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They Disappeared
A loving family,fracturing under pressure…
Jeff Griffin, a mechanic, and his wife, Sarah, travel from Montana to Manhattan to give their nine-year-old son, Cole, his dream vacation as they secretly face the heart-wrenching turmoil that has them teetering on divorce.
In the wake of their heartbreak, a mother and son disappear…
While sightseeing near Times Square, Jeff steps into a store to buy batteries for their camera—but upon returning to the street he finds that Sarah and Cole have vanished.
A frantic father searches for clues as time ticks down…
Battling his anguish and police suspicions, Jeff fights to rescue Sarah and Cole. He knows now that the love he and Sarah have is worth saving. But he could lose the chance to tell her amid growing fears that they have become entangled in an unfolding plot that could have global consequences.
Jeff Griffin, a mechanic, and his wife, Sarah, travel from Montana to Manhattan to give their nine-year-old son, Cole, his dream vacation as they secretly face the heart-wrenching turmoil that has them teetering on divorce.
In the wake of their heartbreak, a mother and son disappear…
While sightseeing near Times Square, Jeff steps into a store to buy batteries for their camera—but upon returning to the street he finds that Sarah and Cole have vanished.
A frantic father searches for clues as time ticks down…
Battling his anguish and police suspicions, Jeff fights to rescue Sarah and Cole. He knows now that the love he and Sarah have is worth saving. But he could lose the chance to tell her amid growing fears that they have become entangled in an unfolding plot that could have global consequences.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 18, 2012
681 people are currently reading
867 people want to read
About the author
Rick Mofina
66 books1,326 followersRick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row in Montana and Texas, flown over L.A. with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He's also reported from the Caribbean, Africa and Kuwait's border with Iraq. His true-crime freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Telegraph (London, U.K.), Reader’s Digest, Penthouse, Marie Claire and The South China Morning Post, (Hong Kong). He has written more than 20 crime fiction thrillers that have been published in nearly 30 countries.
His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Louise Penny, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Lisa Unger, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper.
The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.”
Series:
* Tom Reed and Walt Sydowski
* Jason Wade
* Jack Gannon
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2003): Blood of Others
His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Louise Penny, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Lisa Unger, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper.
The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.”
Series:
* Tom Reed and Walt Sydowski
* Jason Wade
* Jack Gannon
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2003): Blood of Others
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
August 18, 2017
At first I thought this book was written by a child( in crayon), then I thought it was written for children, and then it became perfectly clear that this was the most poorly written book that I have ever read and I read a lot.
This was my first and last by this author and find it incredible that he is a "best selling author", I couldn't finish the book though I did try.
If you like protagonists who are as dumb as dirt & way to many characters who add zero value to the plot , but repeat the same old stuff over and over again then this book is for you.
This was my first and last by this author and find it incredible that he is a "best selling author", I couldn't finish the book though I did try.
If you like protagonists who are as dumb as dirt & way to many characters who add zero value to the plot , but repeat the same old stuff over and over again then this book is for you.
June 3, 2013
Contrived and poorly written. I have read romance novels that were written better.
March 19, 2013
This was an awesome book. I really enjoyed it. I want to read all his books now. A new author for me but not disappointing at all. I hope all his books are as good as this one was. Wonderful ending ... I loved it!!
April 20, 2021
I haven’t read a Rick Mofina book in quiet some time. I have no excuse as I have always liked this author. I ran across this one at my local library and remembered just how good this author is and was very excited to be getting reacquainted. It was very suspenseful…sometimes almost too much so. You felt so many emotions for this father and husband as he searched for his lost family with little help from the police that was more than willing early on to make him their main and only suspect. Not only does he have to deal with the police blowing him off…he also has to cope with Federal authorities that do little more than the local police. Gather the supplies you will need to survive and make yourself comfortable in the best seat in your house… because once you begin this story you won’t want to stop….for anything.
October 4, 2012
Cole Griffin is nine years old and his dream is to see Manhattan and that dream is about to come true. Jeff, Cole's father, is a mechanic and volunteer fire fighter in the family's Laurel, Montana hometown. Sarah, Cole's mother, is a schoolteacher. The family of three had been a family of four until Cole's baby sister died. Since Cole's baby sister died, Jeff and Sarah had been holding the family together with a thread. Neither parent is good at handling their grief and this has caused a rift in their marriage. The couple is hoping the rift can be repaired during this family vacation. The decision to visit New York is two-fold. Cole will have his dream fulfilled and Jeff and Sarah hope to be able to put their troubles behind them.
Fate has a way of changing the best-laid plans and the Griffin's are thrown a curve when they pick up their bags at the airport. Cole picked up what appeared to be his bag but when the Griffin's get to the hotel it is discovered that Cole has someone else's bag. None of the contents are Cole's but he is fascinated with a tiny plastic toy jet that falls out of the bag. Arrangements are made to meet with the owner of the bag that Cole picked up by mistake and the exchange is made but with a small but very important exception. Cole left the plastic jet on the windowsill in the hotel.
When Jeff steps into a shop and leaves Sarah and Cole on the street the mother and son are abducted. It seems the plastic jet is a very import piece in a group of terrorists plan. The group has no concern for the lives of Cole and will take any step necessary to get the jet back. When Jeff leaves the shop, he finds his wife and son gone. Frantically Jeff contacts the police.
The police investigate but not to Jeff's satisfaction. Jeff begins his own investigation and surprisingly is a very good detective. With his son and wife at risk, Jeff manages to finds clues faster than the police do.
The hunt is exciting and terrifying and always there is the fear of what the terrorists will do to Sarah and Cole before Jeff and the police can uncover their location.
Rick Mofina draws on his experience as a news reporter to bring the reader thrillers such as "They Disappeared". The story keeps the reader on edge as the danger mounts for the Griffin family. I've enjoyed many of Rick Mofina's books. He always gives the reader an exciting story.
Fate has a way of changing the best-laid plans and the Griffin's are thrown a curve when they pick up their bags at the airport. Cole picked up what appeared to be his bag but when the Griffin's get to the hotel it is discovered that Cole has someone else's bag. None of the contents are Cole's but he is fascinated with a tiny plastic toy jet that falls out of the bag. Arrangements are made to meet with the owner of the bag that Cole picked up by mistake and the exchange is made but with a small but very important exception. Cole left the plastic jet on the windowsill in the hotel.
When Jeff steps into a shop and leaves Sarah and Cole on the street the mother and son are abducted. It seems the plastic jet is a very import piece in a group of terrorists plan. The group has no concern for the lives of Cole and will take any step necessary to get the jet back. When Jeff leaves the shop, he finds his wife and son gone. Frantically Jeff contacts the police.
The police investigate but not to Jeff's satisfaction. Jeff begins his own investigation and surprisingly is a very good detective. With his son and wife at risk, Jeff manages to finds clues faster than the police do.
The hunt is exciting and terrifying and always there is the fear of what the terrorists will do to Sarah and Cole before Jeff and the police can uncover their location.
Rick Mofina draws on his experience as a news reporter to bring the reader thrillers such as "They Disappeared". The story keeps the reader on edge as the danger mounts for the Griffin family. I've enjoyed many of Rick Mofina's books. He always gives the reader an exciting story.
May 25, 2015
I enjoyed this very much. The characters were engaging, the pace was fast, and the plot was fairly believable, with a few exceptions. That or we are to believe our protagonist can be an investigative savant for most of the plot, then make stupendously ill-considered decisions with potentially catastrophic potential outcomes. Setting aside the flawed decision-making (and its relatively easy to set aside, or, I should say, easy enough if you give it a little effort), I enjoyed this enough to be recommending it to friends, including you. You should read it! It's junk food, not medicine.
Oh, and that title? Really? That's the best someone could come up with? "Bad vacation" was taken? "Kidnapped in NYC"? "When bad things happen to good people" (oh. Well I guess that one was taken). Stupid title.
Oh, and that title? Really? That's the best someone could come up with? "Bad vacation" was taken? "Kidnapped in NYC"? "When bad things happen to good people" (oh. Well I guess that one was taken). Stupid title.
September 18, 2012
Read my full review @: http://bit.ly/QY4a7p
My opinion: I could never really warm up to this book. Although, I did like the writing; I kept having the feeling of "been there, done that". Furthermore, I found the story pretty predictable as to the outcome.
On a side note, I was happy to see this type of mystery from Harlequin! Very little romance and somewhat fast paced. I hope they continue it!
My opinion: I could never really warm up to this book. Although, I did like the writing; I kept having the feeling of "been there, done that". Furthermore, I found the story pretty predictable as to the outcome.
On a side note, I was happy to see this type of mystery from Harlequin! Very little romance and somewhat fast paced. I hope they continue it!
December 18, 2012
I am baffled as to why Library Journal included this book on its list of Best Thrillers for 2012. This book was nothing but retread. Zero originality and the writing was amateur at best. There were no thrills to make this a thriller. Will not read anything else by this author.
December 24, 2015
A young family still reeling over the death of their infant daughter from SIDS travels to NYC hoping to strengthen a family bond in, "They Disappeared", from master story teller author Rick Mofina. Jeff Griffin a mechanic and volunteer fireman from Laurel, Montana arrives in NYC with wife Sarah, and youngster Cole. Cole has planned and mapped out all of the neat places he wants to go see and photograph. However, arriving at their hotel, they discover Cole has picked up the wrong travel bag. Jeff has to make arrangements with bag belonging to Hans Beck in order to swap the mistaken bags. Shortly after, the Griffin's are off to begin sightseeing NYC. Unfortunately Cole's camera has dead batteries. Jeff hustles into a nearby variety store to load up on batteries. Upon returning to the sidewalk, Sarah and Cole are nowhere to be seen. Panic stricken after several minutes Jeff gets police involved. A nearby witness explains he saw a Van pull up and snatch the woman and boy. Detectives Ortiz, and Cordelli are called in for the missing persons, or abduction case. At the station Jeff goes over everything he can detail for police. They also take pictures off his camera to distribute. Jeff is sent back to his hotel with orders to wait and let NYPD do it's job. Jeff has his own ideas and goes off to investigate for himself. Jeff ends up the Bronx at house of Donnie and Shari Dalfini. The plates on the getaway van came back to the Dalfini's owning the van. Both have had problems with the law over the years. Sheri has a shoplifting problem, and using stolen credit cards to commit fraud. While Donnie has been arrested for assault in the past and was recently laid-off. However incredibly the Dalfinis bought a $3K television new just to resale it for $300 quick cash. Of course their "stolen van from three weeks ago" was a 2010 loaded GMC Terrain retailing at over $34K. The Dalfini family are quite adept at abusing insurance fraud fairly often for sure. Shari turns the police onto Omarr Aimes. Aimess it seems is partnered with Donnie on a gig for some easy money. Shari also hasn't seen Donnie for almost two days. The getaway van shortly thereafter turns up in a huge ball of fire miles away. There are also two dead bodies badly burned inside van. Meanwhile, the UN has invited the leaders of 160 countries for a special meeting. The Russian president and his wife have been invited to make separate ceremonial presentations around NYC. All is not lost for Jeff as his family is being held by Chechen terrorists/ gangsters. These Chechen gangsters are planning a big surprise for the UN festivities and need the Griffins as pawns in their plot. Another excellent story spinning in several directions at one time to maximize the mystery and suspense. Not forgetting some sharp dialog to pump characters into a variety of emotions and terror. The in depth characters jump off of the pages as the story reads along. It's hard not to root for Jeff even though he does some pretty dumb things. Author Rick Mofina is one of my very favorite story tellers, it's enjoyable to be able to jump into one of his books. At around 380 quickly paced pages, the chapters seem to just roll by like a exits on a super highway. "They Disappeared", is one of author Rick Mofina's very best reads to be sure. ( I've read about 15-20 of his books). This one gets five stars out of a possible five stars. An excellent stand alone thriller well worth the read. If you're not reading Rick Mofina's thrillers you need to be. They stand out and shine brightly.
August 22, 2016
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October 28, 2016
I got 17 pages in and decided to ditch this one. Bad, cliched thriller writing. Life is too short.
February 17, 2018
Just glad to be done.
March 10, 2019
Good plot, poor writing. A disappointment.
August 25, 2020
The book lacks depth, especially its prose and overall character development. At times I felt like this was written by a high school student as the writing lacks any sophistication for much of the story. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong for poor Jeff. I barely felt sorry for him. The development of the "bad guys" was weak and too stereotypical for me. Their leader at least had a story. The police were cardboard as if they were based on the Die Hard movies.
It is an easy read, builds some tension, but I would not read another of his, well not at the moment.
It is an easy read, builds some tension, but I would not read another of his, well not at the moment.
July 4, 2017
it was thrilling..... but.... i dunno. probably would not read again
September 12, 2021
3.7 good police drama
November 12, 2023
An innocent family gets caught up in a terrorist plot…
December 10, 2024
I usually like Rick Mofina's books but I was disappointed with this one. How many times did the protagonist say he wanted his family back? Approaching infinity. Far too many unbelievable aspects to this story. The cops keep losing track of the guy they were supposed to be watching.
October 2, 2012
They Disappeared caught my attention in the way most thriller novels do but particularly as another title by this author, Vengeance Road, has been on my wishlist for a while.
When Jeff Griffin's wife, Sarah and nine year old son Cole, disappear from Times Square during a family holiday, the police are dismissive, suspecting a domestic quarrel. Frustrated by the investigators, Jeff takes matters into his own hands and frantically searches New York for his missing family, unwittingly blundering into the midst of a terrorist plan to disrupt the current UN meetings in the city.
While the tension that stems from Jeff's frantic search for Sarah and Cole and the developing threat to the UN conference taking place in New York, is high, unfortunately the plot of They Disappeared is simplistic and predictable. I was disappointed by the formulaic storyline which relies on a string of convenient critical events that conspire to keep Jeff from saving his family. Jeff falls and smashes his phone, a courier is hit by a truck, Cole escapes but runs straight into the arms of his kidnapper, these are all somewhat plausible but unconvincing moments of contrivance.
As a small town mechanic, albeit with some experience as a volunteer fire fighter, Jeff proves remarkably resourceful, eluding the police and the terrorists and able to stay one step ahead of them both in his fight to rescue his family. It's not that I didn't like his character, as I did and I was especially sympathetic to his family's heartbreaking history, but I didn't find his motivation to exclude the police and take on armed terrorists alone as credible.
In contrast, the terrorist, a professional soldier who has been planning his attack for a year, makes amateurish mistakes, starting with the abduction of Sarah and Cole in an instance where the missing item could have been retrieved with a simple phone call.
This novel is not a bad read, for me it's just lacking the sophistication I prefer in order to fully immerse myself in the action. They Disappeared is a lightweight, uncomplicated thriller and the fast pace will likely keep you turning the pages even if the plot fails to capture your imagination.
July 4, 2012
You know those old horror movies that come on late at night, where you scream "Don't go in there!" at the TV but the characters go in anyway, to certain doom? I felt a little like that at the beginning of this book. I wanted to scream at Jeff to not leave his family's side for even a minute. Don't do it! Stay with them! But then this would have been a very different book....
Jeff and Sarah are going through a rough time, having lost their baby daughter to SIDS over a year ago. Not sure if their marriage will survive, they come to New York for a family vacation. After a baggage mix-up at the airport, Sarah and Cole disappear when Jeff pops into a small store to buy batteries for his camera.
At first, the police aren't much help and seem to think that Jeff had something to do with the disappearance. Frantic, he refuses to sit idly by and starts his own investigation. For a small town mechanic, Jeff is remarkably resourceful and discovers vital information, more than once, making the police look bad. Seemed to come together too easily for him at times and I wish he didn't keep going off on his own, but could understand his frustration.
In the meantime, Sarah and Cole show remarkable ingenuity and bravery in dealing with their bewildering abduction. I was really proud of Cole, who had me rooting for him the entire time!
The last part of the book had me shaking my head in disbelief, for several reasons, but it was still enjoyable. Sort of like certain over-the-top action movies, where you can't totally suspend your disbelief but can still have a good time. In fact, I think this would make a great movie!
Mofina is a very talented writer and I really enjoyed the fast-paced action and getting to know all of the various characters. While the plot did go down an unexpected path, it was still an enjoyable ride and I'll definitely be reading more of the author's books!
Jeff and Sarah are going through a rough time, having lost their baby daughter to SIDS over a year ago. Not sure if their marriage will survive, they come to New York for a family vacation. After a baggage mix-up at the airport, Sarah and Cole disappear when Jeff pops into a small store to buy batteries for his camera.
At first, the police aren't much help and seem to think that Jeff had something to do with the disappearance. Frantic, he refuses to sit idly by and starts his own investigation. For a small town mechanic, Jeff is remarkably resourceful and discovers vital information, more than once, making the police look bad. Seemed to come together too easily for him at times and I wish he didn't keep going off on his own, but could understand his frustration.
In the meantime, Sarah and Cole show remarkable ingenuity and bravery in dealing with their bewildering abduction. I was really proud of Cole, who had me rooting for him the entire time!
The last part of the book had me shaking my head in disbelief, for several reasons, but it was still enjoyable. Sort of like certain over-the-top action movies, where you can't totally suspend your disbelief but can still have a good time. In fact, I think this would make a great movie!
Mofina is a very talented writer and I really enjoyed the fast-paced action and getting to know all of the various characters. While the plot did go down an unexpected path, it was still an enjoyable ride and I'll definitely be reading more of the author's books!
October 12, 2012
I thought that They Disappeared was a gripping novel. It caught my attention from the very beginning, and held it throughout the book. I liked the Griffin family members - Jeff, Sarah, and Cole, and was hoping for a positive outcome for them. The storyline was fast-paced and filled with action. For me, this was an excellent book, and I loved every moment spent reading it.
Jeff, Sarah , and Cole Griffin are tourists in New York City. Seeing this city is Cole's dream, and his parents are hoping to use the time to make decisions about their family. The loss of a baby daughter has fractured the family almost beyond recognition, and they are hoping to either reconnect or to come to the realization that they are better off apart. Instead of having the expected time together to explore their feelings, Sarah and Cole are kidnapped off of the street. Jeff is frantic, and feels that the police are not paying enough attention to his insights. He begins to investigate and look for his wife and son on his own. He is determined to save them regardless of what it takes.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, and I was unble to put it down. Jeff Griffin was a great character, and I really liked Sarah and Cole as well. The storyline captured and held my interest, and I loved the amount of suspense in the book. I recevied this book as an ARC through Netgalley.
Jeff, Sarah , and Cole Griffin are tourists in New York City. Seeing this city is Cole's dream, and his parents are hoping to use the time to make decisions about their family. The loss of a baby daughter has fractured the family almost beyond recognition, and they are hoping to either reconnect or to come to the realization that they are better off apart. Instead of having the expected time together to explore their feelings, Sarah and Cole are kidnapped off of the street. Jeff is frantic, and feels that the police are not paying enough attention to his insights. He begins to investigate and look for his wife and son on his own. He is determined to save them regardless of what it takes.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, and I was unble to put it down. Jeff Griffin was a great character, and I really liked Sarah and Cole as well. The storyline captured and held my interest, and I loved the amount of suspense in the book. I recevied this book as an ARC through Netgalley.
July 31, 2013
This novel told me all I needed to know about how not to vacation in New York City. First, ensure that you pick-up your own bag at the airport. Second, don't accidentally keep anything that isn't yours from that wrong bag and third, well, don't read this book just after your teen daughter returns from a trip to New York City.
I was captured by this book by the end of the first short chapter. I barely put it down till I finished it the next day, carrying it around the house with me as I attended to chores.
The father, Jeff Griffin, decides to investigate the abduction of his family on his own, which I find a bit far fetched. Not that a father would search for his missing family, but that he would have any idea how to go about that search and that he would have any more success than the police. I was able to suspend my disbelief as the story was quick paced and didn't leave time for pondering, I just had to quickly trail along behind Jeff lest I miss out a detail.
I look forward to reading more by Rick Mofina.
Rick Mofina is a Canadian born author with more than a dozen titles to his name, both in series and stand-alone. During his thirty year journalism career, he has written his way around the world and covered murders, an armoured car heist and every thing in between.
I was captured by this book by the end of the first short chapter. I barely put it down till I finished it the next day, carrying it around the house with me as I attended to chores.
The father, Jeff Griffin, decides to investigate the abduction of his family on his own, which I find a bit far fetched. Not that a father would search for his missing family, but that he would have any idea how to go about that search and that he would have any more success than the police. I was able to suspend my disbelief as the story was quick paced and didn't leave time for pondering, I just had to quickly trail along behind Jeff lest I miss out a detail.
I look forward to reading more by Rick Mofina.
Rick Mofina is a Canadian born author with more than a dozen titles to his name, both in series and stand-alone. During his thirty year journalism career, he has written his way around the world and covered murders, an armoured car heist and every thing in between.
January 5, 2013
Small town mechanic, Jeff Griffin, is visiting New York with his wife and son. As the story opens, he is contemplating divorce. However, just as he realizes he does want to fight to keep his marriage, his wife and son are kidnapped.
Jeff goes to the police, but soon decides to search for them on his own. Why? I don't know. He comes across leads and doesn't even think to tell the investigators, but instead risks his own life to pursue the bad guys.
The story is fast paced and has a good, if not predictable ending. The writing is "dragnet style" - more like a news report, than a story, with many details that aren't necessary. Why was the FBI agent going to meet with a realtor that evening to discuss the purchase of property in Canmore, Alberta? Was that just an easter egg for us Canadians?
Jeff goes to the police, but soon decides to search for them on his own. Why? I don't know. He comes across leads and doesn't even think to tell the investigators, but instead risks his own life to pursue the bad guys.
The story is fast paced and has a good, if not predictable ending. The writing is "dragnet style" - more like a news report, than a story, with many details that aren't necessary. Why was the FBI agent going to meet with a realtor that evening to discuss the purchase of property in Canmore, Alberta? Was that just an easter egg for us Canadians?
February 18, 2017
In all fairness, I did not finish this book. I stopped reading 5 chapters in. I picked up Rick Mofina b/c a friend of mine really championed his work, saying "You have to read his books, you'll love them!"
This novel moved along at about a billion miles per hour, which some people love, but I found myself really craving more substance. I stopped reading during the scenes where the cops are not going to report the disappearance, but then when they hear about the dropped key chain, they suddenly decide to report it, which I found ridiculous. As if a kid couldn't drop a keychain unless he has been kidnapped. I feel like he doesn't know the first thing about police procedures, or at least that's how it came across.
Anyhow, I gave it to my Rick Mofina loving friend, and it made her day, so win-win I suppose. :)
This novel moved along at about a billion miles per hour, which some people love, but I found myself really craving more substance. I stopped reading during the scenes where the cops are not going to report the disappearance, but then when they hear about the dropped key chain, they suddenly decide to report it, which I found ridiculous. As if a kid couldn't drop a keychain unless he has been kidnapped. I feel like he doesn't know the first thing about police procedures, or at least that's how it came across.
Anyhow, I gave it to my Rick Mofina loving friend, and it made her day, so win-win I suppose. :)
October 13, 2012
I consider this novel to be a non-stop suspense-filled action drama.
In a attempt to reunite a broken family, Jeff, Sarah and their 9 yr old son Cole take a family vacation in New York City. While visiting Times Square Jeff walks into a shop for a moment and when he returns he finds his wife and son are gone from where they promised to wait for him. Jeff's frantic search begins and quickly turns into a roller-coaster ride involving the police, FBI, Secret Service and terrorists.
This story kept me on edge and had me quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.
I look forward to reading Rick Mofina's other novels.
In a attempt to reunite a broken family, Jeff, Sarah and their 9 yr old son Cole take a family vacation in New York City. While visiting Times Square Jeff walks into a shop for a moment and when he returns he finds his wife and son are gone from where they promised to wait for him. Jeff's frantic search begins and quickly turns into a roller-coaster ride involving the police, FBI, Secret Service and terrorists.
This story kept me on edge and had me quickly turning the pages to see what happens next.
I look forward to reading Rick Mofina's other novels.
January 1, 2013
I haven't quite finished the book, so am writing this in anticipation of the ending being just as good as the rest of the book. My first Rick Mofina book and I shall return for more. A well written, fast paced thriller, which gripped me from page one. Lots of plot going on there, but its so well written, that its not a mass of plots going on together, that confuse and ultimately come together at the end, its a pretty seamless read. If the ending is garbage, I shall return in a few days and add it in, but I don't think that I will. Its a nice sunny New Years day here in Auckland, New Zealand: what better thing to do than go and read it some more. Happy reading all
January 5, 2014
Pure SUSPENSE the whole way through. This book was a page turner from the get go.
There were times I wanted to strangle the male lead Jeff. He took some foolish risks and some things might have turned out differently. But then, the story would have been over.
The story line is great. It was strangely believable, which only fed the suspense. I found all the characters believable in their reactions, from the good, the bad and the ugly.
Worth picking up if you are looking for suspense. Just make sure you have 3-4 free hours to read it because by the second chapter you wont be able to put it down.
There were times I wanted to strangle the male lead Jeff. He took some foolish risks and some things might have turned out differently. But then, the story would have been over.
The story line is great. It was strangely believable, which only fed the suspense. I found all the characters believable in their reactions, from the good, the bad and the ugly.
Worth picking up if you are looking for suspense. Just make sure you have 3-4 free hours to read it because by the second chapter you wont be able to put it down.
August 11, 2020
379 pages later..........figured the plot and conclusion right from the get go, no twists or surprises. I am not a fan of terrorist intrigue themed books, so I may be biased, but how else could this story have unfolded? Lots of facts repeated ad nauseam, hey I got it the first time.
Jeff was a whiny wimp, like a naughty little boy who just won’t behave. His actions were hard to swallow. The other characters were very stereotyped, the bad and the beautiful plotting and planning.
His writing was ok, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and try one more novel. If Emily can read 8 by Mofina, I should be able to get through one more!
Jeff was a whiny wimp, like a naughty little boy who just won’t behave. His actions were hard to swallow. The other characters were very stereotyped, the bad and the beautiful plotting and planning.
His writing was ok, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and try one more novel. If Emily can read 8 by Mofina, I should be able to get through one more!
January 23, 2024
I’d like to thank this book for helping me improve at stopping terrible books, instead of frustrating myself for hours with them. Historically I grit my teeth and bear it, but life is too short for bad books.
The number of times it was repeated that the events were unbelievable… my man, this is fiction. If you’re saying it’s unbelievable, guess what? I don’t believe it.
The characters were contrary and petty, there was so much needless antagonism, I was begging for everyone to just die.
Anyway, DNF at about a quarter of the way through. Maybe it gets amazing after that, I’ll never know. But I seriously doubt it.
The number of times it was repeated that the events were unbelievable… my man, this is fiction. If you’re saying it’s unbelievable, guess what? I don’t believe it.
The characters were contrary and petty, there was so much needless antagonism, I was begging for everyone to just die.
Anyway, DNF at about a quarter of the way through. Maybe it gets amazing after that, I’ll never know. But I seriously doubt it.
June 13, 2013
THEY DISAPPEARED was not a disappointment! Great story! Great plot! Great everything!
A man's family has been kidnapped by terrorists on a vacation in New York City. A whole lot of international events are going on in New York and it is a right area and time for protesters and terrorists activities. Jeff, the family, sets out on his own to find his wife and son. He does not wait for the authorities before he acts. He just goes on his quest and helps the police find the terrorist.
I really enjoyed this story!
A man's family has been kidnapped by terrorists on a vacation in New York City. A whole lot of international events are going on in New York and it is a right area and time for protesters and terrorists activities. Jeff, the family, sets out on his own to find his wife and son. He does not wait for the authorities before he acts. He just goes on his quest and helps the police find the terrorist.
I really enjoyed this story!
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