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161st out of 563 books
—
443 voters
Storm Cycle
Rachel Kirby is a computer genius whose personal life is hell. While she continues to climb the corporate ranks, her beloved twin sister is plagued by a chronic illness that will eventually kill her, leaving Rachel all alone.
Serendipity in the form of a mysterious email lands in Rachel’s lap one day, but not without a price. Thousands of miles away, archeologist John Tanek...more
Serendipity in the form of a mysterious email lands in Rachel’s lap one day, but not without a price. Thousands of miles away, archeologist John Tanek...more
Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
July 21st 2009
by St. Martin's Press
(first published 2009)
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Iris Johansen seems to be like so many other authors that find popularity in a particular genre and then start pumping out book after book only for the readers to find that in order to do that - she seems to have to sacrifice the time needed to actually put together a good story. The first few suspense stories I read from this author - I loved. I was hooked. But it seems like -after about 3 stories into the Eve Duncan series, the stories all became "the same." Same type of characters, same type...more
Rachel Kirby runs a computer lab at a university which manages "Cycles" of computing time from participating computers world wide. The time is the allocated to various projects one of which is for research into a cure for GLD (Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy) a disease affecting her sister. Running to work one day she is grazed by a bullet and is taken to the hospital, the shooter is unknown and the police haven't come up with a motive. While searching for the cause of "cycles" that are being draine...more
This book has no real mystery, no pulse-pounding excitement (maybe some adventure but nothing exceptional) and poor writing. There is nothing noteworthy about the story and the characters are cardboard, milquetoast at best.
I read Deadlock by Iris Johansen (this book really seems to have been penned more by her based on what I read compared to Deadlock) and this book falls at the same level; characters that are not especially likeable, a story that is too cliche in its layout, a plot that leaves...more
I read Deadlock by Iris Johansen (this book really seems to have been penned more by her based on what I read compared to Deadlock) and this book falls at the same level; characters that are not especially likeable, a story that is too cliche in its layout, a plot that leaves...more
I actually enjoyed this book and after reading some of the less-than-favorable reviews from other Book Readers I am left to wonder why it was given bad reviews, of course I have not read any other Johansen books and many reviews on here compare this title to her other titles. But, regardless, I did enjoy this title. It was fast-paced and maybe a few things were a little over-the-top, however, in Hollywood movies are like that too...what we see in the movies is rarely possible in real-life but we...more
So...I was really excited to read this book as I generally really enjoy Iris Johansen's books. This, however, was a dud. I don't know if it was her son's co-authoring that ruined it, but it was very cheesy, completely predictable, and the "romance" was so cliched and corny that I literally rolled my eyes and skipped the sections.
However, I could understand how writing romance with your mother (or son) could inhibit your imagination, so I'm willing to overlook that.
The book had interesting idea...more
However, I could understand how writing romance with your mother (or son) could inhibit your imagination, so I'm willing to overlook that.
The book had interesting idea...more
This was an ok read. I could see this being made as a 'made for TV' film - lots of action, B actors and lots of unbelievable flying around the world with no delays, technology working all the time and money no object!
I did find Rachel extremely self-centred and not very forgiving; and to be honest I preferred her sister as being a better & more likeable character. What annoyed me with Rachel was that she was allowed to get away with pretty much anything as long as she was doing it for her si...more
I did find Rachel extremely self-centred and not very forgiving; and to be honest I preferred her sister as being a better & more likeable character. What annoyed me with Rachel was that she was allowed to get away with pretty much anything as long as she was doing it for her si...more
Pretty decent book. The plot was based on the use of incredible technology with some striving to use it to serve the greater good, and some trying to use it for their own gains. This struggle provides a backdrop for an action fulled adventure, with all the foreign violence and scandal a reader could hope for. The added paranoia of screwy government was a nice touch, my only complaints is the sister moments are overdone and while I like the smart people doing crazy things, it does get to be a bit...more
I really enjoy books that Iris and roy write together.there action,drama,technolgy,spy and updated. Not a lot of swearing or sex but well rounded stories.
Dr. Rachel Kirby is in charge of a supercomputer that gets lots of computers together when people arent using them and leads projects one for NSA and other research one for the cure of a dease her sister is dying from. Someone tries to kill Rachel. Someone else was stealing her cycles on computer through backdoors.Tavak is the genius who figure...more
Dr. Rachel Kirby is in charge of a supercomputer that gets lots of computers together when people arent using them and leads projects one for NSA and other research one for the cure of a dease her sister is dying from. Someone tries to kill Rachel. Someone else was stealing her cycles on computer through backdoors.Tavak is the genius who figure...more
Rachel Kirby is a computer genius. Her beloved sister has a terminal neurological disease and Rachel is determined to find a cure. She oversees a unique computer system owned by the university where she is employed. She is in charge of allocating the computer time. When someone hacks into the computer system and starts stealing computer time, it means less time to work on the needed cure. Then the hacker has the audacity to email for help from Eqypt where someone has trapped him in a tomb. He ho...more
I love when Iris Johansen teams up with her son Roy to collaborate on a book, it seems to raise the intrigue and suspense to a whole new level. In this book, the main character, Rachel Kirby, has spent her life trying to find a cure for her sister Allie's chronic illness that is slowing killing her. Rachel uses her supercomputer to research all available data to try to find that cure. But someone is trying to stop her, not only with an attempt on her life, but also by stealing some of the comput...more
i've read a great deal of Iris Johansen, in the past. one thing i love her for is the way she can draw out the sexual tension between her lead main characters and then steam up the pages when they finally consummate their attraction.
this book was a little different in that i did *not* want to witness any fireworks, because i could not forget that she was writing this book with her SON. i was on the edge of my seat, nervous this line would be crossed. i'm such a nut! at any rate, i worried for no...more
this book was a little different in that i did *not* want to witness any fireworks, because i could not forget that she was writing this book with her SON. i was on the edge of my seat, nervous this line would be crossed. i'm such a nut! at any rate, i worried for no...more
Rachel Kirby is brilliant but brilliance alone won't be enough to find a cure for her sister's rare disease. Nonetheless, she's devoted her life to ensuring that the computing power is there. John Tavak is also brilliant. He's been siphoning off computing power from Rachel's project for his own ends. When he comes across what might be the cure, the two cross paths and a race begins - not a race to find the cure but a race to decode the cure. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones who want the...more
Computer genius Rachel Kirby runs a myriad assortment of data for various organizations through her super computer as well as utilizing the computing power of many private machines throughout the country. Utmost on her agenda is to find a cure for her ailing sister's rare disease. John Tavak is on the hunt for the formula of a brilliant ancient physician, and illegally taps into Rachel's computer to decipher information he's uncovered. Circumstances bring them together and on the run to be the f...more
If you have never read a Johansen book, you will probably really like this one. If you have read any number of her other offerings, this will prove the same 'ol, same 'ol. Exactly the same plot and characters as every other book she has ever written. The same plot isn't so bad, the author puts enough research into her subjects to keep it interesting. But, the hero and heroine are EXACTLY the same in every single book (heroine is strong, driven - almost to the point of being brash but with a good...more
Was somewhat unsure of this book...it was loaned to me by my sister in Bumpass, VA...but I dove into it while we were in Williamsburg, VA and just could not put it down. It was well worth a read and I left it behind for Anna to enjoy. First book I think I have read by this author and will search out others by her to read.
A computer with the name of Jonesy, a search for the cure of a very rare disease, government agents, foreign travel, sisterly love, romantic interests, and a few sniper attacks...more
A computer with the name of Jonesy, a search for the cure of a very rare disease, government agents, foreign travel, sisterly love, romantic interests, and a few sniper attacks...more
I picked this book up before I read the reviews - I had second thoughts about listening to it. OK, so it took a while to get into this story but, I really enjoyed this book. I felt that the romantic relationship between Rachel and John wasn’t as strong as her other books (maybe a result of co-authoring this book with her son). As a romance book I felt slightly stiffed but, as an action book – I feel that the authors were very generous. Tanya Eby, the narrator, seems to capture each character per...more
I don't know what genre to call this fast-paced book. It has intrigue, romance, lots of action and adventure, and lots of technology. There were elements that in a few days I may feel were too far stretched from the bounds of reality for a non-fantasy book, but they didn't feel unbelievable while I was reading. If I had been looking for believable characters, this wouldn't be my first choice. But if you are just looking for suspense and a fun wild ride through Egypt, Russia, and a good chunk of...more
Unlikeable characters + Unbelievable circumstances + Insipid writing = Storm Cycle
NOTE: I received this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program
Another Vine choice, this one seemed interesting as a high-tech thriller based in Egyptian mythology.
Rachel Kirby is desperately trying to find a cure for her ailing sister using a computer called Jonesy. But not only is someone--John Tavak--siphoning off some of the computer's processing power but someone is out to kill her. Furthermore, John Tavak in...more
NOTE: I received this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program
Another Vine choice, this one seemed interesting as a high-tech thriller based in Egyptian mythology.
Rachel Kirby is desperately trying to find a cure for her ailing sister using a computer called Jonesy. But not only is someone--John Tavak--siphoning off some of the computer's processing power but someone is out to kill her. Furthermore, John Tavak in...more
Though I may have read one of Iris Johansen's books a while ago, it didn't feature any of these characters. The impression I got from this book was that the characters weren't introduced in a previous book, so although I know she has written many books, she clearly isn't an author whose books need to be read in order to avoid missing something while reading the recent ones.
Overall, the subject didn't sound exceptionally appealing, a bunch of people searching Egyptian temples for insight on an an...more
Overall, the subject didn't sound exceptionally appealing, a bunch of people searching Egyptian temples for insight on an an...more
Rachel Kirby, a computer guru at a Houston University, narrowly escapes death when a campus sniper wounds her in the temple. On the other side of the world, a genius archeologist discovers a puzzle piece in an Egyptian tomb, that offers a recipe for a cure to the deadly disease that Rachel's sister is battling. With the help of a Vegas billionaire, Rachel and John Tavak search the world for other puzzle pieces, trying to beat the pharmaceutical empire that wants to be sure the cure never sees th...more
There is lots of action, and I lost track of the body count as well as who the good guys and bad guys were. Though it says Iris on this page, there are actually two authors--Roy being her son. The main character is scientist Rachel Kirby who has a sister Allie who suffers from a rare genetic disease. She searches for answers to a cure, helped by Johb Tavak. Will they find one without being killed? When was the last time that you read a book where the hero perished?
The name is the most exciting thing that happens. There is no storm. It's a cliche, run of the mill, bland story of cool, action-seeking nerds up against crazy bad guys who want them dead. And the fact that (SPOILER ALERT) everyone got paired up with a partner by the end was also terrible. The writing was ok, the dialogue between characters was terrible... I've read worse but I've also read much better. I only finished it because it was an easy read and so short.
I really enjoyed this book, it had me from page one...it was a very good adventure mystery.....as long as I didn't look too deeply into the story because it was a little more than unrealistic how the group had unlimited funds and whatever they needed at their disposal, and how they got out of all of the scraps unscathed except of course Ben wasn't so fortunate.....
But after all that is said and done, I'm a sucker for the Hollywood ending which is exactly how this book ended.
But after all that is said and done, I'm a sucker for the Hollywood ending which is exactly how this book ended.
I never read Iris Johansen before but I was really impressed by book. It was fast-paced and I liked the plot because it was about looking for something from ancient Egypt. I have always been fascinated by ancient Egypt. I liked the characters also. Book didn't have much description about background scenes but that was okay. Lots of conversation that revealed plot and characters really well. Liked the way book ended. Wondering if sequel was possible. Another historical hunt featuring same charact...more
Got this via a bookbox of CDs through BookCrosiing. As I've not read this author before, I thought it might work for an upcoming car trip. It was a struggle to get through, but I was a captive audience on a long trip through an NPR wasteland. This was an abridged version of the book. I'm not sure if my eye-rolling was due to poorly cut abridgements or the story/writing in general. I'm afraid I may have to give this author a pass in the future.
I usually shy away from books that are co-written by a family member, because it leads me to believe a well known author is blatantly promoting a lesser talent. Well, not in this case. This novel seemed to start slowly, but the intricacy required to set up the novel was well done. The melding of archaeology and technology was seemless and made a lot of sense. Loved this book, and might actually pick something up by Roy Johansen.
A nice collaboration between mom and son with the trademark passionate characters who make solving enigmatic mysteries against insurmountable odds look easy. Interesting melding of fact and fiction using the principle of distributed computing to support research requiring massive amounts of computer time to solve a puzzle purportedly left by one of the premier female physicians of ancient Egypt. Very interesting read.
What an interesting story. I did not know that there was companies using unused cycles of computing time- makes sense. Rachel owns a company that does just that in her quest to find a cure for GLD for her sister Allie, who has it. Enter John into the picture who needs to borrow some of the cycles for information for his own project. Which brings the two of them together in their search for answers.
One of her better reads. I was actually mildly entertained by this one and was not praying for the ending to happen any day now. I think the books Mrs. Johansen writes with her son are showing more promise than the ones that she has been pumping out by herself. The last few pages mentioned that the borrowing of unused computer cycles to further research actually occurs today which I found quite interesting (and perhaps a bit scary!). I just miss the Johansen of the old.
This was a really good read--more suspense than romance. A genius with computers is seeking a cure for her sister's illness and manages to get involved in a race to track down an ancient Egyptian's medical knowledge that promises to help, when the treasure hunter hijacks some of her computer time for his own purposes. Racing across the globe ensues, as they try to outwit and beat the bad guys to the answers they seek.
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Johansen began writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success. She had seventeen consecutive New York Times b...more
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Dec 12, 2009 10:45am