What do you think?
Rate this book
The Value of Life
The Value of Life A Kidnapping – but the parents are ordinary folk and the ransom note does not demand a specific amount of cash … what value do the parents put on their son’s life? CDI Peter Bentworth is baffled and turns to the only psychology graduate on his force – new to the department Josef Lindahl. When first one more, then two more and then three more boys of similar appearance and age but with widely differing parental background are snatched from under the noses of their parents, life at the Longmarsh station in south London gets really hectic. DI Mason is convinced it’s the money (as it usually is in a kidnapping) Lindahl is sure that money is not the kidnapper’s main concern … but he’s just a new DC. And anyway, what does the kidnapper really want?
184 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2008
27 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 15, 2012
I really, really enjoyed the content of this book. The reason for my low rating is the terrible grammar and basic writing mistakes found throughout the entire novel. The first issue was the spelling. Many times throughout the book I noticed many words that were spelled incorrectly, and in some instances it was enough to completely change the word and occasionally the context of the sentence. A second issue was that the grammar was so poor that I found myself commenting on how poor it was and even changing the sentences around and fixing the grammar mistakes. A third and final issue was that along with the difficulty of reading due to the poor grammar, there was also little to none punctuation which added to the difficulty in reading.
I am the type of person who loves to read and usually finds it very enjoyable and relaxing, with this novel, however I had such difficulty ignoring the grammar and spelling mistakes that it was almost a stretch to finish it and I even contemplated not finishing the book.
If you are not a stickler for grammar, punctuation, and spelling and then you will enjoy this book immensely.
I am the type of person who loves to read and usually finds it very enjoyable and relaxing, with this novel, however I had such difficulty ignoring the grammar and spelling mistakes that it was almost a stretch to finish it and I even contemplated not finishing the book.
If you are not a stickler for grammar, punctuation, and spelling and then you will enjoy this book immensely.
April 6, 2012
This book was free on the Nook, so of course I had to get it. WOW, I got roped in right away and found the storyline to be compelling. It wasn't exactly a page turner, since I was able to put it down, but I still finished it in 2 days. Very good read!
June 5, 2011
Interesting concept; could have used some additional proofing and better transitions.
December 25, 2014
NICE NEAT LITTLE POLICE PROCEDURAL SET IN ENGLAND. THOUGH PRETTY TAME, GUESS BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION (England) I DID ENJOY IT. THE TWO PROBLEMS SOME OF THE TERMINOLOGY I DID NOT GET BUT I EXPECTED THAT. THE SECOND WAS THE METHOD USED TO CAPTURE THE BOYS, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN USE WHAT HE USED THAT EASILY WITHOUT IT EFFECTING THE USER. Hmmmmmm? SOMEONE IS KIDNAPPING YOUNG BOYS ALL ABOUT THE SAME AGE AND APPEARANCE. JOSEF THE NEW DC PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERT REALLY HAS TO PROVE HIMSELF, NOT ONLY TO HIS BOSS AND FELLOW OFFICERS BUT THE PARENTS OF THE MISSING BOYS. LIKE I SAID THIS IS VERY TAME COMPARED TO WHAT AN AMERICAN VERSION MIGHT HAVE BEEN. IF IT TOOK PLACE HERE I KNOW IT WOULD HAVE PLAYED OUT A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT(less polite, yes indeed, even the bad guy). CHUCKLE-CHUCKLE!;D
April 16, 2012
I liked this book! The ending was satisfying - Justice was done in pretty much all the ways it could have been. Normally I wouldn't have much if any sympathy for a kidnapper, but Crowson spins the story well. I kind of wished more bad stuff happened to Mason though, the guy was an ass.
There were tons of errors in grammar and some in punctuation which drove me up the wall. I also wished the author had used the full title at times rather than "DC" or whatever because I had no idea what the abbreviations meant.
It was pretty interesting reading a book that used British words for things and different expressions than the American ones I'm used to.
There were tons of errors in grammar and some in punctuation which drove me up the wall. I also wished the author had used the full title at times rather than "DC" or whatever because I had no idea what the abbreviations meant.
It was pretty interesting reading a book that used British words for things and different expressions than the American ones I'm used to.
March 1, 2012
The description for this book looked so good that I just HAD to add it to my to-read list. After not even a quarter of the book, I was enthralled. I couldn't put it down! The plot is incredible, the characters individualized and developed, and the twists unpredictable. It kept me guessing until the end. Aside from the editing errors that could easily be touched up (hence the four stars instead of five), the book was great. I'm going to buy the next one now!
May 22, 2012
I would have been willing to give this story a higher rating but all of the spelling and grammar errors were not acceptable. Some of the errors made it seem as though English was not the first language of the writer but this didn't seem to be true; just carelessness. It was as though no one bothered to proof the finished product and this came across as a lack of respect for one's work and one's readers. I doubt I will read another by this author.
April 7, 2013
Not a great book, but a good plot. While the main character is abducting boys, he really is out to make a point of how much value would you put on your child's life to get them back. In the long run, it wasn't really about the money but to prove a point since his son was killed and the man basically got a slap on the hand for the crime committed.
October 22, 2017
"This isn't justice. He's teaching us a lesson. We have to learn the value of life."
I didn't mind this read, but the end was a bit rushed.
I'm not quite sure if I understand the ending exactly. What was meant by "He said he could afford six thousand pounds, not four."...and the very ending about Andy Crowson?
I didn't mind this read, but the end was a bit rushed.
I'm not quite sure if I understand the ending exactly. What was meant by "He said he could afford six thousand pounds, not four."...and the very ending about Andy Crowson?
October 6, 2018
A Wonderful Story!
I really liked this book. It described the emotions of families loosing a child by abduction. The author did a great job with the plot and the determination of the detectives in solving this crime. A great book!
I really liked this book. It described the emotions of families loosing a child by abduction. The author did a great job with the plot and the determination of the detectives in solving this crime. A great book!
May 23, 2022
A kidnapping, is someone murdered, who and why is this happening?
I don't usually like books that involve kids, especially in kidnapping but this book has a nice kidnapper and it makes me curious as to why I read on. (Some "F" bombs so beware)
I don't usually like books that involve kids, especially in kidnapping but this book has a nice kidnapper and it makes me curious as to why I read on. (Some "F" bombs so beware)
June 12, 2022
The Value of Life by Andy Crowson is a wonderful crime drama. It is really well plotted and well written. I was completely drawn in by K and the families. I did not solve the mystery myself, and I love that!
*I dropped a star for editing.
*I dropped a star for editing.
March 10, 2012
A parents worst nightmare...their child has gone missing. Heart wrenching just to think about, right? Well, what if before the police can even get the case going another is taken, then another, and another. Newbie detective Josef Lindahl is brought on board to work the cases, much to the chagrin of colleague Mason. The kidnapper, known from his ransom notes as "K" doesn't give the parents much time to come up with ransom money. To make matters worse, K doesn't give them an amount so it is up to the parents, who don't have much anyways, to come up with the amount if they ever want to get their children back.
The story is set in London and the surrounding area and written with British tones. Fast moving, I had this read in less than a day. I could not figure out K's reasoning until it was revealed in the story. I enjoyed the ride with Josef as his mind tried to keep up with the case, even though the count kept rising.
I wanted to badly to give this novel five stars, more if I could because it was THAT good. I have to settle for four. Sadly, the novel also needs A LOT of polishing. Sentences running into the next, spelling and grammar errors, names mixed up. My fingers were itching to make the corrections, to make this a five star read that will blow the reader out of the water and keep them on their toes. No matter, I still couldn't pull myself away. As soon as I had finished the last chapter, I found that Mr.Crowson had written a follow up with the same main characters.
If you are looking for an easy, fast paced thriller go ahead and give The Value of Life a try!
The story is set in London and the surrounding area and written with British tones. Fast moving, I had this read in less than a day. I could not figure out K's reasoning until it was revealed in the story. I enjoyed the ride with Josef as his mind tried to keep up with the case, even though the count kept rising.
I wanted to badly to give this novel five stars, more if I could because it was THAT good. I have to settle for four. Sadly, the novel also needs A LOT of polishing. Sentences running into the next, spelling and grammar errors, names mixed up. My fingers were itching to make the corrections, to make this a five star read that will blow the reader out of the water and keep them on their toes. No matter, I still couldn't pull myself away. As soon as I had finished the last chapter, I found that Mr.Crowson had written a follow up with the same main characters.
If you are looking for an easy, fast paced thriller go ahead and give The Value of Life a try!
September 15, 2016
Loved the story line...
Editing was lacking ;-(
Editing was lacking ;-(
February 3, 2014
Yes, it was a free download but I'd had enough of wading through mistakes by 5% and packed it up. These days I just won't persevere with books put out in a mess like this.
Though was used instead of thought....all this slang talk was used and I wasn't keen on it but then a character said "..if he ain't back by nine I go lookin'". That wasn't slang, just terrible English, I'm afraid. The word was dumped in a sentence where it wasn't needed then this-"a woman PC was sat close to a woman". Just awful. A comma was used instead of a fullstop, the author chose American spellings (recognize) for no reason........and finally this sentence. 'He looked at the woman and waited, she hadn't spoken directly to Bentworth or himself but he wanted eye contact now and he was waiting to get it, after several seconds she looked up and nodded, "I'll try", she said quietly.'
All commas used quite indiscriminately but wrongly !! That was my final straw with this.
The story sounded interesting but I've no patience with something with this many errors.
Though was used instead of thought....all this slang talk was used and I wasn't keen on it but then a character said "..if he ain't back by nine I go lookin'". That wasn't slang, just terrible English, I'm afraid. The word was dumped in a sentence where it wasn't needed then this-"a woman PC was sat close to a woman". Just awful. A comma was used instead of a fullstop, the author chose American spellings (recognize) for no reason........and finally this sentence. 'He looked at the woman and waited, she hadn't spoken directly to Bentworth or himself but he wanted eye contact now and he was waiting to get it, after several seconds she looked up and nodded, "I'll try", she said quietly.'
All commas used quite indiscriminately but wrongly !! That was my final straw with this.
The story sounded interesting but I've no patience with something with this many errors.
January 1, 2013
A young boy is kidnapped, and two newcomers to the force, a psychologist and a woman, are assigned the case. Before they can make much headway, a second boy is kidnapped; then a third and a fourth. Although kidnapping is a terrifying crime, I never had the feeling that the kidnapper would hurt the boys,so I liked trying to figure out whodunnit without dealing with the usual modern preoccupation with gore and psychotic evil.The two main detectives were nice people and had a light flirtatious relationship (kind of a British Castle & Beckett), and their investigative styles complemented each other. I'd enjoy reading another novel with these two working together and getting more closely involved with each other. I would have preferred doing without the profanity; otherwise I enjoyed this free book. I'd probably actually pay for another by this author, but I would hope that the editing would improve...it got sloppier as the book progressed.
April 27, 2012
I really liked this book. I got it on my Nook as a free download. The author did a great job! It isn't just good for a free book, it is good story, well written, the story line is very interesting, suspensful and gripping. Once I began to read, I couldn't stop.
Very good job Mr. Crowson! I applaud you and will but you on my list of great suspense authors!
Josef has only been a policeman for 6 months, He has a degree in Criminal Psychology and has been hired as a Detective Constable. His first case is a parents worst nightmare. Their children have been kidnapped from their own front garden! The kidnappers letters ask them to proof how much their childs life is worth to them and thus, how much a childs life is worth to the world.
Very good job Mr. Crowson! I applaud you and will but you on my list of great suspense authors!
Josef has only been a policeman for 6 months, He has a degree in Criminal Psychology and has been hired as a Detective Constable. His first case is a parents worst nightmare. Their children have been kidnapped from their own front garden! The kidnappers letters ask them to proof how much their childs life is worth to them and thus, how much a childs life is worth to the world.
July 27, 2012
Eleven-year-old dark haired boys are all being stolen by a mysterious man named 'K'- and right from the children's doorsteps. At the police station, Josef Lindahl, a new detective with a degree in psychology, is put on the case. As 'K' continues to take and care for the kids at the rate of one boy a day, Josef starts to buckle down in looking for clues to lead him to 'K'. Piecing together the smallest details, Lindahl works to produce a larger picture.
This book was okay. It was interesting enough, and definitely worth reading considering that I'd gotten the book for free. It wasn't the best detective book ever written, but it did keep me guessing while I was reading it (which took about 2 hours total)
This book was okay. It was interesting enough, and definitely worth reading considering that I'd gotten the book for free. It wasn't the best detective book ever written, but it did keep me guessing while I was reading it (which took about 2 hours total)
October 7, 2011
Deftly done. This is a real page turner with compelling characters, a chilling plot and a good finish. I don't know if Jo Lindahl is a series character, but by the end of the book, I hoped he was. This is detective fiction, but with a deeper resonance about just what the title implies: the value of life.
I found the resolution particularly satisfying all the way around. That's so rare, I can't think of too many books that have given me that sense of satisfaction.
I highly recommend this tightly plotted book.
I found the resolution particularly satisfying all the way around. That's so rare, I can't think of too many books that have given me that sense of satisfaction.
I highly recommend this tightly plotted book.
March 21, 2012
I read this because I just got the nook and it was a free book. It had potential but there were things that were said too quickly and I missed it. It just jumped a lot and I had to go back a few times to things that I missed. But it was still an OK read. A man goes and kidnaps kids for ransom and never really hurts the kids. You have feelings for the kidnapper and you are not really sure why. He is no real monster but kidnapping is still bad. I think that there was a great story line but was written too quickly and I think it needed more passion it in.
January 19, 2013
I downloaded this book free and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. The psychological approach to the book was superb and it surprised me to learn that the author is an IT and motor expert, as opposed to a psychology major. The multiple perspectives gave subtle insights into the main characters - from the very start of the book there was a hint that the kidnapper wasn't necessarily all bad and I love any book that questions the justice system as it very often fails to do what it should. All in all, am excellent book, which I found difficult to put down once I had started.
May 8, 2012
This book was incredible. One of my favorites this year. How much are your children worth to you? I would answer the world, I would do anything for my kids. This book explores what parents think their children are worth when they are kidnapped. Imagine that, the parents determine the ransom. What if it's not enough? What if its more than needed? I loved this book. Great story line and characters. Just loved it!
May 31, 2012
A man kidnaps little boys so that when he is caught, he can make the judge explain why his son’s life was only worth $4000 (2000 pounds); the fine given to the drunk driver that killed his little boy. The judge refused to explain any of his decisions just as the detectives suspected so one of the detectives lets a reporter listen in on the private talk with the judge and loses his job because of it, but shows the high value he has put on the missing boys lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2013
Wasn't sure I truly wanted to read this book ... about several boys who are kidnapped from their homes. (Only one is slightly tortured - he loses a fingernail.) But it was good book and the kidnapper was a surprise. The police work was interesting and the solution of who it was revealed at a reasonable pace, not "hurry up, I'm running out of words" pace. One aspect of the book, PC Whitlock's first name, which Detective Josef kept trying to flearn ... was never disclosed.
January 20, 2014
Great read! Thouroughly enjoyed reading this book so much I couldn't put it down. I read some of the other reviews about grammatical and spelling errors making it hard to read. While there were definitely some errors that should have been caught in the editing process, I think most of the "errors" being referred to were actually intential as the author was trying to emulate the speech patterns and pronunciations of a certain area. These did not take away from the story at all.
January 4, 2012
I enjoyed this book. The storyline is thrilling with rotating chapters from the views of both main characters. The one thing I didn't like is the vulgar language used when it really wasn't needed. It's one thing to use it here and there but it was a bit overkill here. The ending shows the true meaning of "the value of life". All in all a good read.
July 27, 2012
I only gave this book three stars because the grammer used in the book was terrible and I am not a fan of curse words and I came up on quite a few. At times you could also tell the direction the author was going in. The plot of the story was not terrible there is really a lesson to be learnt. The question still lingers... what is the value of life to you are someone you love.
February 6, 2013
How much are you children worth if YOU, as a parent had to put a price tag on them? Then, how far would you go to get the money that YOU value you their life to be? It's all up to you if they live or die by how much value you put on your child's life and the extreme you'll go to to get the money. Makes you think. Very twisted book! Loved it!
Read
October 16, 2013Josef Lindahl as the new detective of a London police department is a character with whom the reader can connect. The anguish of the parents when their children are kidnapped is the stuff of most parents' worst nightmares. Crowson even manages to create a rather sympathetic character out of the kidnapper.
November 26, 2014
I like the concept of the story, and I finished it because I did want to know how it was going to end.
I just wish it had been written better!
Not just the grammar, the rather awful attempt at writing in slang through speech, but the actual story telling.
It doesn't flow well enough to make it an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews