Kidnapped

Tara Shores #2

by Rick Chesler

A priceless biotechnology, an FBI agent, and an unspeakable act of familial betrayal collide in a tropical kidnapping more twisted than a DNA double helix. When a renowned scientist with a solution for global warming is kidnapped at sea, FBI Special Agent Tara Shores must unravel a high-tech trail of S.O.S. messages encoded into the DNA of living cells. As each decoded message brings Tara nearer to the missing genius, it also takes her farther from help than she ever thought possible.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

382 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2011

About the author

Author of over 30 novels, Rick Chesler holds a Bachelor of Science in marine biology and can often be found diving, boating or traveling to research his next thriller idea. A former contractor for the U.S. Deptartment of Commerce and the State of Hawaii, he now lives in South Florida with his family, at the edge of the Bermuda Triangle. Visit him online at twitter.com/rickchesler, facebook.com/rickchesler, or rickchesler.com.

SERIES:
ATLANTIS GOLD: An Omega Files Adventure (Book 1)
ARK FOUND: An Omega Files Adventure (Book 2)
GOLDEN ONE An Omega Files Adventure (Book 3)
CROSS FOUND: An Omega Files Adventure (Book 4)

JURASSIC DEAD (co-authored):
Jurassic Dead
Jurassic Dead 2: Z-Volution
Jurassic Dead 3: Ctrl-Z

OUTCAST Ops:
Game of Drones (co-authored)
The Poseidon Initiative
African Firestorm (co-authored)
Red Ice (co-authored)
Watchlist (co-authored)
Shadow Gov (co-authored)

TARA SHORES THRILLERS
Wired Kingdom
kiDNApped
Solar Island

DANE MADDOCK ORIGINS (co-authored)
Splashdown
Electra
Amber
Treasure of the Dead
Dane Maddock: The Tomb

OGMIOS TEAM ORIGINS (co-authored)
Lucifer's Machine

STANDALONE NOVELS:
Edit: A Prehistoric Thriller
Manuscript 512 (releasing Fall 2018)
Hawaiian Punch (co-authored)
Uncontacted
DMZ: A Dinosaur Thriller
The Tank
The Flat: A Novel of Supernatural Horror (co-authored)
The Yeti (co-authored)
Landing Party
Sawfish
Luna
Hotel Megalodon
Blood Harbor: A Novel of Suspense

Reviews

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three months after wealthy biotechnology company CEO William Archer is lost at sea or kidnapped off his research yacht in the warm waters of the Hawaiian Islands in Rick Chesler’s inventive thriller "kiDNApped," Special Agent Tara Shores faces a very cold case.

She also faces the uncertainties of three civilians intruding into an investigation. Was Dave Turner really looking for a wedding ring on the ocean floor when his dive boat was stolen and his employer was murdered? What can Archer’s son and daughter from the mainland possibly contribute just two days before the court declares their father legally dead?

Shores, a veteran agent who first appeared in "Wired Kingdom" (2010), is about to stamp the case file “INDETERMINATE” because there are no leads and no ransom demands. While Archer’s son Lance wants to drink beer and chase girls until he can collect his inheritance, his sister Kristen wants Dave to return to the ocean floor on the off chance his interrupted search is related to her father’s disappearance.

When their dive attracts unwanted attention, Shores and her disparate crew are suddenly in the line of fire. Kristen wonders if her genius father encrypted a call for help in the DNA of ocean bacteria. Shores wonders how she can possibly babysit civilians who are more likely to get in the way and/or get killed than anything else.

Rick Chesler has written a breathtaking tropical adventure that combines a cutting-edge technology search for clues with a madcap, island-to-island race against bad guys that would put a smile on the face of any James Bond aficionado.

Agent Shores definitely needs a new rubber stamp for her case file: HAZARDOUS TO MY HEALTH.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

KiDNApped is an action-packed thriller. Most thrillers make you guess the who-dun-it. Chesler approaches it differently. He allows you to know most of the secrets as the story unfolds because it's told from the perspective of all the characters. I liked that fresh perspective.

Most intriguing is the scientific aspect of the story. While it's quite intricate, Chesler does not lose his reader. The storyline moves quickly and keeps you hooked throughout. Additionally, Chesler's depiction of Hawaii and its culture seemed quite accurate. (I've only been to Hawaii once myself!)

I grew up loving the James Bond movies (Connery, of course) and still must read thrillers, espionage, etc. to fill that void. KiDNApped did the trick! I'll be looking for more books by Chesler and would recommend reading KiDNApped.

Thanks for the Goodreads Giveaway!

[Michele Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title: kiDNApped
Author: Rick Chesler
Publisher: Chalet Publishers
ISBN: 9781936395132
Reviewed by Michele Tater for The Couch Tater Review

“If you can write DNA, you're no longer limited to 'what is' but to what you could make.” ~Drew Endy

Set in the beautifully scenic back drop of the Isles of Hawaii, a kidnapping has taken place so long ago that the man will soon be declared die and lost at sea. His daughter a brilliant successful professor of microbiology is not ready to give up on finding her father just get. Along side of her is her Lance a not so successful computer programmer, who is being enticed with a free trip, room and board. This brother and sister team are joined by Dave, a scuba drive and marine biologist and a FBI agent named Tara. With clues left for them by the missing Dr. William Archer, they are hoping to close in on the captures and rescue their captive.

This book starts off like water that is calm just before a storm that is brewing blow in. It give the reader background information to get to know the characters that they will be following. Then with each ripple in the water, the plot become more in depth, even includes technical aspects that are truly remarkable if true. The reader finds hidden secrets and betrayals within this team of searchers, that cause the FBI agent especially, to keep a close eye on the rest of the party. Reading further along, it as though the winds are start blow and the wave start crashing against the surf and there is a need to hang on to something for dear live or be blown away. Then it is found that the waves are coming from one source and that source will lead to more answers and hopefully to one happy ending, or will it.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Chesler has done it again! His second book, KiDNApped, was every bit as enthralling as his first book, Wired Kingdom. Although science has never been my strongest subject, I was amazed at how easily I could follow exactly what was going on in this story line, including the DNA sequencing. It never occurred to me that man could do so much to alter DNA structures, allowing messages to be sent by a kidnapped scientist to his family.

FBI Special Agent Tara Shores, now living and working in Hawaii, has her hands full as she manages to combine two cases on which she is working, bringing them together to solve the kidnapping of Dr. William Archer, a highly respected and successful biotechnology researcher and businessman. She must maintain her professional demeanor while she deals with Dr. Archer's children as they attempt to locate their father before he is legally declared dead, as well as her discovery of the basis of the sinister kidnapping plan. The twists and turns in the plot never seem so far-fetched that they cannot be believable and, as with Chesler's earlier book, every character is fully developed and important to the storyline.

I hope Rick Chesler has many more ideas in his head that he plans to bring to life in his novels as I cannot see me tiring of reading his books at any time.

[Paul Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Michael Crichton’s, Prey or Jurassic Park, Rick Chesler’s, KiDNApped shows just how far today’s technology has come and how truly frightening it can be. Though not a true techno thriller, the technology used in the story is central to its theme.

KiDNApped is a detective thriller set in the familiar yet still exotic location of the Hawaiian Islands. The story has a good pace, with just the right balance between giving you background information without being boring or shooting straight into action without know who is who and why they are acting that way.

The characters are believable and have a sense of reality about them that not only makes it easy to believe in them but they help make the story itself more credible. The action scenes are done well and add too, rather than distract from the story.

KiDNApped is a great read and once you pick it up, it will be hard for you to put it down

[Barry Simiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if Clive Cussler cloned himself and sent Juniour off to fend for himself. You would have Rick Chesler, heir apparent to the adventure/action throne. kiDNApped is a roller coaster, well written, great story, inventive and original. Tara Shores is a little more subdued here, but then again chasing a whale thru the Pacific (in Wired kingdom) would probably do that to a girl.

There is a lack of "coincidence" here, something many action writers fall back on to get their characters out of a problem. Everything is hidden neatly in the story for the characters to find, which is bloody good because i am tired of such'n'such just happening to find a Lamborghini parked on the side of the road idilling just when the lead needs a vehicle.

If you like a bit of adventure, a little mystery and a whole lot of FUN, yes FUN (remember that? like, what we read for?) read this book.

[Robert MacNeil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Chesler's KiDNApped is an intelligent suspense thriller that easily competes with anything by Cussler or Crichton. Dr. William Archer, inventor of a breakthrough piece of biotechnology, has been kidnapped, and it's up to FBI Special Agent Tara Shores to find him. In this book, Tara is joined by Archer's son and daughter as she searches for Dr. Archer on an action-filled chase across the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. The catch is, the only clues are encoded in microscopic strands of DNA! As far fetched as this sounds, Chesler manages to make it believable. His writing is gripping and once again, he does a great job of putting the reader right into the midst of the action. It's a hard book to put down. I loved Chesler's first book, Wired Kingdom, but KiDNApped is even better. I hope he's hard at work on his third! I highly recommend this book

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had high hopes for his book, as the first in the series - 'Wired Kingdom' was such a good story and I was not disappointed in the slightest. I was hooked from the first chapter, it has great characters, it's fun, interesting and makes you think. The end was good but shocking. The detail was just right. If you are looking for an intelligent, fun, well written thriller then this is the book for you.

[Mickey Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has adventure, science and a few good surprises. Like Chesler's last book,
the story combines bio science with the best and worst the scientists have to offer.

[Laima]

**I won this book from Goodreads as a First Reads giveaway**

Thank you to the Goodreads author for sending me a free copy of this book. Review to follow upon completion.

[Wayne Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's got science. It's got Hawaii. That's a great start! Keeps your interest the whole way through. Made me want to go back to Hawaii.

[Monte Dutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humanity in high-tech tale

Nice mix of characters. Determined FBI agent. Scientist searching for missing father. Her doomed and corrupted brother. Adventurer drawn into mix. Icy operatives. Danger in the deep, the shallow and elsewhere. And, of course, the satisfying, if not joyous, conclusion. I enjoyed it.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense drama

This is the most diverse mystery I have read in a long time. It kept me up into the wee hours of the next day. Most enjoyable!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Tara Shores adventure. Nicely paced plot with some interesting twists along the way. The only thing I wish it had was an epilogue. The ending feels a tad abrupt.

[Kaitlin R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book. I enjoyed the science, I enjoyed the premise, and I liked the bad guys. There were just some stylistic choices that didn't flow for me. The romance felt a bit forced. I wasn't wild about Tara, mostly because the narrative focused so much on Dave, Lance and Kristen. Maybe all the character development for her went into another book?

Anyway, my biggest beef was how the end just ended. There was no wrap up, no epilogue. Just "these people are dead, we won, bye bye." It was a little frustrating, because otherwise it was a strong read. With a decent wrap up (like, where are they a few months later? 1 page little poignant thing.) it probably would have been a 4 star. Oh well.

[Jamey Goodyear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kidnapped is an FBI thriller in the Tara Shores series written by Rick Chesler. Tara Shores has been assigned to work in Hawaii.

Tara Shores is accidentally drawn into a mystery involving a missing scientist. The case is not an official FBI investigation, but Tara is tagging along with the son and daughter of the missing scientist to keep an eye on things. The missing scientist has cleverly sent a message, but it is a message only his daughter can decipher.

Filled with science revolving around DNA and global warming, this is a fast paced, exciting story that will entertain anyone interested in FBI stories, science, and adventure, especially in an exotic locale. I can recommend this book for adults as well as young adults.

[Bill Koller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book had me guessing and did not let me down . Much of the Action takes place in the Hawaiian Islands and was nostalgic as author Chesler led me up jungle rivers and over volcanoes I have visited. His heroine, Tara, is quite simply a charming half Poirot, have Rocky FBI agent. Cool and composed she is not above causally ripping your head off and using it to play Bocci Ball.

The science in this book regarding DNA messaging is fascinating. And after some fact checking VERY REAL!

Love a good solid outdoor exotic science/murder thriller? Read KiDNApped. You will be happy with the way you spent your reading time. I surely was. FIVE STARS.

[Sarah Yoffa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just cannot force myself past the incredible editing flaws, research gaps and outright amateur mistakes in the execution of this story. It had fantastic characters, well-developed, and the concept of the plot was a great idea but this really proves the old addage: execution is everything. Or rather, the lack of execution can destroy anything, even the best of ideas. I'm convinced that, with a professional editor, Mr. Chesler could have executed a better novel. I hope the editors at his new publisher do a better job for him than he managed to do for himself.

I did not finish this book and will never finish this book. Wish I could but know I can't.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite

I have read 3 of Tara Shores thrillers. This one is my favorite. It has a lot of the Hawaiian Islands locals. It is a fast paced mystery.

I am looking forward to more of Rick Chesler's books.

[Doreen Dalesandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the Kindle edition.

The premise of sending messages via DNA is interesting.

IMHO, the FBI agent is a rather pathetic character.

Overall, an interesting read!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved Kidnapped in the mail a few days ago!

[K.J. Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good I would have liked more details of how the characters were feeing. I enjoyed the tension and the plot.

[John Cranor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good entertainment

[Tom Gustafson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to toot my own horn a bit on this one, but I get a mention in the credits of the book!

[Cindy Listermann hurckes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspenseful thriller. Had me guessing until the end.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 2.5. The last 5 pages really blew it.

[Julie Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

KiDNApped is an excellent addition to the Tara Shores series by Rick Chesler. Tara Shores is in charge of the case of a missing scientist who disappeared 3 months ago. When his two children come to Hawaii to look for him just days before he is to be declared legally dead, things take an interesting turn.
This story is fast-paced, and I really like the characters. I am anxious to move on to book three in the series.