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Iris Johansen is best known for her romance novels and crime fiction works. Catherine Ling is one of the most famous characters created by Iris Johansen. She is a top secret agent. Left by herself at a very early age, life made her really tough.
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Order of Catherine Ling Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chasing the Night | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | What Doesn't Kill You | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Live to See Tomorrow | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Your Next Breath | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Vendetta | 2018 | Description / Buy |
Her mother had settled down in Hong Kong when Catherine Ling was an infant but when she was four, she lost her mother. The 4-year-old kid, left alone on the streets of Hong Kong was a fighter.She soon discovered her calling. The little girl could do almost anything without being seen. She could deftly escape from any situation. These were the 2 best things that she could do!This led her to join the CIA when she was 17.
The Catherine Ling series of books by Iris Johansen is all about the life of Ling. They are about how she was as an agent. There are four of Iris Johansen’s books in which Catherine Ling appears. The first one is the 11th in the Eve Duncan series, Chasing the Night. In that book, Ling’s child is kidnapped. How the forensic sculptor Eve Duncan gets involved with Ling’s case and how she helps Ling reunite with her child is what the book is all about. This is the first book in which Catherine Ling makes her appearance and is introduced to the readers.
There have been 3 books after Chasing the Night, featuring Catherine Ling. All the 3 books featured Ling as the protagonist. Each of them talks about different phases of Ling’s life. They revolve around her childhood and her struggles after that.
Catherine Ling awards
All of the books featuring Catherine Ling have been received with positive reviews from critics. They have also been among the top picks in the crime fiction category by several review panels like the Night Owl Reviews, RT reviews and more. Catherine Ling’s character had received a great welcome from readers right from the book that she was introduced in. This led to Johansen’ releasing 3 more books on the character.
Best Catherine Ling Books
Catherine Ling was introduced to the readers in 2010 in the book ‘Chasing the Night’. But the next 3 books that featured her as the protagonist are the ones that gave the readers an insight of who Ling really was. The 3 books in the series that made Catherine Ling popular are:
· What Doesn’t Kill You, 2012
· Live To See Tomorrow, 2014
· Your Next Breath, 2015
What Doesn’t Kill You: This is the first book in the Catherine Ling series. This book revolves around the early life of Ling. The fight for survival makes the homeless girl in Hong Kong stronger than she ever was. After she was left all alone after her mother’s death, she learned to run. With her ability to escape, she made her way up. Hu Chang was an assassin, a man who had great knowledge of poisons. He coached Ling. She learned from him how to hurt or kill anyone and she was very good at it. A man who went by the name Venable recruited Ling into the CIA.
He taught her to perform all sorts of clandestine tasks. She soon rose to be one of the best CIA operatives. Deep down, she knew that she was expendable. She is then caught in a wild chase. Hu Chang had developed one of the deadliest poisons ever. There is a rogue agent who is making things all the more complex. Ling is involved in this case that she knew was one that was hard to come out of. The book is all about how she uses her skills and proves “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”.
Live To See Tomorrow: Ling’s life was not even close to “easy”. After an almost never-ending chase to rescue her son and after several other lethal clandestine assignments, the next one is waiting for her. Ling has to rescue Erin Sullivan, a journalist who is imprisoned in Tibet. She has to do this for her mentor Hu Chang. She has no clue about why Chang wants her to do it. Ling also doesn’t know what led the journalist to be imprisoned in Tibet; neither does she know about what the impact of rescuing her could do to Chang. There is a powerful villain trying to stop Ling while she is totally unaware of it. Why is she fighting for the American journalist? Why is the deadliest man trying to hinder her progress? What are they hiding from her? What does this chase do to those she loves? Will they live to see tomorrow? These are the questions answered by the second book in Catherine Ling series.
Your Next Breath: The 3rd book featuring Catherine Ling as the lead revolves around the grave situation that surrounds her life. When Ling decides to slow down and bond with her son, she is again caught in a deadly trap. All those she cares for are targeted and killed by a mysterious assassin. She has very few people left in her life and she warns them to stay away. But they are more than eager to support her in her fight. This puts their life in a more serious risk. She has made a lot of enemies. She is finally able to narrow down a suspect. The book talks about how she finds the assassin killing all those she cared for. Who is the assassin? Why is he doing this to her? What happens to the people who help her? Is she able to save them? The book provides all these answers. Johansen links a lot of her previous characters and their stories in this gripping third installment in the Catherine Ling series.
Other book series you may like
If you have known Ling, you would also want to know the other popular characters that Johansen created. “Eve Duncan” series is one of the most popular series written by her. There are 21 books featuring this forensic sculptor. Another great series to read from the author is the “Wind Dancer” series, with 4 books in the installment.
What Is The Next Book in The Catherine Ling Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Catherine Ling Series. The newest book is Vendetta and was released on October, 23rd 2018.