Customer Reviews

Countdown (Eve Duncan)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

I haven't read such a bad book in a while. The plot was far fetched, too fragmented, and unlikely. The characters - especially Jane - unsympathetic. The interaction between the characters is psychologically a stretch.

But what really bothered me was the repetitive writing style. "She stiffened", "he stiffened", "Trevor stiffened", "McDuff stiffened", there was a lot of stiffening going on - in lieu of interesting action, obviously.

Everyone is angry and constantly saying "dammit". Jane's gaze flies a lot. Her gaze flies to his face, flies to the action, flies here and there. And she whirls. "She whirled on him" - frequently. McDuff whirled a few times, too.

Between the stiffening, the whirling, the gazes flying and the dammits, the style was insipid to the point of torture. Needless to say, I do not recommend this book.

Let me start by saying that I generally love this author. But, this one was a huge letdown. I tried to read the story 2 times and ended up giving it to my sister to she if she likes it. I have to say this is probably 2 out of the thousands of books I have read that I just couldn't finish.

The book started out with promise but then it almost seemed like the author was trying to push the story and not let it develop. In addition I found that the main female character (Jane) who I have loved in all the other books lacked her normal brilliance and shine in this one. You felt sorry for her and at the same time I was annoyed by her actions, especially with the friend she has protected all these years.

I can't say if I liked the ending or if the book gets better because I never got there.

I gave the book 2 stars as I did like the initial start (first 20 pages or so) but that was being generous.

I struggled through all 400 pages of this book because I'm a devoted Iris Johansen fan. I've read everything else she's written and agree that the last book "Blind Alley" started a downward trend that was sadly carried through to this book. I just couldn't stay interested. This is a far cry from her earlier novels. "Countdown" is basically a recap of "Blind Alley" in my opinion with some new characters thrown in. The story is very scattered with some plot lines given so little explanation that the reader is left wondering why they're even in there. The characters are still great, but since this is basically a repeat of the last book, I found myself bored. I wouldn't waste your money if you're thinking about buying it. Do what I did, check it out from the library. That way you won't feel jipped!

Disappointed after listening to the tape to the end and finding that there was no conclusion to what happened to the Gold??. What happened to Jock? what happened to the proposed terrorist attack? We know it did not happen, but what specifically prevented it from happening?? Not pleased with leaving the reader or listerner with many unresolved issues. Jane's response to possibly knowing her lost heritage and family seemed unlikely. Why wouldn't she be interested in connecting with family and in this day of DNA, finding out the results seemed more than possible so that reader's would know one way are the other. Is she a decendent of Cira? Is that why, she has the dream connections? When she told Trever about Decometis(spelling?), why didn't she mention Pea as well? Since, Pea had shown up in the translations? And she had wondered who Pea was? Bad way to leave this part. Many area's left unresolved? Is this the writer's way of setting up the next book? Very unsatisfying for someone who has paid to enjoy the beginning, middle and END of a book (of a story). There appears to be no end. Feel a little cheated. Not sure I will attempt another one of her books due to the discomfort of thinking that I may be "cheated" again.
"Off with the author's Head" for this one --it did not quite make my "good book list".

I first fell in love with Iris Johansen after reading AND THEN YOU DIE. I love the majority of her books, including when she wrote historical romance. However, I've been noticing a change in her writing and it is not good. What happened to characters that I was able to love, and in ways consider them actual people? What happened to wanting to know what happened to the characters after the story was complete? What happened to the compulsion to want to reread the book, just to enjoy the characters and story one more time? So many of her books have become plot driven instead of character driven, which is major letdown.

I just finished reading COUNTDOWN, and I had to force myself to pick it up and finish reading it at times; it just did not capture my attention. At times the plot became very implausible and took away from the story. I was unable to love any of the characters, the heroine, Jane MacGuire, being the most hard of all the characters to like. She is a 21, but is written as if she is in her thirties. Supposedly, Jane is a Harvard student going through finals when the story begins, but drops everything when things heat up. I'm not 21 yet, but she does not act like any 21 year old college student I have ever met, even the most mature ones. Sure Jane lead a tough life growing up, but does she have to be so hard? At one point she told Mario, the translator, that it would be a good idea for him to talk to Jock, a brainwashed vicitim of one of the villians, because they were close in age. However, Jock is only 20 and Mario is older than her. She referred to Jock numerous times as a boy. Then there's the attraction between her and Mark Trevor, the hero. He's 34, but age doesn't seem to be an issue in this story. Their relationship is wrong on so many levels. Jane's portrayed as a one-woman show, the only one who can save the United States from destruction. The CIA, Homeland Security, etc. cannot be relied upon to take down the bad guys. The two detectives at the beginning of the story are bumbling idiots who do not seem capable of solving the murder without Jane to guide them. Then there was her Brenner and Bartlett, the sidekicks to Trevor, who show promise but sadly fell flat. The villians where written so outlandishly that it was hard to take them seriously.

There were so many loose threads left hanging at the end of the story, which just added to the disappointment. I fear with so many questions left unanswered that another book may be written. I sincerely hope not. I cannot stand to read another horrible book from what used to be a wonderful writer.

What happened to the Iris Johansen whose books I first fell in love with?

I've looked at IJ books on the shelves for years, but never read any of her work. This was my first IJ book and sadly I would not recommend it. Countdown is very clearly a part 2 or part 3 of something she wrote previously.

The first part of the book is full of people showing up with no character development at all. At first I thought it was just really poor writing, but then it dawned on me, this is a part 2 of some story started previously. As I continued reading, the vast majority of the story flashes back to previous events, characters, conflicts and plots from part 1, whatever that was.

I think IJ owed it to her readers to mention this as a continuation. It would be a huge help for new IJ readers (like me) so we could read part 1 first.

Then again, maybe the lack of character and plot development is typical for IJ. Countdown was supposed to be about a bomb plot, yet 2/3's of the way through the book the bomb has received only a sentence or two of coverage and across the entire 500+ pages, it warrants less than a full page or two of mention.

Countdown is more of a romance/love story than the thriller it is marketed as. If you go into it expecting a romance, you'll probably enjoy it. If you're looking for a thriller, look elsewhere. If you're looking for an ending, look elsewhere.

I am an avid reader of Iris Johansen and always buy her books as soon as they are published. I am about half-way through this one and have put it down. I can't keep up with the story, it is so dull. I have to keep re-reading parts just to figure out what is going on. What a waste of money. Check this one out at the library. Please Iris, go back to thrillers.

Bla-bla-bla. I was hoping for a thriller, but sadly disappointed. Where was Eve? I really tried to like Jane, but she came across as a hotheaded snot. Trevor and Jane's sexual bantering back and forth left me believing I was reading a bodice ripper and not a thriller. I'm having a really tough time finishing this book. Ancient gold coins verses September 11....please. Sorry, Iris, but bring back Eve.

Jane Macguire, the once trouble kid that Eve Duncan adopted, is in the hot seat once again. In BLIND ALLEY we saw a deranged killer on Jane's trail because she resembled Cira, a woman who lived 2000 years ago. Now in COUNTDOWN it seems more deranged killers abound trying to find Cira's gold and Jane is once again involved.

The story line is not as clear-cut as we've seen Johansen present in the past. Jane finds herself attacked in an alley, her friend killed in that attack, then Trevor (with whom there are still unresolved romantic issues) returns to whisk her away to Scotland. While there, he tosses out tidbits about Cira's gold and Cira's scrolls. That storyline would be enough, but we're also shown that others are on the trail of Cira's gold and these diabolical killers have decided to blow up several large cities in the US. Another who is on the trail, seems less motivated to find the gold, and is interested in righting wrongs thrust upon those people he cares about. Three main fractions are hot on the trail, each with their own agenda. These other two try to trip up Trevor and Jane, but aren't as dynamic as villains in past Johansen episodes.

Character development was hit or miss. Jane continues to be strong and vibrant. Trevor continues in the same light as when he first came into Jane's life. We're introduced to new support characters and this is where the development is lacking. MacDuff is an egocentric Scottish laird intent on taking care of "his people". Jock is one of his and it seems he ran away when he was a teenager only to be kidnapped and brainwashed by one of the villains trying to blow up the US. Jock at times is childlike and at other times is a robotic killer. Mario is the sweet naïve translator hired to decipher Cira's scrolls. Reilly is the multi-millionaire intent on having the gold and will stop at nothing to get it. This includes making a deal with Grozak, a man who's only goal is to kill as many Americans as he can. Reilly and Grozak's characters are never dissected so the reader can understand what makes them tick. Why is Grozak so intent on destroying cities in the US? The pat answer of being angry about going to jail as a teen just doesn't jibe with the amount of hatred we see. Reilly is glossed over - he's into mind control and brainwashing. Why is he so intent on Cira's gold? It was a blend that didn't work for me.

I usually am thrilled with Iris Johansen's work, and although I'd recommend COUNTDOWN, it seemed as if this was just a filler for her next book. And yes, the way this one ended, you can be guaranteed that a sequel is in the works. My hopes are that the next group of characters are fully cultivated so the reader can be immersed in the story like we've experienced in other books by this wonderful author.

I can generally read anything, but I after I got about halfway through I realized that I really didn't care what happened next. This series started to go downhill with the last book and this one continues the trend. At times I thought I was reading a Harlequin romance, not a suspense thriller. Also disappointing was the fact that Eve Duncan appears only in a supporting role (at least in the half of the book that I managed to read).

Don't waste your money - if you must try this one get it from the library.