North of Nowhere is a gripping and engaging thriller that takes readers on an unforgettable adventure. Allison Brennan expertly delivers a story of survival, love, and the lengths one will go to protect their own. Fans of heart-pounding suspense will find themselves thoroughly immersed in this adrenaline-fueled tale of danger and determination.

3.5 stars
This was a wild ride-I felt like I was watching a movie. Lots of action, family drama, and suspense. I liked but didn’t love.

I do so love a well written novel set in my home state. It was especially nice as it is set in a blizzard and the temperature outside as I read is July hot!

Lots of good things to enjoy about this book. The characters are all given enough backstory to be alive on the page, even the bad guys. The role of family is very important and explored thoroughly. The author is able to show the good in a bad person and, conversely, how even a good person can sometimes do evil things….and most importantly, people can change. The local Montanans are written as friendly, live-and-let-be nonjudgmental, and comfortable with their surroundings…an apt description. Obviously nature plays a huge role so not only the weather but the terrain are prominently featured. The suspense begins in the first few pages and doesn’t ease up until the very end. I’m really hoping for a sequel; these characters are too good to abandon now!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review.

North of Nowhere. I thought the book was good. There moments where the intensity of the plot kicked up, furthering the adrenaline of the need to know what will happen next into overdrive. The loyalty that the kids have for Tony is so amazing that it could make your heart melt. The same could be said for Tony too.
I will say that I would have liked to of read the description of both Tony and Ryan earlier in the story. I made do with my own descriptions. The book is a page turner that moves pretty fast. The story is engaging and very good. The stories narrative and the dialogue was great.
I loved it. It was clear and understanding. There are places that needs some fine tuning, but I think that the book was good. I give this book two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS

This is a thriller set in Montana during the winter.

Synopsis:
After living in Montana for five years and escaping their crime ridden family, two children run for their lives with their caretaker as their dangerous biological father hunts them.

I listened to this book on audio and really enjoyed the fast paced adventure. It had multiple POVs and the narration was good and easy to listen to. Having been to Montana and specifically Bozeman, I was able to vividly picture the story. I wanted more of the children’s POV and how they were surviving in the mountains. It kept my attention the whole time and the ending was satisfying.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook! 🏔️

Brennan’s first stand-alone thriller is a compelling, race against time read about two kids on the run in the mountains as a storm approaches. The introduction had my heart pounding, and I was eagerly flipping pages. This is a story of a mafia family looking for their kidnapped children who don’t want to be found in the wilderness of Montana during a snowstorm. What could go wrong? Only everything. This book has a large cast of characters and sometimes it’s hard to separate the good guys from the bad guys. #NETGALLEY #NORTHOFNOWHERE

I've not read an Allison Brennan novel in three years so when I saw NORTH OF NOWHERE popup on Netgalley I couldn't help to request it.

Kristin and Ryan McIntyre have been hiding from their murderous father, Boyd (who is also the head of a Los Angeles crime family) for the last five years in a small town in Montana. Their father finds them causing them to attempt to escape, narrowly succeeding in a small plane when gunfire hits the fuel line. The man who has been caring for them for the last five years manages to crash land the plane in the middle of the wilderness in a lake. An impending blizzard is going to make their trek for safety a lot more difficult.

Allison's writing is crisp, immersive, and wholly captivating. She writes in such a way that the reader is reeled in and hooked on the story within the first few pages. The setting of the Montana wilderness with an impending blizzard is chilling and atmospheric but is the perfect mix to add tension and suspense to an already thrilling series of events.

There are many characters discussed in this story but they're easy to differentiate and recall their roles. The main characters are well written, realistic and relatable.

I really enjoyed the themes of family, forgiveness, and at the core of the story, hope, which are present throughout the story. Each of the main characters demonstrate their vision of these themes within the many harrowing and difficult situations that they encounter.

The plot is intriguing and somewhat complex with many moving pieces that all work so well together. The pacing is so well done with the twists being revealed at just the right moments, keeping the anticipation and suspense high. I can't count the times I was holding my breath as I read, both in fear and anticipation of how the latest twist would play out.

An exquisite read to say the least. I will be hitting up more of Allison's work in the near future, no doubt about it!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

Allison Brennan delivers another heart-pounding thriller in “North of Nowhere,” a gripping tale of survival and family bonds that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

In this intense novel, we follow the McIntyre siblings, Kristin and Ryan, who have spent the last five years in hiding from their dangerous and murderous father, Boyd McIntyre, the head of a notorious Los Angeles crime family. However, their peaceful refuge in a small Montana town is shattered when Boyd finally tracks them down. A desperate escape in a small plane quickly turns into a life-and-death struggle as gunfire cripples the aircraft. The pilot, who has been a father figure to the siblings, miraculously crash-lands in the wilderness, forcing the McIntyre siblings to embark on a harrowing journey through the treacherous Montana woods, trying to evade both their ruthless father and the approaching storm.

Amidst this gripping backdrop, we are introduced to Boyd’s sister, Ruby, who had severed all ties with her family years ago to protect her niece and nephew from the McIntyre clan’s horrors. When Ruby receives an urgent call about the plane crash, she drops everything to rescue them. However, she’s not the only one on the siblings’ trail. Boyd has enlisted the help of a seasoned tracker, and the local rancher, Nick Lorenzo, who is baffled by the children’s situation, is also on the pursuit.

Allison Brennan weaves a thrilling narrative, skillfully intertwining multiple perspectives that heighten the sense of urgency and suspense. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motivations and demons, which adds depth to the overall story. Readers familiar with Brennan’s previous works, such as the Lucy Kincaid series, Quinn & Costa series, and Moreno & Hart series co-written with Laura Griffin, will find comfort in her trademark writing style that blends suspense, action, and intriguing plot twists.

The rugged Montana wilderness serves as an atmospheric and dangerous backdrop, paralleling the tension and danger faced by the McIntyre siblings. Brennan’s vivid descriptions effortlessly transport readers to the heart of the story, making it feel as though they’re right alongside the characters, experiencing every twist and turn.

“North of Nowhere” delivers a rollercoaster of emotions, from fear and adrenaline to hope and resilience. As the storm and the danger escalate, so do the stakes for Kristin and Ryan, keeping readers eagerly turning pages to see who will find them first and what their ultimate fate will be.

In conclusion, Allison Brennan proves once again why she is a master of the thriller genre with “North of Nowhere.” This book is a must-read for fans of her previous works and anyone who loves pulse-pounding suspense with a powerful emotional core. Prepare to be taken on a wild ride through the Montana wilderness as you root for the McIntyre siblings’ survival in this gripping and adrenaline-pumping tale.

Thank you to Allison Brennan, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable book - good beach read. The characters were believable and the story had mystery, drama, and action.

I really enjoyed this thriller even though it got a little violent. I liked the suspense and the multiple points of view. The complicated and often grey characters were intriguing.

I received a gifted galley of NORTH OF NOWHERE by Allison Brennan from St. Martin’s Press – thank you also to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!

NORTH OF NOWHERE follows Kristen and Ryan McIntyre. They’ve been on the run from their murderous father and his criminal family, staying under the radar in a rural town they’ve grown to think of as home. When their father tracks them down they attempt a getaway with their adopted father, but things go wrong and soon it is a survival story on multiple levels in the unforgivingly cold Montana woods in the midst of a horrible storm. The kids’ aunt Ruby also left her family behind, but she’s determined to reconnect with her niece and nephew and keep them out of the family’s grasp.

This book starts off with action and tragedy and it really keeps that up throughout. The author doesn’t pull many punches when it comes to putting the characters through a lot of drama and trauma. This is not a family easily messed with, but there are layers to some of the characters that you start to piece together as the story goes on.

I really enjoyed both Ruby and Kristen as main characters and was pulling for them to make it through. Ryan is deaf and I can’t speak from an own voices perspective, but I appreciated that this was integrated in the story in what seemed to be natural ways while not being the sole focus of Ryan’s role in the story.

There were a few places where the pace started to slow down a little bit for me, but for the most part it kept me hooked and wanting to see what happened next. There are a few mystery elements as other players get involved and you want to know why they are after the central characters. Still, I would say this one falls more on the action thriller side of things mixed with big family drama.

North of Nowhere was an okay read. The setting was one I enjoy reading about (Montana). Most of the main characters were well developed. A problem I had with the characters, though, was that there were just so many. I really couldn't keep track of all of the bad guys who were related to the main bad guy and all of the good cops and bad cops. I mean, that mountain was full of people! The story was pretty predictable.

Wow! I've enjoyed some of Allison Brennan's series books but this stand alone, edge of your seat thriller is way beyond the five stars I can give it. I was hooked from the fast paced opening chapter right through to the final paragraph. Great characters and enough intense action to keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages late into the night. I could not put this down - I read it straight through in one setting. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy.

Really good! Loved the plot and characters, highly recommend for a good summer thriller read! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A twisted story about a criminal family and the lengths the matriarch will go to in order to keep the enterprises thriving. Her total domination and willingness to kill to retain her power are the worst of her chilling attributes.

My favorite characters are the grandchildren and her daughter who refuse to partake in the corruption.

The ending is sweet and satisfying.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this book at all. So much action pops off right at the beginning of the book and I felt like I was scrambling to figure out characters and what the hell was going on! There were a lot of gaps in the plot and I just needed something more to tie everything together!

This was my first time reading this author and it won’t be my last. Always happy to try another one!

If you have a hankering for an action packed, cat and mouse suspense novel, then check this one out! It releases on August 8, 2023! Thank you Macmillan,
Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Minotaur for letting me read this one early. Pub date is August 8 for NORTH OF NOWHERE.

This book was just not for me. I felt like everything was over explained and I just couldn't get into the story at all. This one reads like an action movie and sometimes that works for me, but this time it was a miss.

North of Nowhere is a roller coaster of a ride that has plenty of action, twists and turns and more than a few nasty characters.

The setting is Montana in a chilling wilderness where Kristen and Ryan McIntyre are on the run from their Mafia father .

Their plane has crashed and their Dad is close behind them.

You can feel the chill of the wind and hear the howling snow.

Topping it off the McIntyre's are a Mafia family and will stop at nothing to get Ryan and Kristen back

Ryan and Kristen are determined not to be caught.

Can they survive.

Can any of them in this horrific storm.

The pages turn quickly and I often told myself just one more chapter and I will put the book down.

Not.

Grab your copy of North of Nowhere and settle in for a wild read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for an action packed read.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for a copy of North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan.

I really enjoyed North of Nowhere - especially on audiobook. I loved the setting of rural Montana during a snowstorm and I was drawn into this thriller from the beginning of the book to the end.

Kristen and Ryan are hiding in rural Montana from their father Boyd McIntyre. They escaped with a man who has been raising them to get away from their LA Crime family, but the day they've been waiting for has come. They try to escape but their plane is shot down and crashes in the Montana Wilderness as a storm is approaching. Who will find Kristen and Ryan first?

It took a little bit to keep the large cast of characters straight, but once I figured out who was on the McIntrye side and who was on the good side I was hooked. I loved the unpredictability of this book.

I want to read more of Allison Brennan's books now!

North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan is a fast-paced adrenaline rush. Born into a crime family, Kristen has had to deal with a lot at a young age. Her psychotic grandmother was the head of the mob, ruling over her family. She manipulated everyone to do her bidding. After witnessing multiple murders, Kristen needed to escape. In at attempt to begin a new life, far removed from her family, she found peace for a time. Until her past caught up with her. Brennan weaves a chilling tale of mystery, survival and murder that will keep you turning pages!