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Hannah Bryson #2
Shadow Zone
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.
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.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 2010
132 people are currently reading
1873 people want to read
About the author
Iris Johansen
226 books7,327 followersIris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.
She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.
IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.
http://www.irisjohansen.com
She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.
IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.
http://www.irisjohansen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
May 3, 2023
A global archeological treasure hunt with a deadly prize waiting for the second place finishers!
Submersible designer extraordinaire, Hannah Bryson, and her scientific colleague are mapping the ancient underwater city of Marinth, said to be the “real world” basis for the legend of a sunken Atlantis. In the course of their scientific endeavours they discover the deadly truth of the city’s virtually instantaneous demise - a toxic algae bloom triggered by something almost breathtakingly mundane. The discovery triggers a three-way race between Hannah; the ever so typical suspense thriller megalomaniac who would use the algae for his own power and wealth accumulation; and the US government who would preserve the algae and its trigger as a deadly biological weapon in an undeclared cold war against the rest of the world.
Nominally, SHADOW ZONE is a sequel to the opening novel in a Hannah Bryson series(?), SILENT THUNDER but the fact is that the only real continuity rests with the characters – Hannah Bryson herself; her friend and scientific colleague in things marine, Melis Nemid; her blossoming but well-hidden love interest, former Russian submarine commander, Nicholas Kirov; and her nephew, Ronnie, mature beyond his age of twelve and determined to step into the role of protector of his mother and his aunt Hannah after his father’s murder in SILENT THUNDER.
Although it’s a well-written suspense thriller that I enjoyed and finished reasonably quickly, I often found myself rolling my eyes as pieces of the story line pushed my credibility meter well into the red zone. Let’s say I’d only give it a lukewarm recommendation as a stand-alone thriller but a somewhat warmer recommendation if you take the time to read SILENT THUNDER first so that the character development becomes more meaningful. And speaking of character development, it’s clear that there are a couple or three obvious loose threads at the end of the novel that allow the authors plenty of room to write a third installment in the Hannah Bryson and Nicholas Kirov story.
Paul Weiss
Submersible designer extraordinaire, Hannah Bryson, and her scientific colleague are mapping the ancient underwater city of Marinth, said to be the “real world” basis for the legend of a sunken Atlantis. In the course of their scientific endeavours they discover the deadly truth of the city’s virtually instantaneous demise - a toxic algae bloom triggered by something almost breathtakingly mundane. The discovery triggers a three-way race between Hannah; the ever so typical suspense thriller megalomaniac who would use the algae for his own power and wealth accumulation; and the US government who would preserve the algae and its trigger as a deadly biological weapon in an undeclared cold war against the rest of the world.
Nominally, SHADOW ZONE is a sequel to the opening novel in a Hannah Bryson series(?), SILENT THUNDER but the fact is that the only real continuity rests with the characters – Hannah Bryson herself; her friend and scientific colleague in things marine, Melis Nemid; her blossoming but well-hidden love interest, former Russian submarine commander, Nicholas Kirov; and her nephew, Ronnie, mature beyond his age of twelve and determined to step into the role of protector of his mother and his aunt Hannah after his father’s murder in SILENT THUNDER.
Although it’s a well-written suspense thriller that I enjoyed and finished reasonably quickly, I often found myself rolling my eyes as pieces of the story line pushed my credibility meter well into the red zone. Let’s say I’d only give it a lukewarm recommendation as a stand-alone thriller but a somewhat warmer recommendation if you take the time to read SILENT THUNDER first so that the character development becomes more meaningful. And speaking of character development, it’s clear that there are a couple or three obvious loose threads at the end of the novel that allow the authors plenty of room to write a third installment in the Hannah Bryson and Nicholas Kirov story.
Paul Weiss
April 25, 2016
This book holds the dubious distinction of being the last - I swear to the heavens above - Iris/Roy Johansen book I ever buy. It got buried in a TBR stack after a move, so I'm just reading it. I went from giddy anticipation to horrified disbelief as each page went by. Hannah - she with the strong shoulders (strong shoulders??? Excuse me???) - has so many TSTL moments that I started rooting for The Bad Guys fairly early on. Melis is married to husband, Jed. We know this because that's how he's referred to. Each time. Husband, Jed. Maybe that's his name: Husband, Jed. Annoying, majorly.
This would have been yet another disappointing collaboration novel except for one thing - the 12-year-old nephew. I was mortally offended by the sexist attitude that birthed this monster. The kid appeared on page 8 and stayed through page 340. The character believes that it is his responsibility to protect the female adults in his life - his mother, his aunt, his aunt's female friend. He walks away from grade school, hops on an international flight to Greece, walks into murder and mayhem, and announces he is there to protect the women. AND THEY LET HIM BELIEVE IT. Sorry. I'm hyperventilating again. The alleged adults encourage this bizarre, inappropriate behavior so that the rot spreads throughout the entire book. The idea that a 12-year-old is better prepared to protect an adult merely because he is male and the adult is female is so far beyond offensive that I am speechless.
Kinda. I have one speech left: to authors who perpetrate this warped belief in the basic worthlessness of the entire female population, I gift the absence of my patronage and my wallet.
This would have been yet another disappointing collaboration novel except for one thing - the 12-year-old nephew. I was mortally offended by the sexist attitude that birthed this monster. The kid appeared on page 8 and stayed through page 340. The character believes that it is his responsibility to protect the female adults in his life - his mother, his aunt, his aunt's female friend. He walks away from grade school, hops on an international flight to Greece, walks into murder and mayhem, and announces he is there to protect the women. AND THEY LET HIM BELIEVE IT. Sorry. I'm hyperventilating again. The alleged adults encourage this bizarre, inappropriate behavior so that the rot spreads throughout the entire book. The idea that a 12-year-old is better prepared to protect an adult merely because he is male and the adult is female is so far beyond offensive that I am speechless.
Kinda. I have one speech left: to authors who perpetrate this warped belief in the basic worthlessness of the entire female population, I gift the absence of my patronage and my wallet.
August 7, 2011
I've never actually read an Iris Johansen book, but I've seen them on the bestseller lists, and this one sounded interesting, so I decided to give her a try.
***Bad mistake***. I don't know if this was a bad example of her writing, but if this had come to a publisher from a first-time writer, it never would have been published. It violates every rule of good writing out there.
The heroine is testing her new mini-sub design, combining it with helping a longtime friend with exploring the lost city of Marinth, which has been the subject of studies and hollywood movies, and yet still has lots of unexpected finds left. One of those finds is a stained-glass wall, still intact, that explains how to take the algae that is only found in this location, but when combined with something else can wipe out all sea-life in an area. An arms dealer who somehow knows that the algae could be used as a weapon (how does he know this? They never say), steals the artifact as it's brought up. This starts a hunt to stop him, complete with the complication of a 12 year-old boy being able to get halfway around the world on his own without raising so much as an eyebrow, all because he wants to protect his aunt.
Characters change moods and ideas so fast you get whiplash, people do stupid things just to advance the plot. We get lots of "Well, Melis, you already know this, but let me tell you about it again" exposition, and "Gee Hannah, my husband, Jed, is rich and can hire investigators (just in case you forgot the details of my husband considering we all had dinner together the other night, and you've known me for how many years?)".
And how did the kid get a plane ticket? Sure, he gives a good talk about picking an airline that is lax about kids flying alone, and he has the money for the ticket, but how did he buy the ticket? If you buy online, you need a credit card, and I doubt he has one, unless he stole mom's. And I doubt any airline is lax enough to let a kid walk in and buy a ticket with cash. And ignoring how he gets there, do you really think a loving aunt would let him stick around when there's an international arms-dealer sending assassins after them, and one of the group has already been killed????
All in all, I would recommend avoiding this book. At all costs.
***Bad mistake***. I don't know if this was a bad example of her writing, but if this had come to a publisher from a first-time writer, it never would have been published. It violates every rule of good writing out there.
The heroine is testing her new mini-sub design, combining it with helping a longtime friend with exploring the lost city of Marinth, which has been the subject of studies and hollywood movies, and yet still has lots of unexpected finds left. One of those finds is a stained-glass wall, still intact, that explains how to take the algae that is only found in this location, but when combined with something else can wipe out all sea-life in an area. An arms dealer who somehow knows that the algae could be used as a weapon (how does he know this? They never say), steals the artifact as it's brought up. This starts a hunt to stop him, complete with the complication of a 12 year-old boy being able to get halfway around the world on his own without raising so much as an eyebrow, all because he wants to protect his aunt.
Characters change moods and ideas so fast you get whiplash, people do stupid things just to advance the plot. We get lots of "Well, Melis, you already know this, but let me tell you about it again" exposition, and "Gee Hannah, my husband, Jed, is rich and can hire investigators (just in case you forgot the details of my husband considering we all had dinner together the other night, and you've known me for how many years?)".
And how did the kid get a plane ticket? Sure, he gives a good talk about picking an airline that is lax about kids flying alone, and he has the money for the ticket, but how did he buy the ticket? If you buy online, you need a credit card, and I doubt he has one, unless he stole mom's. And I doubt any airline is lax enough to let a kid walk in and buy a ticket with cash. And ignoring how he gets there, do you really think a loving aunt would let him stick around when there's an international arms-dealer sending assassins after them, and one of the group has already been killed????
All in all, I would recommend avoiding this book. At all costs.
April 23, 2016
Wratched. I've read many an Iris Johansen book and enjoyed them. Sometimes they're a little too fluffy (rom-comy) for me but mostly, I enjoy them. This was by far the worst I've read by Johansen and I'm tempted to say it's possibly because of the co-authorship? To be fair, I wasn't into the plot, and was never going to be, so that was problemo numero uno. An underwater sea world and subs..... eh, no thanks. Dos, were the many and ridiculous references to "my husband, Jed," made by Melis' in short order. This particular phraseology is ludicrous; you wouldn't need to identify your relationship to your husband AND use your husband's name when speaking to a friend. Nor would you need to keep repeating it. This is not a cute or quirky turn of phrase- it's bum writing and annoyed me no end. The first time I saw it, I thought maybe the author was making a point to identify Jed's relationship to her as a reference point for a future scenario in which he has a role and this might be important. But alas..... nope. Apparently, it was just to point out that Melis isn't a single spinster, which has zero relationship to any other damn thing in this craptart of a book. Tres, killer algae wiping out an entire civilization- just.....No. Stop. Don't do it. Seriously. Then there's the kid and the missiles...COME ON!!
The authors should have checked themselves before they wrecked themselves because this book is sorely in need of a better, well, everything.
The authors should have checked themselves before they wrecked themselves because this book is sorely in need of a better, well, everything.
November 4, 2023
Shadow Zone by Iris Johansen narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck
Date 2010
Unlike other work that I have read by her prior to this, I still found it a nice and easy read. Her characters are as always likable and this time around not as damaged as her previous protagonists.
Finding a civilisation underneath the sea, older than imagined, a question arose – what caused their decline? The answer is enough to get an international arms dealer involved. The result is a fast paced race against time.
I really enjoyed this book, it was everything I want in a read, it made me relax and kept me entertained.
The narrator Jennifer Van Dyck did a great job in making the characters voices fit their description in the book and making the reader like some better than others. Narration a 4.5 * rating.
The book in total--
5 * rating for sure
WaAr
Date 2010
Unlike other work that I have read by her prior to this, I still found it a nice and easy read. Her characters are as always likable and this time around not as damaged as her previous protagonists.
Finding a civilisation underneath the sea, older than imagined, a question arose – what caused their decline? The answer is enough to get an international arms dealer involved. The result is a fast paced race against time.
I really enjoyed this book, it was everything I want in a read, it made me relax and kept me entertained.
The narrator Jennifer Van Dyck did a great job in making the characters voices fit their description in the book and making the reader like some better than others. Narration a 4.5 * rating.
The book in total--
5 * rating for sure
WaAr
February 14, 2011
This book was really neither hear nor there. It was the typical adventure plot, and decently written. However, there were some parts that I didn't particularly like. For example, the 12 year old nephew who is going to protect the women, doesn't get told to sit down and shut up (he's 12), and just makes international flights on his own without any problems or repercussions. It's less plausible than algae killing the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2010
great thrilling ride of adventure. These two are great together.
August 25, 2018
As far as books go, the quality of this one was pretty poor. However, I still enjoyed reading it at times, and I'm really starting to think that Johansen's books are better when she collaborates with her son. I've also come to realize that at least two of the collaborations have lacked even one sex scene. Maybe they all do. I can imagine it's kind of awkward to write sex scenes with your family.
Melis Nemid makes a return in this book. I never cared much for her, but she was more tolerable in this story because she didn't play as big a role. Hannah was an all right character. I was actually on her side when she insisted on risking her life on several occasions, because this involved the ocean and Marinth, and she actually knew a lot about what she was doing, having gotten used to designing navigating minisubs. I was also pleased to see her basically giving the middle finger to the Navy, because she knew what to do and they, well, didn't.
While Nicholas Kirov, the love interest, definitely had his creepy moments, he didn't get any worse than treating them sleeping together like it was a foregone conclusion. I mean, I hate that my standards for Johansen's men are so ludicrously low, but you know.
"Shadow Zone" also introduces a villain I actually really liked. Her name is Anna Devareau, and yes, she's a femme fatale. However, she's actually done fairly well. Gina from "The Perfect Witness" was a woman of no action, doing nothing more than having sex and talking about how much she loves owning stuff. Natalie from "Night and Day" was more proactive, but also too incompetent and whiny to be effective. Anna, however, is not only afraid to get her hands dirty, but she's damn good at it, too. She actually doesn't rely solely on her sexuality to accomplish everything. She's positively lethal, even moreso than her boyfriend, the big bad of the story.
There were two major problems I had with "Shadow Zone." The first was the way Eugenia treats
The other problem--and this was even worse, because the previous one was just a short part of the story, but this one kept going and going--was Hannah's 12-year-old nephew, Ronnie. (Rhymes with "Bonnie." Coincidence?) Ronnie has just lost his father (Hannah's brother, Conner) to the big bad. And he's had a dream where his father told him that he had to protect Hannah. From the very beginning, this kid is way too "adult" to be believable. Literally all he cares about is protecting Hannah, because his mom and his sister at least have each other, and she has "no one." Oh, so Melis is no one? Her coworkers are no one?
I could have dealt with that short part, but I knew where this was going. Sure enough, halfway through the book, Ronnie shows up on Melis' doorstep, asking for Hannah. Did I mention that this is in Greece, and the kid is from Boston? Sure, he explains that booking an overseas flight is easy street in the age of the internet, and that Europeans are more chill about kids flying alone, but are you kidding me?
This brat insists that he needs to be there to "protect Hannah," because he's still taking that stupid dream he had seriously. He says that he can do "makeup work" for school (yeah...sure), that he's already talked to his mom (AFTER he got to Greece), and that even if Hannah sends him home, he'll come right back. Which is bull. He used his own savings to get there; how many times can he do that? HE'S 12 YEARS OLD.
But that isn't even the worst part of this whole mess. The worst part is that Hannah lets him stay. Oh, she scolds him (very lightly), but since she knows that Ronnie would keep trying to come back to "protect" her, she gives in. She tells him he still can't go with her on any risky missions, but don't worry, she has Nicholas to protect her. He insists on meeting Nicholas, because 12-year-olds definitely know how to tell whether or not someone is capable of protecting their family.
Of course, Nicholas is charmed by the little prodigy promises him that he'll protect Hannah. Ronnie relaxes, because they're the only males around; who else is going to protect helpless, female Hannah?
At one point, Hannah tells a little fib to Ronnie to get him to go home because she thinks she's in danger of being followed by the big bad. Later, Ronnie finds out that she lied, and gets all pissy about it.
YOU LIED TO YOUR MOTHER SO YOU COULD BE GONE OVERNIGHT WITHOUT HER GETTING SUSPICIOUS, YOU LITTLE SHIT!
So of course, Hannah tells him that she's an adult, he's treading on thin ice as it is, and if he doesn't accept that no matter how precocious he is, he's still 12 YEARS OLD and is going to be treated like one, she's going to put him on the next flight to Boston, or possibly just throw him overboard.
Just kidding! She apologizes, says she was wrong, and promises to never lie to him again. Is every adult in Iris Johansen's world made of paper?
Then again, there's a character in another book who has a fetus already telling her what she can and can't do , so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Also, Jane MacGuire does something similar to Eve Duncan in "The Search," but I already hated Jane, so I guess it didn't stand out that much. And, unlike Jane, Ronnie didn't grow up on the streets, so he doesn't even have that excuse for why he's ignoring what adults are telling him.
Look, I don't believe in harsh punishments for children. But Ronnie could have easily gotten his stupid ass killed, and it was highly irresponsible of Hannah to just let him stay in Greece when she knew what they were dealing with. I was joking about throwing him overboard, but any decent family member would have sent his ass back to the U.S. PRONTO.
In addition to my major problems with this book, it was also very boring at parts, especially since on the side of the "heroes." A lot of it was just a bunch of "investigating" that got nowhere, Nicholas jumping in to make physical threats, and technical jargon that went right over my head. That's not even getting into the characters. Melis, Eugenia, and Hannah were all essentially the same tough-as-nails Strong Female Character, Nicholas was the creepy love interest (Ooh, he's Russian! How exotic!), the cheerfully self-deprecating BFF of the creepy love interest, and a Grumpy Young Male Character. Yawn. Anna was, by far, the most interesting.
And, of course, there's always the "That's impossible." "Do it anyway." conversation that every book of Johansen's has to have multiple times. Dear God, why? It doesn't add any tension to the story; it's just tedious.
Oh, by the way, I wish heroes would stop using torture to get information. Do you know why people think torture works? It's because it's shown to work on TV and in movies. Seriously. This is just one article about it: https://www.npr.org/2014/12/12/370264...
Even if torture did work, it's immoral. It has no place in the actions of "heroes"--even antiheroes. Antiheroes can commit theft, blackmail, arson, and even murder. Antiheroes can be jerks to everyone they meet, including the woman who eventually realizes she can't live without him. (I hate this trope, too, but it's better than torture.) But I draw the line at torture. Especially if the character says they enjoy it.
Two stars. I was almost ready to three-star this, until I remembered how much I really, really hated that stupid kid, Ronnie. I hope I never have to read about him again.
Melis Nemid makes a return in this book. I never cared much for her, but she was more tolerable in this story because she didn't play as big a role. Hannah was an all right character. I was actually on her side when she insisted on risking her life on several occasions, because this involved the ocean and Marinth, and she actually knew a lot about what she was doing, having gotten used to designing navigating minisubs. I was also pleased to see her basically giving the middle finger to the Navy, because she knew what to do and they, well, didn't.
While Nicholas Kirov, the love interest, definitely had his creepy moments, he didn't get any worse than treating them sleeping together like it was a foregone conclusion. I mean, I hate that my standards for Johansen's men are so ludicrously low, but you know.
"Shadow Zone" also introduces a villain I actually really liked. Her name is Anna Devareau, and yes, she's a femme fatale. However, she's actually done fairly well. Gina from "The Perfect Witness" was a woman of no action, doing nothing more than having sex and talking about how much she loves owning stuff. Natalie from "Night and Day" was more proactive, but also too incompetent and whiny to be effective. Anna, however, is not only afraid to get her hands dirty, but she's damn good at it, too. She actually doesn't rely solely on her sexuality to accomplish everything. She's positively lethal, even moreso than her boyfriend, the big bad of the story.
There were two major problems I had with "Shadow Zone." The first was the way Eugenia treats
The other problem--and this was even worse, because the previous one was just a short part of the story, but this one kept going and going--was Hannah's 12-year-old nephew, Ronnie. (Rhymes with "Bonnie." Coincidence?) Ronnie has just lost his father (Hannah's brother, Conner) to the big bad. And he's had a dream where his father told him that he had to protect Hannah. From the very beginning, this kid is way too "adult" to be believable. Literally all he cares about is protecting Hannah, because his mom and his sister at least have each other, and she has "no one." Oh, so Melis is no one? Her coworkers are no one?
I could have dealt with that short part, but I knew where this was going. Sure enough, halfway through the book, Ronnie shows up on Melis' doorstep, asking for Hannah. Did I mention that this is in Greece, and the kid is from Boston? Sure, he explains that booking an overseas flight is easy street in the age of the internet, and that Europeans are more chill about kids flying alone, but are you kidding me?
This brat insists that he needs to be there to "protect Hannah," because he's still taking that stupid dream he had seriously. He says that he can do "makeup work" for school (yeah...sure), that he's already talked to his mom (AFTER he got to Greece), and that even if Hannah sends him home, he'll come right back. Which is bull. He used his own savings to get there; how many times can he do that? HE'S 12 YEARS OLD.
But that isn't even the worst part of this whole mess. The worst part is that Hannah lets him stay. Oh, she scolds him (very lightly), but since she knows that Ronnie would keep trying to come back to "protect" her, she gives in. She tells him he still can't go with her on any risky missions, but don't worry, she has Nicholas to protect her. He insists on meeting Nicholas, because 12-year-olds definitely know how to tell whether or not someone is capable of protecting their family.
Of course, Nicholas is charmed by the little prodigy promises him that he'll protect Hannah. Ronnie relaxes, because they're the only males around; who else is going to protect helpless, female Hannah?
At one point, Hannah tells a little fib to Ronnie to get him to go home because she thinks she's in danger of being followed by the big bad. Later, Ronnie finds out that she lied, and gets all pissy about it.
YOU LIED TO YOUR MOTHER SO YOU COULD BE GONE OVERNIGHT WITHOUT HER GETTING SUSPICIOUS, YOU LITTLE SHIT!
So of course, Hannah tells him that she's an adult, he's treading on thin ice as it is, and if he doesn't accept that no matter how precocious he is, he's still 12 YEARS OLD and is going to be treated like one, she's going to put him on the next flight to Boston, or possibly just throw him overboard.
Just kidding! She apologizes, says she was wrong, and promises to never lie to him again. Is every adult in Iris Johansen's world made of paper?
Then again, there's a character in another book who has a fetus already telling her what she can and can't do , so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Also, Jane MacGuire does something similar to Eve Duncan in "The Search," but I already hated Jane, so I guess it didn't stand out that much. And, unlike Jane, Ronnie didn't grow up on the streets, so he doesn't even have that excuse for why he's ignoring what adults are telling him.
Look, I don't believe in harsh punishments for children. But Ronnie could have easily gotten his stupid ass killed, and it was highly irresponsible of Hannah to just let him stay in Greece when she knew what they were dealing with. I was joking about throwing him overboard, but any decent family member would have sent his ass back to the U.S. PRONTO.
In addition to my major problems with this book, it was also very boring at parts, especially since on the side of the "heroes." A lot of it was just a bunch of "investigating" that got nowhere, Nicholas jumping in to make physical threats, and technical jargon that went right over my head. That's not even getting into the characters. Melis, Eugenia, and Hannah were all essentially the same tough-as-nails Strong Female Character, Nicholas was the creepy love interest (Ooh, he's Russian! How exotic!), the cheerfully self-deprecating BFF of the creepy love interest, and a Grumpy Young Male Character. Yawn. Anna was, by far, the most interesting.
And, of course, there's always the "That's impossible." "Do it anyway." conversation that every book of Johansen's has to have multiple times. Dear God, why? It doesn't add any tension to the story; it's just tedious.
Oh, by the way, I wish heroes would stop using torture to get information. Do you know why people think torture works? It's because it's shown to work on TV and in movies. Seriously. This is just one article about it: https://www.npr.org/2014/12/12/370264...
Even if torture did work, it's immoral. It has no place in the actions of "heroes"--even antiheroes. Antiheroes can commit theft, blackmail, arson, and even murder. Antiheroes can be jerks to everyone they meet, including the woman who eventually realizes she can't live without him. (I hate this trope, too, but it's better than torture.) But I draw the line at torture. Especially if the character says they enjoy it.
Two stars. I was almost ready to three-star this, until I remembered how much I really, really hated that stupid kid, Ronnie. I hope I never have to read about him again.
June 19, 2021
I liked the setting and story line, typical oceanography archeology thriller. Only reason it didn’t get 5 stars was it seemed forced in a few spots and a few repetitive themes with relationships not developing. Was slower in the middle, the ocean parts were the highlights.
March 21, 2018
TERRIBLE BOOK. I have never read this author before but we are off to a bad start. I have HEARD that she writes good books that’s why I said start. However, this was such a terrible book I feel like I should burn it so no one else ever reads it.
Hannah, the protagonist, has absolutely nothing to do with anything until the end of the book. She just keeps putting herself in situations she is not capable, both skill wise and emotionally, of handling and the characters around her have to keep fixing everything or saving her dumba**. Then finally at the end -with a situation right up her alley-she ruins it by some dumb short speech to a bunch of military people. (Essentially) “ I don’t want you to help me, but I need you to help me- as so it was pointed out to me. So you better be happy I’m your boss. “ and then throws a temper tantrum when they aren’t happy about it.
I personally love to read spoilers it doesn’t ruin the story for me so for those of you like me- the bad GUY dies, the bad GIRL gets away. The algae is what killed of the Marinthians and all of it is destroyed by the end of the book. Hannah finally decided she will get with Kirov. And her whiny nephew that added nothing to the story is safe and gets to intern next summer. Driscoll dies. Charlie becomes Eugenia’s apprentice essentially.
Hannah, the protagonist, has absolutely nothing to do with anything until the end of the book. She just keeps putting herself in situations she is not capable, both skill wise and emotionally, of handling and the characters around her have to keep fixing everything or saving her dumba**. Then finally at the end -with a situation right up her alley-she ruins it by some dumb short speech to a bunch of military people. (Essentially) “ I don’t want you to help me, but I need you to help me- as so it was pointed out to me. So you better be happy I’m your boss. “ and then throws a temper tantrum when they aren’t happy about it.
I personally love to read spoilers it doesn’t ruin the story for me so for those of you like me- the bad GUY dies, the bad GIRL gets away. The algae is what killed of the Marinthians and all of it is destroyed by the end of the book. Hannah finally decided she will get with Kirov. And her whiny nephew that added nothing to the story is safe and gets to intern next summer. Driscoll dies. Charlie becomes Eugenia’s apprentice essentially.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2013
I don't think this book comes anywhere near some of the great novels by Iris Johansen (and her son)
Too many things are just not believable. Her 12 year old nephew has a dream that his father (who was killed in an earlier novel) is telling him he needs to protect his aunt. He tells his mother he is staying with a friend for the weekend and then manages to buy a plane ticket and fly out to where his aunt is working. Once there he phones his mother to let her know. What mother would be okay with this, but apparently as he is with his aunt everything is fine. Considering the danger all around, what aunt would allow a 12 year old boy to stay in that situation and not send him back home immediately.
I think there are too many loose ends - like what happened to Anna or maybe that will be wrapped up in another book.
Too many things are just not believable. Her 12 year old nephew has a dream that his father (who was killed in an earlier novel) is telling him he needs to protect his aunt. He tells his mother he is staying with a friend for the weekend and then manages to buy a plane ticket and fly out to where his aunt is working. Once there he phones his mother to let her know. What mother would be okay with this, but apparently as he is with his aunt everything is fine. Considering the danger all around, what aunt would allow a 12 year old boy to stay in that situation and not send him back home immediately.
I think there are too many loose ends - like what happened to Anna or maybe that will be wrapped up in another book.
October 14, 2017
This book is mediocre at best. I found myself bored, especially when the characters relationship can be summed up in the words; 'see previous book'. There is no actual progression to their relationship other than how she's not mad at him for leaving her (for poorly explained reasons) anymore.
And please, don't get me started on the 12yr old. He was so aggravating and one-note that I skipped whole pages of dialogue if his name was even so much as mentioned.
And please, don't get me started on the 12yr old. He was so aggravating and one-note that I skipped whole pages of dialogue if his name was even so much as mentioned.
March 6, 2011
Don't waste your time and money.
February 1, 2015
Another one of my longtime favorite authors that I no longer will read.
September 28, 2019
After reading Shadow Zone I don't think I will read another Johansen book that I have called Silent Thunder. Not worth the
time. Glad I get books from Library, as this book waste of money.
time. Glad I get books from Library, as this book waste of money.
February 4, 2018
The book was overall good. It is what one would expect to see from an average novel. The plot was easy to follow, there were a bunch of side tasks that came about, and there was some form of a final struggle in which one side lost. In this book the main character Hannah Bryson is working with her friend Melis Nemid to uncover the reason Marinth, a legendary city, went extinct and was buried underwater many millennia ago. This is all happening while the main antagonist Vincent Gadaire is trying to carry out a project that is a turning point in his career. If he were to succeed, the lives of millions of people would be lost. He is trying to plant a specific species of alga, TK44, in the oceans, and, as previously stated, the results would be catastrophic if he were to succeed.
August 11, 2021
Shadow Zone
Time is running out. A criminal has discovered the answer to what happened to the population of an island which has been underwater for centuries. He plans to harvest the toxic algae that when activated removes all oxygen from the water, killing all the marine life and use it for a weapon for sale. His plan is thwarted and he loses his life for his scheme. Eugenia takes on an apprentice, Melissa is comforted that all the known algae was destroyed and the puzzle is answered and Hannah and Kiev are starting a relationship. Great writer, love her work.
Time is running out. A criminal has discovered the answer to what happened to the population of an island which has been underwater for centuries. He plans to harvest the toxic algae that when activated removes all oxygen from the water, killing all the marine life and use it for a weapon for sale. His plan is thwarted and he loses his life for his scheme. Eugenia takes on an apprentice, Melissa is comforted that all the known algae was destroyed and the puzzle is answered and Hannah and Kiev are starting a relationship. Great writer, love her work.
July 5, 2019
I am writing this review based on a note I jotted down six months ago when I finished it.
It was good, I noted. The plot had to to do with a submersible driver (female) who is involved with an underwater Atlantis-like place that is being undermined by bad guys. There is a romantic angle to the story too (of course.).
I enjoy books by this author. I am sorry I haven't kept up with which ones I've read and which I have not.
It was good, I noted. The plot had to to do with a submersible driver (female) who is involved with an underwater Atlantis-like place that is being undermined by bad guys. There is a romantic angle to the story too (of course.).
I enjoy books by this author. I am sorry I haven't kept up with which ones I've read and which I have not.
October 23, 2019
Interesting premise but could NOT finish this one ...
Actual sentences from p74-75:
She gazed out at the sea.
She took a drink of wine.
She looked at Melis.
She finished her wine.
She looked back at the ocean.
She grimaced.
She shrugged.
She paused.
She started to turn away.
She glanced back over her shoulder.
She paused.
Actual sentences from p74-75:
She gazed out at the sea.
She took a drink of wine.
She looked at Melis.
She finished her wine.
She looked back at the ocean.
She grimaced.
She shrugged.
She paused.
She started to turn away.
She glanced back over her shoulder.
She paused.
May 9, 2022
Almost gave up on this due to several annoying things. Repetitive details being one, and certain elements of the story seem geared more for children or the YA market. The story did improve midway through the book. It’s as if the authors agreed to each write half the story, with my preference being the second half. Realize I’m just not a fan of the authors.
July 25, 2017
Maybe it's Iris Johansen rather than Faye whatever that I didn't care for . . . stilted . . . unrequited love . . . I should be pleaased with a strong female character but somehow she's still a stereotypical woman . . .
April 20, 2019
Not my favorite Iris Johansen book. Lots of action but some ridiculous moments involving her nephew Some romance between Hannah and Kirov but not enough. Like the books written by Iris Johansen alone much more.
October 13, 2020
Excellent
I love Hannah and her oceanic adventures. The underwater world she shares with us is amazing. Kirov and his spy network and government intrigue are completely entertaining. I cannot wait for the next one! Bravo with this new series I love it.
I love Hannah and her oceanic adventures. The underwater world she shares with us is amazing. Kirov and his spy network and government intrigue are completely entertaining. I cannot wait for the next one! Bravo with this new series I love it.
January 28, 2022
Shadow Zone
I have enjoyed every book I have read by these authors! These books have great characters and mystery and adventure that keeps you on " the edge of your seat". Great book.
I have enjoyed every book I have read by these authors! These books have great characters and mystery and adventure that keeps you on " the edge of your seat". Great book.
June 24, 2023
I don't think there was inherently anything wrong with this book...but, I just wanted more...just a silly action-adventure...lots of style not so much substance!
Plus...I didn't really have any kind of connection with any of the cardboard cutout characters...
Plus...I didn't really have any kind of connection with any of the cardboard cutout characters...
March 12, 2025
three & half stars actually, the story kept me on the edge of my seat. However, the dialogue just personally could've been better, just a tad especially those special moments with Hannah & kirov. But a great book & series, I loved it!!
July 31, 2025
My interest was in Marinth as well as in the developing relationship between Kirov and Hannah Bryson. There were various aspects of this book I personally disagreed with but, I did enjoy it for a quick read.
May 23, 2017
Sometmes slow moving
July 13, 2018
Good book, great story, glad to have Hannah and Kirov working together again!
November 3, 2018
An ancient city of Marinth and dolphins. Bad people trying to weaponize an algae found in Marinth and the people trying to save the planet. Hannah, Kirov, Melis, and team.
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