What a rollercoaster of a read. This was spine tingling, I could not put it down I had to know how it ended. The characters were wonderful and the setting really made this gripping. So many twists and turns and one heck of a finale. I did not expect it to end how it did.
Moments of abject terror! With an amazing plot and characters you end up feeling close to. Perfect

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ruby hasn't seen her niece and nephew because her brother took them and is on the run. He took them so that they would be safe. After living in the same place for a while he is found. This book was a good read and I cant wait to read her next one.

Great read.
The McIntyre kids have been living in the Montana wilderness for the past 5 years after fleeing their father and his LA crime syndicate family with a long time family friend, they choose to think of as their dad. Their life is good and happy until the family finds them and they are forced to flee, as a fierce winter storm is about to hit.
Enthralling action with suspense that is non stop and builds from page one. The characters are all so well defined you easily see them, leaping off the pages in front of you.
Great plot and just a super story in the Allison Brennan style that has always served her well.
Definitely ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from start to finish.
Some books are pure roses.
🌹This is one🌹

A novel about the Family, for good and for bad. That thread of family is carried all throughout this novel. I really enjoyed it and it will prompt me to take a look at more of Allison Brennan's books. All the characters didn't really bother me. The only problem I had was there was SO much exposition re previous events I had to keep reassuring myself this was a standalone novel and not a series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher or the ARC.

North of Nowhere
by Allison Brennan
Pub Date: August 18, 2023
Minotaur
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
There are a lot characters and at times it wasn’t clear who the good guys were and who were the bad guys.
Author, Allison Brennan has written 40 books and I have read most of them.
This was not my favorite of her novels but I did enjoy reading the Acknowledgement and hearing about her motivation to write this book.I was interested that Ms. Brennan submitted this to her agent in 2016 and he told her it had some problems.
So she rewrote; she wanted to write about family–the good and the bad. SO five years later the story she wanted to write about family, forgiveness and hope came together.
Yes there were times I wanted to close the book and pick up another. But I'm glad I stuck to it. Too Many characters for me, but you might like it.
3 stars

Book Title: North of Nowhere
Author: Allison Brennan
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: August 8, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars!

This is a story of a mafia family looking for their kidnapped children who don’t want to be found!

Kristin and her deaf brother Ryan have been hiding in a small town in Montana. Five years ago, Kristen witnessed her mother’s death. Tony her father’s best friend takes Kristin and Ryan from their crime family’s estate to Montana.
The day they have been dreading for the past five years has arrived. Their murderous father Boyd McIntyre, head of a Los Angeles crime family, is minutes away from kidnapping them.

The story had my emotions all over the place
There are a lot characters and at times it wasn’t clear who the good guys were and who were the bad guys.
Author, Allison Brennan has written 40 books and several short stories. This is only my second. The first was "Don’t Open the Door".Although I am not a big fan yet, I am looking forward to reading her next novel.

I love reading the ‘Acknowledgements’ I expect the recognition of those you helped in bring the story to life but I also like when the author talk about the motivation. Thought it was interested that Ms. Brennan submitted this to her agent in 2016 and he told her it had some problems….mostly no connection to the characters.
So she rewrote; she wanted to write about family–the good and the bad. SO five years later the story she wanted to write about family, forgiveness and hope came together.
Yes there were times I wanted to close the book and pick up a nice cozy mystery; but I did feel a connection to Kristen so will read another.
My 3 star rating is my rating for Good.

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for granting me the pleasure of reading this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 8, 2023

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinion.

This book was a great read,! It had the right amount of drama and surprise. I will definitely being looking for more titles by this author.

I will say if you are not a fan of a book with a lot of characters you will have a hard time following along. But all in all most of the characters were likable. Even with that, they were easy to follow. The story had plenty of drama. Crime families always have trouble around the corner. Fast pace and good read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan, published by St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Great read! Fast paced, lots of characters, was able to keep most of them straight as I read, but they were well described and fit well in the storyline. I liked the plot, the strength of the female characters. The story takes place over a short period of time, but there are some reflections on the past that adds to current events.
A family that is involved in crime is now looking for two children that have been missing for 5 years, the kids were taken from their father and have been living with a man called Tony whom they love and trust. But they have been found and must now run. How far can they get with the storm that's on the way. They are experienced and prepared though and should be fine.
This is the first book I have read by Allison Brennan, but won't be the last. I really like her writing style.

Tony Reed rescued Kristen and Ryan McIntyre from their murderous crime family and kept them in hiding for five years on a Montana ranch. Their dad, Boyd is finally onto them and the trio quickly flees via plane. Unfortunately, someone shoots the fuel line and they are forced to make an emergency landing in the Montana wilderness and there is a winter storm approaching.
The story is fast-paced and filled with suspense, and I recommend it for thriller/mystery lovers. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is due to the huge amount of secondary characters. It was difficult to keep track of all of them at times. I did appreciate that the females tended to be very strong and the author incorporated a realistic deaf character into the plot.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this story. The characters were not just likable some are loveable. A man, Tony who has done badly in the past, is making up for it by trying to save two kids. He loved their mother and loves them. He will be doing all he can to keep them safe and away from the family they came from. The cruel and merciless crime family wants them back at all costs. Kristen is just 16 and she has been in hiding with Tony for five years she loves him like a father, he trained her and taught her to be safe and protect herself. Ryan is now 11, born deaf he has learned to adapt and loves his sister Kristen and father figure, Tony. He must be kept safe and Kristen and Tony will do all they can to make sure of that.
This book kept me interested right from the beginning and never faltered. It was understandable when describing events. You can visualize it all. I couldn't put it down finally a book to hold your interest and not be bored. Thank you NetGalley and publishers St. Martins Press Mintour Books and Allison Brennan for this eARC this is my honest opinion I recommend this book if this is your genre if it's not, give it a try anyhow, you will enjoy it.

Awesome Awesome Awesome!! Definitely a thrill ride and you'll read it in one day! I highly recommend this crime family thriller! You simply don't want to miss this book!

This was definitely a heart pounding thriller. I simply loved it! This is a story of a crime family. Kristen, 16 and Ryan, 10 and deaf escaped from the family five years ago with the help of Tony, a member of the crime family. But their father finally catches up with them intending to take them back even though Kristen has witnessed their dad killing someone. A lot of action takes place in a blizzard. The action is nonstop and the characters are real.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a fast-paced action-adventure novel with two teens at the center of a cross-country chase.

Kristen and her deaf brother, Ryan, are grateful to the man they’ve called Dad for the last five years, Tony. He rescued them from an untenable life as the children of crime boss Boyd McIntyre and kept them safe from discovery.

Until now.

Somehow, their father and his men have tracked them to a ranch in the Montana wilderness. During a daring escape, one of Boyd’s men shoots down the twin-engine plane Tony and the kids have stolen, and it crashes into a lake just as a blizzard hits the area. Though Kristen tries, Tony is mortally wounded and urges the children to follow his plan to get them to safety. A plan that will see them traveling miles through dense forests in sub-zero temperatures with the threat of capture around every bend in the trail.

This novel started out good for me, but I was upset when a main character I had empathy for died after the emphasis on his love for the children and his own personal growth. He deserved to triumph over his nemesis, in my opinion. It, and far too many inner thoughts from a raging lunatic done all in italics (which is hard to read!), took away from what could have been a great story.

This was my first Allison Brennan, I’m not sure I would try her again.

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

Set in beautiful Big Sky country in the winter, in this thriller, the environment becomes an integral part of the storyline. The reader can feel the cold and the snow and the remoteness in the narrative.
   The substance of the story revolves around a dysfunctional family that has been torn apart by violence and subterfuge. The family dynasty deals in all types of illegal activity that is overseen by the matriarch who runs it with an iron fist. To her, family is all important, and the fact that her two grandchildren have been missing for 5 years has plagued this woman into violent situations with no remorse on her part. She wants those kids under her thumb and will do anything to make that happen.
   The children have been well taken care of while in hiding but also indoctrinated into what to do should their location become known. They are survivalists.
   It’s an exciting story of love, hate, guilt and resurrection.

Allison Brennan is a master storyteller. I spent the day happily reading this book. Every family has drama but nothing like a crime family. This book is loaded with action and suspense. It’s a very taut thriller. I loved this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book by Allison Brennan that I've read, and it was great! It starts with Tony Reed realizing something is wrong, someone has found them, and he grabs the kids and they flee, just as they had practiced. However, there's a storm coming, and they are in the middle of nowhere.

There are times when this seems like the second in a series, but it's not. It's a standalone, and everything is eventually revealed so be patient!

Wilderness, escape, family drama, murders.... count me in.

This book was such a RIDE! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was captivated for what was going to happen next until the very last page.

There were some minor grammatical errors and one plot piece that made me confused... but other than that I have no complaints. This book was awesome.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty good thriller. Kept my attention. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The best way to describe North of Nowhere can be summed up with the word CHILLING — both in the context of weather (since it takes place in Montana mostly during blizzard conditions) and in terms of the plot which is replete with murders, suspense and a family devoted to a life of crime. The characters are clearly defined and the reader can immediately empathize with the major players — 2 children and a father figure. The tale has a tremendous amount of action and several surprises in store.

The book is highly recommended for all readers and not only devotees of this genre. I thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication and look forward to reading future novels by Allison Brennan.

I am a HUGE fan of Allison Brennan and love all of her books. Was very excited to get to read this book before it is released ! And I loved it ! Very suspenseful from the beginning to the end ! A family on the run. Organized crime. Murder. Kidnapping. Revenge. Ruthless people. How far will a family go to get children back who do not want to be a part of their family ? One brave girl is at the center of this story. I am hoping this will be the first book in a new series. But if it is just a stand alone novel, it holds its own ! Great book ! Highly recommend !