Mission Canyon is a place of nightmares and regrets for Evan Delaney and her fiancé, Jessie. It’s been just over three years since Jessie and his best friend, Isaac, where run down while riding their bikes up in Mission Canyon. For Jessie, it’s meant piecing his life back together; physical therapy and a wheel chair, with Evan by his side. Isaac wasn’t quite as lucky.Meg Gardiner’s second offering in her Evan Delaney series is a tightly wound, thrilling story with all the twists, turns, and blind curves that the road through it’s namesake possesses. While not quite as intense (to me) as China Lake, her first in the series, I found it very well told and deeply engrossing.In a very different setting than before, Mission Canyon takes place in a world that seems to invade Evan’s familiar Santa Barbara based life. She’s just a few short weeks from her wedding to Jessie when the reappearance of the man who crippled him and killed Isaac takes them both spinning out of control. Everything she thought she knew comes into question; who are these people she thought were friends, and what really happened up in the hills above the city?When a writer can make me feel loss at the death of a character, that’s the sign of truly deep authorship. Gardiner has done that, yet again, and while I didn’t feel quite the anger I had towards the antagonists in China Lake, the bad guys are well enough constructed that they do evoke plenty of emotion. Likewise for the characters who are revealed to be not what they were thought to be… Not at all predictable.Mission Canyon is a thoroughly enjoyable book that I would highly recommend. While you don’t have to read the first book to understand the second, it does make the characters far more understandable. I look forward to the next books in this series.
Franklin Brand is back. The Franklin Brand that took Jesse's ability to walk and killed his buddy. He confesses to Evan that he's still stuck there in Mission Canyon. He can't move to comfort his swimming mate as he lay dying. More memories are coming back and he's being blackmailed all within 9 weeks of his and Evan's wedding.A couple claiming to be ex-CIA want to hire Evan to ghostwrite their memoirs. She senses something off putting about the couple. She's right. They are part of what happened to Jesse up in Mission Canyon. Her friend is legal counsel for Mako, the company that Brand worked for, is acting weird. The CEO made right toward Jesse, but something is rotten within Mako headquarters, and as Evan and Jesse seek justice for Brand more bodies turn up. What is Mako up to? And why did they (and still do) want Blackburn and another buddy dead?Again, Meg Gardiner writes a fast paced suspenseful novel. There a few scenes that really stretch suspension of disbelief, but her full characterization of Evan and Jesse in China Lake and this sophomoric installment will allow that suspension of disbelief. Another recommended read.
What do You think about Mission Canyon (2015)?
I enjoyed this book. Though who was the culprits was a surprise I had a feeling that it was not brand.Where I wanted to give Evan a kick up the rear was when she kept whining to Harley though she was the enemies solicitor and how she took harleys comments without making a retort. Couldn't she see feal her lack of sensitivity or the fact that she didn't really seem to understand their point or actions.I gave it a 3 star as was fgood and would try another of hers. PAges flowed etc but it asn't ggreat and there was something not quiet there
—Afsana
SUSPENSE SUSPENSE AND More SUSPENSE!!!Mission Canyon is the second book in the Evan Delaney Series. I think there are actually five in the series. Stephen King strongly recommends this series! He says "Read Meg Gardiner The Next Suspense Super Star! This book is a nonstop action thriller. I feel that it is very well written with nail biting suspense. This author rocks!! I don't feel that it was intense as China Lake but it is still very intense! This definitely is another winner! The book is very well done with the characterization of the characters. This series is a Must Read.Evan and Jesse are on the hunt for the man that killed Isaac and crippled Jesse in the hit and run accident.Jesse and Evan also have wedding plans and Jesse is being blackmailed before their wedding. Also witnesses are being killed.The villain is back in this one and he is trying to kill off Jesse.I could go on and on about this one but I don't want to give anymore away.I could not put this book down! I have already read the third book in this series, which should show how much I love this series. You should start out with the first book China Lake to get to know the characters! They are great!! I strongly recommend this series! This book is for those who love a suspenseful thriller!
—Mary Beth
oh, this one is even better! evan! evan and jesse! and the whole story of jesse (who does show up in the jo beckett books, so i need to find out how he makes the move from santa barbara to san francisco) and it's just good. i did not want to put this down. in fact i actually stayed up waaay past my bedtime to finish it and was exhausted at work the next day. i love it. plus there's all this technological stuff that reminds me of Jeffery Deaver's recent stories and i can't wait to read Broken Wire either. basically, you should be reading meg gardiner. she lives in london now, and i wish i could go to a book reading or something. she's fabulous and makes me really happy. and i'm so glad i have Jericho Point to start next!
—stephanie
