The Abduction

by Mark Gimenez

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 thriller in which dark family secrets make the finding of ten-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 reader discovers that behind the kidnapping is an extraordinary government plot that could change the course of American history. And time is running out....

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Mark Gimenez grew up in Galveston County, Texas, and attended Texas State University and Notre Dame Law School. He practiced law and was a partner in a large Dallas firm. He is the author of ten novels—The Color of Law, The Abduction, The Perk, The Common Lawyer, Accused, The Governor's Wife, Con Law, The Case Against William, The Absence of Guilt, and End of Days (Con Law II)—as well as a children's novel, Parts & Labor: The Adventures of Max Dugan. His books have received critical acclaim around the world. They have been bestsellers in the UK, Ireland, Australia, India, and South Africa and have been translated into fifteen foreign languages. The Perk won a spot in Books to Die For: The World's Greatest Mystery Writers on the World's Greatest Mystery Novels, edited by John Connolly and Declan Burke.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

A competent and engaging thriller, that begins with the audacious daylight kidnapping of a young girl and becomes something very much more. Gimenez got me very interested in his other books, after I read this one; a page turning and compelling read. 7 out of 12, Three Star read.

2012 read

[Anie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too bad "0" isn't an option. What a piece of junk. I understand that this author has another, successful, book. I suspect he wrote this one at the age of 12 and then dusted off and had it published in order to ride on the coattails of that success. The plot is juvenile, predictable, and completely unbelievable. The characters are so stereotypical as to be laughable, and the cliches are just plain annoying. The only reason I finished this book is that I was stuck in a situation where no other reading material was available. There's 4 hours of my life I"ll never get back.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I needed after a few less than inspiring reads. A very enjoyable book to read that hits the ground running and keeps you gripped. This is the second Mark Gimenez book I have read and I am very impressed. I do wish people would get away from comparing his work with John Grisham who I also like. You do not have to pick between them, enjoy them both as I certainly have.
After reading about his other work at the end of the book I feel persuaded to start another one.

[Anushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars is more like it.

This book was absolutely smashing. The story had so many angles popping out from everywhere but in the end everything connected so well with each other. The pace and writing used to dangle a little bit in-between but the great plot made up for most of it.

I really liked the way Giminez had planned out the story, giving flashes of the gruesome past in the beginning of every chapter.
Also, I really appreciate the way life of a retired Army colonel was shown. War only destroys, killing someone never brings you peace and the guilt of it hangs heavy on your head forever..it was very wonderfully channeled through Ben Brice's character.

I think I have found my next favorite author, no wonder this guy is called the 'upcoming John Grisham'. I will definitely read his first and much more acclaimed book The Color of The Law now.

[Judi · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading the reviews, I was so ready to get into this book. Disappointingly, I found the characters were too cliched to hold my interest from the start, much less make me care about them. The story centers on the abduction of 10 year old Grace, whose character is an super-dooper good soccer player, executing moves on the soccer field that would make Mia Hamm jealous. Naturally, Grace is also spunky, tough,smart, cute, and blonde. Not much of what she says or how she acts sounds like any 10 year old I ever knew. The parents include the requisite ineffectual dad, a nerdy Silicon Valley-type genius, with an IQ off the charts, but so preoccupied on his cell phone talking business he couldn't keep track of his own daughter after the soccer match where she was abducted. The character's thoughts are annoyingly littered with goofy computer speak, just to make sure, I guess, that the reader is aware that this guy really knows his computer stuff-another Bill Gates in the making. Mommy is the typical overbearing power mom-a tough attorney representing dubious white collar defendants, and didn't come across to me with many redeeming qualities. Grandpa (the nerd's father) is a 60 year old blonde (?) "deeply tanned" Vietnam vet, Green Beret-again, quietly living in New Mexico and dealing with his war-induced demons and subsequent nightmares, and he is as well, the all too familiar, handsome, rugged, quiet, silent type. An alcoholic, due, of course, to all he had seen in the war, special Ops guy, trained killer, deep government secret stuff, blah, blah, blah. His wife, the love of his life had to leave him because she just couldn't take his drinking himself to death, even though she still loves him, yadda, yadda, yadda. Toss in the token black FBI head investigator and the likewise token female FBI newbie, and well, you get the picture. The book has actually gotten some very good reviews from other readers. I guess it's just that I've met these characters all too often in other novels, and found them tiring.

[Silvia Petrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Това за мен беше много добър трилър!
Имаше си всичко - оригинални главни герои, с особено интересни връзки между тях. Страхотна история, която те държи в напрежение и залепваш за книгата. И добър финал, с някои обрати, но всичко си дойде на мястото.

[Marca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little weary of books about crimes that start as something local, but soon balloon into something that could “change the fate of the world”. So when I read the description of this book about a kidnapping that could “change the course of American history” I was leery. I had not read this author before, but read some reviews and thought I would give it a try. I must say the author pulled it off; I bought the premise. Ten-year old Gracie Brice is taken from her soccer game by an uncle, except she does not have an uncle. Is the kidnapper after money? Gracie’s father’s tech company’s IPO will make him a multi-billionaire in a few days. Or is it about something in Gracie’s grandfather’s Vietnam vet past? Lots of twists and turns and unexpected revelations. BTW, kids usually annoy me in books, but Gracie kicked ass! Glad I gave it a try. I’ll add this author to my stable.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it would be hard for Mark Gimenez to match his debut novel "Color of Law" but IMHO he has done that with his second novel "The Abduction". I expected that this would follow the pattern of Gimenez's other books which are mainly legal thrillers, but this is a no holds barred complex thriller which puts him at the top of my favourite author list.

Gracie Brice is an active, highly intelligent and mature ten year old daughter of an IT genius, John Brice, who is about to float his company and become an instant billionaire. Her mother, Elizabeth, is a top tough defense lawyer who will stop at nothing to win her cases but is haunted by nightmares of evil that prevent her fully connecting with her husband and family.

Gracie is tops at soccer and has just won the match for her school, watched occasionally by her father who spends most of his time on his cell phone managing the float. When he goes to collect Gracie after the match the Coach tells him she has been collected by her uncle to take her to hospital because her grandmother has had a stroke. But Gracie doesn't have an Uncle and her grandmother lives in New York, not Texas!!

Colonel Ben Brice is a Vietnam hero who conducted bloody cross-border operations in Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam and was a POW. He is now a drunk living in isolation suffering from post traumatic stress from his experiences. Despite this Gracie visits her Grandfather and they have a very close and loving relationship. As soon as Ben hears that Gracie is missing he springs into action and revisits the family he has not seen for years.

Most cases of child abduction normally involve a sex offender and the chances of survival are slim. In this case because the family are mega-rich the police and the FBI believe that ransom may be involved. But then Ben sees something that turns his blood cold and sets him off on the trail of the kidnappers.

This is a thriller that has everything with an adventurous fast moving plot involving complex and troubled characters, kidnapping, the Police and FBI searching for child molesters, and conspiracies going back to the days of the Vietnam war. While some may think the final plot line is a little far fetched Gimenez has used this author's licence to to write an unforgettable, page-turning, adrenaline-packed, edge of your seat thriller that you won't want to put down.

[Labijose · Rating 3 out of 5]

It could have been much better.
This is the third book that I read from the author, and for me, it was the less interesting. So many coincidences made the reading quite unbelievable. Nothing to do with Grisham, for whom I still feel great admiration. This one has more in common with Lee Child, but not in a positive way. Too much superhero stuff from a Vietnam veteran. “The colour of law” was a much more interesting novel. Still, I am not yet finished with Mr Gimenez. I know he can do better.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a page turner. Read while on holiday and couldn't put it down. Will definitely want to read more of Mark Gimenez.

[Yee · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I knew the story is related to the American army and war, I definitely not going to proceed in reading it. I thought Ben Brice is just struggling with the memories of Vietnam, but I never foresee that the entire story will be connected to the American army, politics, war, history, and revenge.

The Abduction by Mark Gimenez.

[Lyns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced good read, I didn’t want to put it down.

Towards the end it did get a little bit far fetched, though I did like the way that was wove into the story line in the final chapter.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding story. Last year I read his Color of Law and thought it was great. It was different. It was a lawyer story but it was really about redemption. So is The Abduction. Ben Brice served in Vietnam. A Colonel by the time he was done. But the war destroyed him. He saw things and had to do things that shattered him. He lives in isolation, drinking himself to death. The only light in his life is his 10 year old granddaughter, Gracie. They have a bond that is an inexplicable as it is deep. Unlike his son with whom he has no relationship. Gracie's father is a nerd, a geek of epic proportions, and his company is about to make him a billionaire. Until Gracie is kidnapped during one of her soccer games. Stranger abduction typically doesn't end well. The clues indicate a pedophile but Ben's experience gives him the ability to see beyond the obvious. He knows Gracie is alive and he will use all the skills at his disposal to get her back. This is a complex story. There are other characters who play major roles. Or they play minor but critical roles. You never know how you will react in a crisis until you are faced with it and many people don't behave as they expected. Every time you think the story is heading into predictable territory, it shifts gears and heads down an un-paved road.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Abduction by Mark Gimenez was an enjoyable book to read. It was very action packed, but I thought it took too long for the action to really take off. There was action in the beginning, which made me hopeful that the whole book would be filled with action, but none more really came until the end. However, when the action took off, it REALLY got me hooked. The book was filled with action, but I think Mark Gimenez tried too hard to put a good love scene in it. Those scenes just seemed awkward to read, and there were a few of them too. Finally, I really did not like the mother in this book. There's a difference between mad and insane, and I think the mother jumped this line into insanity, which made me not want to read about her anymore. But the grandfather was an awesome character to read about. There were flashback scenes to his time as a Green Beret in Vietnam, and it made me wonder is the U.S.A. really was that cruel to the people in Vietnam.
The Abduction by Mark Giminez was an excellent book to read, but I would suggest this book to advanced readers. The book seemed long, even though it wad roughly 400 pages, and there were some scenes which would not be suitable for children. But if you are an advanced reader who likes long books, then The Abduction is for you.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything by Mark Gimenez. I very much enjoyed reading this book. As a mom of a 9 year old daughter, I thought this book might be a really tough book for me to read. Gracie, a 10 year old girl, is abducted after her soccer game. Although, the subject is tough, I really like Gimenez's writing style and how he used such colorful characters to make the story more readable. Gimenez did a great job infusing interesting characters with complex stories, as well as the government. The characters were all dealing with their own personal battles and through this horrible event of Grace's abduction, they learn what really matters and work through their battles. I had a love/hate relationship with Elizabeth, Grace's mom. She was a career driven lawyer who was focusing too much on her job and not enough on her family. She was tough, but selfish and not nice. As you get further into the book, you find out why she is this way. It's a very complex story that develops throughout the book. By the end of the book, Elizabeth grew on me, as she changed, and became a character that stuck with me. This book will keep you wondering until the end as more and more of the story unravels.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good I almost feel guilty about only paying 99 cents for it.
Action from the get go & it doesn't stop.
I like the way it was written so when it jumped from the past to present day story line you knew it right away. I guess you could say maybe the timeline was outlined, I don't know I was just so impressed with this book it is going on my favorites shelf & I am going to go buy another of this authors book.
Less then a buck for awesome entertainment, where can you find that today.
Thank you Mark Gimenez you have a new fan.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a little boring and I think thats because there was just too much going on. I didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters and as it went on the story just got all too unbelievable.

[Erin P · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book on page 45. Cringe-worthy writing and highly annoying characters in my opinion. Not worth my time

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrillers are usually so filled with action, that they tend to ignore character development.
This was a wonderful exception.
I loved every one of the "good guys" in this story, especially Gracie, and most of all Ben.
It's a fast-paced story, a twisty one, with great characters, but you also get one thing you never bargained for.
You get a glimpse into the horrors of the Vietnam War, through the eyes of young men who lived it.
So even though this is off topic for the review, God bless our Vietnam War veterans. They made more sacrifices than civilians will ever comprehend.

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of the author's books I have read, and after this I plan to read more. It is fast-paced from the start and hooked me right away. I read this in 2 days. I found the flashbacks interesting and relevant, and it intrigued me enough to now be interested in reading more about the Vietnam war. The plot had exciting twists and turns. If thrillers are a genre you like, I highly recommend this book.

[Sheila · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess "sensitive imperialism" is trending in popular culture. How many books feature protagonists (and maybe a military dog, too) that suffers from PTSD because of all the bad things the OTHER US American soldier/Officer did in the ____ War? The protagonist is good. He tried to HELP the little orphan/old lady and he tried to STOP the Bad guy from shooting/torturing/tossing them out of a chopper. What is never questioned is the ____ War itself. In this case, Vietnam. The war is depicted as mostly decent Americans fighting rabid Communists and dictators like Ho Chi Minh. The fact that the US (and its predecessor France) was there for political and economic domination ( i.e. imperialism) is ignored. So, too, the fact that the US prevented democratic elections--which Eisenhower admitted Ho--who was NOT a dictator--would have easily won.

The "Viet Cong" or "VC" are seen as sneaky, savage torturers--not the poor farmers most of them were. The author omits the fact that the US/CIA tortured and killed over 20,000 Vietnamese in Operation Phoenix. That CIA horror included mind control experiments like cutting into brains and installing electrodes in a vain attempt to get two captives to fight each other at the press of a button. The insane, cruel experiment failed, and Green Berets--like the hero of this book--took the two men out and shot them. Don't believe it? Read "Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control" by Stephen Kinzer.

Yes, the plight of the hero's little blonde granddaughter is scary. But let's not forget the hundreds of thousands of real-life Vietnamese children who were incinerated by napalm and blown up by bombs. The US dropped more bombs on Vietnam than the total of ALL bombs dropped the whole of World War 2. Impossible? Between 1964 and 1973 the US dropped 8 bombs PER MINUTE on Vietnam. 260 million cluster bombs. Millions of Vietnamese were killed. Generations after suffer from the mutagenic effects of Agent Orange, and thousands are injured by long-buried land mines. Do yourself a favor--think critically and read some history, like the illustrated "People's History of American Empire" by Howard Zinn.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sat on my shelf for so long, but I really enjoyed it once I’d started it! Short snappy chapters and twists the further you got in - with flashbacks making things clearer

[Timothy M. Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was rife with coincidence, (and a smattering of clairvoyance). The basic story was enjoyable. The author seemed to acknowledge the over abundance of coincidence by recounting it towards the end of the book, giving a verbal shrug of the shoulders and indicating that life was mysterious.

[Heidi de Goede · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Not a bad read.

[Rick Molitor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what writing should look like. The characters jump out of the pages at you. The story flows like stream coming down a mountain. This was a great read.

[BeverlyB · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!! Loved this book! Mark Ginenez, Master of The Story, Master of the Twist! This would be the man I would want around a campfire, weaving a story. He know just how to keep you on the edge of your seat and waiting for the other shoe to drop. And there is always another shoe to drop!
John and Elizabeth Brice's daughter, Grace, is kidnapped at the end of her soccer game. John was on the phone and Elizabeth is late to the game. John is about to become a billionaire geek and Elizabeth is a kick-ass attorney. They don't know why Grace was kidnapped and although the FBI seem to know what they are doing, there is something hinky about everything. John's father, Ben, shows up in the middle of the chaos. He's an alcoholic, retired Green Beret. The Viet Nam war broke him, but he may be the only person to get Grace back. A MUST READ!!!

[Stacy Alesi]

Caution: don't start this book unless you have time to finish it - I could not put it down. After his excellent debut, The Color of Law, Gimenez just knocks it out of the park with his sophomore effort. The Brice family are a little more well-to-do than most; Elizabeth is a successful Dallas attorney, and her husband John is a computer nerd with a company that is about to go public and make him a billionaire. Their ten-year-old daughter Gracie is a budding soccer star and it is at her game that things go awry - Gracie is kidnapped while Dad is on the phone about his IPO and Mom is late coming from court. People may fear for their lives, but they really fear for their children's lives, and these characters are so well drawn that it becomes incredibly easy to suspend your disbelief and get completely caught up in the story. I loved the tough-as-a-tiger mom, and the special bond between Gracie and her retired Green Beret grandfather was especially touching, all of which helped ratchet up the suspense even more. The Abduction is one of the best thrillers of the year.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Perk by Mark Gimenez and so when I came across this one, I assumed it would be another legal thriller, one of my favorite genres. Well, it’s not legal, but it is a thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There are a number of quirky characters, like a hopelessly geeky internet millionaire and his spunky daughter Gracie (who is ten going on thirty) and, of course, some bad guys who make the mistake of abducting Gracie. But the reason they choose Gracie is not what you think and Gracie’s grandfather is the reason taking her is a big mistake. I must admit you can’t be overly critical in assessing the probability of some of the characters and events in this book or you’ll spoil the journey. It’s a good page-turner if you are a fan of action-packed books with heroes you can root for, bad guys you can hate and a few plot twists to make things even more interesting.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good read but there was a little too much emphasis on the Vietnam war which, unfortunately, I had to speed read through. However, on doing this I realised I had missed a valuable clue and had to go back and read it all!! Gracie, the little girl who is abducted, is a lovely child as is her grandad, Ben who I would like to save me in a crisis, I have to say; he's a great character! The mother, however, is a most cold and calculating person and the twist near the end I never saw coming.