Flashback

Kendra Michaels #11

by Iris Johansen, Roy Johansen

Book #11 from the series: Kendra Michaels
🎧Run Time = 8 hours and 11 minutes

From a New York Times bestselling duo comes another chapter in an “engrossing” series (Publishers Weekly). Years after their mother’s murder, two sisters go missing, leaving behind a collection of evidence that they’ve been using to track a serial killer. Extraordinarily observant Kendra picks up the threads — but can she save the Morgan sisters? Read by an Audie Award–winning narrator!

Kendra Michaels uses her heightened powers of deduction to draw out a serial killer who has not been seen or heard from in over fifteen years.

Chloe and Sloane Morgan were only children when their mother was the second victim of the Bayside Strangler. Now, after spending fifteen years trying to discover his identity, the sisters have suddenly vanished. Were they getting too close to the truth? The police consider their interest in the crime to be just a coincidence and have little motivation to pursue the cold case.

Armed with the box of photos, videos, police reports, and notes gathered by the sisters over the years—plus the extraordinary senses from being blind before recovering her sight via a revolutionary surgical procedure—Kendra follows the sisters’ trail of clues. Little does she realize that her search is about to unleash a long-dormant killer on San Diego. With help from government agent-for-hire Adam Lynch, Kendra must race to discover the identity of an infamous killer, not only to save the lives of the two sisters but also untold others.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Romance, Crime, Audiobook, Suspense

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2024

About the author

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her 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 lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

http://www.irisjohansen.com

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I say, I love Kendra Michaels and her amazing abilities. Always appreciate a string female lead and this book doesn't disappoint, as she is pretty badass throughout the whole book. A great suspense that keeps you turning the pages. Stopping it from being a 5 star, however, is her continued relationship with Lynch, and no real progression. Even her friend Olivia is getting as frustrated as this reader, haha. I mean, really, does she have to always be that difficult? Would be nice to see this start working out instead of the constant tip toeing.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

[Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent mystery that you won’t want to put down. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a crazy rollercoaster ride of a story with a possible kidnapping and serial killer resurrection. Oh, and so many twists and turns!?!

𝗗𝗼 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿?

This is book 11 in the Kendra Michaels series and my first time reading a book from the series. I easily read it as a standalone and was given enough information to where I never felt lost, but I wasn’t given a ton of spoilers about previous books in the series.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

Mystery
Bad ass female MC
Serial killer cold case(s)
Well rounded characters

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?

Fast

Full review coming soon

Thank you, Grand Central, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Branita J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Kendra Michaels novel. I absolutely love this series. The only wish I have with them is that Kendra and Lynch need to officially get together and stop drawing it out. Other than that little issue, I couldn't put it down. It keeps you enthralled from the beginning. Iris and Roy Johansen are fantastic authors. Can't wait until the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, Iris and Roy Johansen for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Tim Mertens · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book at a library book sale, expecting it to be at least half decent given the reviews. I'm glad I didn't pay anywhere close to list price. It was disappointing to say the least. The writing was pretty awful, but I slogged through anyways, hoping it would redeem itself in the end. Spoiler alert: it didn't.

The underlying idea behind the story has the potential to be compelling, but the way it was written I found it to be anything but. There is nearly no prose whatsoever. The book is comprised almost entirely of dialog between various characters, much of which is pointless prattle made to fill pages since the authors don't know how to describe anything in interesting ways. So much of the dialog is completely pointless and repetitive, it comes off like the novelist's equivalent of cellulose filler in store brand parmesan cheese. Actually, that is an affront to parmesan cheese, since this book contains far more filler by volume than any mediocre dairy product I know of.

What small amount of prose there is outside of the constant and unnecessary dialog is simply bad. Take this example, from the start of chapter 5: "Kendra followed Marlee inside her pleasant two-story home, which was decorated with pictures and objects that showed a fondness for European travel."

You might expect the author to elucidate said "pictures and objects" in more detail, but they do not. This is the quality of prose you will find throughout the entirety of this novel. No, it does not get better.

The answer to the "mystery" itself is pretty obvious by about half way through the book, so there's no surprise waiting for you in the end. The action isn't compelling, and there are no "aha" moments. Just a very convenient string of happenstances, "wow I'm really good at computers so when my phone came near their phone it magically downloaded everything" and "I used to be blind so I now have a dog's sense of smell and hearing" isms. The way the authors play to this characature is NOT subtle. It seems the lead character has no investigative skills other than their purported heightened senses due to their childhood blindness?

This is the first book I've read in the series, so I'm coming in cold. Maybe other books in the series are better, but I did not find the characters in this story nor the clues that took them from beginning to end to be in any way believable.

If that doesn't turn you off, then the way the main female character is written should. It has heavy "this female character was written by a man" vibes. Even if this book was co-authored by a woman, the lead character comes off as weak and codependent on her male, skilled at literally everything, lover swooping in to rescue her throughout the story. The authors attempt, feebily, to feign the lead character's desired independence from her lover, which is itself the subject of A GREAT DEAL of unnecessary dialog between the two, which in the end has no tangible effect on said relationship. The relationship itself has no compelling grounding in reality for anyone who has ever been in an actual relationship. It reads more like trashy romance than anything else, but without the good bits.

I cannot stress enough just how much of the dialog in this book is completely pointless. If you took out all the dialog that does not actually advance the story or character development, this would be a short story - not a novel.

This book is not good, ya'll. Save your time and spend it reading or doing literally anything else. You will benefit more by relaxing and watching grass flutter in a cool breeze than you will by wasting precious time reading this book.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Flashback" - written by Iris and Roy Johansen and published in 2024 by Hachette Book Group. The intro I heard for this book prompted me to read it right away. Unfortunately it was not a great choice. The plot was mediocre, and the dialogue and interactions between the two main characters insipid and annoying. Such a disappointment.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable mystery/thriller. I enjoyed following Kendra as she worked to solve 15 year old the serial killer case. I liked the well rounded characters and all the twists that the authors threw into this book. Although this is book 11 in the Kendra Michels series, it can easily be read without reading the previous books. This was my first time reading a book in this series and I was able to jump right in.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy.

[EKoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun series!! This is my first book in the Kendra Michaels series and my first from Iris Johansen. However, I was not lost reading it as a stand alone.

Kendra Michales is a fun main character., she's smart and interesting. Her quirks make great character development. I really enjoyed the relationship with Lynch and her best friend Olivia. This was definitely a fast paced read and I would call it a page tuner," for sure.

2 girls are at the crime scene when their mother's body is found. Kendra is brought in to help find the sisters when they go missing. The twists and turns in this book make for a great read!

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the eleventh entry in this Kendra Michaels series, and I found it a fast-paced, good read! Kendra is drawn into a cold case by a retired police detective. The detective has looked at the case because the two daughters of a victim are missing. The daughters had begun investigating their mother's death on their own. It appears that a serial killer committed a string of murders years ago With her keen senses, Kendra notices things others miss. Soon, the retired detective is dead and Kendra takes the case and is in danger.

[Lynne D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this whole series and even though it is still entertaining, I must say I’m really tiring of the witty sarcastic repartee style dialogue and weird relationship with her boyfriend. Enough already! We get she wants to be independent but the whole situation has become so unrealistic. I liked the plot although it seems the author had to keep remembering to put in a few of her “special skills” because- oh, yeah-that's what this character is supposed to be about. This series may have run it’s course.

[Pam Kovalic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book in the Kendra Michael’s series but can be read as a stand-alone. Kendra Michael’s was blind earlier in her life but now has full sight and incredible awareness of sounds, smells and sights that enable her to assist the police on cases. She is approached to look at a case of two missing sisters who had been investigating their mother’s murder fifteen years earlier by a serial killer. The story is fast paced and suspenseful. Kendra is a great character who you’re always rooting for - she’s bright, very perceptive, conscientious, and cares for those close to her. Lynch, an ex-agent still involved in black ops all over the globe, cares for Kendra and comes to help her and protect her, even though she is determined to be independent. All in all, a very enjoyable quick read. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital copy in exchange for my honest review. The book was released on June 25, 2024.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio.

DNF. Maybe another time.

[dianas_books_cars_coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

[Ann C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I checked the eBook out of the library. I now remember why I stopped reading this series several books ago. Kendra always insinuates herself into a case. All of the law enforcement personal are glad to have her. She always knows better than anyone what is going on. She knows the smell and name of colognes, perfumes, soaps, shampoos, etc. How? Does she go to different stores and smell and memorize all of the scents, both male and female? That just seems impossible. I know the smell and name of 2 scents that are female. I know no male scent. I am also quite a bit older than Kendra.

Her apartment got trashed. Did I miss when it got cleaned up, items replaced, and insurance filed? It just seemed it was trashed and the next day she was back in it.

I hate the dialogue. It is just seems to go on and on about nothing in particular. What about her and Lynch? Is there a romance or not?

I think the real turn off is her know it all attitude. I don't plan on reading any more of this series. I definitely will not buy at $15. Thank heavens for the library.

[Sloan Stryker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kendra Michaels is back in Flashback. She’s been called to look at evidence surrounding the disappearance of two sisters. The mother of the two women was murdered 15 years ago and during that time the sisters have worked the case themselves gathering information, crime scene photos and conducting countless hours of interviews. Have they gotten too close?
The case was previously closed as the murders stopped but there was never an arrest.
The killer may be back and they could be his next victims.
Kendra is on his radar as well. He’s not going to let anyone stop him, the stakes are high.

This is riveting and suspenseful you’ll definitely want to read this.

[Kathy Schouten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one in a series, but the only one I read so can read as a stand alone I like the story plot, but the main characters drive me crazy. Kendra’s insistence on independence was over the top and Lynch’s ability to do anything a little repetitive. I ended up skipping over most of their conversations as they were a waste of time. No more of this series for me.

[Saltygalreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Fifteen years ago, Chloe and Sloane Morgan lost their mother due to a horrific murder by a serial killer. The case was never solved, and the two sisters have spent years trying to solve the case and find their mother’s killer. Now they are missing. Did they get a little too close to the killer, or is it unrelated and just a coincidence? Kendra Michaels investigates, along with government agent Adam Lynch, to track down a serial killer and find the missing women.

Thoughts: This novel is part of a series featuring the lead character Kendra Michaels and her love interest, Adam Lynch, which I read as a standalone. Kendra supposedly has heightened senses developed while she was blind which makes her a more observant investigator – like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. Given that this is thriller fiction, I didn’t have an issue with this being unrealistic since many of the attributes and/or plot twists in thrillers are a stretch of imagination. The plot is twisty and well-constructed and the pace is quick, which I appreciated. However, the romance between Michaels and Lynch didn’t really work for me, and neither did the friendship with Olivia, who is excessively protective. The dialogue is often stilted and awkward and this is not a strength for this author duo. However they do excel at thriller action and intrigue. Thanks to GCP for a copy of this book!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great adventure with Kendra , and Lynch. The original murders took place 15 years ago, and two daughters of one of the victims never gave up. The problem was the serial killer also had ties to a secret group in the government. One of the original detectives want Kendra to help find the two missing young women. Kendra has not decided, but agrees to look at the evidence the two ladies compiled. Then important people looking for the girls are murdered, and Kendra is nearly killed. That brings black ops specialist Lynch back into her life to help her find the two young ladies, and keep the lady he loves safe. This book was fast paced and exciting. It had a bit of everything. The government agencies, local police, a serial killer back in play after fifteen years. Plus the saving of two special young ladies that have unraveled secrets the government doesn’t want exposed . It seems everyone is trying to track down Sloane, and Cloe for good, and bad reasons. Great ending, and epilogue. Five stars.

[Melissa (honeybee.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flashback is book 11 in the Kendra Michaels series, it's the first one I read and it reads completely fine as a standalone. This was a fast paced and easily bingeable read. Once I started I wasn't able to put it down. The story grabbed me, it was very suspenseful and the intrigue kept me hooked. I had to race to the finish to know what was happening.

I enjoyed the characters and even without having previously read about them, I didn't feel lost or feel like I was missing important parts of their backgrounds. I did think Kendra's abilities were a little over the top but I was able to suspend disbelief in order to fully enjoy the storyline. The plot unfolded at a steady pace and never let up until the end.

Solid thriller that kept me hooked and will definitely be checking out more in this series. Recommend if you're looking for a fast paced bingeable thriller with a strong female lead.

✨️Thank you to @grandcentralpub, Iris & Roy Johansen for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this because even though it's part of a series, it can also be read as a standalone.
It was a super quick read but kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time!
Even though it's part of a series, there are references to what went on with characters in previous books, so it wasn't hard to follow along. Plus, the story only really focused on the murders and finding the sisters.
This book featured some strong, brave, courageous women!
I definitely enjoyed this book, and it was a good read for spooky season!

[Aka Hime · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this is a thriller, then where's the thrill? The whole entirety of the book is so underwhelming, there are no actual plot twists or big revelations for the entire book.
Both the FMC and MMC are desperate to tell you, they're built different. Literally going out of her way to tell you (and the whole world), that she's not like other girls.
And don't even get me STARTED on the unrealistic, ridiculous dialogue.

[Carol Weiss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yawn. Sounds like a good premise but after 75 pages totally uninterested in these characters written with no emotion. Writing style very matter of fact and that doesn’t appeal to me. So many characters name dropped. Is this a series and I’m missing something? If it is this book definitely doesn’t stand alone. (Edited to add it is part of a series. My copy did not have that written on it. )

[Abbi Hartzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was fine- not my fav

[JoEllen Mutnjakovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from the Iris .& Roy Johansen writing team. Great story with all the familiar characters back. Maybe a bit predictable but I enjoyed the ride. Kendra is one of my favourite Johansen characters.

[Darlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly good story. The reason I have it just three stars was the tendency of the authors having the two central characters, Kendra & Lynch, repeatedly spar with each other about control & independence in their relationship & in the investigation. Annoying after a couple instances. May have written it that way to get enough words down for the book.

[Lori Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! This book grabbed me on page one and didn't let go until the very last page.

This is my first book by these two authors, but it will definitely not be my last.

I love a good thriller, and this one did not disappoint!

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to start off by saying that fiction is fiction and we can't really get too distraught about it being unrealistic considering it isn't based off of facts. That being said, sometimes I still have an issue with how some fiction stories are made to be. I really liked this storyline and plot. I found the characters very interesting and I love a story that involves cold cases. However, the parts with Kendra Michaels using her heightened "senses" to solve and point out certain things were just far too unrealistic to me. She was able to tell too much right off the bat that were really just assumptions. And she solved the cases far too easily. Even with this, I still really enjoyed the book.

We follow Kendra Michaels who is invited from a retired detective to help find two missing women who have spent most of their lives trying to find the person responsible for their mother's murder. She had a life-altering surgery where she was once blind, but it allowed her to get her sight. So her senses are heightened from over two decades of relying on the other senses she had to use and it makes her an amazing investigator. However, the man she is tracking down is far more dangerous than she thought.

This was a page-turner for sure. It was very fast-paced and it felt like something was happening in pretty much every chapter. I found it very interesting, but again with the unrealistic factors of solving things so quickly; that really threw me off. But it was worth the read and I enjoyed the authors' writing.

** Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review, I'm very grateful! **

[Kimiko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 11 in the Kendra Michaels series finds Kendra drawn into the case of 2 missing (grown up) daughters whose Mother was the 2nd victim of the Bayside Strangler 15 years ago. Except that the daughters have been investigating this cold case and were making good headway (far better than either the FBI nor the local police were ever able to achieve). In comes Lynch who drops the secretive government mission he has been on to help Kendra.

I didn't like this book as well as the previous ones in the series. Dialog between Lynch and Kendra was almost all sarcastic quips instead of regular conversations especially considering the urgency to find 2 missing women. Therefore, it lacked the build up to the climatic ending and seemed too short of a novel.

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. I only finished this book because I wanted to know how it ended but even that was disappointing. The dialogue felt like it was from a crappy video game and the plot outcomes were terrible. The banter between the love interest was cheap and derivative of all crappy romance dramas of the 1980s. It was so predictable and so awful that it felt like it was trying to make fun of the worst parts of the genre, but was in fact taking itself very seriously.
And to boot, it ended so anticlimactically. What a bummer.

Overall one of the worst books I’ve ever read.

[Becca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know why I keep reading this series. The series jumped the shark somewhere around book 5. The MC is an obnoxious know it all who has flashes of entertaining insights, but if you actually met her in person you’d want to slap her silly. She’s isn’t as great as she thinks she is and annoys everyone around her. She pushes her “friends” away and treats them awfully but everyone excuses her behavior. The plot lines keep getting more and more bizarre and unrealistic.

[Danette Anthony · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plot and main character were interesting, but the numerous horrible, long drawn out conversations between the two main characters of Kendra and Lynch and even between Kendra and friend Olivia ruined it. Started to skip those sections to get to the plot of the book. Wouldn’t recommend, and won’t pick up any of the rest of this series or authors.