Customer Reviews

No One to Trust (Eve Duncan)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A long-time fan of this author, I've read all of the prior novels in this grouping of characters and was intrigued with Sean's story. To be blunt, I was disappointed in this book. Elena had interesting potential that never went anywhere, Barry was sticky-sweet, Sean was completely flat, and the plot jumped to ludicrous and then completely predictable at the end. I do think that some of the supporting characters - Dominic and Luis, namely - were great. For a reader who LOVED the Eve Duncan series, I have to say that I'm sorry I paid full price for this book.

I've been a Johansen fan for almost forever, and was really looking forward to this book. Galen has appeared in two of her previous books, and was a very sexy and intriguing secondary character-I was really excited to find out he was going to have his own story told in full.
No One to Trust read more like a long outline for a book, than an actual novel. Galen's background, what made him the man he is, is not discussed at all. One tidbit about his childhood, and that's it. If I hadn't read the previous books, I wouldn't have been interested in his character at all.
Elena is marginally more fleshed out, but never seemed to be the fiery heroine she was described as.
Maybe that's the problem-there was description, but no emotion in this book. All tell, no show. There wasn't enough interaction between the leads to call it a romance, there wasn't any mystery so it couldn't be called a mystery; and it definately wasn't a thriller.
There is one interesting plot twist towards the end, but it fizzles. Johansen pointlessly namedrops characters from previous books, even though they have no relevance or role in this one. All I can say is that I hope IJ feels passion for the next group of characters she writes about, because I don't think she felt any for these.

The story starts with a girl named Elena Kyler who is a rebel in southern Colombia. She is fighting against a drug lord named Chavez. He founds out about Elena skills in fighting so he have his men to go and capture her. Five years later she is fighting for her life and the life of her child Barry. Never really trusting anyone she must call for help, so she turns to a man called Forbes. He has been after Chavez for many years not really trusting what Elena said he ask Sean Galen to go and bring Elena to the United States where he would be able to watch over her. Chavez finds out about this plan and tries to keep Elena in Colombia but in the end he had fail. He learns that she is in the U.S. and sends his men to kill her and to bring back his son Barry. So the game starts with Galen, Elena and Barry running away from Chavez's men. In the progress Galen and Elena fall in love which made both of them blind to Judd true form. Judd decides to take Barry away from Elena one night and calls Chavez to make a trade for thirty million dollars, but when he was doing this he was calling Elena and telling her where they are going to do the exchange so Elena could kill Chavez and get Barry. In the end would Elena be able to get Barry back? Or will she pay the ultimate price: Her life.


The book "No one to Trust" is a heart stopping action pack/ love story which will keep the reader on the edge of their seats. This story will keep you guessing up to the very end and all emotions the author uses are very powerful that it makes the reader feel life they are apart of the story and you just want to kill Chavez for all he has done.

Sean Galen has been a secondary character in several of Iris Johansen's book and he finally gets his own story. No one to Trust is the story of rebel Elena- who is trying to protect her son from his rapist father, a columbian drug lord (Chavez)

Helping Elena is Sean Galen, but their efforts to keep her son safe are thwarted by Chavez's determination to get his son by any means. He sends hitman to kill those protecting her and offers staggering amounts of money to bribe anyone--the identity of the final betrayer certainly comes as a shock. Amid the battle, the romance between Elena and Galen is believable, but the secondary characters of Dominic, Jared etc added to the book's readability. It was also nice to mention her past characters- logan.

This book was a combination of adventure, romance, suspence and is a great book to read! Can't wait for her next!

There are certain authors that continue to amaze me as to the loyalty of their fans; Dan Brown comes to mind, and now Iris Johansen can be added to my list. Both authors attempt to develop nerve racking suspense in their stories, but their lack of sophistication and skill ruins any potential for an enjoyable story.

While reading this book, I was continually trying to determine what aspect of this book bothered me so much. Was it the fact that the author makes only the most amateur attempt at developing the story outside of the monotonous dialog? Maybe it was the continual peaks inside of Elena Kyler's thoughts as she relentlessly tried to convince herself that she was not weak. On the other hand, maybe I was irritated with the lame attempt at conveying setting and emotion, or maybe it was just the fact that the chemistry between the main protagonists was virtually non-existent.

Personally, I tired almost immediately of the dialog between Elena and Sean Galen as they clumsily tried to relate to each other. I mean seriously, Elena says "I want you to screw me"? This is how the author finally resolves the clichéd sexual tension between the woman who wants to remain independent, and the utterly unrealistic, invulnerable macho machine she is forced to rely upon.

There are several points in the book that the author handles as if she just isn't up to the task of finishing the story properly. For instance, Elena does not immediately try to kill the man who betrayed her at the end of the book, but instead the desire for revenge is just forgotten. In another part, one of the secondary villains confronts the mother of a lawyer who knows Sean Galen, they torture her, and then all of a sudden the bad guys know exactly where Sean and Elena are hidden. The story would have been greatly improved with the removal of this sloppy revelation.

The character of Berry is dull and unrealistic, and he is never shown to have the curiosity and uncertainty that 5 year old children do. He never questions what's going on around him with any serious effort. When he does begin to question his mother about his circumstances, it is short lived and shallow. Again, it appears that the author could not be inconvenienced to follow through on this crucial point.

Overall, I felt this story could have been written by a talented 8th grader. Given that this story is written by an adult for mostly adults, I am just shocked at the praise I have seen heaped on this book. I guess I'm going to have to pester my wife to write some good stories so the abundance of horrible literature out there doesn't ruin the world!

This is my first Johansen novel. "No One To Trust" is action packed and moves with the speed of an assassin's bullet. The reader is drawn into a narrative filled with brutality, betrayal and the beauty of finally finding loyalty and Trust. This novel has turned me into a Johansen fan and I can't wait to pick up another of her adventures. The author is a Talented Story teller.
Beverly J Scott author of RIGHTEOUS REVENGE

The novel had a romance overtone as most of Iris Johansen's books do. This was out weighed by the fact that the main character Elena wasn't a weak romance novel woman. She knew what she had to do for her child. The fighting spirit that she had makes this a good read.

In No One to Trust, Iris Johansen gives us a gritty, military sniper in the form of a woman who endures sadistic torture at the hands of someone close to her. But Elena Kyler survives, with only one person on her mind--her son, Barry.

After she escapes, she hooks up with Sean Galen, a man of mystery (as most of Johansen's heroes seem to be) and as they flee, they leave behind a trail of vicious murders. And soon Elena must face her past...and destroy it¯before it destroys her.

With a cast of intriguing and somewhat complicated characters, Johansen gives us the right mix of romance, danger, murder, and run-for-your-life suspense. This was an easy read, one that will entertain you whether on a sunny beach in Bermuda or in a plane over Toronto.

~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Author of Divine Intervention

Iris Johansen does a good gob with this title, as the reader really does not know who to trust throughout the story.
Elena Kyler is a cold hearted assassin, and a loving mother of a five year old boy, and it is the mother inside of her that must, at all costs, protect young Barry from his guerrilla/terrorist/assassin father. Elena Kyler will stop at nothing to keep the boy safe. Barry's father, Chavez, will also stop at nothing to get his boy. To Chavez, sons are a sign of manhood, of dignity, pride, strength and power. To Elena, sons, especially hers, are beautiful people to be loved and taken care of. People must die, and many do, and the reader is tricked time and agian with the friend/foe decisions. Both Elena and Chavez are stubborn and believe they are undefeatable. Plenty of action in this book, and not a bad plot. As long as Elena and Chavez remember that one wrong move, one wrong trusted person, and the boy's life will be arranged - forever.

first book i read from this author and i loved it. it's filled with action and it does not slow down. highly recommend this book.