Loosely tied to the Eve Duncan series, this book seemingly comes out of no where. I scratched my head several times as I tried to place where I have seen Logan Tanner's character. I want to say that he was someone that Eve made use of in one of her escapades. I'm not 100% certain. I was able to figure out why Kaskov seemed so familiar. He is Cara's grandfather who was an aspiring musician until his possible career was brutally ended. Now he is a mafia boss who patrons incredible musicians. Not knowing this backstory will not impact this story. This can be read as a standalone.

In some ways, this story reminded me of the movie Hanna. Although not with a supportive father, more a horrible father who should be shot. If there is one thing I can consistently count on from Ms. Johansen in her contemporary romance suspense, it is the element of darkness. This one highlights the horrors of human trafficking. I find this term, "human trafficking" to be disingenuous because it is a sugar coating of the word slavery. For people to think slavery is no longer in existence, it is sadly laughable how willful people like to wear their blinders.

Maria is a gently bred English girl whose been a sex slave for too many years. Quite honestly, I'm not sure if this is a positive or negative thing. Positive in that Maria survived this long that she may have a chance to escape. Negative in that she spent years at the hands of brutal men raping her at their whim. Her plight is well described by Ms. Johansen. From the research I've done on human trafficking, it is brutal and with a very short shelf life because of the horrendous conditions people are kept in and the drugs they are fed to keep them docile and obedient.

Maria is the leash used to rein Lara in. Lara is her daughter and the one given crazy challenges for two men to bet on. When she loses, she faces dire consequences. Everything about this set up is disgusting and inhumane. The bad guys in this book are 100% evil villains and should be shot. Wipe them all out. There is just enough graphic details that makes me want to go in with rocket launcher and blow them to bits.

When Tanner is tasked to extract Lara for the price of much needed information, he finds himself shocked and intrigued. Lara's piano playing is out of this world. Yet she's lethal as she'd had to learn so many things on her own in order to survive the challenges. When it comes to being independent and suspicious, Lara has it down pat. Her constant head to head arguments with Tanner are fiery. I like Lara not trusting anyone yet. I also like how she is skilled enough to help Tanner out when he needs an extra helping hand.

This story is a wild ride and at times a little disorienting. The pace is slow at times and then suddenly picks up and moves quickly. The little twists and turns to get Tanner what he wants and also grant Lara freedom from the men wanting her is exciting to watch. This thriller is recommended to readers who enjoy romance to their suspense and a female lead who can take care of business.

I always look forward to a good book from Iris Johansen. High Stakes didn't disappoint. Even if you haven't read her long running series, you can jump into this book as it is more of a stand alone with only a glancing reference to long time characters.

Parts are a little slow, but the twists to the story-line make up for it

Logan Tanner is right in the middle of a conflict between two Russian mafia bosses. He has rescued Lara, a prized possession of the two bosses who are in a battle trying to control her. Lara and her Mother have been captives for years and they come as a package when Logan is tasked with helping Lara escape. There is suspense and drama along with a romance. You aren’t completely sure what the agenda is of some of the characters. This book kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

How do I even start this review other than “WOW, Iris Johansen has done it again!” This book is one you will not be able to put down. The life lead by Lara and Maria was a hard life with many trials and tribulations at the hand of Maria’s husband and Lara’s father and a Russian Mafia boss. Their life takes an unexpected turn when they are extracted by a very unexpected ally, a top gambler and Casino owner, Logan, who they must determine if they can trust. Without giving the book away, there is a surprise at the end which will make you understand these characters are likely to appear in future books by Iris Johansen. Edge of your seat amazing read! I highly recommend this book.

Iris Johansen has done it again. i was so excited to see that she had anohter new book out . Lara and Logan Tanner are interesting new characters with strong personalities. I would like to read more books featuring them