Captive by Iris Johansen #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Hachette Audio, #partner for the ALC of Captive in exchange for my honest review. 

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Published: September 6, 2022

 

Summary:

Eve Duncan’s daughter Jane MacGuire seems to have found a perfect life with Seth Caleb—until a ruthless madman threatens to destroy it all, in this gripping suspense novel from #1 bestselling author Iris Johansen.

Jane MacGuire is enjoying a period of domestic bliss as she focuses on her art and her partner Seth Caleb uses his unique abilities as an agent for the MI6 intelligence service. But when Seth crosses crime lord Hugh Bohdan, he incurs the wrath of one of the world’s most powerful criminal empires…one whose tentacles reach across the globe and even to the idyllic Scottish retreat where Jane is working.

Soon Jane is on the run, struggling to stay one step ahead of Bohdan’s army and his devastating high-tech weaponry. Even with the assistance of Earl John MacDuff, she finds danger at every turn. But with that peril comes an astonishing discovery: a 200-year-old secret on the brink of becoming lost to history.

Jane and Seth must join forces to unlock the fascinating puzzle, even as they hurtle toward a lethal final confrontation in the Highlands. But before their adventure is over, Jane and Seth will encounter their biggest shock of all…and realize nothing can be the same for them ever again.

My thoughts:

Iris Johansen’s Eve Duncan series is one of my all-time favorite series. This is the 29th book in this series and I am in awe of the fact that it is still going strong! While I have definitely loved some more than others, I am so glad I have stuck with it because I just enjoy these books so much! I still remember when I first discovered this series…little did I know what a love affair it would turn out to be!

This latest installment is all about Jane MacGuire and Seth Caleb and that’s fine. I like when we get to focus on other characters every once in a while. Yes, the series is the Eve Duncan series, but Jane and Seth are integral characters to this series now and their character development at this stage is just as important as Eve and Joe’s. And while Eve will always remain my favorite character, I do love getting caught up with the other characters – it keeps the series fresh and well-rounded.

This particular installment is of course filled with non-stop action, but it takes a big step in Jane and Seth’s relationship. Seth will always be protective over Jane and when he is called away for work, he has her guarded, even while she is staying with MacDuff – another personal favorite of mine! What I love is that we really see Jane’s personality come through when danger appears. She’s no wallflower and doesn’t take lightly to being told to stay put. I love her feistiness and strong-willed personality – she is Eve and Joe’s daughter afterall!

Of course, the book couldn’t be an Eve Duncan book without Eve popping in a few times and I’m excited to see what is in store next for all our characters. There are changes in store for Jane and Seth and I am curious to see how that plays out.

This series has been one of my favorites for such a long time and I look forward to reading the new one as soon as I hear about it. I don’t know when or if there will be more, but you can be sure I will be checking the author’s website for updates regularly!

 

Audio thoughts:

Iris Johansen’s books translate so well onto audio, especially with Elisabeth Rodgers narrating them. She has narrated most, if not all, of her books and is so consistent with the voices. No matter how long it has been since I’ve last picked up one of Johansen’s books, it’s like no time has passed – that’s how consistent she is with her voices. I don’t know how she does it, but I love it! She makes listening to these books so fun and I usually end up listening to them in a day.