Rating: 
Summary: LETDOWN!
Review: What a disappointment. Iris Johansen's past books have been so entertaining, that she has become an author whose books I purchase even before reading the cover notes. This story seems to have been merely thrown together, however, not fully developed. The dialogue is grossly bland and silly, with the storyline extremely far fetched and contrived. I found myself skimming over passages wanting it over and done with. I think Ms. J should revert to plots that are more realistic, this paranormal stuff, especially with such shallow underdeveloped characters doesn't fly. This copy of the book is definately on its way to the thrift store, it's not at all a keeper.
Rating: 
Summary: I would have given it 5 except...
Review: Everyone else told you the basic storyline, so I'll just tell you what I thought of the book. I can't give away spoilers! but the story goes nicely along until... And that's what I hated about the book! Right up until then I loved it. I liked having the view point of different characters. I liked the characters, though I thought they needed a little fleshing out. I liked the story, everybody having their own agenda. I even liked that nobody was totally good. Our heroes & heroines had flaws, but that made it more realistic than the usual absolute do-gooder characters most writers stick with. I liked the pyschic angle too, though it could have used a bit more detail. I eventually liked the ending - if I hadn't had to go thru a certain part of the book to get there first I would have loved it. That was the part I didn't like. It's a great BIG SPOILER!!!! and under the rules of review writing I'm not allowed to reveal spoilers! But this one was so big and so bad I almost stopped reading the book! I did put it down for a few days and hesitated going back to it. It changed everything. So much so that I'm surprised no one else mentioned it. Maybe they weren't as shocked by it as I was, but I don't see how they couldn't have been. I would love to say that once I got past that part it was easy to move on, but it wasn't. That part just stayed with me all the way to the end of the book. I kept thinking that there was a better way for the author to have accomplished her goal without doing 'this' awful thing. For me it took away from my enjoyment of the book. So I give this book only 3 stars. It would have been 2 but I did like all of the story but this part. Of course, it would have been 5 if the writer hadn't... Well, I guess you'll have to read it to find out what she did...
Rating:
Summary: A Confusing Plodding Plot
Review: Dr. Jessica Riley has been hired by the President of the United States to pull his 7-year old daughter, Cassie, out of a catatonic trauma induced by the ruthless murder of her nanny, which she witnessed first hand. Dr. Riley has worked with other similar cases, including her sister Melissa who spent 6 years in the darkness of catatonia after witnessing the tragic death of her parents in an automobile accident. Melissa comes to visit Jessica and is involuntarily pulled into the treatment of Cassie by her mysterious extra sensory connection with the young victim. Michael Travis had risked his own life trying to save Cassie during the attack on her nanny, and has been asked by the President to help find those who preyed upon her. This is where it gets too confusing. Travis is involved in several illegal international money making schemes, none of which are described sufficiently to allow us to understand his motivations. The plot jumps from Amsterdam to Paris, back to Virginia, with none of the other nefarious characters properly introduced or integrated into the plot. As the body count and bloodshed mounts, and the pace of the game of international intrigue quickens, the tangled web of sub plots eventually strangles this novel. The only interesting and understandable sub plot is the developing relationship between Travis and Melissa. Hopefully, the author will jettison the rest of the characters and reintroduce Travis and Melissa in another novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Destined to become a great doorstop.
Review: I'm sorry - but this book was very, very mediocre. Not only were the characters unconvincing, but everything from the dialogue to the story settings to the plot was way overdone. I got a headache from rolling my eyes at language like "Cassie's scream tore through the room; Michael wasn't the kind of man to show his feelings; Melissa's eyes went wide with terror". Everytime you turn around somebody's having some sort of melodramatic episode. It wasn't long till I was checking to see how much longer the book went on. Save your time and money: read the synopsis above and be on your way.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I just recently read Iris Johansen's The Search, and I expected a book of similar quality out of Final Target. Unfortunately, I found that this book far undershot that goal. I was interested in the beginning, partly because the story was at least somewhat intriguing. I was a bit surprised that the author altered protagonists partway into the book. That threw me off, because that sort of character development is entirely unusual. I am not sure if I am allowed to say this, but I'll try... I also did not find any reason to actually like all the main characters, and I found the villan extremely unconvincing. At one point in the book, I found myself hoping something would happen (ie, all characters get shot) so that I could stop reading it. The only reason I completed the book was because it was so short, and I am extremely obsessive about finishing books. All in All, this book is not worth buying used. I hope her next books exceed this one in quality.
Rating:
Summary: Pedestrian combination of thriller and romance.
Review: Iris Johansen's "Final Target" is an action-adventure novel which combines intrigue and murder with passionate romance. Cassie Andreas is the seven-year-old daughter of the President of the United States. She has been traumatized by a violent encounter and she now stays in her bed, mute and unresponsive. Dr. Jessica Riley has been hired to help bring Cassie back. Jessica's sister, Melissa, was brought back from a catatonic state by her sister years ago. Melissa feels a connection to Cassie, and she also tries to help the little girl. The plot thickens as Michael Travis, hunky adventurer, smuggler, and thief, enters their lives. He had saved Cassie's life during the aforementioned traumatic episode and he, too, gets involved in helping to revive the girl. To further complicate matters, Michael is involved in several illegal and dangerous schemes. His arch-enemy, Edward Deschamps, is out to kill him and to obtain a beautiful statue, "Wind Dancer," that is prized by the Andreas family. In addition, it turns out that several of the characters in the book have psychic powers that enable them to sense impending danger and even to communicate with one another telepathically. Johansen does not bother too much with such niceties as character development and descriptive prose. The novel consists mostly of dialogue accompanied by a far-fetched plot. Although "Final Target" is little more than a fairy tale, it is fast-moving, and it may please lovers of escapist fare.
Rating: 
Summary: Not her best, but still great . . .
Review: As usual, Johansen delivers a fast-paced, exciting and intense novel. She delves into the world of the paranormal in this one though, which while it adds an interesting dimension, somehow makes the story a little strange and contrived. But as in most of her novels, it's the characters and not the plot that keep you hooked. All of the characters are multidimensional (you can always tell who will end up dead in the end, because they are the least interesting characters!) and you find yourself liking even the ones that your not sure are good guys are bad guys. Final Target also marked the reappearance of Galen, the hit man/wolf sitter/security guard from The Search, which was a nice touch. Overall a great novel, but as good as Face of Deception or And Then You Die . . .
Rating:
Summary: A Gripping Read
Review: I disagree with some of the negative reviews I've read. I really enjoyed this one by Johansen. While it doesn't contain her more popular characters, it does introduce you to some equally compelling new ones. I read this one rather quickly, as I could not stay away from it for very long. The story sucked me in rather fast and definitely held my attention. If you like great suspense drama, you won't be disappointed with this one!
Rating:
Summary: Starts off with a bang...then settles down.
Review: This book began with a bang and kept me interested until about the middle. From the get-go, the President's daughter Cassie witnesses a terrifying act and is silenced by fear and stubborness. Dr. Jessica is assigned to help her, as she has helped others in the past, and soon her sister Melissa and mysterious Micheal are involved. In the middle, the plot takes a turn and the reader is shocked in the way the characterization is shifted. The story unravels at times, and sometimes there is so much going on with the surface that you do not really get into the heart and meat of the novel. But it is a fast read and very entertaining. It is just not her best work to date.
Rating:
Summary: A waste of time and money!
Review: I am struggling through this book. I paid for it and I will read it. It is one of the most ridiculous books I have read in a long time. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them. I realize, now, that they all have the same theme. The sexy, dangerous man involved in questionable activities who obviously has a feminine side because men do not think the way she has these men thinking. Then you have the female in the story who barks orders to this dangerous man in what is supposed to come off as macho, I guess. It is just plain silly! This book is disjointed, unbelievable and down right amaturish. But, I WILL FINISH IT!!!!!
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