Pandora's Daughter (Hardcover)

by Iris Johansen (Author)
Key Phrases: Megan Blair, Edmund Gillem, Renata Wilger (more...)

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 (October 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312368046
• ISBN-13: 978-0312368043
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #254,355 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 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

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.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another soild effort from Johansen, October 17, 2007

By	Greg - See all my reviews

Johansen is one of my favorite thriller writers in print today, I loved both Stalemate (Eve Duncan Forensics Thrillers) and Killer Dreams, so I was excited to receive my copy of Pandora's Daughter. Johansen keeps up the great pacing and suspense this author is known for. Megan Blair is a pediatrician who hears terrified voices, but she has no idea of there meaning until Neal Grady, a childhood friend shows up to inform her of her psychic powers. She is stunned to learn she was born to a family with an ancient psychic lineage. He warns that the man who killed her mother is now after her. He also plans to make her reveal her families secrets....

This is a different kind of thriller mixed with the occult. If I had to fault this book there are some instances of repetitiveness and the characterizations were on the thin side, but overall I still give this a solid four stars!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The formula need not go on, March 28, 2008

By	PeggyAnn Doak (Mt. Desert ME USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have always adored Iris Joahnsens' books...at least the mysteries she began to write as she moved away somewhat from romance. However I have become increasingly disappointed. When Authors who write for money find a formula that works, they stick with it. But the successful ones don't glue their backsides to it. The strong women in earlier books have always been the sort of distrusting, in your face sort. The men are usually former military special forces...her favourite, the navey seals. I like handsome, manly men. I tend to be an attractive independant woman myself. But Pandora's Daughter is the most irritating charactor yet. Does nothing but prove she does not know how to communicate. argues for pages upon pages. Not coherent arguements. "I don't have to" "I won't" "I'm not" and 'you can't make me' over and over. I couldn't finish it. Iknew the ending by the third of the way through. Unfortunately the last few books have been all too transparent, with the outline showing through the dialogue and action hanging from it. I don't remember giving a book a 2, but that was actually more than it deserved.