July 14, 2003
Johansen, author of many bestsellers (Dead Aim; No One to Trust; Body of Lies; etc.) knows exactly what her devoted readers want and gives it to them once again in this impassioned romantic suspense novel. Her lusty characters, both good and evil, preen and snarl as they fight, love and kill with almost superhuman stamina and appetite. Delicate but sensual Melis Menid lives in harmony with her two dolphin pals, Pete and Susie, on a remote, Eden-like tropical island. Her foster father, Philip Lontana, harbors many secrets, chief of which is the location of the fabled island of Marinth, an incredibly wealthy, hidden city that was lost beneath the sea aeons ago. Rich, hunky, ex-SEAL Jed Kelby crisscrosses the world's oceans on his lavish yacht searching for treasure-laden shipwrecks. He also seeks the fabled Marinth. Malevolent arms dealer Archer is determined to acquire Phil's research into an underwater sonic gun of immense destructive capabilities. While attempting to coerce Melis into telling him the location of Phil's research, he kills her best friend, threatens the innocent dolphins and tortures Melis with details from her horrific past. Jed, now in love with Melis and determined to stop Archer, calls in his partner, half-Apache Nicholas Lyon—"a giant of a man"—for help. Johansen writes with all her category romance roots showing ("Now she looked like a weary little girl, all tousled and warm, and so goddamn beautiful it made his throat tighten to look at her"), but the exotic locals, lusty sex and capering dolphins provide easy-reading entertainment. (Sept. 9)Forecast:Johansen's track record—there are nine million copies of her books in print—says it all. Look for another bestseller.
July 1, 2003
Melis Nemid's isolated life on her own Caribbean island studying dolphins is interrupted by word from her foster father, Phil Lontana, introduced in Johansen's" Dead Aim" [BKL F 1 03]. He wants her to contact wealthy oceanographer Jed Kelby, who shares his fascination with the mythical, Atlantis-like city of Marinth. Against his nature, Phil insists he's eager to let Jed help him. This seems fishy, so Melis travels to Athens in search of Phil just in time to see him and his ship blow up. This is the first in a series of horrendous tragedies, and Melis seeks Kelby's help in finding out who is behind it all. Kelby agrees but sets a high price, insisting that Melis assist him in finding the lost city. There is a strange chemistry between them, but, initially, very little trust. Melis is the key to finding the underwater city, but first she must relive her tragic past in order to find and destroy a psychotic killer. Johansen is in fine form here as she presents a truly deranged villain, a reluctant heroine, and a less-than-perfect hero.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)