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Nowhere #1
Nowhere to Run
Some SecretsWhen Liv Dugan ducks out of work for lunch, it's just an ordinary day. When she returns, she stumbles onto a massacre. All her colleagues at Zuma Software have been shot. Only luck has left Liv unscathed, and that might be running out. . .Will Follow YouLiv suspects the shootings are tied to her past--and to the package she recently received from her long-dead adoptive mother. Sensing she's being followed, Liv jumps into a stranger's car and orders him to drive. Her "hostage" complies, listening carefully as her story unwinds. Skeptical at first, he ultimately begins to believe all Liv's fears are justified. . .To Your GraveTogether, Liv and her unlikely confidant try to uncover the truth about her adoptive family, her birth parents, and her troubled childhood. Because somewhere in Liv's past is a secret worth killing for, and a nightmare she can never outrun. . .
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2012
662 people are currently reading
5977 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Bush
88 books1,106 followersNancy Bush is a New York Times bestselling author of over forty novels, including the River Glen Series, Nowhere Series, and numerous stand alone novels. She also is the co-author of Last Breath, Last Girl Standing, and the Wicked Series, written with her sister and bestselling author Lisa Jackson, as well as the collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous, written with Lisa Jackson and Rosalind Noonan.
Nancy has called Oregon her home all of her life. She grew up in a small logging community and after graduating from high school, attended Oregon State University where she met her husband, Ken and graduated with a degree in nutrition. They married a few years after graduation and together they have one daughter. After working in banking and the travel business, with her daughter still in diapers, Nancy read an article in Time Magazine about young mothers who, once the last diaper was changed and the final bottle was washed, pulled out their typewriters and wrote romance novels for the then expanding market. Nancy convinced her sister, Lisa Jackson, that they should try their hand at writing.
After writing several successful romance novels such as Lady Sundown, Miracle Jones, Jesse’s Renegade and Scandal’s Darling and a stint writing for one of ABC’s top-rated daytime shows: All My Children, she turned her attention to writing thrillers for Kensington Publishing. Today, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
In her free time Nancy enjoys walking, working on jigsaw and crossword puzzles and hanging out with family and friends. When she and Ken aren’t visiting their daughter and grandchildren in Southern California, Nancy is busy working on her next book!
Visit https://www.NancyBush.net where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
Nancy has called Oregon her home all of her life. She grew up in a small logging community and after graduating from high school, attended Oregon State University where she met her husband, Ken and graduated with a degree in nutrition. They married a few years after graduation and together they have one daughter. After working in banking and the travel business, with her daughter still in diapers, Nancy read an article in Time Magazine about young mothers who, once the last diaper was changed and the final bottle was washed, pulled out their typewriters and wrote romance novels for the then expanding market. Nancy convinced her sister, Lisa Jackson, that they should try their hand at writing.
After writing several successful romance novels such as Lady Sundown, Miracle Jones, Jesse’s Renegade and Scandal’s Darling and a stint writing for one of ABC’s top-rated daytime shows: All My Children, she turned her attention to writing thrillers for Kensington Publishing. Today, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
In her free time Nancy enjoys walking, working on jigsaw and crossword puzzles and hanging out with family and friends. When she and Ken aren’t visiting their daughter and grandchildren in Southern California, Nancy is busy working on her next book!
Visit https://www.NancyBush.net where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
August 25, 2012
This book has gotten a lot of rave reviews from readers, which makes me a little reluctant to say what I thought of it. Not that it will stop me.
First, the book as romantic suspense: I didn't like it. The heroine is terribly damaged, which is fine, but she lets it make her helpless, which is not. Several times she whines at the hero, who she doesn't really trust for most of the book, about how scared she is and how she needs his help! The only thing she did to help herself was to run away, which she didn't do very well. The rest of the time she attached herself to the hip of the hero, who she didn't really trust, and flailed around in random attempts to figure the thing out. And the hero? He likes a damsel in distress. Can anyone say co-dependent? No chemistry. No relationship development. I didn't buy it.
Second, the book as suspense: Rarely have I been so bored by a thriller. I'm a reader who needs a good character, so maybe I would have been more into it if I had an iota of respect for any character, but I just couldn't bring myself to care what happened. Let me put it this way - I'm an obsessive reader. I read every day. EVERY DAY. But as I drifted to sleep a couple of nights ago, I realized that I hadn't read a single page all day. And I blame this book.
However. I'm clearly in the minority here, so feel free to take my opinion with a large grain of salt.
First, the book as romantic suspense: I didn't like it. The heroine is terribly damaged, which is fine, but she lets it make her helpless, which is not. Several times she whines at the hero, who she doesn't really trust for most of the book, about how scared she is and how she needs his help! The only thing she did to help herself was to run away, which she didn't do very well. The rest of the time she attached herself to the hip of the hero, who she didn't really trust, and flailed around in random attempts to figure the thing out. And the hero? He likes a damsel in distress. Can anyone say co-dependent? No chemistry. No relationship development. I didn't buy it.
Second, the book as suspense: Rarely have I been so bored by a thriller. I'm a reader who needs a good character, so maybe I would have been more into it if I had an iota of respect for any character, but I just couldn't bring myself to care what happened. Let me put it this way - I'm an obsessive reader. I read every day. EVERY DAY. But as I drifted to sleep a couple of nights ago, I realized that I hadn't read a single page all day. And I blame this book.
However. I'm clearly in the minority here, so feel free to take my opinion with a large grain of salt.
July 9, 2016
My first read of this author - who happens to be Lisa Jackson's sister!
I like this book, it took me a bit to get use to her writing and to wrap my head around the story. But once the story got going it was an enjoyable read - a psycho serial killer who remains elusive and unknown until almost the bitter end, and then some - it's a cliff hanger book - UGH.
A bit of romance which you could see coming. Some interesting characters, in particular - twin detectives with cool names ;)
A thumbs up and and 4 stars and a recommendation for people to take a chance on this author, she's worth it.
I like this book, it took me a bit to get use to her writing and to wrap my head around the story. But once the story got going it was an enjoyable read - a psycho serial killer who remains elusive and unknown until almost the bitter end, and then some - it's a cliff hanger book - UGH.
A bit of romance which you could see coming. Some interesting characters, in particular - twin detectives with cool names ;)
A thumbs up and and 4 stars and a recommendation for people to take a chance on this author, she's worth it.
September 8, 2013
All I could think while reading this book was that the police department was made up of people who wanted to play cop but never bothered to actually train to be one. And they were the homicide detectives.
It really reminded me of the Steve Martin movie Roxanne when he's talking to the fire department and tells them that if some sees a fire and says "what ever you do don't call the fire department" it would be bad. That's the perfect example of how I felt this police force was described. Don't call them because they'll just mess things up.
There was also no romance. This was the story of an extremely damaged woman being taken advantage of by someone who should know better. Liv acts like a child and has the mental processes of one. She doesn't think, breaks down at the drop of a hat and can't reason or really be reasoned with. She has impulse issues. She needed help not a boyfriend. Through out this book she doesn't grow or change.
It really reminded me of the Steve Martin movie Roxanne when he's talking to the fire department and tells them that if some sees a fire and says "what ever you do don't call the fire department" it would be bad. That's the perfect example of how I felt this police force was described. Don't call them because they'll just mess things up.
There was also no romance. This was the story of an extremely damaged woman being taken advantage of by someone who should know better. Liv acts like a child and has the mental processes of one. She doesn't think, breaks down at the drop of a hat and can't reason or really be reasoned with. She has impulse issues. She needed help not a boyfriend. Through out this book she doesn't grow or change.
August 2, 2012
On Olivia Dugan's sixth birthday she finds her mother hanging in their kitchen. At the same time there was a serial killer in their town. Several of the bodies were found in the field behind her house. Everyone has always told her that her mother took her own life, but now that she is older she doesn't belive it. Olivia and her younger brother went to live with her father. Her brother suffers from mental illness and Olivia herself suffers from a little paranoid. It seems that Olivia's mother left a package with a lawyer to be delivered on her twenty-fifth birthday. Not wanting anyone to know where she lives, she has it delivered to her work address. Olivia left the office to go out to lunch she comes back to find everyone dead. It seems that someone came in and shot each of the employees. Olivia belives that the shooter was after her and the package her mother sent her. Olivia takes off. Detective August "Auggie" Rafferty is ready for some time off after coming home from being undercove in another state. When his boss calls and asks him to watch for Olivia and when he finds her to bring her in so that they can question her. Auggie spots Olivia going into a coffee shop. Image his surprise when Olivia carjacks him and takes him hostage. After listening to her story and seeing the package that was sent by her mother, Auggie belives her. He talks her into letting him help her, but he never tells her that he is a cop. Olivia doesn't belive she can trust the police. Will Auggie be able to help her and keep her safe? As they find themselves drawning closer to each other, will Auggie be able to forgive for not telling her that he is a police officer?
Ms Bush brings a action-filled page turner of a book. This was a great story. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. I didn't want to put this book down until I got to the ending. I am looking forward to the next book about Auggie's sister, September. It is Nowhere to Hide, which will be out in September.
Ms Bush brings a action-filled page turner of a book. This was a great story. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. I didn't want to put this book down until I got to the ending. I am looking forward to the next book about Auggie's sister, September. It is Nowhere to Hide, which will be out in September.
September 20, 2012
This didn't do anything for me. I didn't think it was all that suspenseful and the writing style isn't my cup of tea. I could not engage with the characters and didn't much care what happened with them. Needless to say, I won't be reading the sequel to this. I almost quit reading it a few times, but I wanted to perservere - the plot had definite potential, but it didn't live up to the expectations.
Read
July 28, 2021I have to say the older I get, the less forgiving I get about characters in books.
Despite that I'm going to finish the book, the mystery is interesting enough to compel me to do so, though I may be skimming some bits.
I finished the book and all I feel is... blah. I don't even have the desire to talk about it anymore. I finished it, it's over, I'll never read it again, I won't keep the book. (I've been planning to keep most of my books to reread as we don't have a bookstore in town. I think that says a lot about my feelings on this book)
Despite that I'm going to finish the book, the mystery is interesting enough to compel me to do so, though I may be skimming some bits.
I finished the book and all I feel is... blah. I don't even have the desire to talk about it anymore. I finished it, it's over, I'll never read it again, I won't keep the book. (I've been planning to keep most of my books to reread as we don't have a bookstore in town. I think that says a lot about my feelings on this book)
July 26, 2012
In a word...thrilling. I am not going to write too much on this book since this was actually a great murder mystery and I don't want to leak ANYTHING.
It has been some time since I have actually had real hard-to-put-down thriller. Most times I will guess within the first 100 pages where the plot is going, but this one really kept me wanting to read more. There was just enough romance to sweeten the story and bond our main characters.
The worst part of this book was the fact that I zipped through the first 200 pages, but when the clock struck midnight and I still have 178 pages left, I had to give it up for the night. Like I am going to sleep with a good book running through my head. Ugh!!
If you like an engrossing murder mystery, I HIGHLY recommend picking up Nowhere to Run. I put in a request for an ARC of the 2nd book Nowhere to Hide which comes out August 31st, as soon as I finished this one. Really looking forward to it.
See more at http://ebookobsessed.com
It has been some time since I have actually had real hard-to-put-down thriller. Most times I will guess within the first 100 pages where the plot is going, but this one really kept me wanting to read more. There was just enough romance to sweeten the story and bond our main characters.
The worst part of this book was the fact that I zipped through the first 200 pages, but when the clock struck midnight and I still have 178 pages left, I had to give it up for the night. Like I am going to sleep with a good book running through my head. Ugh!!
If you like an engrossing murder mystery, I HIGHLY recommend picking up Nowhere to Run. I put in a request for an ARC of the 2nd book Nowhere to Hide which comes out August 31st, as soon as I finished this one. Really looking forward to it.
See more at http://ebookobsessed.com
August 17, 2024
**Contains one minor spoiler**
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1.5 stars
I really had to force myself through this one; it's not my cup of tea at all. I only read this book for two reasons: it was on sale, and I had read the second in the series last year and had some irritating questions about the backstory. In cases like this, I really wish I didn't have a compulsion to tidy up loose ends and finish every book I start!
The author seems to really hate her female characters. The book is full of sexist male characters who either see women as sex objects, weak, or as prey. They like them to be meek and easily tamed. The author seems to write all the female victims of violence as helpless, needy, and damaged types. This makes me uncomfortable, as it implies that these women are at fault for leaving themselves vulnerable to attack or violence, which would smack of victim-blaming, or that strong women are never the victims of violence.
And the chauvinism continues...
- Women who have the audacity to display emotional equilibrium and are good at their jobs are "bitches."
- Lines like "he doesn't let women get the upper hand on him", do the opposite of endear me to a male character, especially if he's supposed to be one of the good guys.
- After one very serious incident, one man is asked which of his (deceased) female colleagues is which and he responds by differentiating between them as 'the pretty one' and the 'one with the big breasts.' (I cannot see anyone identifying a man by saying he's the one with the big willy, so why identify women this way, when you could choose just about any other physical feature?)
- The gratuitous sexual violence was less frequent in this book than in the second, Nowhere to Hide, but it still rears its ugly head.
I also had major issues with the relationship between the two main characters, for the following reasons:
1) The more helpless, needy and compliant a woman is, the more she is considered sexy, while strong, powerful women are unattractive. This says a lot about the attitude of the male characters towards women.
2) It's not sexy to take advantage of a vulnerable woman who doesn't know your real identity because she wouldn't trust you if she did. Considering how damaged she is, that he is in a position of authority, he didn't know how she'd react AND she showed some initial alarm and resistance, I felt his behaviour was totally inappropriate. It is not sexy when men behave like cavemen.
3. It's not sexy to not use protection when sleeping with someone who you don't know well and it's unrealistic that a woman would wake up afterwards and think "it's way down the list of my worries".
I won't be having anything more to do with the series. It gets an extra half star only because, despite often straying far into the realms of cheese, purely in terms of the quality of the writing, I’m embarrassed to say I have read worse.
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1.5 stars
I really had to force myself through this one; it's not my cup of tea at all. I only read this book for two reasons: it was on sale, and I had read the second in the series last year and had some irritating questions about the backstory. In cases like this, I really wish I didn't have a compulsion to tidy up loose ends and finish every book I start!
The author seems to really hate her female characters. The book is full of sexist male characters who either see women as sex objects, weak, or as prey. They like them to be meek and easily tamed. The author seems to write all the female victims of violence as helpless, needy, and damaged types. This makes me uncomfortable, as it implies that these women are at fault for leaving themselves vulnerable to attack or violence, which would smack of victim-blaming, or that strong women are never the victims of violence.
And the chauvinism continues...
- Women who have the audacity to display emotional equilibrium and are good at their jobs are "bitches."
- Lines like "he doesn't let women get the upper hand on him", do the opposite of endear me to a male character, especially if he's supposed to be one of the good guys.
- After one very serious incident, one man is asked which of his (deceased) female colleagues is which and he responds by differentiating between them as 'the pretty one' and the 'one with the big breasts.' (I cannot see anyone identifying a man by saying he's the one with the big willy, so why identify women this way, when you could choose just about any other physical feature?)
- The gratuitous sexual violence was less frequent in this book than in the second, Nowhere to Hide, but it still rears its ugly head.
I also had major issues with the relationship between the two main characters, for the following reasons:
1) The more helpless, needy and compliant a woman is, the more she is considered sexy, while strong, powerful women are unattractive. This says a lot about the attitude of the male characters towards women.
2) It's not sexy to take advantage of a vulnerable woman who doesn't know your real identity because she wouldn't trust you if she did. Considering how damaged she is, that he is in a position of authority, he didn't know how she'd react AND she showed some initial alarm and resistance, I felt his behaviour was totally inappropriate. It is not sexy when men behave like cavemen.
3. It's not sexy to not use protection when sleeping with someone who you don't know well and it's unrealistic that a woman would wake up afterwards and think "it's way down the list of my worries".
I won't be having anything more to do with the series. It gets an extra half star only because, despite often straying far into the realms of cheese, purely in terms of the quality of the writing, I’m embarrassed to say I have read worse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2015
This is my first Nancy Bush mystery though I have read books by her sister Lisa Jackson. Liv Dugan's adoptive mom was thought to have committed suicide on Liv's 6th birthday but was it murder? Liv found her, saw someone though the open door, and promptly embedded it deeply in her mind so deep, she can't retrieve it. Her 2 1/2 year old brother Hague saw it too and was made crazy by it, so crazy he needs a caretaker as an adult, never leaves his premises, and goes into fugue states. Their father remarried swiftly, a woman who didn't like either kid and had them sent off as teens to mental hospitals.
Now, 19 years later, Liv has turned 25 and Hague is 21 1/2. A law firm shocks Liv by saying her dead mother Deborah had entrusted an important package to them to be delivered when she is 25. She has them deliver it to the office and its contents are so shocking, she takes them to show Hague who becomes so disturbed he goes into a fugue state. All in all, Hague, his caretaker, their dad and stepmother, and Liv's next door neighbor see the contents.
What happens the next day is a copycat of the 1975 movie Three Days of the Condor and the book it is based on from 1974. Liv leaves work for a late lunch and goes out the side door unseen. She carries the package with her and studies the contents. When she returns to work, she finds all of her co-workers on the first floor shot up- some dead, others dying. She calls 911 and reports it then flees. She goes home, packs some clothes and supplies- and a gun- and flees on foot. At a coffee shop, she abducts a cop (no she doesn't know he was watching her or that he is a cop) to help her get away just like Robert Redford did Faye Dunaway in Three Days of the Condor and has him take her to his place (really a police safe house) and ties him up.
Then the fast paced action goes on. The officer August has a sister on the force named September (in a cutesy manner, they are twins with him born at 11:57 pm on August 31 and her born at 12:06 am on September 1 thus being twins born minutes apart but on different days in different months) and seduces a very emotionally distraught Liv which I equate to raping someone mentally ill or passed out drunk. The neighbor who saw the package is murdered as is Liv's stepmother and others associated and some new murders happen to re-open the death of Liv's mom and the women killed and buried in a field behind their house. August and Liv rush to solve who is after her and killing people while hiding her from police and the unknown killer. The answer to the puzzle is in Hague's head but he is so far out of it, he can't say it. In the end, the killer is a shock but so is the fact that September gets a shocking package herself which will lead us into another book!
Now, 19 years later, Liv has turned 25 and Hague is 21 1/2. A law firm shocks Liv by saying her dead mother Deborah had entrusted an important package to them to be delivered when she is 25. She has them deliver it to the office and its contents are so shocking, she takes them to show Hague who becomes so disturbed he goes into a fugue state. All in all, Hague, his caretaker, their dad and stepmother, and Liv's next door neighbor see the contents.
What happens the next day is a copycat of the 1975 movie Three Days of the Condor and the book it is based on from 1974. Liv leaves work for a late lunch and goes out the side door unseen. She carries the package with her and studies the contents. When she returns to work, she finds all of her co-workers on the first floor shot up- some dead, others dying. She calls 911 and reports it then flees. She goes home, packs some clothes and supplies- and a gun- and flees on foot. At a coffee shop, she abducts a cop (no she doesn't know he was watching her or that he is a cop) to help her get away just like Robert Redford did Faye Dunaway in Three Days of the Condor and has him take her to his place (really a police safe house) and ties him up.
Then the fast paced action goes on. The officer August has a sister on the force named September (in a cutesy manner, they are twins with him born at 11:57 pm on August 31 and her born at 12:06 am on September 1 thus being twins born minutes apart but on different days in different months) and seduces a very emotionally distraught Liv which I equate to raping someone mentally ill or passed out drunk. The neighbor who saw the package is murdered as is Liv's stepmother and others associated and some new murders happen to re-open the death of Liv's mom and the women killed and buried in a field behind their house. August and Liv rush to solve who is after her and killing people while hiding her from police and the unknown killer. The answer to the puzzle is in Hague's head but he is so far out of it, he can't say it. In the end, the killer is a shock but so is the fact that September gets a shocking package herself which will lead us into another book!
June 3, 2012
I received this novel as an ARC from Kensington Books through The Romance Man’s Blog.
To be honest, I had a difficult time first getting into this story. The first few chapters explain her childhood, which was terrible, and introduces us to multiple characters, with whom I had a hard time keeping up with. Saying that, once the action started, I really could not put it down!
The hero and heroine of this novel is a most unlikely couple! August Rafferty, known as Auggie, is an undercover cop, just coming off a long dangerous assignment. Olivia Dugan, is a young woman, in her own opinion “damaged” from a childhood spent in a mental hospital. She had, on her fifth birthday walked into the family kitchen and found her Mother dead, apparently having hanged herself. Apparently, because Olivia refuses to believe her Mother would kill herself. She is now an adult, working an unexciting job in a software company, as a low level bookkeeper. On this particular day, she has received a package from her mother’s attorneys that was to be delivered on her twenty-fifth birthday. It is a quite mysterious package. She heads out to a late lunch to ponder the contents. When she returns, she opens the door to a blood bath.
She panics and starts running. She ends up in a coffee house to sit and gather her wits. While standing in line, she hears people discussing “the massacre” that had occurred at a nearby office. She immediately rushes out of the shop, and sees a man getting into his car right in front of the shop. She jumps in his car, pulls a gun she was concealing in her backpack (unloaded), and orders him to drive. Now, our hero and heroine have met!
There are twists and turns on every page. Olivia has a brother, who is brain damaged, and somehow, seems to be involved. Auggie has a twin sister, September who is a homicide detective assigned to the case. Her nickname is Nine, just another quirk in this wild ride of a story. While being held hostage Auggie starts to believe Olivia’s reasoning. He tries desperately to keep her from knowing he is also a detective assigned to keep an eye on her. The excitement, and danger continues till the last page. Thank goodness there is an epilogue.
I enjoyed this book, but felt there were unnecessary characters. It would not keep me from trying another Nancy Bush novel. I would recommend this novel to people who love romantic suspense, with a little quirkiness on the side.
June 13, 2012
Quick, interesting read. The romance part made this more of a four star book for me.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur magazine in the August issue: http://affairedecoeur.com
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur magazine in the August issue: http://affairedecoeur.com
July 17, 2020
Liv entgeht nur knapp einen Massaker an ihren Arbeitsplatz. Sie befürchtet, das sie das Ziel war. Allein der Undercover-Detectiv Rafferty glaubt ihr. Zusammen begeben sie sich auf die Jagd nach dem Killer ...
An sich war es eine sehr gute Idee, doch leichter zog sich der Anfang bis zum Massaker, sodass ich schon über einen Abbruch nachgedacht hatte. An die Figuren kam ich nicht wirklich ran.
Der Schreibstil an sich war recht spannend, wenn man erst mal in der Geschichte drin ist.
Die Liebesgeschichte entwickelte sich für mich dann viel zu schnell. Die Auflösung war schließlich zu vorhersehbar und das Ende für einen Thriller zu seicht.
3,5 Sterne kann ich aber für einen netten Thriller für nebenbei vergeben. Ich könnte mir vorstellen, das der nächste Band interessanter ist, da in diesem eine Nebenfigur zur Protagonistin wird, die viel interessanter war als die beiden Hauptfiguren in diesem Band.
An sich war es eine sehr gute Idee, doch leichter zog sich der Anfang bis zum Massaker, sodass ich schon über einen Abbruch nachgedacht hatte. An die Figuren kam ich nicht wirklich ran.
Der Schreibstil an sich war recht spannend, wenn man erst mal in der Geschichte drin ist.
Die Liebesgeschichte entwickelte sich für mich dann viel zu schnell. Die Auflösung war schließlich zu vorhersehbar und das Ende für einen Thriller zu seicht.
3,5 Sterne kann ich aber für einen netten Thriller für nebenbei vergeben. Ich könnte mir vorstellen, das der nächste Band interessanter ist, da in diesem eine Nebenfigur zur Protagonistin wird, die viel interessanter war als die beiden Hauptfiguren in diesem Band.
August 16, 2012
Nowhere to Run is the first book I've read by Nancy Bush. I wavered between 3 & 4 stars, but ultimately downgraded to 3. That's not to say I disliked the book, or would avoid her books in the future- on the contrary, I liked it well enough to add her to my list of authors to follow. There were just too many issues with the story that I couldn't see myself going above 3 stars (though, if we had 10 stars, this would have gotten 7).
The first third of the story moves quickly, at a pace that feels comfortable. The writing is tight and not dumbed down like many mass market novels and the characters, even the minor ones, are quickly established and developed. By the time the action begins, I already care what happens to Liv and her coworkers (most of them).
Moving quickly, Bush takes us through Liv's flight from the massacre at her work and begins to build the fear and paranoia that follows Liv through the rest of the novel. Her fear of the police who come looking for her, leads her to hijack an innocent bystander and force him to drive her to his house.
The pacing of the middle of the book varies. Bush throws a few surprises into the mix, the main one being the identity of Liv's hostage, Auggie. While it took me by surprise (and really shouldn't have), it also took the excitement down a notch. It didn't make me stop reading, but the uneven pacing and a few contrived plot points slowed me down a little.
The final third of the book felt rushed and contrived. There's a "chase" scene that happened so quickly, I had to read it twice because I thought I missed something. I hadn't. It really went that quickly. I would have liked to have seen way more tension and edge-of-my-seat action than I got, and that alone drove my enjoyment of the book down a full star. And while I am not going to add any spoilers to the ending, I have to say, the conclusion was utterly predictable and disappointing. One of the parts that made me groan happened the moment Liv's brother told Auggie who the killer was; I couldn't help but to wonder why it took him so long to say who it was, and what even sparked his confession in the first place. It made little sense to me.
There were a few other minor points that irritated me about this story. First is the repeated explanation of September's nickname, "Nine". Seriously, I got it. I got it before it was explained. I got it after it was explained. I've lost count of how many times her nickname was explained to someone and still have no idea why her name is so important that it had to be explained even once.
Second, it really annoys me when authors give their characters such weird names. I understand that authors want their little people to stand out, but some of the more outlandish and hokey names do little more than pull me out of the story. A minor issue, yes, and I know it's not going to change anyone's mind, but a goofy name has made me put down at least one book before.
Third, Liv passes out an awful lot. I worry about her mental and physical health what with all the head injuries she receives. Passing out for more than a few minutes (and more than once) is a sign that something is seriously wrong.
Last point is the relationship between Auggie and Liv. Their love story follows the same arc as so many other mass market novels - starts off with a bang, heats up to epic proportions, ends with the hint of a happily ever after. Except, in their case, there doesn't seem to be anything keeping them together in the ever after. Auggie admittedly goes for the "damsel in distress" and Liv is so damaged that it's hard to believe that she would stay with someone like Auggie. Once she recovers from this book, there really isn't anything keeping them together. I suppose us readers might find out what happens in the next book, but I kind of doubt it. I guess it really doesn't matter, though, which is another thing that bugs me.
All of that is not to say this is a terrible book. It's not. For one thing, Livvie is a deeply flawed character, which is refreshing. All too often, authors want to make their heroines SUPER SPESHUL; tough, but soft-hearted; brave, but falls apart whenever there's a shoulder to cry on; stunningly beautiful, but oh so modest about it. Liv is terrified, hardly brave, stubborn, and I don't recall her description. She's one of us; damaged and average. Nothing superhero about her.
The writing, too, is above average. Bush wields language like a well-honed sword, never pretentious or mocking. She's intelligent, and it shows throughout the story. While her pacing needs work, her prose does not.
So, at the end of my journey with Livvie, August, September, and the rest of the characters, I didn't feel like I'd wasted my time. While not completely satisfied, Nowhere to Run kept me entertained for several nights and not once did I feel bored or wanting to skip to the end. I enjoyed the story, enjoyed the characters (and felt sad when one of them died), and though I, personally, did not feel like the ending fit the book, I would recommend this novel to anyone who is into this genre.
The first third of the story moves quickly, at a pace that feels comfortable. The writing is tight and not dumbed down like many mass market novels and the characters, even the minor ones, are quickly established and developed. By the time the action begins, I already care what happens to Liv and her coworkers (most of them).
Moving quickly, Bush takes us through Liv's flight from the massacre at her work and begins to build the fear and paranoia that follows Liv through the rest of the novel. Her fear of the police who come looking for her, leads her to hijack an innocent bystander and force him to drive her to his house.
The pacing of the middle of the book varies. Bush throws a few surprises into the mix, the main one being the identity of Liv's hostage, Auggie. While it took me by surprise (and really shouldn't have), it also took the excitement down a notch. It didn't make me stop reading, but the uneven pacing and a few contrived plot points slowed me down a little.
The final third of the book felt rushed and contrived. There's a "chase" scene that happened so quickly, I had to read it twice because I thought I missed something. I hadn't. It really went that quickly. I would have liked to have seen way more tension and edge-of-my-seat action than I got, and that alone drove my enjoyment of the book down a full star. And while I am not going to add any spoilers to the ending, I have to say, the conclusion was utterly predictable and disappointing. One of the parts that made me groan happened the moment Liv's brother told Auggie who the killer was; I couldn't help but to wonder why it took him so long to say who it was, and what even sparked his confession in the first place. It made little sense to me.
There were a few other minor points that irritated me about this story. First is the repeated explanation of September's nickname, "Nine". Seriously, I got it. I got it before it was explained. I got it after it was explained. I've lost count of how many times her nickname was explained to someone and still have no idea why her name is so important that it had to be explained even once.
Second, it really annoys me when authors give their characters such weird names. I understand that authors want their little people to stand out, but some of the more outlandish and hokey names do little more than pull me out of the story. A minor issue, yes, and I know it's not going to change anyone's mind, but a goofy name has made me put down at least one book before.
Third, Liv passes out an awful lot. I worry about her mental and physical health what with all the head injuries she receives. Passing out for more than a few minutes (and more than once) is a sign that something is seriously wrong.
Last point is the relationship between Auggie and Liv. Their love story follows the same arc as so many other mass market novels - starts off with a bang, heats up to epic proportions, ends with the hint of a happily ever after. Except, in their case, there doesn't seem to be anything keeping them together in the ever after. Auggie admittedly goes for the "damsel in distress" and Liv is so damaged that it's hard to believe that she would stay with someone like Auggie. Once she recovers from this book, there really isn't anything keeping them together. I suppose us readers might find out what happens in the next book, but I kind of doubt it. I guess it really doesn't matter, though, which is another thing that bugs me.
All of that is not to say this is a terrible book. It's not. For one thing, Livvie is a deeply flawed character, which is refreshing. All too often, authors want to make their heroines SUPER SPESHUL; tough, but soft-hearted; brave, but falls apart whenever there's a shoulder to cry on; stunningly beautiful, but oh so modest about it. Liv is terrified, hardly brave, stubborn, and I don't recall her description. She's one of us; damaged and average. Nothing superhero about her.
The writing, too, is above average. Bush wields language like a well-honed sword, never pretentious or mocking. She's intelligent, and it shows throughout the story. While her pacing needs work, her prose does not.
So, at the end of my journey with Livvie, August, September, and the rest of the characters, I didn't feel like I'd wasted my time. While not completely satisfied, Nowhere to Run kept me entertained for several nights and not once did I feel bored or wanting to skip to the end. I enjoyed the story, enjoyed the characters (and felt sad when one of them died), and though I, personally, did not feel like the ending fit the book, I would recommend this novel to anyone who is into this genre.
August 7, 2018
Le mystère était intéressant!
L'histoire d'amour très simple.
Bouquin sympa!!
L'histoire d'amour très simple.
Bouquin sympa!!
May 8, 2019
Fast paced suspense.
September 27, 2025
Not bad. Good mystery twist.
December 5, 2012
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.
Bush brilliantly hooks the reader right at the beginning of the book with a suicide...or is it? The story then follows the daughter of the suicide victim, who was just a young child at the time of her mother’s death. The event traumatized Liv, then six years old, and her younger brother, Hague, who was only a year old at the time. Both children require psychiatric counselling, and Liv is shipped off to live at a group home when she is in her teens. Her brother is institutionalized in a state facility.
On her 25th birthday, Liv receives a mysterious package that contains some photos, a personal letter from her mother, and her original birth certificate. Liv was aware that she was adopted, but she does not understand the importance of the photos and who the people are in them. While Liv has stepped out for lunch, an armed gunman walks into her place of employment and massacres her co-workers and boss. Liv returns from lunch to the bloody scene and calls 911 for help, but she leaves before they arrive because she is afraid that the madman is after her. She leaves her office and returns to her apartment to retrieve her gun. She decides to leave on foot to make it more difficult for her to be followed and make it easier to lose herself in the crowd. She goes to a café but then gets scared off by the customers talking about the breaking news of the massacre. As she exits the café, she impulsively lets herself into a vehicle that is standing at the curb and demands at gun-point that the owner drive her away. Liv’s instincts are right, and she has to stay one step ahead of the person who is after her or she will be his next victim!
I really enjoyed Nowhere to Run! The story moved along at a good pace, and the ending was a shocker that I didn’t see coming. I felt very sympathetic to Liv’s plight, as did the man who she kidnapped! The romance that developed between the two was quick and fiery, but a little too predictable. My only complaint with Liv is that I didn’t like her dependency on Auggie. I would have rather seen her as a stronger protagonist than a damsel in distress.
Bush is a new-to-me author, and she did hold my interest right until the end of the book. I am looking forward to reading the companion novel, Nowhere to Hide.
This review was originally posted on my blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2...
Bush brilliantly hooks the reader right at the beginning of the book with a suicide...or is it? The story then follows the daughter of the suicide victim, who was just a young child at the time of her mother’s death. The event traumatized Liv, then six years old, and her younger brother, Hague, who was only a year old at the time. Both children require psychiatric counselling, and Liv is shipped off to live at a group home when she is in her teens. Her brother is institutionalized in a state facility.
On her 25th birthday, Liv receives a mysterious package that contains some photos, a personal letter from her mother, and her original birth certificate. Liv was aware that she was adopted, but she does not understand the importance of the photos and who the people are in them. While Liv has stepped out for lunch, an armed gunman walks into her place of employment and massacres her co-workers and boss. Liv returns from lunch to the bloody scene and calls 911 for help, but she leaves before they arrive because she is afraid that the madman is after her. She leaves her office and returns to her apartment to retrieve her gun. She decides to leave on foot to make it more difficult for her to be followed and make it easier to lose herself in the crowd. She goes to a café but then gets scared off by the customers talking about the breaking news of the massacre. As she exits the café, she impulsively lets herself into a vehicle that is standing at the curb and demands at gun-point that the owner drive her away. Liv’s instincts are right, and she has to stay one step ahead of the person who is after her or she will be his next victim!
I really enjoyed Nowhere to Run! The story moved along at a good pace, and the ending was a shocker that I didn’t see coming. I felt very sympathetic to Liv’s plight, as did the man who she kidnapped! The romance that developed between the two was quick and fiery, but a little too predictable. My only complaint with Liv is that I didn’t like her dependency on Auggie. I would have rather seen her as a stronger protagonist than a damsel in distress.
Bush is a new-to-me author, and she did hold my interest right until the end of the book. I am looking forward to reading the companion novel, Nowhere to Hide.
This review was originally posted on my blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2...
June 26, 2016
Two stars, yet I'd be interested in reading the next in the Nowhere series. I downgraded this for three reasons. One, this was a download onto my phone rather than my NOOK which made it more unfamiliar and more awkward to flip back pages when looking for something that I wasn't really sure where to find it (plot points). Times like this make me miss a paper book. Why was this a problem? Because it was either sloppy editing or I have become a lazy reader; I kept thinking that certain things were inconsistent. Still have that feeling even after finishing the book and going back to re-read a part at the beginning that had been bugging me. And that was just one plotline. Two, I did figure out Who Done It though not too long before the reveal. It was pretty obvious, contrived almost, so disappointing in some respects. However, when I went back to re-read that first part, I realized that the clues had been there pretty much from the beginning so perhaps I judged the author more harshly on this point than I should have. Three, this book ends with a maddening cliffhanger. There is the typical free sample chapter of her next book (which I always hate to read if I don't have instant access to said new book) but it wasn't immediately obvious that it was the follow-up to Nowhere to Run. It did convince me that I would read more Nancy Bush books in this series. I liked the cast of characters, primarily the police department personnel. A nice mix of personalities and expertise. And the fact that two of the detectives are twins (male, female) adds a little quirkiness. Her characters are her strong point, I feel; her plotting, her weakness. I too often felt like there was an implied remark from the author: "OK, I'm going to drop this little fact in here now. You might remember I mentioned it one other time, 20 chapters ago." If you like this genre, you'd probably be satisfied with this read.
January 12, 2015
Picked this up because it seemed like a bit of a light read. I did get all the way through the book, but I'm unsure why. When the killing spree at her job happened, Liv immediately assumed (rightly) that it was about the pictures she received, but there really wasn't much of a connection with them in the end. (Other than the killer thought her digging into her past would spark her memory.) Given how much her adoption was mentioned, I kept thinking it would have something to do with the mystery, but there seemed to be little relevance to it.
The cops seemed to interview people without gaining any insight. I also kept thinking of how horrible Gretchen was as a cop when she alienated so many of the people whose trust she was supposed to be gaining. And there was very little that actually pointed to the real killer.
As for the romance, it was hard for me to take them seriously when everyone kept saying that Auggie had a thing for damsels in distress. Kept thinking this wasn't a great foundation for a relationship.
A preview of the next book was provided and that's when I realized that I had seen book #2 years ago and had passed on it. But if you are interested in August and September, the next book seems to delve into their family.
The cops seemed to interview people without gaining any insight. I also kept thinking of how horrible Gretchen was as a cop when she alienated so many of the people whose trust she was supposed to be gaining. And there was very little that actually pointed to the real killer.
As for the romance, it was hard for me to take them seriously when everyone kept saying that Auggie had a thing for damsels in distress. Kept thinking this wasn't a great foundation for a relationship.
A preview of the next book was provided and that's when I realized that I had seen book #2 years ago and had passed on it. But if you are interested in August and September, the next book seems to delve into their family.
August 4, 2012
Nowhere to Run was a very intense book. The mystery surrounds the supposed suicide of Liv's mom when she was six and her brother 2 1/2. Liv never believe that it was suicide and suffered the emotional trauma that one would expect with such a tragedy. The mystery evolves when at 25 she receives an envelope from her long dead mother. Killings being and Liv believes it is due to to content of the envelope and memories doctor's have told her she had buried from the night of her mom died. Adventures begin when she kidnaps a cop and they begin to investigate.
October 18, 2012
2.5/5 Stars
Although this book had its' moments, I thought it came off as very "commercial" or in other words, a dime a dozen book...kind of formulaic, knew the outcome and found the relationship predictable. Not a series nor an author that I would continue on with. The only saving grace to this novel which saved it from one star was that there was a nice twist towards the end that I didn't see coming.
Although this book had its' moments, I thought it came off as very "commercial" or in other words, a dime a dozen book...kind of formulaic, knew the outcome and found the relationship predictable. Not a series nor an author that I would continue on with. The only saving grace to this novel which saved it from one star was that there was a nice twist towards the end that I didn't see coming.
May 24, 2016
I had some issues with Liz's TSTL behavior, which bumps this down from 5 to 4 stars.
But I really enjoyed everything else. The mystery was great, I was guessing until the very end. And having two female detectives was nice - it's usually two men, so I liked the switch up.
Not sure I'll be reading the next book in which a plot line starting in this book will continue, but I'd recommend this one for sure.
But I really enjoyed everything else. The mystery was great, I was guessing until the very end. And having two female detectives was nice - it's usually two men, so I liked the switch up.
Not sure I'll be reading the next book in which a plot line starting in this book will continue, but I'd recommend this one for sure.
Read
October 26, 2016J'ai beaucoup aimé l'idée de privilégier le thriller par rapport à la romance, la première partie est très bien fichue, mais j'ai trouvé la façon de mener l'enquête des policiers d'une nullité incroyable. En fait, tout est survolé.
Quant au style littéraire, il est plutôt médiocre, accessible mais sans intérêt. Le rythme mou enlise un peu l'intrigue.
Il s'agit d'une série, et si le premier tome n'est pas désagréable, il ne m'a pas convaincue.
Quant au style littéraire, il est plutôt médiocre, accessible mais sans intérêt. Le rythme mou enlise un peu l'intrigue.
Il s'agit d'une série, et si le premier tome n'est pas désagréable, il ne m'a pas convaincue.
July 2, 2012
An awesome new series by Nancy Bush!!! :) The other half of the "sisters of suspense"....fans this one will be out soon! I read an advanced reader copy...and book 2 will follow VERY soon behind this one..Great characters!!! kj :)
March 21, 2013
It would have been nice to realize this was the prequel to Nowhere to Hide ....which I already read. However, each was a good story in itself even though this one leads up to the next one. These are a worthy read ...I just recommend reading them in order! Who knew!?
July 10, 2013
This was my first book by this author and I was really pleased. It was a fast moving mystery. Nancy Bush is Lisa Jackson's sister and I am a big Jackson fan so the talent must run in the family. I will definitely continue this series.
January 12, 2015
Just ok
This book lacked enough suspense to be a mystery, action to be a thriller, sizzle to a romance. Interesting start to the novel which fizzled due to repetitive dialogue and some unbelievable plot twists.
This book lacked enough suspense to be a mystery, action to be a thriller, sizzle to a romance. Interesting start to the novel which fizzled due to repetitive dialogue and some unbelievable plot twists.
August 15, 2012
Sexy and suspenseful. I look forward to reading the next installment, Nowhere to Hide.
January 8, 2015
Très bon thriller, jusqu'aux toutes dernières pages on ne se doute pas de la fin!!
Very good thriller, a suspense up to the last pages !!
Very good thriller, a suspense up to the last pages !!
March 24, 2015
I couldn't put this book down at all. Excited to start the second one today.
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