Pandora's Daughter by Iris Johansen - A Book Review

Iris Johansen is definitely one of my favorite authors. I have read nearly everything she has ever written and I always look forward to her latest releases. This was a book I eagerly awaited and purchased on the day it came out.  It was a quick read that I completed in just a few days.

Story Synopsis: Megan Blair is a resident doctor who hears voices, but she has no idea of there meaning until Neal Grady, a childhood friend shows up to inform her of her psychic powers. She is stunned to learn she was born to a family with an ancient psychic lineage and that her mother was killed for the gift she possessed. He warns that the man who killed her mother is now after her. The hunt for this man, Milano, takes Megan and Neal through Europe and around the Southeastern United States in search of a ledger that traces the family of powerful psychics from the past to the present. They must stay one step ahead of Milano, while at the same time find a way to destroy him.

In this novel, the characters are not quite as developed as I felt they could be. As always, it's nice to have former characters from past novels, like Travis and Grady, present. I do love how Johansen's stories all somewhat intertwine and relate to one another.

I did enjoy reading Pandora's Daughter, but don't feel it's on the same level as many of her other works because of the lack of character development. This is an area where Johansen typically excells, and she failed with this latest novel.  

My biggest disappointment with Pandora's Daughter was the lack of development with main character, Megan. I never really clicked with her like I have with so many of Johansen's other lead characters. I feel Johansen could have done much more with her in this story, and I am wondering why she didn't.

Along the same lines, Grady, the dominant male character, came off as somewhat weak, ineffective and a little boring. Usually a character in his position within the story is very strong, a little domineering, and has a captivatingly magnetic personality. There was a lot of missed potential to really get to know Grady in this work and it was a shame not to see it examined in more depth. 

On the plus side, the exploration into the paranormal was facinating and presented well. The "psychic gifts" that have been passed down through generations of this family manifest themselves in entertaining ways and give several of the characters quite interesting talents.

The introduction of subcharacters Renada and Harley was excecuted very well also, and their development was on par with what I've come to expect from Johansen. I do hope to see a novel with one or both as the main character at some point in the future.

Even with it's character flaws, Johansen fans should still find this a worthy read, and overall, I did like the story.