Chaos is a thrilling ride. CIA agent Alisa Flynn is super talented, smart and confident in her abilities but not so great with feelings. Billionaire Gabe Korgan has a brain that never stops. He gets bored easily. These two need to work together if they don’t kill each other first. The chemistry between them is palpable. This is an incredible tale filled with non-stop action, moments of terrifying fear and an incredible conclusion. I’m looking forward to future adventures with these characters. Thrilling romantic suspense at its very best.

Iris Johansen creates a compelling story with a few new characters for us all to love and look forward to in future novels. This books keeps you engaged and not wanting to put it down until you finish it. The love for people, animals and justice in the novel are part of what keeps the reader turning the pages in anticipation for what could happen next.

Chaos was a bit too predictable for me and the journey to the end seemed highly unlikely. That being said, Chaos did grab and hold my attention throughout..

Quick read and even though a bit predictable, it was interesting to read about the horses. The Horse Whisper point of view was interesting as well. Iris Johansen keeps your interest.

I have read several of the authors books, which sparked my interest in reading this book. It was so thrilling! The characters actions were unexpected and kept my attention.

Iris Johansen delivers another suspense filled book with great characters. Alisa is a prodigy of a sort, but not the type you would aspire to be. She is excellent at her job with the CIA and has few friends, but the ones she does have are treasured. Gabe is a master inventor and billionaire. They literally should have nothing in common, but they quickly discover they have some mutual enemies who need to be stopped. The slavery and corruption in some African countries survives almost unchecked. But this time two very different people with a common goal come together to stop at least a small part of the slavery. To say the path is rocky would be a gross understatement . The characters, and a few friends from the past appear, and the dynamic story will keep you at the edge of your seat.

I have nothing against Eve Duncan and in fact have enjoyed every single of the 30 plus books featuring her but it's a refreshing change of pace to meet some new characters. The story is told in a style very reminiscent of the author's original romantic suspense stories that were heavy on the suspense and somewhat abrupt on the romance.  I might almost feel like this is a half written manuscript that  Ms. Johansen polished up and modernized but she does bring in the recent events from the Eve stories set in Africa.  Regardless this is a well written solid read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The true heroes of this story are Chaos, a pure bred horse who's ancestry is lost in the pages of history and his horse whisperer friend Sasha.  It is not clear how Sasha's horse whispering abilities have gotten beyond the confines of her very exclusive boarding school but they bring one of the most evil warlords in Africa to the door of her school.  In a hidden camp in the Jungle this man holds the CIA and some of richest most influential families in the world hostage to the well being of the kidnapped teenage girls whom he abuses horribly.
CIA agent Alisa has a special relationship with Sasha. She circumvents her chain of command in the CIA to recruit one of the richest and most brilliant minds in the world in her quest to rescue the girls and hold the kidnappers accountable.  Her approach definitely gets Gabe's attention and against his security team's advice he's on board before his team can finish checking out Alisa's credentials.  With his technology and mercenary forces and dog whisperer Margaret Douglas the team is ready to mobilize.  Their plans work in a spectacular fashion but unfortunately Sasha and her horse Chaos are swept up in their kidnappers escape and continue to be held in a now secret location.  Apparently Sasha is to ride the horse Chaos to victory in a horse race.
Gabe mobilizes his resources to find Sasha's new location even as Alisa recovers from a gunshot wound she got in the original rescue attempt.  The suspense builds up as the story unfolds with some cute funny moments such as the sourcing of a sauna for the women of the Bedouin tribe who is working both sides of the fence. There's also the woo woo for Gabe who despite being as high tech as he is can't grasp the psychic communication between Sasha and her horses and Margaret and her dog and other animals. Certainly the communication between Sasha and Chaos adds a nice touch to the overall telling of the story especially the "stomping" out of the bad guys.
I look forward to a possible telling of Sasha's story in the future since there is strong bonding happening between Sasha and Gabe's top operative in the field.

I haven't read an Iris Johansen book in a while and I was happy to give this a try because it included new characters. It was good story but the whole talking with animals thing just doesn't sit well with me. Overall, I pushed through it but it wasn't my favorite because of that aspect, as well as the extreme violence mentioned.

I haven't read an Iris Johansen novel in quite some time. When I learned that this was the first book in a new series, I was intrigued. Johansen usually finds a way to weave previous characters into new stories, and it's always fun to "see" your favorites again. The new romantic pairing of CIA agent Alisa Flynn and billionaire Gabe Korgan has all that juicy sexual energy that readers have come to expect from this author. That is really remarkable considering the heavy themes of the book, with young girls being kidnapped in Africa by a ruthlessly evil man. Just strap yourself in and get ready for a wild ride!
3.5 stars

I was provided a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Chaos by Iris Johansen that I read and reviewed.
This is the start of a new series by Iris Johansen and I introduces what might become her new her new super couple, CIA agent Alisa Flynn and billionaire Gabe Korgan who get thrown together when Alisa breaks into Gabe’s house looking for information on a ruthless madman who has kidnapped a number of girls from a boarding school and stolen a number of horses. In this book Flynn and Korgan heat up the pages of the book as they try rescue the kills and take the madman and his henchmen out each for their own reasons.
This book was a great introduction to this pair and I think they may have an interesting relationship like another beloved couple that Johansen writes about in her other books. I can’t wait to see what Alisa and Gabe do next and if Alisa will trust Gabe.
Chaos gets five out of five stars.

Having read three connected series by Iris Johansen, Eve Duncan, Kendra Micheals and Catherine Ling, it was nice to meet a new protagonist,. This thrilling story does have a brief cameo by Eve Duncan and an extended role by Margaret Douglas. I am more than familiar with the brilliant horse whisperer as she was the primary protagonist in No Easy Target, and she was also in at least six of the Eve Duncan series titles, including Hunting Eve and Shadow Play.

However, this book introduces CIA Agent Alisa Flynn who often writes her own rules. As this book opens, Alisa is in Morocco and is clearly breaking into billionaire Gabe Korgan's study. She is not sure how she was noticed by the guard dogs, as her planning was flawless. At first she waits and hopes they become silent, but in just moments she hears his voice. She's caught! Always a quick thinker, Alisa has a plan in mind. Can she get Korgan to help her in a dangerous mission?

And what a mission! Schoolgirls in Africa are being kidnapped, and one of the missing girls is someone that she views as a sister. Alisa is after a man named Jorge Masenak. Through careful research Alisa has learned that Masenak is a common enemy between them. She is more than confident that she can get Korgan to work with her to rescue the girls.

One of the girls, Sasha, is truly gifted. Even though held prisoner, she managed to release some special horses and this has truly angered Masenak. Sasha is said to be a horse whisperer. As things turn out, someone else called into play once Korgan agrees to work with Alisa, and that is Margaret Douglas, a renowned horse whisperer. Can the three lay a trap and rescue the girls - and the horses - and catch Masenak?

Certainly none of this will be easy, thus this book lays the groundwork for a a thrilling new title by Iris Johansen. Chaos reigns in the efforts that take them deep into the jungles of Africa as they track the missing girls. This book is not for the faint of heart. The girls are grossly mistreated, even as Alisa was when she was much younger. Yet, if you want a story that will keep you turning pages long into the night, go no further, Chaos will fit the bill. All of Johansen's books I have read thus far have romance in them, and this book is no different.

Chaos is a fabulous book and would make a great series! I would love to see where Alyssa and Korgan can go from there, and of course, I love how Johansen ties in characters from previous series. Despite its length, this book was a one-sitting read for me! Johansen makes her books quite like a movie with action, drama and compelling characters. I am eager for whatever next she has in store for her readers.

Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This is the first book in a new series. It contains a great cast of characters, some of whom you will recognize from previous books. There is a lot of action from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book

Fan...Freaking...Tastic. I love the stories that this author spins. They rivet me and make me beg for justice that only Iris Johansen can give. I bow to the Queen because this one delivers! This one had me way up past my bedtime!

What did I like? What a cast of characters... First we have Alisa Flynn, works for the CIA but woah....she has so many talents it’s impossible to list them all but they make her into a top notch agent. Gabe Korgan... billionaire but can get his hands dirty which is just how we like him. Sasha... young girl who has a tangled history with Alisa but ends up in enemy hands. Jorge Masenak... dirt bag mercenary who deserves to be put down in the worst way. Gilroy...employee of Korgan and likes himself to Indiana Jones. The stage is set when a school is attacked and Alisa must find a way to rescue the children from a horrible mercenary. This is a nail biting, jaw dropping, and no holds barred book that will have you cursing a blue streak and cheering for the good guys all the way through. All. The. Way. Through!

Would I buy or recommend? I’d do both but let’s be honest here, this author is an amazing author. I love the Eve Duncan Series, and all the spinoffs but this one was quite a ride. I can’t wait to see if we are going to get more from Flynn and Korgan. Fantastic book! I’d give it ten stars if I could. The best thriller I have read in 2020!

I received a complimentary copy to read. Amazing book! Five stars. I loved it!

This is a new character for Johansen and hopefully the start of a new series with a great cast of characters, a few from previous books who appear in the story. The book has a great story line that will grab you from the first page and not let go til the end. It has romance and danger. This book is Johansen at her best, I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

It's been a while since Iris Johansen has introduced a new character, which is exactly what she has done in Chaos. CIA agent Alisa Flynn is beyond amazing and although she does not have a connection to Eve Duncan, at least not yet, she does have some connection to some previous characters from some of Iris Johansen's past books. In Chaos, you will be reintroduced to Margaret Douglas and CIA Agent Jed Novak. Margaret Douglas is an animal whisper and we were first introduced to her in No Easy Target (2017) and she has made periodic appearances in a few books every since. CIA Agent Novak was first introduced in Smokescreen (2019) and he is manipulative and strong. Entering the scene with CIA agent Alisa Flynn is Sasha, Gilroy, Korgan, Masenak, Reardon, and Chaos.

Chaos drops multiple subtle connections to previous Iris Johansen books. As previously mentioned, you have Margaret Douglas, who is considered an animal whisper and works on Summer Island training dogs. There is not a lot about Margaret Douglas's past that is mentioned. Then there is CIA Agent Novak, who we were all introduced to in Smokescreen, which took place in Maldara, Africa. Novak is still in Maldara when he is first brought into the story of Chaos, where he is still cleaning up after the major massacre that occurred there. If you have not read Smokescreen yet, it is a must but it is not a must in order to follow this story, as the mention of Maldara is only subtle.

Alisa Flynn reminds me quite a lot of CIA agent Catherine Ling and I would be quite interested to see those two meet one another in a future book. Alisa has been so through so much since a young age, very similar to Sasha, which is what makes their connection so strong. Alisa is not trusting of many and is very focused on completing the task at hand. When Korgan is added to the story, Alisa appears to be focused on Sasha and Sasha only. However, Korgan somehow manages to break down some of those barriers, in what I would call the typical Iris Johansen fashion. Alisa and Korgan also have that sexual tension that all Iris Johansen fans are used to when it comes to Even Duncan and her husband Joe Quinn.

Rating: 5 out of 5. This has to be one of Iris Johansen's best book so far and is Iris Johansen at her best. It was filled with action from the very beginning and keeps drawing you further and further in. Iris Johansen takes you on an emotional roller coaster filled with happiness, sadness, fear, and sexual tension. I found it very hard to put this book down to go to sleep. I just couldn't get enough. I hope that we get to see more of Alisa Flynn in the very near future and that she becomes another regular character of Iris Johansen's.