Pandora's Daughter [Hardcover]

Iris Johansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2007

The number-one blockbuster bestselling author delivers her most explosive and compelling novel yet, in which a woman must unlock the secrets of her own mind before she loses her life.

She has a gift of unspeakable power. . . .

He must control her or destroy her. . . .

For as long as she can remember, successful young physician Megan Blair has tried to silence the voices in her head---voices that bring her to the edge of madness and terror. Megan possesses psychic powers that have been dormant for years, hidden deep in the past she’s tried so desperately to forget. But now everything has come to a boiling point---someone is trying to kill her, and others are trying to use her, including the deadly and seductive Neal Grady. Shocking secrets about her life and her mother’s death bombard her as she fights to take control of her heritage and save herself and everything she believes in. Grady holds the key to understanding her future, a future in which Megan’s life will never be the same.

If she survives to have a future.

A fast-paced thrill ride, Pandora’s Daughter is Iris Johansen as you’ve never read her before.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Orphaned at 15 and raised by her Uncle Phillip, the adult Megan Blair is an Atlanta pediatrician who hears terrified voices. Revelation comes when childhood friend Neal Grady, who is now a shadowy government agent, arrives to apprise Megan of her psychic powers. And to warn her: Molino-the relentless villain who killed Megan's mother, believing her touch killed his son-is targeting Megan next. Molino thinks Megan was born to an ancient Sephardic family of psychics, and plans to force her to reveal the location of the Ledger, a book that contains the family's secrets and finances. He then plans to kill her, if Megan, Neal and Neal's sidekick, Jed Hartley, don't find him first. Johansen increases the tension by alternating point of view, but two-dimensional characters, repetitious explanations and stilted dialogue make staying tuned difficult. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Dr. Megan Blair has been living a lie. She heard voices up until her mother died in an accident. Raised by her mother's half-brother, Megan managed to live a normal life, became a doctor, and now works in an Atlanta hospital. But once her car is run off the road and Neal Grady enters the picture, nothing is the same. Neal helps her realize that her mother's death was no accident. In fact, she was murdered because of her psychic ability, the very talent Megan inherited. Molino, an underworld kingpin, wants to see Megan, and everyone else he calls "freaks," dead because he blames her mother for his son's death. Supposedly Megan's mother's mere touch caused Molino's son to kill himself. She may have possessed the rare gift, just like the mythological Pandora, that magnifies a person's psychic ability, power that can either open someone's mind or cause madness. The hunt for Molino takes Megan and Neal through Europe in search of a ledger that traces a family of powerful psychics from the time of the inquisition to the present, keeping one step ahead of their enemy while trying to destroy him. Johansen delivers an exhilarating thriller filled with her trademark paranormal elements, truly heinous villains, and intriguing, multidimensional heroes. This is romantic suspense that will keep the author's fans on the edge of their seats. Engelmann, Patty

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (October 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312368046
• ISBN-13: 978-0312368043
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Iris Johansen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pandora's Daughter, Stalemate, Killer Dreams, On the Run, and many more. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a very compelling story, February 22, 2008

By 

Kelley Hartsell "Kelley" (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Pandora's Daughter: A Novel (Audio CD)

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

After her mother was murdered when she was 15, Megan Blair went to live with her uncle, and has almost completely silenced the voices she heard in her head as a young girl. What Megan doesn't understand is that she is a Listener, able to hear the voices of people who have died. Until someone tries to kill her...

Neal Grady has been protecting Megan ever since the fateful night her mother was killed. He has used his own psychic abilities to relieve the burden of the horrors Megan's gift brings her. But now he has returned. It appears Molino, the man who killed Megan's mother in a fit of vengeance and rage, has found Megan and will do anything to kill her too. Neal will do anything to protect Megan from such evil.

Molino wants the Ledger, a book that holds all the secrets to the psychically talented family Megan is believed to be descended from and he intends to use it to kill off all the "freaks." linked through the family. Megan's mother killed Molino's son with her gifts, convincing Molino she is a Pandora, the most dangerous of all psychic talents.

Pandora's Daughter is a very compelling story. Action is non-stop in this fast paced thriller. The suspense is skillfully done, keeping me on the edge of my seat eager to see what would happen next. I actually found myself wanting to stay in the car and drive even more so I could continue on the roller coaster ride of emotions. I was kept guessing as to what Molino would do next in his quest for vengeance against Megan.

I loved the addition of the variety of psychic gifts to the story and the accompanying explanations of the levels of abilities. Experiencing Megan's abilities alongside of her and the emotions resulting from them, added a sense of urgency to the story and added tension to the story

I was more impressed with the thriller side of the story than I was the romance. Maybe it was the age difference between Megan and Neal, but I could not see them as a couple, no matter how hard I tried, even while I knew they were going to end up together in the end.

I had the abridged version of the audio and I think I would have enjoyed the unabridged version a little bit more. There seemed to be a lot of scene jumping that would have been much more smoothly done in the unabridged version with better transitions. Jennifer Van Dyck does a wonderful job performing the novel, her voice adding nuances to the characters that made them that much more fascinating.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, February 2008. All rights reserved.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Better than a sleeping pill!, May 13, 2008

By 

Avid Reader (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pandora's Daughter (Hardcover)

While I'm fairly certain that I found this on the "top 20" at the store...I'm beyond understanding how it got there! This is truly dreadful.

The characters are shallow, the conversations ridiculous and the plot specious, at best! The only thing I can say of a positive nature about this book is that it's so bad it's funny if you read it aloud and include the silly facial expressions she attributes to the character.

If this is a top-seller it certainly says much about the dumbing-down of America.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you enjoy Kay Hooper's paranormal series, you'll love this one., January 30, 2008

By 

audiobook lover "audiobook lover" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pandora's Daughter: A Novel (Audio CD)

I think those who are used to the Eve Duncan series can't get into this one because it's such a 360 degree turn for Iris Johansen. But if you enjoy Kay Hooper's Bishop series, you'll enjoy this one. I certainly did!