15 Seconds

By: Andrew Gross

Narrated by: Christian Hoff

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

‘A total white knuckle stay-up-all-night thrill ride’ (Harlan Coben) from the bestselling author of Reckless and Killing Hour. Fifteen seconds can tear a life apart..

OUT OF TOWN

Dr Henry Steadman has it all: a booming business, a daughter he loves, and plenty of time to enjoy life. But while visiting upstate Florida, a police-stop ends in the shooting of a local cop – with Henry as the prime suspect.

OUT OF LUCK

Framed for a second murder, this time of a close friend, Henry goes on the run. His only lifeline is state-trooper Carrie Holmes, no stranger to tragedy herself, who can help prove his innocence. But they are in a dead-end – the police are closing in, the killer is getting away.

OUT OF TIME

This is not just a set-up, it’s far more personal. Henry’s nightmare is complete when his daughter is kidnapped. Suddenly, survival is not enough: he must save his daughter. Everything has been taken away from him – but now, Henry has nothing left to lose…

©2012 Andrew Gross (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

Praise for Andrew Gross:

‘I think this book is fantastic – it has all the obvious virtues plus that elusive X-factor that really made me resent the times I had to put it down. It's Andrew Gross's best yet – including the titles he wrote with James Paterson – and therefore an automatic must read for lovers of fast, topical, can't-put-it-down thrillers’ Lee Child

‘Reckless is a sexy-as-hell thriller and Andrew Gross's best’ James Patterson

‘Real fear, real thrills, real suspense…real good' Lee Child

'A spine-chilling mystery with a thrilling twist' Cosmopolitan

'[Gross] knows how to deliver a thrill' Daily Mail

'All the hallmarks of the master – quick-fire action, believable characters, and a none-too-taxing storyline. Perfect holiday fare' News of the World

UGH! Became the story I loved to hate...!

The plot was far-fetched, the main character was an idiot, I had absolutely no sympathy for him whatsoever... The other characters, like his daughter, were not deeply developed, so I had no sympathy for them, either. The dialogue was trite and predictable, it could have been written by a second-grader. I couldn't figure out if the book was really, really badly written or if the narrator's performance made it sound like like it was really, really badly written. I think if it were read differently, it could have been an ok story.

Disappointed

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who like more detailed explanations to their storyand prefer slower paced books than the average thriller might enjoy this book more than I did.

Has 15 Seconds turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, thrillers are usually really well crafted and with a good author you know you are in good hands. You know they will deliver a caliber of writing and a book that you can expect will satisfy.

Have you listened to any of Christian Hoff’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Have not listened to this performers books before is one, but he was fine.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from 15 Seconds?

The book explained the story too far, well beyond the necessary, and this went on through the whole book. It was an effort to persevere. It also spelled out the obvious, often enough to get annoying. As a thriller, it should have been tight and clean in the writing and it wasn't.

Any additional comments?

I tried this author hoping to discover a new source of books in this genre, which is a favourite. before I try another book, I will look for reviews.