The Ugly Duckling

The promise of the book kept me reading through the first ten or so pages, which I found stiff and boring. To much information given away in dialogue that the characters obviously knew. I almost put the book down, but thankfully didn't, because when I got to meet Nell and the interplay between her and her daughter Jill midway through the first chapter, I was hooked. Sadly, Jill dies with her father in the violence that leaves Jill disfigured. As a child, Nell's mother told her over and over that she was the Ugly Duckling. However after a murderous attack on a Greek island, wealthy Nick Tanek flies her to the States where she is transformed into the Swan her mother told her she could never be. Beautiful now, Nell works on her body, getting it in shape to go after a killer, but to get him, she has to put herself at risk. I loved this five star thriller, my only fault with it was the slow beginning, but once through that, I couldn't put it down. I particularly loved how duckling Nell was transformed. And I loved the revenge aspect of it. I can't recommend "The Ugly Duckling" highly enough. Reviewed by Vesta Irene

The back cover of "The Ugly Duckling" asks: "If fate suddenly made you more beautiful than you ever dreamed possible, would it be the beginning of a fairy tale, or your worst nightmare...?" However, that rhetorical question does not even come close to scratching the surface on this thriller by Iris Johansen because by the time Nell Calder is transformed into a beautiful swan she is already living a horrible nightmare. As a little girl it was pounded into Nell's head by her mother than she was never going to be the swan, always the ugly duckling. As an adult Nell is married to a handsome executive and has a four-year old daughter, but the doubts are always there. Then there is an attack on a party at which her husband and child are killed and Nell is horribly scarred. Yes, she emerges as a stunning beauty, but inside is that creature of doubt, transformed not so much by the amazing surgery but by the brutality of events. If this is a fairy tale then Johansen is clearly writing a very grim fairy tale. Because Nell was not just an innocent bystander, she was a target of the attack and the killer is still after her. As much as Nell would like to know why this is still happening to her, the more primal part of her sees the opportunity not just to fight back but to claim revenge for her loved ones and finally get back at those nagging voices her mother put inside her brain. With her new face, Nell has effectively disappeared from the killer's radar. But then she figures out that the only way to catch the killer is to let him think he has caught her. Surely this book is in development somewhere off in Tinsel Town with actresses fighting over the role and trying to figure out how they will make themselves look like the "before" Nell. I like a story of revenge as much as the next person and this one delivers just desserts to all of the characters. "The Ugly Duckling" is not great fiction, but it is a first class, fast moving thriller where the psychological dimensions of survival are given as much play as the physical. Of course, if you stop and think about it, most fairy tales have their nightmarish aspects, so maybe that back cover blurb was not off as much as we might have thought.

Iris Johansen is becomming one of my favorite authors. I didn't want to put it down! It is a book I wanted to read again right after I finished it. The characters were such strong people in the book. This book really keeps you on the edge of your seat. I am normally a fan of historical romance, but this book is now my favorite book. Nell Calder is an incredible character with such stength and bravery. Being a mother myself, losing a child would be the worst, and Iris Johansen depicts Nell's feelings of loss well. I like the description of Nocholas Tanek being compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger, then finding out more about him and his ranch. Nell's husband got what he deserved for how he treated Nell. This book has a little bit of everything. Even touching on corruption in the DEA. Iris Johansen is an amazing author. The details she puts into her books is outstanding!

This was an excellent book! I could not put it down! It was very exciting, and I loved the transformation of the character from "ugly duckling" to "beautiful swan." It's definitely a great read...just enough suspense, mystery and romance combined. I highly recommend this book!

I haven't heard of this author before reading this book. But one day, in the book store, I saw "The Ugly Duckling", the cover is very attracting, so I read a bit about the book, and I was hooked. I bought it and I couldn't put it down, I spent all my time that night to finish it. This book is amazing, the way Ms. Johansen describe the characters, so powerful, so real, the appearance of the characters, the details about the environment, the feelings of the characters. When you are reading the book, you can actually see the image running over your head. The way she developed the suspense, it really makes you hooked and just keep reading. This book has suspense, romance, everything. And I just keep recommending this book to all of my friends. Trust me, read this book, and you won't be disappointed.