Publishers Weekly
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For his breakneck latest, bestseller Grisham (The Widow) steps out of the courtroom to unfold the story of a brutal kidnapping scheme. At the outset, newlyweds Paul Tanner, a Justice Department attorney, and Chelsea Clayburn, an art appraiser, set off for their Paris honeymoon. As Chelsea eagerly documents their trip on social media, a French gang tracks their movements. The gang members stage a car accident, and, in the ensuing chaos, render Paul and Chelsea unconscious. The newlyweds awake to find they’ve been separated and are being held captive with no way of knowing whether their partner is safe. Meanwhile, Paul’s and Chelsea’s families receive ransom notes demanding $2 million. The plot thickens when Grisham reveals that FBI personnel have been unsuccessfully investigating two similar cases that appear to have political implications. Though the characters are thinner than in the best Grisham novels, the parallel storylines of Paul and Chelsea trying to escape captivity and the FBI, CIA, and French authorities working together to nail the kidnappers generate crackerjack suspense. It’s a blast. Agent: David Gernert, Gernert Co. (Sept.)

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

What hasn’t legendary legal eagle Grisham tried yet? How about a thriller about serial kidnapping and international terrorism. When Paul and Chelsea Tanner disappear during a day trip on their Paris honeymoon, their abductors demand a ransom of $2 million from Chelsea’s wealthy parents, and a few days later the same sum from Paul’s much less well-heeled parents. After orthopedist Lowell Clayburn, Chelsea’s father, ponies up the ransom without breathing a word to the authorities, his daughter is promptly released. But even though Paul’s parents sell their home, liquidate their assets, and borrow money from the Clayburns to meet the kidnappers’ demands, the villains hold on to Paul anyway. Asked whether he’s ever seen such an outcome in a double kidnapping, FBI deputy director Andrew Strong tells Lowell: “No, this is a new one.” But it’s not, as Strong knows all too well; it’s the third such active case, all involving honeymooning couples whose bridegrooms had served in the armed forces. After masterfully drawing readers in with his bare-knuckle account of the Tanners’ abduction and the attempt by their families and the CIA to tell the lies required to keep caring friends and the rapacious press at bay, Grisham effortlessly switches gears to follow CIA agent Rae Claire Russo and Stuart Nash, a former Department of Justice prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay who agrees to marry her so they can serve as bait for the kidnappers, whose motives include justice and revenge as well as cold hard cash. So much for the imprisoned Paul’s wistful reflection that “hopefully, it was only about money.” The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Grisham’s new novel begins with American couple Paul and Chelsea Tanner on their honeymoon in France. Both are abducted and held for ransom, both ransoms are paid, but only Chelsea is released. As it turns out, this is not the first such case. At least two previous couples were kidnapped, with only one in each set free. The CIA has a plan to find the kidnapping ring (and, presumably, rescue the still-alive hostages), but it will only succeed if a relatively green federal prosecutor, Stuart Nash, can pose as a convincing target for the kidnappers. Nash soon discovers that being the bait in a sting operation is not at all what he imagined it would be. This is Grisham doing what he does best, building a gripping, realistic plot around a cast of vividly drawn characters, giving his readers a riveting story that sets them up to expect one thing and then delivers another. Intricately plotted and filled with action and suspense, this is another first-rate thriller from a guy who really knows how to write ’em.