For me, “North of Nowhere” started off well but lost steam about three-quarters of the way through. Author Allison Brennan’s crime family and Montana ranch characters are initially interesting and engaging, her Big Sky ranch and wilderness settings well handled, and her pages filled with suspense and conflict. But as the novel progresses and more characters are added into the mix, things become somewhat confusing, and then so hyper-intense and melodramatic as to be not believable. The quality of the writing also declines. It doesn’t help that action scenes are often interrupted by digressions into what characters are calculating or feeling and that those calculations and feelings are too complex to be believable.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Allison Brennan, and publisher St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

North of Nowhere is an exhilarating, thrilling ride from page one. There are a lot of characters involved in the search for siblings. Some are good guys, others are more than horrible. Ms. Brennan keeps excellent track of the characters with a tight narrative. I honestly could not read without momentarily stopping to catch my breath.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am really becoming an Allison Brennan fan!
This is a fast paced thriller that will have you anticipating the next page. Well written with surprising twists and turns edge of the seat reading.

Talk about pressure - a major snowstorm coming in 5 hours with two kids (16 and 11) out on the mountain alone running from bad people with others looking for them too, but how can they tell who's who?.

North of Nowhere is a thriller in every sense of the word. I was engaged from the very first page and found myself on that mountain running with those kids. You get a tease at the beginning that shows you these people aren't who you think but as the story goes on it is also not where you thought this would go. Cryptic I know but I don't want to have any spoilers.

Allison Brennan never disappoints. This was another fast paced page turner that will be a run away hit. Loved it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for an eARC of North of Nowhere.

We’re dropped immediately into the story, Tony is desperately gathering his kids, Kristen and Ryan, to go on the run. Their biological father has tracked them down after five years in hiding. But the small plane they leave in crashes and Ryan and Kristen are left in the Montana mountains, battling a blizzard to get to safety. What follows is an action packed story til the end, details unfolding as book goes on.

Perfect for fans of books with non-stop action or who are intrigued by a mafia family, this story offers strong female characters and representation of the deaf community.

The fight for survival is a fight against nature and against their dangerous father who wants to claim them for his own after years of absence (him) and hiding (them) The tension mounts as the chase ensues with very well-developed. Setting, characters, and plot.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

For five years, Kristen and Ryan have lived at Triple Pine Ranch in Big Sky, Montana. Tony has watched over them, kept them safe.

But now Boyd McIntyre, the children’s biological father, has tracked them down. He’s determined to take them back to Los Angeles, back to his home, back to live with him.

But Tony has a plan; now he has no choice except to grab the kids and run. He’ll do everything in his power to keep Kristen and Ryan away from Boyd, away from the crime family led by Boyd’s mother, Frankie.

But a severe winter storm is almost upon Big Sky. Can Tony get the children away or will Boyd . . . and his henchmen . . . succeed in their quest?

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Strong characters, a strong sense of a place, and an amazing plot that pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the very first page all work together to make this thriller an unputdownable tale.

This story has everything: blizzards, kidnapping, murder, a charging moose, and more, all played out against the ever-increasing suspense that defines this emotional family tale. The narrative is intriguing and complex; the family’s slowly-revealed backstory keeps readers guessing. Who can be trusted?

Readers are sure to find themselves on the edge of their seats, turning pages as fast as possible, as the unfolding narrative leads to a breathtaking denouement.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#NorthofNowhere #NetGalley

Set in Big Sky region of Montana during a winter blizzard, this thriller had me on the edge of my seat!

Kristen & her deaf brother Ryan have called Tony Reed Dad since he rescued them from The McIntyre crime family five years ago. When their father, Boyd, tracks them down they flee in a small plane that crashes in Lost lake, a mountain wilderness hiking area.

Their struggle to survive the elements while being tracked by thugs was non-stop action and family drama.

Definitely felt the chills! You can rely on Allison Brennan to deliver on suspense-thriller novels!

This one has all the ingredients for a thriller - a blizzard, missing children, multiple deaths, a plane crash - put together in a spell binding story. It's one of those books that keeps you reading deep into the night until you finish.
Strong female characters steal the show. I highly recommend for those times you need a good story to kepp you going.
#NorthOfNowhere#NetGalley#StMartinsPress

Another great book by a favorite author!

I truly wish this wasn't a stand alone as I love this plot and the characters and would love to see more of them. Maybe Allison will make it happen??

There is murder, kidnapping, blizzards, mafia family, corrupt law enforcement, a great chase, and I was happy with the ending, but as I stated previously, I'd like this to be a series.

#Kristen #Ryan #Nick #Ruby, #Boyd, #LovedIt #NetGalley #NeedMore

Every second of reading this intense and enjoyable thriller had me flipping pages as fast as I could. I love the original storyline in this, sometimes thrillers can get a bit repetitive. Not this one, there's so much to unpack but our author does it in gloriously detailed ways. The characters are easy to root for but at certain points, there are times when you can't really decipher who the bad guys are. It makes the intensity last the entire time you're reading. The descriptions of Montana in a snowstorm were beautiful to read and imagine. It honestly makes you sad that it's standalone!

I always enjoy this author’s work. And her newest book is no different.
North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan is a brilliant mix of procedure, suspense and action.
Allison Brennan has written another multifaceted mystery with the same strong characterization.
A plot filled with mystery, intrigue and great characters.
Another unputdownable book from a talented writer.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You Netgalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC
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This was a great book. I really enjoyed reading it and had a hard time putting it down. The middle got a little long and hard to imagine, not having been to the area. I would highly recommend it.

This is a book for a long, cozy, under a warm blanket kind of day. It’s an adventurous, all-absorbing, emotionally charged story of family dynamics, the good and evil in people, and the lengths people will go to in order to protect their loved ones.

Kristen and Ryan were young kids when their mother was murdered and their father was somehow involved. A close family friend, Tony, whisked them away to protect them from the family that couldn’t protect their mother. He was able to keep them hidden and safe for five years, but when their father discovered where they were, he went to great lengths to get them back. Unfortunately, his children were older and wiser and they knew how to protect themselves from their evil father.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. It was so dramatic, the characters were well crafted, and the plot was genius. I loved it and I’m sure you will too. Grab yourself a copy.

This is a five-star read for me and I’d love to see it on the big screen. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

I did enjoy the suspense of this story. It kept me interested and there were a lot of diverse characters. I could not give it 5 stars because I found it a bit far fetched to be believable. Otherwise it was an enjoyable read. .

This was a slow burn! Have patience. Once you get through the first few chapters, it's a fast-paced, action-packed thriller!

Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress #minotaur books for the eARC.

Thank you @Netgalley for my ARC of North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan.

Pub Date August 8,2023.

North of Nowhere hits the ground running and starts with action and never lets up. It is a constant cat and mouse novel. I enjoyed the fast pace of it, but it fell short for me with lack of depth. The characters were flat and the reader was given minimal backstory. You get some information throughout the novel, but because it was scattered throughout, I didn't form a connection to any of the characters. If you are looking for a fast-paced action novel, you will like this one.

I was a bit disappointed in the speed of the book. I absolutely love Allison Brennan's books and have read her novels since 2005... and it is so hard to not love one of her books. The plot was wonderful but it was painfully slow which led me to not finishing the book at this time.

A fast paced book with lots of twists and turns. It begins with the story of two kids who were kidnapped by a family friend. Except that they weren't really kidnapped and their mother died by suspicious circumstances and their father is not the businessman that he claims to be.
It takes place in the Montana mountains during a winter blizzard which can be very dangerous and closes roads and highways.
A Grandmother who isn't a kind and loving person is also part of the story. She's definitely not a person I'd want as my Grandma.
Allison Brennan does it again!
I enjoyed every minute of the book and couldn't wait to finish it!