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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Her Best, September 26, 2008
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Johansen has a couple types of books out there, and she appears to be adding a third that I think is the weakest of the lot. First, and strongest in my opinion, are her Eve Duncan books, which are basically thrillers. The writing tends to be tight and the plots well-considered. Even when there's a romantic element, it's not the focus of the book. Then there are her romantic suspense novels, which are different, but also good. They move more slowly, but the relationships are well developed.
Unfortunately, I haven't been so pleased with the last couple of books (Dark Summer and Pandora's Daughter), which are romantic suspense in the very paranormal genre. It's almost as if Johansen is juggling too many things at once--romance, suspense, psychic abilities.
Dark Summer returns to a subject (and some characters) Johansen has explored in previous novels, that of search and rescue dogs and their owners. This time, however, the paranormal element (which has appeared in the background in previous books) is paramount. Both the romance/character development and the suspense seem to have been relegated to second fiddle. The plot is loose, even sketchy at times. It moves along quickly enough, but very little actually *happens,* which is frustrating. Characters wander around in the fictional landscape without serving much purpose.
This book also seems to have been written/edited rather quickly--there are grammatical errors and sloppy writing I am not used to from Johansen. HOWEVER, the copy I read was an ARC, not an actual sales copy of the book, and the edits may be made before the book goes to print.
All this sounds as if the book is just ghastly. It's not. Not at all. In fact, even though it's not up to Johansen's usual standards, it's better than much of the paranormal romantic suspense out there. The plot is new and different, most of the dialog is natural (though sometimes it would really benefit from an editing), and it's a quick read.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Suspense, romance, and dogs...what's not to like?, October 2, 2008
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Fans of Iris Johansen (and yes, I am one) know what to expect from her books. This one is not disappointing.
Devon Brady is a vet who also does search-and-rescue missions with her dog, Gracie. On one mission she is asked to use her medical skills to treat a wounded dog, a black Lab who has been shot. The dog's owner (the obligatory unpleasant-seeming man with the heart of gold and mysterious past) leaves the dog in her care and disappears.
Devon has just been brought into a suspensful situation that combines grasping, evil people, and people who are not all they seem, and people who are MORE than they seem, and four wonderful, talented dogs.
The 'Dogs of Summer', as they are called, have abilities that give them value beyond measure, and of course there is a struggle for control of these dogs by people whose motives vary greatly.
Ms Johansen's books have no deep meaning, no message, no lesson to be learned. They're just flat out fun to read. This one is no different, and I really enjoyed the ride!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good story, bad writing, September 27, 2008
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The story is fun -- a plucky Veterinarian with an unhappy past has made a good life for herself, an assortment of rescued animals and a couple of rescue humans. Enter our hero, a passionate man with a tragic past and a very special dog of his own, not to mention a secret that could change the world. Hero is, of course, pursued by a sadistic and megalomaniac villain. The plot has all the right elements -- danger, romance, true friendships and betrayal.
While definitely worth reading, one can't help but notice that the book would have been SO much better with well-written dialogue and believable character development. The dialogue, and, indeed, much of the prose, is clumsy and wooden. And the characters are too one-dimensional; a villain with whom you have a little empathy and protagonists with whom you can somewhat identify are so much easier to care about.
I would have loved this book if it had been done with the careful prose of Martha Grimes or James D. Doss. And I know from other books by this author that she is capable of better than this. Perhaps we can look forward to more from these characters, written with more care and consideration?
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