I've not read an Allison Brennan novel in three years so when I saw NORTH OF NOWHERE popup on Netgalley I couldn't help to request it. 

 

Kristin and Ryan McIntyre have been hiding from their murderous father, Boyd (who is also the head of a Los Angeles crime family) for the last five years in a small town in Montana. Their father finds them causing them to attempt to escape, narrowly succeeding in a small plane when gunfire hits the fuel line. The man who has been caring for them for the last five years manages to crash land the plane in the middle of the wilderness in a lake. An impending blizzard is going to make their trek for safety a lot more difficult. 

 

Allison's writing is crisp, immersive, and wholly captivating. She writes in such a way that the reader is reeled in and hooked on the story within the first few pages. The setting of the Montana wilderness with an impending blizzard is chilling and atmospheric but is the perfect mix to add tension and suspense to an already thrilling series of events. 

 

There are many characters discussed in this story but they're easy to differentiate and recall their roles. The main characters are well written, realistic and relatable. 

 

I really enjoyed the themes of family, forgiveness, and at the core of the story, hope, which are present throughout the story. Each of the main characters demonstrate their vision of these themes within the many harrowing and difficult situations that they encounter. 

 

The plot is intriguing and somewhat complex with many moving pieces that all work so well together. The pacing is so well done with the twists being revealed at just the right moments, keeping the anticipation and suspense high. I can't count the times I was holding my breath as I read, both in fear and anticipation of how the latest twist would play out. 

 

An exquisite read to say the least. I will be hitting up more of Allison's work in the near future, no doubt about it!