Review: Wanted by Jo Ho

Published: June 2017

Pages: 392

Synopsis: “TO THEM, HE WAS AN EXPERIMENT

TO HER, HE WAS FAMILY

The first time I saw him, I had no idea he was created in a lab.

I'd been living on the streets for around eight months before I lost count. It wasn't easy, but it was still preferable to what I had to deal with at home. In all that time, unable to trust anyone, I had been alone (I knew from experience that people always failed you). Then one day, while out searching for food, I stumbled upon this mangy dog being attacked.

It wasn't a big deal to help him, but then he ended up saving my life which is when I realized there was something special about him: Muttface wasn't a normal dog - he was crazy intelligent. I'm talking Mensa levels. And he wasn’t an accident either, having recently escaped from a mysterious lab.

We were just getting to know each other when things took a bloody turn.

The vet, Sully, a troubled guy who had recently lost his wife to cancer, did what he could and I guess that would've been the end of our story if we hadn't been attacked by a gang of mercenaries who destroyed Sully's clinic and seemed intent on doing the same to us.

So now here we were, the three of us. On the run across the country against a powerful enemy. Who were they and what did they want with us?

Through the danger, terror, and pain, one thing was becoming clear to me: I had finally found the family I had always wanted and I would do anything to keep them safe...

Even if it meant risking my own life.”

Rating: ****

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I received a free copy of Wanted from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The prologue was interesting and a good hook, although I did think it could have been strung out for a bit longer until, you found out who’s perspective it was from.

Putting together the prologue with the first chapter from The CEO’s perspective, we realise quite early on that Muttface aka Bandit was the result of some kind of experiment. This is further confirmed with the ‘bark once for yes, twice for no’ scene with Chase in the early chapters. Dare I say there were some aspects regarding this portion of the plot that were a little far-fetched but they were also enjoyable and weren’t too far-fetched enough to make me want to put the book down or moan about it being ridiculous.

Sully was a particularly well-written character. His interactions with Florence, Chase and other characters were authentic and believable, as were his reactions to his grief and to his friend Mark who tried to help him deal with this. I think Sully was probably my favourite character, as I loved the way he took on Chase and Bandit and really believed in their cause and fought their corner.

Well written and action driven with a solid cast of characters and a satisfying ending. I would definitely read more by Jo Ho and would recommend Wanted to readers who enjoy thrillers, medical/research based books and readers who approve of animal rights and non-experimentation on animals.