The Abduction

By: Mark Gimenez

Narrated by: Buck Schirner

Ben Brice lives alone in the New Mexico wilderness, where he battles memories of Vietnam with oceans of Jim Beam. Miles away in Texas, his estranged son, John, an Internet geek turned billionaire, half watches his daughter Gracie’s soccer game while conducting business on his cell phone. When her mother, Elizabeth, arrives, the coach reports that her uncle has already collected Gracie. But Gracie has no uncle - she was kidnapped.

From international best-selling author Mark Gimenez comes a terrifying child-in-jeopardy thriller in which dark family secrets make the finding of 10-year-old Gracie Brice more uncertain with every passing minute. And so begins a furious race against time to save Gracie from unknown kidnappers. With the FBI camped out in the Brice mansion, the family offers a reward of $25 million.

Somehow, Ben and John Brice must find Gracie before it is too late. As the story unfolds with riveting twists and turns, the listener discovers that behind the kidnapping is an extraordinary government plot that could change the course of American history.

©2007 Mark Gimenez (P)2007 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Very good. Loved it

Enjoyable and easy read. Lots of suspenseful parts to the story with a happy ending.

Good story but .....

I enjoyed the story, lots of twists and turns. I did NOT enjoy hearing the F word about 200 times. It was not necessary to the story. This is the second book I have listened to from this author but I probably won’t purchase another one because of the language. So no I would not recommend it.

Awesome

Great story, great writing. Love the adventure with twists and turns. I would really love more books by Mark Gimenez!

Awesome Read

Enjoyed my first book by Mark Gimenez. Looking forward to his other books. This was a book filled with very interesting characters whom were fleshed out well and plots lines that kept you guessing as to what was around the next turn.

VERY surprising ending!!

Remarkable story. I ALWAYS can predict the outcome, except for this time!! I’m looking forward to something else from this author!!

The abductionn

Loved this book! I enjoyed the soccer playing girl. I enjoyed the brother mother and father

It's nice to Have details to be in top of details..
Mark writes a good story!!!!

Vivid and captivating !!!

loved it, from beginning to end. it kept me on the edge of my driver seat. Didn't wanna get to my destination to keep listening.

Slow boil mystery with multiple plot twists

This audiobook begins as a stereotypical soap opera with a dysfunctional family that includes a drunken Vietnam vet, the computer geek on the cusp of becoming a billionaire, his distant, hard charging lawyer wife with a past full of secrets along with a genius 5 year old, and the most adorable ten year old female soccer phenom. What appears to be a finely balanced "rube goldberg" unspoken setup that hold this family together quickly unravels with a kidnapping. In a supporting role, the FBI and local law enforcement are competently incompetent as well as Machiavellianly evil.

The early phase probably injects a bit too much introspection on the part of the characters that is informative for revealing how stuck they are since they spend an inordainment amount of time ruminating over their past. But as Ben Brice (the drunken vet) assumes greater and greater influence over the course of events, the story unfolds into a much more complex and nuanced tale. The characters mysterious pasts produce multiple plot twists that almost become difficult to follow.

In the end, the story is about each individual have a special role to play due to their unique talents and that their personal failings and demons are inextricably intertwined with those talents such that we must accept the bad in order to partake of the good.

Vietnam, Government Lies, and a Hero

Wow! What a wild ride! First off, let me say that this book has a lot of foul language. Yes, it is off putting. I don’t care for it. But the army is full of it, and as far as soldiers go, there’s probably less of it in this book than in an army barracks. And there’s more of God in this story than you will ever hear on an army post. Is this tale a little outlandish, probably. Could it happen? Absolutely. In a world filled with crazies, we need a few more books like this one, which will certainly restore your faith in the few who wish to do GOOD, in family, and yes, in an all-knowing God who has the last word in it all. This story of Gracie, a talented ten-year-old soccer player, her geek father, lawyer mom and alcoholic grandfather is deeply layered. And when she is kidnapped at the end of her soccer game by an unknown assailant, the police and FBI seem to be at a loss as to why anyone would want to steal away the beautiful, talented girl who comes from a wealthy, white family. When no ransom call comes, it becomes even more curious. Gracie’s grandfather, Vietnam war veteran and decorated hero, Colonel Ben Brice is estranged from his son, but has a close relationship with his granddaughter, Gracie. And he’s bound and determined to find her. This begins a long and perilous search for Gracie, that will take Ben and his family deep into memories that Ben wanted to forget, that he worked hard to hide . . . and cause fierce love and loyalties to clash between the entire Brice family that no one ever expected. Harrowing tale, edge of your seat excitement, and excellent resolution!

Characters you care about.

Great character development, even though they are a little cliched. You care about them, you like them, and you root for them. A nice twist slowly reveals itself. I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and Mr. Schirner’s performance.