Tony Reed is on the run with his two kids, Kristen and Ryan. The problem? They aren’t his kids and their family wants them back—a family that is willing to kill to get what they want.

This book jumps out of the gate at full speed and doesn’t let up on the action.

For me North of Nowhere started off great with suspense but than plateaus about three quarters of the way into the plot, Brennans’s crime syndicate family and a local land owner who owns a resort and has the main house on the same land are initially interesting and engaging. The Montana atmosphere is excellent the pages are filled with suspense, danger and conflict. But as the plot progresses there becomes too many characters and I feel the story suffers because the characters are one dimensional and I didn’t feel connected to them, it becomes overwhelming and melodramatic. The quality of the writing declines for me because the action scenes are interrupted by the characters digressing into what the characters are calculating or discussing their feelings when their being tracked in a snow storm by dangerous men and, the importance of getting out of the snow storm in the Montana wilderness
It had plot holes, unfinished story arcs I felt it could have used a few more chapters to tie everything together. Unless it’s being turned into a series, I was disappointed. I was left wanting more. It was not my favourites of Allison Brennan’s I will definitely keep reading her books,
The ARC of North of Nowhere was provided by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review I would like to thank both NetGalley St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books.

Nail-biting suspense, engaging characters and surprise twists and turns make this book a fun read. The snow and survival setting adds even more tension. Recommended for lovers of suspense/thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Taking place during a blizzard in Montana was the perfect setting for this thriller, the guns, the snow, the hiding . . . I was freezing the whole time reading this book. The story is about family - a blood family - which is a criminal family who does some really bad things - and the family you create being surrounded by those you love and whom love you. But when the criminal family comes calling . . . all hell breaks loose. I read this book in one day.

I had no idea this author has written so many books. Quite the prolific writer. Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Brennan, Minotaur Books and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Allison Brennan's North of Nowhere is a high-octane no holds-bar thriller that holds you tight in its grip till the very end. Set in the wilderness of Montana, two siblings are forced to run when their father, head of a ruthless crime syndicate, discovers their whereabouts and comes to bring them home.

I like Allison Brennan as an author and signed up for ARC for this book. So thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The book started off at a fast pace, fast enough that I couldn't put it down and then became a bit predictable. So many characters to keep track of. I appreciated that there are no "good guys" vs "bad guys" but that everyone can do good and bad deeds.
There are a lot characters and at times it wasn’t clear who the good guys were and who were the bad guys. I don't want to give away the story, so do read the book. Another interesting trivia is that Ms. Brennan submitted this story back in 2016 and revisited it again and changed it to one of hope and forgiveness.

I would never miss a book by Allison Brennan. Her writing is highly entertaining. I loved this book! Couldn't put it down. Don't miss it.

Be prepared - this book has lots of characters to keep track of. Perhaps a bit too many. At times it's confusing as to who is on what side. Multiple plot twists will keep you on your toes - or in my case trying to refresh my memory as to who is the good guys. My first book from this author. Hope the others are not so confusing.

For five years, Boyd McIntyre has kept Kristen and Ryan McIntyre safe from their father and their family, hiding, moving from place to place and teaching the kids how to survive on their own in the wilderness in case the inevitable happens and Boyd is no longer there to keep them safe. But the time has come as their father and his henchmen have finally found them and this time Boyd is determined to keep the kids safe no matter what but with enemies after them, their aunt Ruby is determined to help find the kids and keep them as safe as possible even as she goes against her crime family as well as their plans for the kids. With nowhere to turn, Kristen and Ryan have to stay alive in the wilderness even as they grieve the loss of their protector while staying ahead of the people bent on capturing them no matter what.

NORTH OF NOWHERE by Allison Brennan is an action-packed adventure from start to finish as Kristen and Ryan’s crime boss father finally catches up with them and now with their protector dead and kids on the run, it’s a race against the clock as the bad guys known and unknown chase after them and they are determined to capture them once and for all. Allison Brennan delivers a wild ride from start to finish and it’s a story I was so caught up in that I lost track of time until I finished the book at three in the morning. This is one book that can read as a standalone story and delivers characters that will keep you glued to the pages, from a crime family that is determined to tie up loose ends, an aunt who got out of that family and is determined to find the kids and keep them safe and a cast of secondary characters that will leave you breathless. I love this author’s books and she is an auto-buy no matter what she writes and NORTH OF NOWHERE is one adrenaline race against the clock with twists I sure didn’t see coming until the end of the book.

NORTH OF NOWHERE is about Kristen and Ryan McIntyre, whose father and his family run a crime family filled with bad people, corrupt police/politicians, etc. and more in California. Ryan and Kristen have been on the run for five years, moving repeatedly, learning to survive and stay safe with their protector, Boyd McIntyre and the game finally ends as they face their greatest test when their family finally finds them. These characters had me gripping the kindle in anticipation as the race to find the kids ramps up halfway through the book and even more players come aboard the pages. I was thrilled to see that I had no problem keeping the cast of characters straight to the end of the book. I can attest this book had me on the edge of my seat till the very end of the book. There were a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and the ending was satisfying in all ways.

Allison Brennan is a talented storyteller who delivers a great thriller to lose yourself this summer. If you haven’t read this author before, then you can start with this one then tries her other books. I can’t wait to see where she goes next in her writing and what she comes up with story wise. I highly recommend NORTH OF NOWHERE if you enjoy action packed books filled with good and bad guys, captivating characters, and a setting that’s lush and wonderfully described.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

North of Nowhere was a solid thriller with interesting and multi-faceted characters. As they say, no one is truly good nor evil, and finding the gray is what Allison Brennan was able to do exceptionally well.

Kristen and Jamie are siblings being raised by Tony, whom they call dad. Kristen is 16 and knows that Tony isn't her dad and she's been prepared for the early morning wake-up since they escaped her and Jamie's biological father five years previously. Kristen and Jamie get up and start moving and Tony does all he can to lead them to a remote cabin in the woods where they can begin the second part of their journey. Unfortunately, more than Kristen and Jamie's father are out to find them, and the book almost immediately jumps off into a hunt--but who's hunting the kids and why? That's the question that the first half of the book explores, all the while delving into the grayness of life. Kristen, as the older sibling, remembers why they left her father and what kind of man he was. But is her memory from when she was a tween that reliable? Can she forget the good times when he was a generous and loving father? And will Kristen and Jamie be ok? Will they escape, with a storm coming and limited resources with multiple people hunting them?

Multiple excellent characters come in and out of the book, adding layers of complexity that would be excellent if not for the repetitive geography lessons and the unreliable storm timeline. I learned about the counties that Big Sky is in, near, straddled between multiple times and the storm seemed like it was always a couple of hours away.

Overall, this was a solid thriller, a good chase through the woods, and an excellent examination into family ties, the dichtomy of good versus evil, and how nothing is really ever what it seems.

What a rollercoaster of a read. This was spine tingling, I could not put it down I had to know how it ended. The characters were wonderful and the setting really made this gripping. So many twists and turns and one heck of a finale. I did not expect it to end how it did.
Moments of abject terror! With an amazing plot and characters you end up feeling close to. Perfect

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ruby hasn't seen her niece and nephew because her brother took them and is on the run. He took them so that they would be safe. After living in the same place for a while he is found. This book was a good read and I cant wait to read her next one.

Great read.
The McIntyre kids have been living in the Montana wilderness for the past 5 years after fleeing their father and his LA crime syndicate family with a long time family friend, they choose to think of as their dad. Their life is good and happy until the family finds them and they are forced to flee, as a fierce winter storm is about to hit.
Enthralling action with suspense that is non stop and builds from page one. The characters are all so well defined you easily see them, leaping off the pages in front of you.
Great plot and just a super story in the Allison Brennan style that has always served her well.
Definitely ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from start to finish.
Some books are pure roses.
🌹This is one🌹

A novel about the Family, for good and for bad. That thread of family is carried all throughout this novel. I really enjoyed it and it will prompt me to take a look at more of Allison Brennan's books. All the characters didn't really bother me. The only problem I had was there was SO much exposition re previous events I had to keep reassuring myself this was a standalone novel and not a series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher or the ARC.

North of Nowhere
by Allison Brennan
Pub Date: August 18, 2023
Minotaur
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
There are a lot characters and at times it wasn’t clear who the good guys were and who were the bad guys.
Author, Allison Brennan has written 40 books and I have read most of them.
This was not my favorite of her novels but I did enjoy reading the Acknowledgement and hearing about her motivation to write this book.I was interested that Ms. Brennan submitted this to her agent in 2016 and he told her it had some problems.
So she rewrote; she wanted to write about family–the good and the bad. SO five years later the story she wanted to write about family, forgiveness and hope came together.
Yes there were times I wanted to close the book and pick up another. But I'm glad I stuck to it. Too Many characters for me, but you might like it.
3 stars

Book Title: North of Nowhere
Author: Allison Brennan
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: August 8, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars!

This is a story of a mafia family looking for their kidnapped children who don’t want to be found!

Kristin and her deaf brother Ryan have been hiding in a small town in Montana. Five years ago, Kristen witnessed her mother’s death. Tony her father’s best friend takes Kristin and Ryan from their crime family’s estate to Montana.
The day they have been dreading for the past five years has arrived. Their murderous father Boyd McIntyre, head of a Los Angeles crime family, is minutes away from kidnapping them.

The story had my emotions all over the place
There are a lot characters and at times it wasn’t clear who the good guys were and who were the bad guys.
Author, Allison Brennan has written 40 books and several short stories. This is only my second. The first was "Don’t Open the Door".Although I am not a big fan yet, I am looking forward to reading her next novel.

I love reading the ‘Acknowledgements’ I expect the recognition of those you helped in bring the story to life but I also like when the author talk about the motivation. Thought it was interested that Ms. Brennan submitted this to her agent in 2016 and he told her it had some problems….mostly no connection to the characters.
So she rewrote; she wanted to write about family–the good and the bad. SO five years later the story she wanted to write about family, forgiveness and hope came together.
Yes there were times I wanted to close the book and pick up a nice cozy mystery; but I did feel a connection to Kristen so will read another.
My 3 star rating is my rating for Good.

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for granting me the pleasure of reading this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 8, 2023

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinion.

This book was a great read,! It had the right amount of drama and surprise. I will definitely being looking for more titles by this author.

I will say if you are not a fan of a book with a lot of characters you will have a hard time following along. But all in all most of the characters were likable. Even with that, they were easy to follow. The story had plenty of drama. Crime families always have trouble around the corner. Fast pace and good read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan, published by St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Great read! Fast paced, lots of characters, was able to keep most of them straight as I read, but they were well described and fit well in the storyline. I liked the plot, the strength of the female characters. The story takes place over a short period of time, but there are some reflections on the past that adds to current events.
A family that is involved in crime is now looking for two children that have been missing for 5 years, the kids were taken from their father and have been living with a man called Tony whom they love and trust. But they have been found and must now run. How far can they get with the storm that's on the way. They are experienced and prepared though and should be fine.
This is the first book I have read by Allison Brennan, but won't be the last. I really like her writing style.

Tony Reed rescued Kristen and Ryan McIntyre from their murderous crime family and kept them in hiding for five years on a Montana ranch. Their dad, Boyd is finally onto them and the trio quickly flees via plane. Unfortunately, someone shoots the fuel line and they are forced to make an emergency landing in the Montana wilderness and there is a winter storm approaching.
The story is fast-paced and filled with suspense, and I recommend it for thriller/mystery lovers. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is due to the huge amount of secondary characters. It was difficult to keep track of all of them at times. I did appreciate that the females tended to be very strong and the author incorporated a realistic deaf character into the plot.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this story. The characters were not just likable some are loveable. A man, Tony who has done badly in the past, is making up for it by trying to save two kids. He loved their mother and loves them. He will be doing all he can to keep them safe and away from the family they came from. The cruel and merciless crime family wants them back at all costs. Kristen is just 16 and she has been in hiding with Tony for five years she loves him like a father, he trained her and taught her to be safe and protect herself. Ryan is now 11, born deaf he has learned to adapt and loves his sister Kristen and father figure, Tony. He must be kept safe and Kristen and Tony will do all they can to make sure of that.
This book kept me interested right from the beginning and never faltered. It was understandable when describing events. You can visualize it all. I couldn't put it down finally a book to hold your interest and not be bored. Thank you NetGalley and publishers St. Martins Press Mintour Books and Allison Brennan for this eARC this is my honest opinion I recommend this book if this is your genre if it's not, give it a try anyhow, you will enjoy it.