Rating: 
Summary: Kaldak, take me away!
Review: I was not able to finish And Then You Die. I had high, or at least, optimistic hopes for this book. It begins promisingly enough with the Bess character and her sister stumbling upon the scene of an mysterious mass epidemic in a small Mexican village. The level of suspense remained high when Bess was captured by a seemingly malevolent Mexican colonel, and aided in her escape by a brutal killer.The book gets steadily less interesting as Bess bonds with her protector. Part of the problem is that Bess is essentially an idiot with kneejerk impulses. Any sympathy I had for her was undermined by her sequence of stupid decisions and comments. In a rather implausible series of events, she effectively makes herself the head of the CIA, able to order everyone around her. I quit the book during an appallingly bad sex scene between Bess and her protector. I just couldn't take it anymore.
Rating: 
Summary: And Then You Die...of BOREDOM
Review: Ever have one of those days where you think, "If I could go back and do that over again, I'd...?" After about 100 pages into this book I was having the feeling that I'd...never have started this book. ...
The writing is juvenile at best, the characters are lame & non-descript. I had a better vision of the grove Bess hid in than of her. And what was with Kaldak aka David? Is he a tough guy or wimp, your guess is as good as mine.
I see the other reviews where this book rates 2 - 5 stars and I have to ask myself, "What book did you people read?!"
My first and most definately my last IJ book. Save your money or better yet, pick up a John Sandford book.
Rating:
Summary: not worth the read
Review: Like "JoJo from Oklahoma" I'm still trying to finish this book and it's wearing very thin. It's a real insult to the reader. John Wayne movies are mentioned by a would-be tough guy character, and I think the author was trying to duplicate those movies.....stupid woman, tough silent hero who has to endure the hate of the woman he loves because of a terrible misunderstanding, etc. Bess is too stupid to live....she's all contradictions....she hates Kaldak (but we all know she really loves him but won't admit it) because he put her in danger, but then she caused people to die because of her unbelievable decision to stay in N.O. and flaunt Esteban just so that she could have Kaldak kill him. Kaldak is just too stereotypical. It could have been a good story, but IJ really hit bottom with these characters. She has good plots, but just doesn't seem to be able to pull the characters together in a way that makes them real. I've read a few of her other books and she had character problems in them.
Rating: 
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST WRITERS THEIR IS.
Review: IF YOU LIKE BOOKS WITH OUTSTANDING "AYN RAND" TYPE HEROS,REMEMBER THIS LADY. MY FIRST 5 BOOKS OF HERS I READ WERE OUTSTANDING. "REAP THE WIND" THE LAST ONE I READ WILL BE WELL WORTH YOUR TIME. SHE ALSO HAS A LOT OF OLD BOOKS, I CAN'T WAIT TO READ.
Rating:
Summary: So disappointed....
Review: This really could have been an excellent book... It had great potential. HOWEVER, I'm not sure I'm going to finish it. The leading lady (Bess) is just about too stupid for words. Harsh language, I know... But I just can't believe IJ was trying to make Bess sound tough & independent (she's a better writer than this). I mean really - Bess is going to go back to the wilds of Mexico, BY HERSELF, (where she had BARELY escaped from with her life - with the help of the CIA), & save someone that is 'maybe' running around out there by theirself (or may be dead, she doesn't even know)! That is just ONE of her stupid ideas. She fights the leading male (Kaldak) EVERY step of the way & tells him exactly what she is going to do whether he likes it or not. Kaldak would just be excellent except he just completely bows down to her even when it could get her & other people killed (one person already had to die because of Bess' stupid decisions). Somehow I just think that if he is as bad & determined as he is suppose to be & thought she could really screw up an entire operation & maybe get hundreds of people killed, he would just tell her - No, that's stupid & it's NOT happening! I don't know, maybe if Bess had a more realistic view of things & actually allowed Kaldak to help her PLAN something intelligent to get things accomplished, I might feel different. I only gave this 2 stars instead of one because the storyline does keep moving & can be quite suspenseful - but that doesn't make up for the super annoying parts.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but unbelievable...
Review: I actually enjoyed this book. However, Bess was far too irritating, spoiled, and stubborn. There were times when I almost stopped reading because her character was so aggravating. I agree with all who said the ease with which she manipulated the CIA agents did not make sense. I kept thinking "why do they give in to all of her demands like that?" Otherwise, I did like the book. I even liked Kaldak.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! What a suspenseful, chilling story!
Review: This was the second book from Iris Johansen that I read and definately not my last. I loved it! The heroine running for her life with a small child in an unknown territory. She dares to put her life in the hands of a mercenary to guide her away from the danger. Just when you think they are safe, Johansen starts the roller coaster all over again. Once you pick up this book be ready for late night reading, because you won't want to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Reality
Review: It leaves you on the edge of your seat. Plus, there is a little romance. A goverment cover up like that could happen. Wouldn't suprise me if it did...
Rating:
Summary: DID WE ALL READ THE SAME BOOK?
Review: Okay. Maybe this one isn't as good as UGLY DUCKLING or LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT but I thought it was pretty durn good. I'm a sucker for the alpha male types so that hooked me right away. And yes, they have gone out of style and it is an often used plot device, but ladies, who cares? If you're a fan of Linda Howard or Anne Stuart I know you understand what I'm saying. BRING ON THE ALPHA MALES. I found it an interesting book and one that was easy to read. It might not be very realistic in spots, but it is FICTION. Another book that I can recommend for those who like them sexy and dangerous (or like LH and AS books) is LONE RIDER by Lauren Bach. HOT!
Rating:
Summary: And then you Die, well worth Reading!
Review: I've read a lot of Iris Johansen's books, and I think this is one of the best one's I've read. I read some of the other reviews and agree that it is a little hard to believe that the CIA would do whatever Bess wanted, with little persuation, but it made some sense. And I have to admit that I'm tired of all the main characters in the authors books having emotional baggage! It always makes books more enjoyable when the characters are normal people, you can relate to. How many of you out there are scientists turned government killing machine, working for a drug lord? Anyways. . . The book is full of suspense. Every chapter a new piece of a puzzle fits into place and the story line is revealed. I have to say that I wish there was a little more action. I think the book would have been better if the ending had had more. . . umph. The end is suppose to be a climax. The author had suspense woven through the first 300 pages, but the last 20, were disapointing. I expected more of a fight beetween, Kaldak, the bad guy, and Bess. But. . .all in all it's a good book and I think you should read it. If you don't agree with me after you read. . . all you wasted was a couple hours.
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