Review: On the Run by Iris Johansen (audio)

On the Run by Iris Johansen

Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyke

Random House Audio

2005

Length: 9 hours

From the back of the audio case: #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen is back with an electrifying new thriller that pits a mother and daughter against a relentless killer who takes no prisoners, accepts no surrender, and leaves his intended victims with no choice but one: to run for their lives…

Wherever you stop, he’ll be waiting…

The picture was a warning: they’d found her. For eight years Grace Archer hoped this day wouldn’t come – and knew in her heart that it would. She’d taken her daughter, Frankie, to a rural Alabama horse farm that might just as well have been at the end of the earth. But the man out to kill them would gladly follow them that far. And now, it seems, he had.

A woman with a highly classified past, Grace had never run from anything in her life. But as a mother, she’d do anything to keep eight-year-old Frankie safe. Now that safe world has been shattered, and a ferocious hunter has been unleashed. Suddenly the agency that owed Grace its gratitude and protection has abandoned her and only one ally remains: a men even more dangerous than her worst enemy.

My thoughts: While I love Iris Johansen for her Eve Duncan series, I do enjoy her other books and this one was no exception. It is a tale full of passion and suspense and even as an audio, the book moved at a quick pace.

After having lived under the CIA protection on an Alabama horse farm for years, horse trainer Grace Archer suddenly finds her cover is blown. It seems the CIA wants payback and intends to use Grace and her daughter Frankie as bait to capture evil Middle Eastern kingpin Marvot.

Grace isn’t just a horse trainer – she is able to communicate with the horses in a way that no one else can, which is why Marvot wants her. She doesn’t necessarily call herself a
horse whisperer but she is capable of teaching horses to do some pretty
marvelous things and Marvot wants Grace to
teach his Arabian stallion and mare – known as “the Pair” – to take him into the desert to find hidden
treasure. Grace has nowhere to turn except to Jake Kilmer, a former commando and Frankie’s father. But, can she trust even him?

The action in this book is non-stop right from the beginning and I loved all the tension between Jake and Grace. My only complaint is the use of the paranormal – and it doesn’t even have that big a part in it – I just don’t care for it. Luckily, it didn’t take away too much from my enjoyment of the book, although this is not the first time I’ve seen some paranormal use in Iris Johansen’s work. I hope it’s not a sign of what’s to come in all future books. A little here and there I can handle, but if it becomes the main focus of her books, I’m afraid she’ll lose a fan.

On the Run is a stand-alone book, however, I would love to read more about these characters. What happens next with Grace and Jake? What about with Frankie or even some of Jake’s men, like Donovan? Might Iris Johansen include some or all of these characters in future books? I hope so!

Audio thoughts: It’s no big secret that I love anything narrated by Jennifer Van Dyke. I’ve listened to quite a few books she’s done – all by Iris Johansen – and she just has a way of not only creating individual and unique voices for all the characters, but also adding tension to her voice when needed.  I can’t wait to see what other audio books I can get that she’s narrated!

(I got this audio book from PaperbackSwap.)

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4 Comments

  1. Ann Summerville
    August 29, 2012 / 3:29 pm

    I read a couple of her books and then drifted away from them. I need to put them back on my TBR list. Thanks for the review.
    Ann

    • Kristin
      August 29, 2012 / 4:02 pm

      I really think her Eve Duncan books are by far her best!!!

  2. Marce
    August 29, 2012 / 5:28 pm

    This sounds interesting. Glad to see what you recommend as I have her on my list to try for a challenge, looks like it will be a Eve Duncan book.

  3. Felicia the Geeky Blogger
    August 29, 2012 / 6:44 pm

    I am listening to the next one in this series right now. I am really enjoying it even though it is the first one I have read/listened too!