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What doesn't kill you / Iris Johansen.
Having lived life in the shadows, Catherine is aware of the wobbly moral compass of her existence and even more aware of just how expendable she is to those she deals with. When her old friend Hu Chang creates something so deadly, and completely untraceable, the chase is on to be the first to get it. Johansen is at her page-turning best in this novel that takes you from the corridors of Langley to the alleyways of Hong Kong, and the darkest places of the human soul.
Catherine Ling was abandoned on the streets of Hong Kong at age four. Schooled in the art of survival, she traded in the only commodity she had: information. As a teenager, she came under the tutelage of a mysterious man known only as Hu Chang—a skilled assassin and master poisoner. As a young woman, she was recruited by the CIA and now she is known as one of their most effective operatives. Having lived life in the shadows, Catherine is aware of the wobbly moral compass of her existence and even more aware of just how expendable she is to those she deals with. When her old friend Hu Chang creates a formula that’s not only deadly but completely untraceable, the race begins to be the first to get it. With rogue operative John Gallo also on the hunt, Catherine finds herself up against a group so villainous and a man so evil that she may not survive in her quest to protect those she cares about: Hu Chang and Luke—the son who was stolen from Catherine and only recently brought home safe. Using all of her formidable skills, Catherine Ling proves the age-old belief that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780312651237 (hc.)
- ISBN: 0312651236 (hc.)
- ISBN: 9780312651299 (pbk.)
- Physical Description: 406 p. ; 24 cm.
- Edition: 1st ed.
- Publisher: New York : St. Martin's Press, c2012.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | May 12 |
| Target Audience Note: | All Ages. |
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| Genre: | Suspense fiction. Mystery fiction |
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Russell and District Regional Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Library | AF JOH (Text) | 36730000049965 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2012 February #1
Following a daredevil, guns-blazing CIA rescue mission, Chinese master herbalist Hu Chang disappears from Hong Kong's murky streets, taking with him his secret formula to what is possibly the world's most lethal and undetectable poison. Only one person can lure Chang out of hiding: headstrong CIA operative Catherine Ling (Chasing the Night, 2010), who has known Chang as both a protector and mentor since her days as a teenage street urchin struggling to survive the city's vicious, gang-controlled back alleys. Though the contrary Ling prefers to work independently, CIA chief Venable assigns yet another man from her past as her partner, and John Gallo's seductive presence may prove to be more of a distraction than Ling can handle. As the elusive Chang slips in and out of Ling's grasp, the monstrous John Nardik pursues them both, hoping to secure Chang's poison for a diabolical assassination attempt against a charismatic U.S. presidential candidate. With its staccato pacing, sinuous plot, and strong-willed characters, the prolific Johansen's latest thriller will satisfy eager fans who have been clamoring for a Ling-Gallo rematch. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Master of best-selling crime series, Johansen will draw her usual mob of avid readers with this aggressively marketed thriller. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2012 February #2
Johansen revives some of the same characters that populated her previous novels. Catherine Ling is brilliant, gorgeous and deadly, so it's a really good thing she's on the CIA's payroll. The daughter of a Russian prostitute who practiced her trade in Hong Kong, Catherine was left homeless and alone as a small child. Instead of learning to read and write in a classroom, she spent her childhood learning how to steal to put food on the table and defend herself from the hoodlums and gangsters that roamed the city's streets. In the process, Catherine became a martial-arts expert and a genius in trafficking information, traits that brought her to the attention of an extraordinary chemist named Hu Chang. After saving Hu Chang's life when she was only 14, Catherine develops a mentee-mentor relationship with the man, which becomes critical when the CIA rescues him from the clutches of an evil manipulator out to abuse Hu Chang's talents. Although just arrived home from another mission and settling into the business of trying to develop a relationship with her son, Luke, who had been stolen and held captive as a small child, Catherine is sent to find Hu Chang. Soon, a series of events that bring old lovers, friends and enemies back into her life begins to build as Catherine scrambles to keep her loved ones safe. Johansen knows what readers like and doesn't hesitate to give it to them, but they may tire of the genius, physical beauty and deadliness shared by the good guys: Catherine's 11-year-old son reads a Chinese chemistry book, even though he does not speak any Chinese; all of the men who meet Catherine are immediately overcome with lust; and she outfights and outwits both her fellow agents and the forces of evil so often that the reader will be left wondering why the criminals bother trying. The book, weighed down by a predictable plot, won't thrill the reader with its super-woman heroine, wickedly handsome love interest and by-the-numbers supporting cast. Copyright Kirkus 2012 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2012 January #4
Catherine Ling, an enormously talented CIA agent introduced in the Eve Duncan novel Chasing the Night (2010), takes center stage in bestseller Johansen's grandiose yet agreeable thriller. As a teenage orphan fending for herself in Hong Kong's underworld, Catherine was rescued from murderous thugs by Hu Chang, an enigmatic and reclusive apothecary, with whom she formed a bond. Chang has powerful contacts who value his wizardry with exotic herbs and chemicals that can miraculously heal, prolong life, or, of course, do harm. Now Chang has concocted a tincture so potent and undetectable that Hugh Nardik, a weapons dealer and assassin, wants to steal Chang's drug to further his monstrous aims. To pressure Catherine into helping obtain the drug, Nardik plans to kidnap her son. The ensuing intrigue spans the globe and involves superhuman characters from earlier Johansen novels with long histories together. The author's trademark dry wit bolsters the bombastic story line. Agent: Andrea Cirillo, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Apr.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2012 PWxyz LLC
