a barbarian sheikh.

From the Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

A timeless novel of love and adventure set among the hot sands of an endless desert, here is the scintillating story of a fearless princess and a barbarian sheikh.

From Publishers Weekly

Kathryn Kentyre has been said to be the illegitimate daughter of Mary, Queen of Scots. For 16 years, Queen Elizabeth has kept her tucked away in the Midlands. With Mary's execution imminent, Elizabeth hits on a daft plan: she coerces the imprisoned pirate Robert MacDarren into marrying Kathryn and taking her to Craighdhu, his home in--of all places--Scotland. Kathryn, who has endured a wretched life in the home of a sadistic vicar, philosophically toddles off with Robert. En route to Scotland, the reluctant bridegroom establishes a "handfast" marriage, which he can dissolve after one year (thus disposing of his politically dangerous spouse) provided Kathryn does not bear a child. Robert's insistence on sleeping with Kathryn is illogical in light of the terms of the marriage and his wish to separate after a year. As Johansen's ( The Tiger Prince ) plot makes its desultory way through increasing romantic and political entanglements toward an ending that is more incredible than surprising, Kathryn establishes herself at Craighdhu, courageously defending her new home and family from one who would use her as a pawn in a plan to seize power.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

A princess and a warrior-chief are swept from the glittering courts of Elizabethan England to the storm-tossed cliffs of the Scottish Highlands, in an engrossing tale of peril and desire.

From the Paperback edition.

Product Description

In this classic novel, New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen spins a marvelous love story about a world-class figure skater, her distant, demanding mentor, and the high-stakes competition that could bring them together at last—or put all their dreams on ice.

WHITE SATIN

On the smooth, silvery surface of the ice skating rink, Dany Alexander cuts a figure of strength and fire, beauty and grace. One man alone is responsible for Dany’s success: Anthony Malik, a former skating star who has managed her career for the past sixteen years. And for all that time, deep within his fortress of money, sex, and power, Anthony has found his attraction for Dany growing more intense. Now he wants Dany—not as a prodigy, but as a lover.

Part guru, part taskmaster, and total mystery, Anthony is adept at finding out things about Dany that she’s kept hidden—even from herself. The depth of his desire for her can’t be denied. But what about Dany’s own need to get to know her mentor as the man he really is? With the Olympics just weeks away, an extraordinary contest of wills has begun. It could culminate in a crushing fall, or the greatest prize of all.

From the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Iris Johansen, who has more than twenty-seven million copies of her books in print, has won many awards for her achievements. The bestselling author of Killer Dreams, Blind Alley, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, Body of Lies, The Search, and many other novels, she lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

SUMMARY:
A hidden killer...a conspiracy of treachery...and two people caught in the most desperate game of all...In Renaissance Italy, intrigue is as intricate as carved cathedral doors, but none is so captivating as that surrounding the prized Wind Dancer, the lost treasure of a family--and of the man who will stop at nothing to reclaim it. Lionello Andreas is bound by his vow to guard the exquisite statue. But to recover what is rightfully his, he will need the help of a thief--one he can control body and soul. He finds his answer on the treacherous backstreets of Florence, in a sharp-witted young woman whose poverty leaves her no choice. But in the end, the allure of the Wind Dancer, and the ruthlessness of those who would possess her, will catapult them both into a terrifying realm where death may be the most merciful escape.