Chasing the Night (Catherine Ling #1)

Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen is the eleventh book in her Eve Duncan series and the first book introducing Catherine Ling.

Eve Duncan is a sculptor who recreates faces from skulls. Catherine Ling has bribed her CIA boss into talking Eve into helping her find her son. Though Catherine is looking for an age progression which is not Eve's specialty, Catherine knows that Eve will understand her need to keep looking.

Plus, Catherine knows who has her son. Ten years ago Catherine was part of a small CIA team tasked with removing a Russian mafia don. In retaliation, Rakovac kidnapped Catherine's two-year-old son. He has been taunting her with treats since. The CIA has a relationship with Rakovac, as the lesser evil, and will not move against him. Plus he has promised to kill Luke if he even thinks Catherine is coming after him.

Now, if she can arm herself with Luke's current likeness, provided by Eve Duncan, Catherine is going after her son. And after years of being in the way, the CIA might be willing to help because Rakovac has something planned that will make 9/11 seem tame.


Johansen, Iris. (2010). Chasing the Night. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Shadow Zone

Shadow Zone by Iris and Roy Johansen is the sequel to their book Silent Thunder.

Hannah Bryson is a submarine engineer. She has been creating subs for years now and has the opportunity to test her latest mini sub in the waters above Marinth - an underwater city that was recently discovered by her friend Melis.

The only large piece about the city of Marinth that is missing is how the city died out. Its ultimate destruction was a tsunami that put it under water but the dying of the people who lived there started long before the giant wave struck the island.

When Hannah finds a trellis that explains the end the city, she uses her sub to bring it to the surface. But Melis and Hannah are not the only people interested in something that could erase the life from a city. When the trellis is stolen on its way to the lab, Hannah calls on the only person she knows who is capable of dealing with any situation.

Together Hannah and Nicolas Kirov hunt down the trellis. The search will take them all over the world and to the edges of death in an attempt to stop an arms dealer from using the knowledge to create a substance that will kill all life in the oceans.

The Johansens have teamed up to write fast-paced thrillers that will have readers staying up late to find out what happens next. Shadow Zone is no exception.

Johansen, Iris and Roy. (2010). Shadow Zone. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Storm Cycle

Storm Cycle is the second book by mother and son writing team Iris and Roy Johansen.

Rachel Kirby has always been driven. She has made a career out of the two most important things in her life - computers and her sister. She is racing against the clock to find a cure for the disease that is threatening her sister's life.

John Tavak is a genius, literally, and because of it, he gets bored easily. He has tried most high risk professions just to keep life interesting. Currently he is a treasure hunter. He is on the trail of an ancient Egyptian doctor's cures - rumored to be more advanced that current medicine in many fields.

In order to continue his quest, he steals computing power from Rachel's supercomputer. But once she is on to him she may be willing to help him - one of the promised cures could save her sister's life.

This Indiana Jones meets computer nerd thriller is a race around the world for clues hidden almost 4,000 years ago. Readers of adventure sprinkled with history and science will be pleased.

Johansen, Iris & Roy. (2009). Storm Cycle. New York: St. Martin's Press.