After an interesting start in Paris, the story failed to live up to its promise. Veterinarian Kira, protégée of Sarah Logan (Killing Game, Search), is a strong female lead and I liked her wonder dog Mack. There is plenty of action and some cool inventions, but the characters weren’t developed enough to engage me. I rounded up to three stars because of the animals. Anything by Johansen is sure to be in demand but this was a disappointing miss for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Iris Johansen has written many books with strong female characters. I have particularly liked her Eve Duncan series. Now she is introducing us to a new series starring Kira Drake, a veterinarian who develops serums to extend the life of dogs and also trains dogs to do amazing things. In particular, she has a golden retriever named Mack who is her constant companion, trained to aid in bombings, tracking, treasure hunting, etc. While investigating a bombing in Paris, she is asked to try and track the bomber in the US. The bomber is also being hunted by Jack Harlan and soon Harlan and Kira are working together. The plot moved along at a good pace but was very predictable in most spots. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the spunk Kira and Fiona (Harlan’s niece) showed throughout the book. I did enjoy the book, it just wasn’t one of my favorite Johansen ones. I give the book 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published 9/3/2024.

Despite this story being so similar in formula to her other books with a strong, independent woman and a wealthy man who needs her help while they jet off around the world to right a wrong, it is still a story that grabs your attention and makes you want to read. Kira and her dog Mack are needed by Harlan to help stop Taylor who is out to destroy him. Along the way, Harlan's niece Fiona and her horses become involved when there is attack on Fiona and Kira during Kira's visit to his castle in France. They race to find a safe space for everyone so that they can go after Taylor. They have a chance when Kira needs to go back to a treasure hunt on a private island. The treasure hunt involves cave diving and the descriptions are vivid. The pacing of the story is fast and there is a lot of action, but at times it is hard to like the characters. You just keep reading anyway as you want to find out what happens next. There isn't a lot of background of the people as the story goes that quickly, so it will be interesting to see if we learn more about them in the next one.

Iris Johansen’s newest book, On the Hunt, was a 3-star read for me. It was not one of my favorites by this author and I have read every one of her books (along with Roy’s). This new series brings forward Kira Drake and her dog Mack with the introduction of billionaire Harlan and their story as they try and extract both a buried treasure and avoid Joseph Taylor. The storyline did pick up in places and I loved the character of Fiona, Harlan’s niece, but this just did not feel like the normal Iris Johansen read with it almost feeling rushed by the author. Thanks to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Rating: 3 stars Publication Date: September 3, 2024

This is another great book! This involves Kira she meets a new person, Harlan, and midway through the book Kalim again. They go to his island where most of the action takes place. There is action, treasure hunting and killing the bad guys along with Mack, her wonderful dog.

While I have always been a fan of her books for some reason, this one did not grab my attention and it was very predictable. It was hard trying to force myself to read the book.

This is the first of a new series by Johansen and it shows promise. The opener involves billionaire genius and his family who have been targeted by a murderer our for revenge. Looking to track him down and protect his loved ones as well as his business enterprises, he hires Kira Drake and her search and rescue dog Mack to find him. The search takes them from America, to Europe and Northern Africa as they track him down. The characters are engaging and this could be the beginning of another winner for Johansen.

Mystery, treasure, dogs, and horses. What’s not to like. Interesting characters and goog plot that holds your interest

On the Hunt was good but did not meet my expectations from this author. Everything was just too predictable and not as tense as I wanted.

I’ve always loved Iris Johansen books but for some reason I struggled a bit with this book. I think I couldn’t get invested in any of the characters. I loved the dog Mack but the things he could do were almost impossible to believe.

Just finished On The Hunt by Iris Johansson and it was excellent!!!
It featured Kira Drake and her fabulous multi trained golden retriever dog Mack!!! She has always been one of my favorite regular characters from the world of Iris Johansen and I loved that she and Mack were front and center! Kira is smart,beautiful and very out spoken and her research and testing has created hybrid dogs who's life expectancy is twice maybe three times that of a normal dog! Between her work on Summer Island facility with friend and mentor Sarah Logan she and Mack are in high demand. So when she's asked to track the person who bombed a Paris Museum named after Inventor and noble peace prize winner Jack Harlan it looks like his nemesis Joseph Taylor is the suspect! Taylor killed his brother Colin in cold blood and ever since Harlan has been on a mission to find him and bring him to justice for killing his brother. But he needs Kira and Mack two of the best trackers in the business to help. Kira finally agrees to track him but she doesn't want to personally deal with Harlan.But when she under estimates Taylor it gets Mack shot and puts her in Taylor's crosshairs and its Harlan to the rescue.
Not one to be indebted to anyone, Kira and Mack join forces with Harlan to take down Taylor! This was a fast paced game of cat and mouse with awesome characters and a fantastic storyline and some really great writing! I loved so much about this book! The chemistry and sexual tension between Harlan and Kira was hot and the whole thriller/suspense vibe with the underwater caves with hidden treasures with giant prehistoric snakes thought to be extinct kept you on the edge! And side characters like Harlan's fifteen year old niece Fiona a smart,spunky and precocious young lady who's gift with horses is truly amazing! I loved this kid! And Jabir Kalim ruler of the Island of Hathor! He's magnificent, just ask him!! I love his close relationship with Kira! He's powerful arrogant and handsome and very protective of her and his people! And his interactions with the strong headed Fiona were priceless! She held her ground and won him totally over! And as far as villains go both Taylor and his right hand Donavan lived up to their title of villian. If you love a great romantic thriller full of suspense with side of passion and unforgettable characters and some really amazing animals! check this book out! It was awesome! Until till next time Luv's😉💋

Just ok

I have to say this isn't one of my favorites by this author. The book has a different feel than past books by Ms. Johansen, the lead characters were a bit flat and their interactions felt forced to me. Kira was definitely a strong female lead, and Harlan is the billionaire handsome man, they have the inevitable clash in the beginning, but again, just felt forced.

I liked Fiona, Harlan's niece, and her way with the horses. There were aspects of the book that were more science fiction-y to me, I won't say what they were due to spoilers. Maybe this book should be marketed to new adults or even the mid-teen range instead of women's fiction, it might have a better audience there.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

I have enjoyed books from Iris Johansen in the past but this one fell flat for me. The plot had a decent concept but it didn't work. It lacked depth and the dialogue wasn't natural. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters and I ended up not caring what happened.

Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this book early for an honest review.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was an okay read for me. I was kind of disappointed in the characters and felt they fought back and forth for power so much that it became annoying. Overall the storyline was good and I enjoyed the idea of the horses and dogs and the work being done there. The suspense and chase was good but not fantastic.
2.75 stars

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel bad because I have enjoyed a few of the other books written by this author, but this book never gained any traction with me mainly because the characters were one dimensional and were like they were from a b-movie production. This book was just ok. 3-stars

I would like to thank Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, Iris Johansen. On the Hunt is a must read. Iris Johansen is one of my favorite authors. I have read many of her books. In this one the main character is excellent. She is definitely really a great individual. If you have read any of her books you will find her to similar to one of the other great maim characters. I was surprised and thrilled to see other characters from her other series. I definitely would look forward to reading more of her of this character. I couldn't put this book down. The adventure, twists and love that develops between 2 characters is amazing. The supporting characters really help develop the story. If you are looking for one of her best books look no further.

Kira Drake has come to Paris with her highly trained Golden Retriever, Mack, to investigate the horrific bombing of a museum in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Iris Johansen's new book On The Hunt. 
 
Jack Harlan has all the money in the world, but it can’t bring his brother back. His sibling was murdered during the theft of a scientific discovery that could have made the world a better place. Now, after a four-year search, Harlan learns that this bombing was the work of the same twisted man. 
 
Kira and her dog are in demand from law enforcement agencies all over the world, but Harlan convinces her to continue the investigation for his own purposes, wherever it may lead. So, against her better judgment, Kira finds herself on the hunt, placing her trust in Harlan. For what she hopes is justice. When what he may be seeking is vengeance.

Love, love, love Mack, the dog. He is the best part of the story. Kira is also a great character. For me, the story was slow in parts and a bit confusing with all the various characters.

Overall, On The Hunt was an okay read. The story had some good, tense moments and held my interest for the most part. I would rate this book a 3.75 out of 5 stars (rounded to 4).

#OntheHunt #NetGalley @GrandCentralpub

I’d read another novel by Johansen, so this sounded good based on the blurb. It wasn’t exactly what I expected. There are several events taking place which results in two strong willed people seeking revenge and justice. Kira and Harlan both have reasons to want bomber, murderer Taylor caught. Kira and her dog, Mack, have potential for future adventures. She’s extremely independent, determined to not be manhandled, spent lots of time proving how good she was on her own. For me the writing style seemed simplistic, immature. The conversations between characters was stilted. There was little character development, I had no background on Kira or Harlan until half way through the story. I felt like I’d been dropped into a crowd of strangers. Where does she live, how did she get into treasure hunting, how did that relate to tracking bad guys? Does she have family? I know that many first in a series lay out background more than plot. This story was heavy on plot. The tech mogul, Harlan, could become interesting, his innovations were original. The men, both the good and evil, spent their time trying to impress Kira or kill her. Fiona, the teenage niece, was the most interesting and believable for me. She was bright and relatable. The treasure, the Egyptian horse breeder, the caves and castle were intriguing. The inevitable romance that developed wasn’t a surprise, it was well worked into the scenes. They spent many hours on a private jet traveling back and forth between the Caribbean, Paris and Egypt.
Longtime readers and a different audience of Johansen will likely appreciate the story, it just did not work for me. I would give the author another try, just not this series. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing (via NetGalley) for the Advance Reader Copy of On the Hunt by Iris Johansen, Kira Drake #1. Publication expected 09/03/2023.

I have always enjoyed books by Ms. Johansen. Some are hit or miss and her Eve Duncan books are really good. This book has some interesting characters and the storyline is different. Not her best work, but it held my interest and I enjoyed it. I would recommend reading it just don't expect a great read. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

An interesting thriller style story but I had a harder than normal time with the dialogue. I find this to always be a bit forced and somewhat repetitive in Johansen novels but can typically overlook it for the great plots. In this one it was much harder to put aside.