Review: Hide Away

For suspense readers who enjoy treasure hunts, mayhem and a bit of romance @Iris_Johansen @StMartinsPress

Hide Away by Iris Johansen

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Hide Away starts off a new arc within this series.  It promises to be fabulous as readers are introduced to a new young girl Eve and Joe will foster, Cara Delaney.  This book can be read as a standalone.  However, I recommend reading the prior books to appreciate the characters and how they relate to each other.  The relationships are complicated.  Cara first appears in the last book, Shadow Play.  Cara is the daughter of a ruthless drug lord in the Mexican Cartels.  Her mother is no saint, the spoiled princess of a Russian mafia boss. At the young age of 11, Cara has experienced more fear and death than most in their lifetime.  She knows there is a kill order on her as the two closest her have been murdered.  With the killer removed, a fresh start may be possible with Eve and Joe.  Unfortunately for Cara, her death is worth more to certain factions.

This story contains a two for one with Cara's situation and MacDuff's desire to finally find the family treasure he desires.  With the need to hide Cara, Eve and Cara journey to the magical Highlands and meet up with Jane.  Jane and Cara hit it right off.  They have something in common; they are both saved and loved by Eve.  Trying to keep on the down low, Jane, Eve and Cara help and the Scottish Laird and his crew search for this mysterious treasure. 

The characters in this book are fabulous as expected.  Ms. Johansen creates great complex characters.  Some of the older ones reappear in here and it is like greeting old friends.  It is good to see MacDuff and Jock.  I have always liked Jock and it appears Ms. Johansen may be giving Jock a little story of his own.  I am excited and can't wait to see what plays out for Jock. This is balanced by Jane and her complicated attraction to Caleb.  I really like Caleb and his odd family history.  Even when I adored Trevor and Jane together, I still hoped Caleb could be added to that mix as a powerful third.  Now, with Trevor gone and a bereft Jane, Caleb is a natural choice albeit a guilt inducing one.  Caleb is a wild card even when he is so straight forward.  Eve and Joe are still as consistent as ever.  They are the protectors of innocence and love knows no boundaries. 

Whilst this is a romantic suspense book, the emphasis should be on the suspense.  There is no happily ever after here and the sex is clearly not the focus. This is a book where there is torture and death.  Good people die in this series which adds to the realism.  For those who prefer sweet romance where only the bad guys die, this book is not for you.  No one is invincible in this series.  In this book, several people die and it came as a bit of a shock how gruesome their death was.  The death scenes are not described in detail and Ms. Johnsen does not use them as a gratuitous shock factor.  Each death serves a purpose and illustrates just how callous and inhumane the killers can be.  The ending of this book is not exactly a cliff hanger.  It does leave a reader yearning to read the next book.  This is lovely set up and I can't wait to read Night and Day.  Ms. Johansen is a masterful story teller who is always on my must read list.  Recommended for suspense readers who enjoy treasure hunts, mayhem and a bit of romance.

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