 | The Freedom Broker by K.J. Howe (Kidnap & Ransom Thriller) Kidnap negotiator Thea Paris has spent her entire life with survivor's guilt, following an unspeakable childhood tragedy. At eight years old, she watched, frozen in fear, as her twelve-year-old brother, Nikos, was abducted from their home in Kanzi, Africa. Although he was recovered nine months later, he was never the same after that; worse, Thea discovers that she was supposed to have been the target. This defining experience drives Thea to become one of the top operatives in the field of kidnap-and-ransom consultancy. Nicknamed "Liberata" because she once secured the release of a captive from the Sicilian mob without her client paying a cent, she travels the globe trying to bring hostages home--mostly through negotiation, but occasionally through more forceful means. She is very good at her job. To read my full review, go HERE. |
 NEVER LOOK AWAY Linwood Barclay Fiction - CAN $29.95 Instead of a day of fun, a man’s life turns from perfect to an unthinkable nightmare in a matter of minutes with a trip to the amusement park with his family. With an unexplainable disappearance, he finally turns to the police for help, and the facts start to turn suspiciously towards something completely different, indicating that he may be the one not telling the truth. Being a small town reporter he must dig deep into the past, which may reveal something that puts his entire life as he knows it, at risk to be destroyed. He discovers that sometimes the biggest secrets are the ones being kept by the ones who are closest to you. I requested this book for my birthday this year, after previously reading 3 of his other books. I had it read within two days. It is one of those books that you simply cannot put down, and the time flew by. It was a fantastic birthday gift! Linwood Barclay is fairly new to me, having discovered him completely by accident one day at my favourite store “Chapters”. I was Christmas break and I was attending the Mississauga Hockey Tournament with my oldest daughter and I had just finished a book, so I was looking for a quick paperback to read between games. I'm one of those people who carry a book with her every place she goes. If I have 5 minutes to spare I feel lost if I don't have a book to open in front of me... kind of like a time wasted feeling. That is when I stumbled across “No Time For Good-bye”, which was sitting on the best-seller list. It looked like a good quick read about a 14-year-old girl waking up to find her entire family had went missing. So when I realized he was Canadian, being from Toronto, and that he was a former newspaper columnist for the Toronto Star, then I had to give him a chance. I’m all about supporting my fellow Ontario writers! I was not disappointed and went quickly in pursuit of a few of his other books as well, which have now been added to my collection of “Must Keeps” on my bookshelf. Linwood Barclay’s last four books are stand-alone books, with each novel featuring a whole different set of characters. I've read all 4 since Christmas, so they must be pretty good, right? The one thing that I noticed that stands out about his books, are that he writes the domestic paranoia masterfully! You can easily step into the main characters shoes and feel what they are feeling, just as if it was a normal event that could happen to you on any given day when you least expect it. I highly recommend this book be added to your summer reading list. Visit Linwood Barclay’s web site at www.linwoodbarclay.com for more information on all his best sellers. This review was originally published on May 31, 2010 on my previous webpage that has since been deleted. ~ Lori Twining  |
Book ReviewsNot all books are great... sometimes books get published and you have to wonder why or how? Here's a few that shine brightly from the "Already Read Pile". Archives
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