North of Nowhere: A Thriller

Allison Brennan

Aug 2023 · Sold by Minotaur Books

About this ebook

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. . .

Ratings and reviews

Allison Brennan has written a book full of white-knuckle moments where this reader was unsure if any of the characters were going to be left alive at the end of the book! North of Nowhere is nonstop action and suspense, and I loved it right up to the last chapter. Chronologically, North of Nowhere covers 2 days, 2 very intense days in the lives of its characters. I admired Kristen, a 16 year old living her worst nightmare. Suddenly she is forced to make life and death decisions for her and her younger brother. With Mother Nature and the baddies playing for keeps, how can Kristan and Ryan survive a blizzard and stay ahead of those who wish them dead? Allison Brennan had me riveted to North of Nowhere, up until the end. While the loose ends were tied up, the ending felt rushed. The book just ... ended. I had so many questions about the future of these characters that were left unanswered. This book really needs an epilogue. 4 stars

The plot includes a somewhat complicated backstory but author Allison Brennan does a masterful job of explaining the background of the two children and their caretaker Tony Reed. The characters are all dynamic although they are not all lovable, nor are they meant to be. The plot was so fast paced that it was like a roller coaster ride all down hill. There were some surprises along the way and lots of mystery involved, too. All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s a good thing I am retired because that way I can sit and read a book and never stop until I want to or until the book ends, which was the case in this story. I could not put this book down. This is a new to me author, and I will definitely be looking for more of her works. The story was fast paced, and had twists and turns and mystery and suspense. I would recommend this to anyone who has those interest too. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary

About the author

ALLISON BRENNAN is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels. Recently, she was nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by the International Thriller Writers and is a two-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award by Kiss of Death. Married for more than a quarter of a century, Allison and her husband, Dan, raised five children, and currently live in Arizona where they enjoy baseball’s spring training and exploring the Grand Canyon.