Joan Johnston

Reader Comments about A STRANGER’S GAME

Pocket
ISBN: 9780743454384
(March 11, 2008)

• About the Book
• Critical Praise
• Read a Review
• Read an Excerpt

Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Joan Johnston's A STRANGER’S GAME.

Brenda from Peoria, IL

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No, I have not read any other books by Joan Johnston.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I have read Julie Garwood and Judith Michael.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I thought A STRANGER’S GAME was a very good read. The characters were well drawn and the story kept me guessing until the end.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Yes, I would read another book by Joan Johnston. She has written many books, several in a series.

Devan from Swanton, OH

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
I have never read a book by Joan Johnston before.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I typically read James Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, Sandra Brown, and more!
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I thought this book was very well written and I enjoyed it thoroughly to the end. It was very intriguing and I read through it quite quickly. I just could not put it down!
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
I would definitely read another one of her books. She seems like a great author.

Ellen from Wilmington, DE

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
I have not read any of her books before, but I am now looking forward to reading some of her previous Bitter Creek novels.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I really enjoyed reading Joan Johnston’s new book, A STRANGER'S GAME.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Yes.

Jackie from Sun Valley, CA

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
While I have not read any of Joan Johnston’s other books, I’ve read several authors in the romantic suspense genre, including Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Dee Henderson and Heather Ames.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
A STRANGER’S GAME is the tenth of Johnston’s Bitter Creek novels, and while this story stands alone, there are hints that the characters and situations are ongoing. This might prompt readers to go back and read the other books, although the author does a fine job of bringing us up to speed here. There are a couple scenes, however, that seem somewhat heavy with back story, such as the birthday party for Kate’s twin boys where the author attempts to explain generations of tangled genealogies. The reader will persevere --- I even drew a diagram --- for fear the information will be needed later.
 
Several subplots increase the tension of the story, including multiple problems in Breed’s eclectic family, a series of outrageous acts committed by another FBI agent, and the security nightmare of a bomb threat during an impending presidential visit.  The suspense grows as these plots converge and the stakes are raised. Thankfully, Johnston weaves in brief scenes of tenderness and hope so the reader can catch her breath.
 
All of the plot strings in A STRANGER’S GAME are satisfyingly tied at the end, except one, which could actually be a clever ploy by the author to keep readers addicted to her intriguing series.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
I would consider reading the next Joan Johnston Bitter Creek novel, if only to discover how that one, dangling plot thread is resolved. All kidding aside, she writes a fast-paced suspense story with a titillating romantic touch that’s sure to please fans of the genre.

Jeanette from Demotte, IN

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No. This is the first book I have read by this author.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read Mariah Stewart, Barbara Freethy, Suzanne Brockmann, Cherry Adair, Carla Neggers, Lisa Jackson, Elizabeth Lowell, Suzanne Forster and Andrea Kane (maybe a few others but these are my favorites).
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I enjoyed it. However, I may have enjoyed it more if I had read her previous books in this series.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Yes, I would.

Judith from Milford, OH

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I like reading Danielle Steel.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
Excellent! I didn’t put it down until I finished ---- very interesting and very, very good writing!
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Yes, definitely!

Kathy from Milwaukee, WI

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
This is the first book I have ever read by Joan Johnston. 
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
Other romance suspense authors I enjoy reading are Fern Michaels and Nora Roberts.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I thought this book was well written and very suspenseful. It took me about two days to read, and it was hard to put down for the night. 
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
I would definitely read other books by her.  

Linda from Potomac, MD

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read Mary Higgins Clark, Susan Holtzer, Faye Kellerman and others.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I enjoyed the plot and the play on rich Texas families. It was fast moving, engaging, and made a great "beach" read. However, I was not a fan of the ending and hope it will be resolved in a future book.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
I would certainly try at least one more.

Marcia from Paradise, CA

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No. I was unaware of her books until I read this one. Were it not for winning it, I am sure I would have missed it entirely.  
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
None. I have always avoided any fiction described as "romantic". It was my belief that such books were stories about people with names like "Dirk" and "Vanessa" who indulged in nearly constant wild bodice-ripping while crossing oceans and continents in an attempt to flee the evil forces that would keep the lovers forever apart. Clearly, I was mistaken.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
It is a terrific book --- one that is difficult to put down. Johnston begins the suspense at the opening, and she keeps you guessing and moving ahead as fast as you can, right up until the end. It is a very exciting story.  
 
I found that I really liked her characters, as well. They are well developed and complex, interesting people. Some are very good and some are motivated by their terrible flaws, but most are just decent types who are doing the best they can.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Absolutely --- most especially, if she writes endings like the one in this book.  I am left hoping and waiting for a sequel.

Mary from Owasso, OK

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I like to read Nora Roberts.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
It definitely kept your mind thinking about what was going to happen next. It was a definite page turner. It was an easy book to read because the words flowed easily throughout.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Yes!

Rebecca from Fort Irwin, CA

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No, this is the first one I have read.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, etc.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I thought it was really great. The ending was kind of a cliffhanger and I am looking forward to the next book.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Yes.

Renee from Clendenin, WV

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
I have never previously read a book by Joan Johnston. 
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
Other romantic suspense authors I usually read are Nora Roberts, Linda Howard and Suzanne Brockmann. 
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I really enjoyed reading A STRANGER’S GAME and I do plan to read other books that Joan Johnston has written. 
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Yes.

Tammy from Camp Hill, PA

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
I have not read anything previously by Joan Johnston.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
While I have read many books by suspense authors (Jeffery Deaver, Dean Koontz, Karin Slaughter, etc.) and a few romance authors (Jude Deveraux, etc.), this is probably my first actual "romantic suspense" read.  I do, however, have a Linda Howard book in my "to be read" pile.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
I really enjoyed the characters and the story.  Even though I had not previously read any other books in the series, I had no problem connecting the characters and getting into the current story.  I'm not much of the romance reader anymore, but I did like the softer side of the book and the relationships developing alongside the suspense and action of it.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
I would read a future book by Joan Johnston and I am probably going to go back and read some of the previous books in this series, since I liked the characters from this one. 

Debi from Wilson, NC

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No. 
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read? 
None. 
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME? 
It was a good story; however, I found it hard to keep so many characters straight in my mind. When a character's history was written, I felt like I was missing something.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston? 
No.

Nikki from Homer Glen, IL

Have you previously read a book by Joan Johnston?
No.
 
What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I generally do not read this type of book.
 
What did you think of A STRANGER’S GAME?
This book was very easy to read and had some interesting plot lines. My main problem with this novel and most others of this genre is the predictability of the story and characters. If you're looking for some light entertainment, this is the book for you.
 
Would you ever read a future book by Joan Johnston?
Probably not.

© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.

Back to top.