It begins with an innocent mission… Emily Hudson is an artifacts expert for the U.N. who travels to war torn countries attempting to save their priceless treasures from destruction. Her best friend and partner, Joel Levy, is always at her side - until one day her entire crew comes under attack. Joel and Emily are held hostage by a ruthless and evil captor who is determined to find the missing link to a legendary treasure. For weeks they struggle to survive against terrifying odds, pushed to their limits — and beyond. That turns into a quest for revenge… John Garrett has worked for the CIA, MI6, and whoever else was willing to pay for his services. Now Washington is calling and desperate. The mission: save Emily Hudson and Joel Levy. But there may be more to the job than they reveal… And soon, his connection to Emily has him questioning everything he thought to be true. Can Emily help him get to the truth behind a bigger conspiracy? Or will they both die trying? With lightning-fast pacing, plot twists and shocking betrayals, Iris Johansen is at the top of her game in a thriller about vengeance and trust; friendship and loyalty; good and evil…
The incomparable treasures of the Romanovs continue to provide an irresistible lure to writers of action-adventure thrillers, and the prolific Johansen joins in, seeking fictional riches yet to be mined from the imperial family’s massive and, in this instance, missing wealth. Charged with the mission of rescuing cultural artifacts from war zones, Emily Hudson and her crew of UN archaeologists are sent to Afghanistan to rescue Russian antiquities on loan to a local museum. Believing that a critical part of the czar’s legacy is included in the trove, a vicious gang of thugs ambushes the team. Led by the fiendishly malevolent Staunton, they hold Emily hostage while her best friend and colleague, Joel Levy, is tortured to death after failing to provide the information Staunton desires. About to be turned over to a sexually sadistic Afghani warlord, Emily is “nick-o’-time” rescued by John Garrett, a dashing, James Bondian soldier of fortune who joins Emily’s struggle to avenge Levy’s death, locate the Romanov cache, and end the cycle of murder its disappearance has wrought. Despite the lack of dimension demonstrated by Johansen’s otherwise taut cast of heroes and rogues, this suitably intricate tale of international and historic intrigue maintains a riveting electric tension right from its robust beginning. --Carol Haggas
Description:
It begins with an innocent mission… Emily Hudson is an artifacts expert for the U.N. who travels to war torn countries attempting to save their priceless treasures from destruction. Her best friend and partner, Joel Levy, is always at her side - until one day her entire crew comes under attack. Joel and Emily are held hostage by a ruthless and evil captor who is determined to find the missing link to a legendary treasure. For weeks they struggle to survive against terrifying odds, pushed to their limits — and beyond. That turns into a quest for revenge… John Garrett has worked for the CIA, MI6, and whoever else was willing to pay for his services. Now Washington is calling and desperate. The mission: save Emily Hudson and Joel Levy. But there may be more to the job than they reveal… And soon, his connection to Emily has him questioning everything he thought to be true. Can Emily help him get to the truth behind a bigger conspiracy? Or will they both die trying? With lightning-fast pacing, plot twists and shocking betrayals, Iris Johansen is at the top of her game in a thriller about vengeance and trust; friendship and loyalty; good and evil…
**
From Publishers Weekly
An especially far-fetched plot and unconvincing dialogue mar this romantic thriller, set primarily in Afghanistan and Russia, from bestseller Johansen ( Dark Summer ). Emily Hudson, a U.N. artifacts expert, is trying to track down a vicious criminal who may have stolen Zelov's hammer. Hidden inside the old mallet is a treasure map to the long-lost riches of Russia's assassinated Romanov family. Helping Hudson is a rough-and-ready CIA tracker, whose physical charms prove irresistible to the usually proud and independent Hudson. As is Johansen's wont, the romance competes head-to-head with the chase, with annoying effect. Love scenes and hokey romantic dialogue closely follow or precede those of perilous action. On one page, Hudson will be steely and adept, then, on the next, fragile and feeble. By the time the plot hits the homestretch, many readers will have a hard time taking it seriously. 650,000 first printing. (Apr.)
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From Booklist
The incomparable treasures of the Romanovs continue to provide an irresistible lure to writers of action-adventure thrillers, and the prolific Johansen joins in, seeking fictional riches yet to be mined from the imperial family’s massive and, in this instance, missing wealth. Charged with the mission of rescuing cultural artifacts from war zones, Emily Hudson and her crew of UN archaeologists are sent to Afghanistan to rescue Russian antiquities on loan to a local museum. Believing that a critical part of the czar’s legacy is included in the trove, a vicious gang of thugs ambushes the team. Led by the fiendishly malevolent Staunton, they hold Emily hostage while her best friend and colleague, Joel Levy, is tortured to death after failing to provide the information Staunton desires. About to be turned over to a sexually sadistic Afghani warlord, Emily is “nick-o’-time” rescued by John Garrett, a dashing, James Bondian soldier of fortune who joins Emily’s struggle to avenge Levy’s death, locate the Romanov cache, and end the cycle of murder its disappearance has wrought. Despite the lack of dimension demonstrated by Johansen’s otherwise taut cast of heroes and rogues, this suitably intricate tale of international and historic intrigue maintains a riveting electric tension right from its robust beginning. --Carol Haggas