Dark Summer

August 11, 2008
Usually adept at fusing well-developed characters with edge-of-your-seat action and adventure, bestseller Johansen (Pandora’s Daughter
) stumbles in this novel of romantic suspense revolving around a tumultuous relationship. Veterinarian Devon Brady and enigmatic former navy SEAL Jude Marrok meet on a small Caribbean island recently devastated by an earthquake. When a sniper shoots Marrok’s rescue dog, Ned, while searching for survivors in the rubble of a village, Marrok orders Brady to treat the black Lab, then promptly disappears. In a note he leaves for Brady, he promises to pick up Ned from her later. Soon after returning to her home on the outskirts of Denver with Ned, Brady finds herself a target in a deadly conflict involving international intelligence agents, ruthless billionaire entrepreneurs and Native American shamanism. An unnecessarily convoluted and at times unbelievable plot builds to a predictable conclusion. 650,000 first printing.

September 1, 2008
In Johansen's latest ("Quicksand"), readers meet Jude Marrok, who has devoted his life to protecting the "Dogs of Summer" from certain death if they were to fall into the wrong hands. These special dogs keenly understand humans, heal extraordinarily quickly, and might just have the ability to cure very ill people. When Jude's beloved chocolate lab Ned is shot, he leaves Ned in the hands of veterinarian Devon Brady, a decision that draws a reluctant Devon into his dangerous game. Although Devon does not trust Jude, she accepts his offer of protection until a plan to save the dogs is completed. Jude himself worries that his attraction to Devon could cause him to make a fatal mistake. The unique plot makes this book stand out from the pack of romantic suspense novels. The characters are interesting and believable, while the action is fast-paced and thrilling. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 6/15/08.]Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2008
Dogs with miraculous healing abilities are at the heart of a volatile and complicated battle for power in which Dr. Devon Brady, a deeply principled veterinarian, becomes emotionally and physically attracted to a man who gives her every reason to distrust him. While working a disaster relief mission on an earthquake-ravaged Caribbean island, Devonis enlisted to save the life of Ned, a superbly sensitive search-and-rescue dog wounded in action. The bullet that nearly killed Ned did not come from the gun of a rampaging looter, as Devon first suspects, but rather from a sniper hired to destroy Ned and his handler, the inscrutable and disturbingly charismatic Jude Marrok. When Jude leaves Ned in Devons care, he knowingly places her life in jeopardy by making her both a target for the man who has spent his life hunting Jude and his uniquely gifted dogs, and a pawn to be used to draw Jude into a lethal trap. Though readers must wade in confusion through nearly half the book before they can fully understand the basic premise behind this unusual conflict, once the motivation is made clear, Johansens knack for delivering robust action and commanding characters kicks into high gear.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)