First and foremost the biggest strength of this story is the narrator and author's ability to bring you right into the cold, harsh environment of a Montana winter. If you've ever been to the northern Rockies, you could feel the chill in your bones. Many characters come in and out of the story and can be a bit of a struggle to keep track of or to determine alliances, but with proper suspension of belief (where some plot elements feel a tad outlandish), the story is a fun ride.

Really good story and a really good narrator make for a great audiobook. This was my first time, listening to some thing from this author, and I will definitely be back again

THE GOOD:
An interesting thriller in a chilly, snowy atmosphere, which becomes a character in itself.
Beautiful Montana landscapes, and a friendly, down-home, country feel among the residents.

THE BAD:
The behavior, and physical capabilities given to, the main "bad guy" seem kind of ridiculous.
Too much emphasis on "tough women".
Kinda felt like the story went on an on with a lot of talking and not much happening.

CONCLUSION:
A good winter thriller to read by the fire.

Boyd McIntyre is the head of a Los Angeles crime family, or at least he is the face of enterprise. Five years earlier, his adopted brother and his children's godfather, took his children with him to escape the family with the help of Boyd's sister Ruby. They have been hiding out in Montana, but Boyd has finally found them. Trying to escape, the plane they are in is hit by gunfire and it crashes. Kristen and Ryan survive, but Tony, the man they thought of as their father, is seriously injured. He tells them to leave him and they do. Meanwhile Boyd has hired a tracker and he is closing in. Ruby gets a message that the kids are in danger and she heads to the mountain woods to find them, as well as rancher Nick Lorenzo, and his son, Kristen's best friend. With all these people looking for them, who will find them first and will they survive the storm that is moving in?

North of Nowhere is a standalone thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Whenever kids are in danger, my emotions are all over the place. Kristen is now eleven, but has had a lot of trauma in her life. She saw her mother killed and was treated terribly by her grandmother. She hated the McIntyre family and wanted nothing to do with them. She has no desire to return to their home in Los Angeles. Ryan is younger and deaf. He doesn't remember his father and thinks of Tony as his father. He is a bit scared to be out in the woods, but knows he needs to do what he is told to remain safe. I loved the relationship between the siblings. Ruby left home when her fiancé was killed by the family and enlisted in the army, she also wants nothing to do with the family, but is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her niece and nephew safe. There is a lot of tension and suspense in this story, that had me worried about what might happen next. There were some twists that I had expected, but I was still a bit surprised by some of what happened. This is a well plotted story with just the right amount of adventure and danger. If you enjoy a good suspense story with some twists, then I recommend North of Nowhere. I did a read/listen and found the narrator, Eliza Foss did an nice job with the story, the voices and the expression and tone. I have listened to her before and have been pleased with her work.

This is my first Allison Brennan novel, but not my last. This book is fabulous. If you like to go for a wild ride in your reading, this one's for you. ACTION PACKED family drama that will cause you to binge read! I highly recommend it!!

Many, many thanks to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for an audio copy of this book for an honest review.

I have enjoyed Allison Brennan's books in the past, but this one just didn't connect for me. I tried to pick it back up a few times after starting, and each time I felt so disconnected from the characters and plot. Just wasn't for me. I think some people will like this one.
No issues with the audio!

I did not finish this audiobook - I really enjoy the Quinn and Costa series by Allison Brennan, however I really struggled to get into the story of this one. The narration was fine, but I found it hard to connect with the story as well as the characters. It felt like being dropped into the situation, however clarifying details didn't feel like they were sprinkled in with the story as it went on.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

Kristin and Ryan McIntyre are in a fight to stay alive. They are being hunted, and the man who cared for them as if they were his own, was killed when their plane is shot down. Their father, Boyd McIntyre, who is head of a Los Angeles crime family, wants his kids back, and won't hesitate to mow down anyone in his way. The children are now deep in the Montana Wilderness, and they are struggling to stay alive, all while fighting the elements and other dangers.

One of the people looking for them is their aunt Ruby, Body's sister. She wanted absolutely nothing at all to do with the crime element that her family was so she got out by joining the Army. When a phone call alerts her that her niece and nephew are in grave danger, she will go to the ends of the earth to find them and protect them.

Meanwhile, Boyd and a tracker he has hired want the children. As far as Boyd is concerned, his children will become part of the family business. Then there is the children's grandmother, who is very dangerous in her own right.

What a thrill ride when it came to listening to this book! I was completely drawn into the drama when it came to the children, especially as Ryan is deaf, but proved to be just as strong as his sister Kristin.

Danger in the form of being hunted. And danger from a brutal snowstorm that makes things equally dangerous for Ryan and Kristin. This is a true story of survival and kept my attention throughout.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

4-4.5 stars!

Wow, I loved this audiobook narration by Elisa Foss, and this book really helped to bust a recent reading slump for me. Eliza brought the story to life in such an entertaining way, and I can’t wait to add more books that she has narrated.

NORTH OF NOWHERE is an atmospheric mystery with plenty of twists, and so many secrets.

*many thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Sadly due to some unfortunate events that took place I was unable to read this before the archive date. However I do look forward to purchasing the book because of course I still want to dive in to the story.

North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan
Narrated by Eliza Foss
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: August 8, 2023

North of Nowhere is a standalone mystery by Allison Brennan. This book was such a great read! This book was so intense and way better than I could have even imagined.

I loved how there were so many twists and intense scenes. I look forward to reading other books by this author!

The narration by Eliza Foss was incredible! I loved how she brought the story to life!

If you love mysteries, you should totally read this one!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hang on to your seats, this thriller will keep you gasping and turning the pages almost faster than you can read them. Kristen and Ryan were young when their father killed their mother and he was sent to prison and their godfather, Tony, took them away to hide them from their father and grandmother. Now that their father is out of prison he is coming for them. Tony wakes them in the middle of the night and they try to escape by plane but gunshots ring out and Tony is shot during take off and he can only fly so far and ends up crashing short of their destination. Now he is seriously wounded and cannot travel through the wilderness but sends the children with all their supplies in hopes they can escape before the gunmen and the weather catch up to them. They are lost in the wilderness in a blizzard with not only the mob after them but their aunt, Ruby, and a rancher, Nick, are looking to save them. Who is going to get to them first? Fast paced and thrilling. Definitely a recommendation from me!

North of Nowhere was the first of Allison Brennan’s books that I’ve read but it won’t be the last. A fascinating suspense with unexpected twists and surprises, North of Nowhere kept my attention to the end. Complete with a compelling setting and dark family secrets, the story is a thrilling read and I definitely recommend it.

This story is a slow burn. Unfortunately I ended up DNF'ing this book. The story line felt a little stale, like I've read this before - and very predictable.
I read a lot of mystery / thrillers, so I think that someone newer to the genre may enjoy this one.

I wanted to love this one. I really did. I've liked other books by this author... but I just could not get into this one! I'm not sure if it was just the characters, or the story it else, maybe it felt a bit- cheesy? I'm not sure.

What I liked:
• good premise
• great setting
• survival thriller
• fast paced

What I didn't like:
• predictable story
• too long

Audiobook: once again I loved the narrator!
Narrator: Eliza Foss
Length: 11h 38m

3⭐book
4⭐ audio

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

North of Nowhere is an edge of your seat adventure thriller set in the wilds of Montana in the winter. I’m giving this book the benefit of the doubt with my rating. I did not enjoy the narration and that affected the experience. Perhaps the dialogue would have worked for reading but it didn’t work on audio.
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook copy for review.

I did not finish. It seemed to stereotypical of a “mob” story and the. Nara term was cheesy. I just could not get into it. Maybe I wasn’t I the right mood at the time, but this was a no from me.

A good traditional mystery with appealing characters and solid twists. I don't tend to love wilderness tracking kind of books and might have passed this one up if I knew more about that at the outset, but I'm glad I didn't. Solid audiobook narration as well.