There is so much going on in North of Nowhere. Allison Brennan gives us high octane fun in the very busy town of Big Sky, Montana. (I have watched a television show by the same name and let's just say a lot of murders happen there (chuckle).)

Brennan gives us multiple points of view from the killers, yes I said killers as in more than one, to the parties on the run. The story takes place in a twenty-four hour period with flashbacks thrown in. Main characters die, get hurt, go missing, and survive. Brennan keeps readers on their edge of the seats as a plane gets shot down, a storm is coming, rages down, and someone even slides down a mountain side (though some might say crash down the side). There is even a moose incident.

Eliza Foss keeps everything interesting no matter whose voice we are hearing from. They voice sixteen-year-old Kristen to a forty-year-old veteran to a rancher just trying to figure out what is going on while saving two kids. There are also lots of voices in between and Foss keeps it all straight and entertaining.

According to the author who started writing this book in 2016, this was not a one and done. Her agent actually rejected her submission. She shelved it, but it wouldn't leave her alone. Four years later, she had her "Aha!" moment and Kristen and Ryan had a complex backstory. There are some dark moments in this telling of their tale so be prepared.

Brennan gives us another outstanding thriller for the summer. It might take place in the winter chill, but it will definitely heat up your blood as the chase moves through the mountains. I loved it.

This was an enjoyable book with an excellent narrator. 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. Eliza Foss was a terrific narrator.

A great escape book- literally. A man and the 2 children he has been raising, keeping them safe from the criminals of the family they were born into, suddenly find themselves on the run but it's something he has been preparing them for, many years in the making. It feels like a Real Time suspense being played out in the cold winter wilderness of the Northwest. Definitely kept my interest! Great story by Allison Brennan and very well narrated by Eliza Foss. Highly recommend this engaging thriller. Thanks to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC Audio book.

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.

had a hard time getting into it, the story was hard to follow and i didnt like any of the characters. sorry :(

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

I really love listening to escape books when I'm traveling or falling asleep. I'm sure sleep experts would advise against this, but my wonderful, loving partner snores and I'm able to stay next to him. :)

This particular book was a chase story, mainly several clusters of adults trying to protect or kidnap (or both) two young children who are connected to a mob family. What I appreciated about this book was just when you thought you were in the last geographical area the book would take place, there'd be another move, and the author didn't always take the easy ways out with different elements. The characters were flat, but you don't need a dynamic character when the point is plot and page-turning. Worked just fine for my needs.

This was my third book by Allison Brennan. Many of her books are part of a series, so I was excited to dive into this standalone. If you enjoy family crime drama, a cat and mouse chase, along with some action, this may be for you. Had it not been an audio book, I'm not sure I would've finished as I think it reads more like a movie versus a book. The audio helped to visualize the storyline and kept me listening. I have nothing negative to say regarding the writing or story, it just wasn't for me, but I think readers who enjoy this type of book will enjoy. I enjoyed books 1 and 2 of Reagan Merritt (The Sorority Murder) much more and I'm on the lookout for the 3rd.

Thank you to Allison Brennan, Minotaur books, and Netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for a voluntary review!

This was my first Allison Brennan book and it definitely will not be my last. Brother and sister, Kristen and Ryan have been hiding from their murderous criminal father and his family. Desperate to live a different life they move to rural Montana. After five years they are discovered by their father and find themselves fighting for their lives in the unforgiving wilderness during a blizzard. There are people out there to help them and several who are determined to take them back to the family and a life full of violence and fear. All are fighting to get to the siblings before they are lost forever to the elements and wildlife.

This was so much fun. Tons of action, great characters and drama. Very entertaining!!
The narration was great and well delivered!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 ⭐️

#NetGalley #NorthofNowhere #AllisonBrennan

North of Nowhere will have you on the edge of your seat from the first page, and you will wish you had a seat belt to hold you in as the action and tension continue non-stop to the last page.

It took a little bit to get into North of Nowhere but it was worth the time invested. The development of the plot, with the description of survival in the wilderness during an anticipated storm, and the race against time to find the kids makes it hard to put down.
I had the good fortune to listen to the audiobook version of North of Nowhere. The narration, by Eliza Foss, is very well executed. (No pun intended).
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this ARC.

Kristen and Ryan McIntyre are on the run. Their father Boyd McIntyre, part of a Los Angeles crime family, has finally found them after five years of them hiding in Montana with their family friend Tony. Tony, Kristen, and Ryan attempted to escape on a plane, but someone shot the fuel line. After crash landing in the Montana wilderness, Kristen and Ryan attempt to survive, but it won’t be easy. Many people are trying to catch up with them, including their Aunt Ruby, their father, the man Tony worked for, and whoever shot the fuel line. Will they escape with those with good intentions? Will their father or the person that shot the fuel line capture them? Will the winter storm coming in prove too dangerous for everyone involved?

Allison Brennan will have you on the edge of your seat with the suspense in this one. I am a huge fan of Brennan, and this just became my favorite book by her. There are many characters introduced, but the way Brennan writes makes it easy to determine each person’s role in the story. The narrator of the audiobook was amazing. She spoke clearly and I had no problems following the audiobook. Clear your schedule because you won’t be able to put this one down. The suspense is just that good! I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys thrillers. I give it 5/5 stars.

Started off right away. Well written, love the character's. This is the first time reading this author, but will definitely be checking out her long list of books.

Tony kidnapped Kristen and her brother, five years ago. After working for their father, Boyd, for many years, he fell in love with their mother and they were planning to run away together and save the kids from their crime boss grandma and dad. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned and when their mother was killed, Tony vowed to take care of her children. Always diligent, Tony senses something not right as Boyd finally finds them on a ranch in Montana. Escaping into the frigid winter cold in the throes of a winter storm, no one is safe from the elements or from those out for revenge. This book felt like a sequel, to me. It took a long time to figure out just exactly what everyone’s backstory was and parts of the plot were on the cheesy side. Not my favorite book by Brennan as there were just too many unsavory characters. The voice on the audio was good and in the end it was OK, but not her best. Thank you to Minotaur, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

North of Nowhere

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I am not sure why, I have enjoyed other titles from this author, but although the action stays constant in this novel, and the suspense level is maintained, it just wasn't my cuppa. I found it slightly sophomoric, your mileage may certainly differ, if it helps, I enjoy psychological thrillers and classic police procedurals.

Until next time, keep reading!

How far would you go to get away from your family? Secrets, lies, prison, payoffs, criminal activity and plotting. This story has it all. Complex relationships abound. Good read.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced audio edition of North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan.

You ever have a friend launch into a story and the entire time you're asking them to back up asking "who are we talking about? what were they doing? and why are they doing it?" That was me pretty much the whole time. This a cat and mouse book, a giant dangerous manhunt through a frozen portion of Montana that shoots first and asks questions later. And even though the book eventually catches you up, I began the story already feeling frustrated. I needed way more context and build up in order to ever invest myself into the story, and I never actually got that. Mostly I got a lot of whiplash.

As an avid fan of this author, I was eagerly anticipating their latest offering, "North of Nowhere." While I must admit that the storyline stretched the boundaries of plausibility, I managed to suspend my disbelief and fully immerse myself in the plot. What struck me as unexpected about this story was its lack of major red herrings or significant role reversals. The characters, for the most part, remained true to their initial representations. The narrative blended suspense with elements of police drama, creating an intriguing mix. While the story did include a few surprises to maintain its momentum, they didn't completely floor me—and surprisingly, I found myself perfectly content with that. The exploration of struggle, strength, and the inclusion of survival aspects were aspects of the story that I particularly appreciated.

This was a difficult one to get into. It almost felt like we were put into the middle of a story. It was just an odd choice of a starting point. I couldn’t get really grounded into the world. I wasn’t feeling a connection to the characters. The high stakes were lost on me. I needed more to really engage me with what was happening. I listened to an audiobook and I thought the narrator was great. It was the story itself that failed to really capture my attention and hold it.