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Stolen
In this chilling, brilliantly plotted new thriller, Daniel Palmer explores the terrifying aftermath of a good man’s bad decision, the flip side of identity theft, and the lengths some will go to save a life—or destroy one…
The future has never looked brighter for Boston couple John Bodine and Ruby Dawes. John’s online gaming business is growing, Ruby is pursuing her dream career, and they’re talking about starting a family.
Then Ruby receives a life-changing diagnosis, and their cut-rate insurance won’t cover the treatment she desperately needs. Faced with a ticking clock, John makes a risky move: he steals a customer’s identity and files a false claim for Ruby’s medication.
The plan works perfectly—until the customer in question contacts John with a startling proposition. If John and Ruby agree to play a little game he’s devised, he won’t report their fraud. The rules of ‘Criminal’ are simple: commit real crimes. Fail in their assigned tasks, and there will be deadly consequences.
John assumes it’s a sick joke, until people start dying. With each round, the stakes are escalating, the crimes getting more twisted. John and Ruby can’t disappear—and they can’t go to the police. Their only option is to keep playing, all the while trying to outwit a psychopath who has no intention of letting them leave this game alive…
The future has never looked brighter for Boston couple John Bodine and Ruby Dawes. John’s online gaming business is growing, Ruby is pursuing her dream career, and they’re talking about starting a family.
Then Ruby receives a life-changing diagnosis, and their cut-rate insurance won’t cover the treatment she desperately needs. Faced with a ticking clock, John makes a risky move: he steals a customer’s identity and files a false claim for Ruby’s medication.
The plan works perfectly—until the customer in question contacts John with a startling proposition. If John and Ruby agree to play a little game he’s devised, he won’t report their fraud. The rules of ‘Criminal’ are simple: commit real crimes. Fail in their assigned tasks, and there will be deadly consequences.
John assumes it’s a sick joke, until people start dying. With each round, the stakes are escalating, the crimes getting more twisted. John and Ruby can’t disappear—and they can’t go to the police. Their only option is to keep playing, all the while trying to outwit a psychopath who has no intention of letting them leave this game alive…
327 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2013
135 people are currently reading
2042 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Palmer
15 books548 followersDANIEL PALMER is the author of four critically-acclaimed suspense novels. After receiving his master’s degree from Boston University, he spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer. A recording artist, accomplished blues harmonica player, and lifelong Red Sox fan, Daniel lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children where he is currently at work on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
April 25, 2013
The latest thriller by Daniel Palmer Stolen is one someone should read after they're pushed against the ropes and have no idea what to do next. This is a cautionary tale that would make anyone think twice about any criminal activities they may have interest in persuing. Palmer weaves an intricate web of suspense and thrills with this cleverly plotted account of one man's attempt to save his wife who has recently been diagonosed with a very agressive form of skin cancer.
John Bodine and his wife Ruby Dawes are the average couple who are on the way to making life better for themselves after John's struggles with a climbing trip gone bad. John creates an online game and Ruby is in school to focus on alternative medicine after finding acupuncture helped John moderate some of the guilt he's felt since the climbing trip. After feeling increasingly lethargic, Ruby goes to a doctor and finds that she is battling with a very strong form of skin cancer that leaves her with very bad odds of living unless she's able to take prescription drugs. After finding out the generic brand isn't in stock, their insurance won't cover the name brand drug because there's a generic already made for it although it's unobtainable.
Essentially, the story of the insurance company not helping people when it's a life or death situation is not a unique dilemma. What makes this novel so compelling is that John later steals the identity of a guy who wasn't using his insurance, hadn't even paid the last three bills, so that his beloved wife can get the treatment she needs to increase her chances of living. The use of this insurance attracts the attention of the person's identity they stole. That man uses the stolen identity as leverage to entice John and Ruby into committing actual criminal acts or else. John assuming this is a trick decides not to go along and then lo and behold he's got a real nutcase on his hands.
Palmer writes this novel as a first-person narrative in John's point of view. Because the novel seems to happen in real-time the pace is extraordinary. I don't think there wasn't a minute I wasn't turning the pages to see what happens next. Initially I didn't want to like John because of the preface but his love for his wife and the constant guilt he tugs around made that dislike quickly change for me. The advantage of the first-person view is understanding what a person can withstand until they actually break and begin making choices they would normally not make if things were better. I almost felt through much of the novel that this is parallel to the justice system where someone does a petty crime and then is subjected to a life of crime because the punishment didn't fit the crime... but that's a whole nother discussion. Not to mention the healthcare debate that's also lingering in my mind when I read Stolen.
The one thing I felt was a little lacking was the character depth of the whacko in this novel but that can be attributed to the restraints of the first-person narrative. We only know what John knows. We can only follow the breadcrumbs that John finds and solve the mystery as he does.
Overall, after reading my first novel by Palmer I am a fan and will be looking to read more of his other works. Lovers of suspense thrillers will want to read this novel. It's more relavant than I think is expected and that's what's fun about it. This novel will beg readers to answer how far will they go to save the person they love.
John Bodine and his wife Ruby Dawes are the average couple who are on the way to making life better for themselves after John's struggles with a climbing trip gone bad. John creates an online game and Ruby is in school to focus on alternative medicine after finding acupuncture helped John moderate some of the guilt he's felt since the climbing trip. After feeling increasingly lethargic, Ruby goes to a doctor and finds that she is battling with a very strong form of skin cancer that leaves her with very bad odds of living unless she's able to take prescription drugs. After finding out the generic brand isn't in stock, their insurance won't cover the name brand drug because there's a generic already made for it although it's unobtainable.
Essentially, the story of the insurance company not helping people when it's a life or death situation is not a unique dilemma. What makes this novel so compelling is that John later steals the identity of a guy who wasn't using his insurance, hadn't even paid the last three bills, so that his beloved wife can get the treatment she needs to increase her chances of living. The use of this insurance attracts the attention of the person's identity they stole. That man uses the stolen identity as leverage to entice John and Ruby into committing actual criminal acts or else. John assuming this is a trick decides not to go along and then lo and behold he's got a real nutcase on his hands.
Palmer writes this novel as a first-person narrative in John's point of view. Because the novel seems to happen in real-time the pace is extraordinary. I don't think there wasn't a minute I wasn't turning the pages to see what happens next. Initially I didn't want to like John because of the preface but his love for his wife and the constant guilt he tugs around made that dislike quickly change for me. The advantage of the first-person view is understanding what a person can withstand until they actually break and begin making choices they would normally not make if things were better. I almost felt through much of the novel that this is parallel to the justice system where someone does a petty crime and then is subjected to a life of crime because the punishment didn't fit the crime... but that's a whole nother discussion. Not to mention the healthcare debate that's also lingering in my mind when I read Stolen.
The one thing I felt was a little lacking was the character depth of the whacko in this novel but that can be attributed to the restraints of the first-person narrative. We only know what John knows. We can only follow the breadcrumbs that John finds and solve the mystery as he does.
Overall, after reading my first novel by Palmer I am a fan and will be looking to read more of his other works. Lovers of suspense thrillers will want to read this novel. It's more relavant than I think is expected and that's what's fun about it. This novel will beg readers to answer how far will they go to save the person they love.
July 25, 2013
I received a copy of this book as an e-ARC from Kensington Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Where to start? Unlike pretty much everyone else reviewing this book on GoodReads, I thought it was a shocker! The story was hackneyed, the characterisation thin, the drama unbelievable and the situations in which the characters found themselves, implausible.
I really got tired of the twists and turns that led nowhere and the boring repetitiveness of the "action". I didn't like any of the characters, and really didn't care if they made it or not.
Towards the end I just started rapid-skimming through the book, simply to see how ridiculous it could get and because I wanted to see who the killer was. I had already invested a day into the book - a day I'd never get back - and I just wanted to find out if my guess about who the killer was, was true. It was.
This is not a novel I will be recommending to anyone.
Where to start? Unlike pretty much everyone else reviewing this book on GoodReads, I thought it was a shocker! The story was hackneyed, the characterisation thin, the drama unbelievable and the situations in which the characters found themselves, implausible.
I really got tired of the twists and turns that led nowhere and the boring repetitiveness of the "action". I didn't like any of the characters, and really didn't care if they made it or not.
Towards the end I just started rapid-skimming through the book, simply to see how ridiculous it could get and because I wanted to see who the killer was. I had already invested a day into the book - a day I'd never get back - and I just wanted to find out if my guess about who the killer was, was true. It was.
This is not a novel I will be recommending to anyone.
May 19, 2013
I see I am in the minority, but I just did not like this book. Part of the problem is I think that variations of this storyline has been done before, a madman is watching some poor, loveable person or people and forcing them to commit crimes or something terrible will happen to them or someone they know. .
I really got tired of "the fiend" continuously upping the ante and changing the rules as he went, although he claimed he always followed the rules. And poor perfect, saintly Ruby, could they have tortured her anymore?
Towards the end I started skimming the book just to see how outlandish it could get and because I wanted to see who the killer was.
I don't think this is a book I will be recommending to anyone.
I really got tired of "the fiend" continuously upping the ante and changing the rules as he went, although he claimed he always followed the rules. And poor perfect, saintly Ruby, could they have tortured her anymore?
Towards the end I started skimming the book just to see how outlandish it could get and because I wanted to see who the killer was.
I don't think this is a book I will be recommending to anyone.
December 1, 2019
Dilini, akıcılığını ve aksiyonunu çok sevdim. Sadece kapağında ‘psikolojik gerilim’ yazdığı için ki benim ilk önceliğim bu tarz kitaplardır, ama yazar tam anlamıyla bunu bana veremedi. Daha dolu dolu yaşatmalıydı gerilimi bence. Şu var ki, harika bir polisiye kitaptı diyebilirim. Sayfalar su gibi aktı ve son sayfaya kadar katili tahmin edemedim. John’un çaresizliğine çok üzüldüm ve insan ister istemez empati yapıyor hemen. Sanal oyunların ne kadar tehlike yaratabileceğini de bir kez daha anlıyor insan okurken. Kısacası güzel ve aksiyonu bol bir polisiye kitap arıyorsanız, düşünmeden okuyun derim.
March 25, 2013
This book is completely insane and I mean that in the best possible way. Like most good suspense/thriller novels, this is not one to begin at night. It's not particularly scary (although there are definitely parts that are more unsettling than others) but it's nearly impossible to stop reading once you start. This is basically the literary equivalent of potato chips. There's no such thing as just reading one chapter.
I fell in love with John and Ruby immediately and completely sympathized with their situation. Yes, it's insurance fraud and technically stealing, but if you love someone, how can you let them die? Unfortunately, that first step into a moral gray area led to more steps into decidedly blacker zones. And while the insurance fraud could be considered justifiable, almost nothing else John does could fall into that category. He's not as bad as he could be, granted, but he is breaking the law either way.
But either way, I loved John and Ruby. And even as they're getting deeper and deeper into trouble, I rooted for things to work out for them. Because given everything that they went through, I just wanted her to go into remission and for him to somehow get away with it.
If you love Harlan Coben, you'll love Stolen. I can't wait to read his first two books.
I fell in love with John and Ruby immediately and completely sympathized with their situation. Yes, it's insurance fraud and technically stealing, but if you love someone, how can you let them die? Unfortunately, that first step into a moral gray area led to more steps into decidedly blacker zones. And while the insurance fraud could be considered justifiable, almost nothing else John does could fall into that category. He's not as bad as he could be, granted, but he is breaking the law either way.
But either way, I loved John and Ruby. And even as they're getting deeper and deeper into trouble, I rooted for things to work out for them. Because given everything that they went through, I just wanted her to go into remission and for him to somehow get away with it.
If you love Harlan Coben, you'll love Stolen. I can't wait to read his first two books.
June 5, 2014
I wanted to give it a chance but that annoying first-person character (author's voice) keeps pushing me away. And all that exposition! Everything needed to be described. Everything needed to be explained.
February 5, 2019
Hayatinin askina kanser teshisi konulan ve sigortasi ilaci karsilamayan John dahiyane bir pln yapar. Lakin kendini bir anda suc oyunun icinde bulur🤨 soluksuz okudum 😳🤭
May 10, 2015
Wow, I had no idea when I opened this novel that it would be such an exciting book while leaving me with the question… How far would I go to save a loved one’s life?
John Bodine and his wife are a young couple looking forward to a bright future when Ruby is diagnosed with a deadly cancer. There is hope that she will survive if she is given a new medication. However, their insurance company will not cover the expense. In desperation and frustration, John steals the identity of one of his customers in his online gaming business. Under assumed names they move into another apartment while the stolen insurance begins to save Ruby’s life. On line they meet the owner of the stolen identity, a psychopath who wants to play a game of turning them into criminals, just for fun. As the story continues, they spiral downward into a situation they feel they will never come out of.
The story never slackens as it interweaves many twisted plots and moral dilemmas while providing the reader with an immensely intriguing tale. I say Daniel Palmer, son of Michael Palmer, has truly inherited his father’s ability to write a novel filled with energetic drama and strong characters. Apparently, the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree!”
John Bodine and his wife are a young couple looking forward to a bright future when Ruby is diagnosed with a deadly cancer. There is hope that she will survive if she is given a new medication. However, their insurance company will not cover the expense. In desperation and frustration, John steals the identity of one of his customers in his online gaming business. Under assumed names they move into another apartment while the stolen insurance begins to save Ruby’s life. On line they meet the owner of the stolen identity, a psychopath who wants to play a game of turning them into criminals, just for fun. As the story continues, they spiral downward into a situation they feel they will never come out of.
The story never slackens as it interweaves many twisted plots and moral dilemmas while providing the reader with an immensely intriguing tale. I say Daniel Palmer, son of Michael Palmer, has truly inherited his father’s ability to write a novel filled with energetic drama and strong characters. Apparently, the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree!”
May 31, 2013
I would give it TEN stars if I could. This book is one of those rare finds that I could hardly put down - just one more chapter, then one more and before I knew it, I'd reached the end. Wonderfully written, gripping story. Daniel Palmer has been added to my favorite authors list. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good suspense thriller, but make sure you have enough time to finish it when you start because you will not be able to put it down after it sucks you in.
August 1, 2013
**I was given a free copy from the publisher in an exchange for an honest review**
WOW WOW WOW!! This book was explosive! I loved the rush! I stayed up until midnight finishing this. It took me longer than most books because I had so much going on. I really wish I would have made the time to finish this sooner.
I highly recommend this to readers who love thrillers/suspense books. AWESOME read!
WOW WOW WOW!! This book was explosive! I loved the rush! I stayed up until midnight finishing this. It took me longer than most books because I had so much going on. I really wish I would have made the time to finish this sooner.
I highly recommend this to readers who love thrillers/suspense books. AWESOME read!
May 13, 2014
I got about halfway through, but my library loan is up and I'm not digging this enough to want to pay the late fee. It had a good start. Characters that were well-drawn and emotionally complex; engaging narrative style. And then we meet our bad guy and the whole thing just kind of turns into "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Maybe the cheesy teen horror vibe would have been quelled in another couple of chapters, but I just don't care enough to find out.
I spent at least 20 pages mentally screaming at the main character for being an idiot who was letting past guilt get the better of proper reasoning. Did he really think that following the bad guys "rules" was going to net anyone a happy ending? Perhaps I've seen and read way too many police procedurals and legal dramas, but its pretty obvious how the plot is going to have to go after that and it's probably going to be another couple hundred pages of me being annoyed with John. I just don't empathize with internalized responsibility for things you clearly had no control over. "This woman died because I did something that pissed someone else off, which made them kill someone. It's all my fault!" Please.
Not to mention that he didn't even really present a good argument for not going to the police. I immediately thought of legal defense arguments of duress for their insurance fraud (though that wouldn't mean being able to finish off Ruby's cancer treatment if they were caught) and the requirement that the government foot the bill for inmates who need medical treatment (though that's been reportedly terrible for cancer). I get where his guilty conscience wouldn't want to go to the police for fear of being caught, but when fear of death comes into play, I think that trumps fear of getting caught for like every human ever.
I spent at least 20 pages mentally screaming at the main character for being an idiot who was letting past guilt get the better of proper reasoning. Did he really think that following the bad guys "rules" was going to net anyone a happy ending? Perhaps I've seen and read way too many police procedurals and legal dramas, but its pretty obvious how the plot is going to have to go after that and it's probably going to be another couple hundred pages of me being annoyed with John. I just don't empathize with internalized responsibility for things you clearly had no control over. "This woman died because I did something that pissed someone else off, which made them kill someone. It's all my fault!" Please.
Not to mention that he didn't even really present a good argument for not going to the police. I immediately thought of legal defense arguments of duress for their insurance fraud (though that wouldn't mean being able to finish off Ruby's cancer treatment if they were caught) and the requirement that the government foot the bill for inmates who need medical treatment (though that's been reportedly terrible for cancer). I get where his guilty conscience wouldn't want to go to the police for fear of being caught, but when fear of death comes into play, I think that trumps fear of getting caught for like every human ever.
July 6, 2013
Read my full review: http://bit.ly/150SPbB
Initial thoughts...Excellent story with good writing, but it needed to be more polished. Frequent incidents of repetitiveness and moments when the book dragged on. I was noticing a large numbers of the "and thens". Writing needed to be tighter.
I must admit that I did love the character development in this story (and I was particular to the "twistedness" of it. That type of book is right up my alley).
This is definitely an author that I would look at other works, but obtain them through a print version.
Special note: This book was horrible in formatting for an ebook. It made it very difficult and longer to get through. I took this into account with reviewing the book and did not hold it against it.
Initial thoughts...Excellent story with good writing, but it needed to be more polished. Frequent incidents of repetitiveness and moments when the book dragged on. I was noticing a large numbers of the "and thens". Writing needed to be tighter.
I must admit that I did love the character development in this story (and I was particular to the "twistedness" of it. That type of book is right up my alley).
This is definitely an author that I would look at other works, but obtain them through a print version.
Special note: This book was horrible in formatting for an ebook. It made it very difficult and longer to get through. I took this into account with reviewing the book and did not hold it against it.
January 13, 2014
This book had such a great premise. I was hoping for a great read and was supremely let down. This story is so far fetched there is nothing believable about it.
I could understand the character John Bodine wanting to try and do whatever he could to get treatment for his wife's cancer, but supposedly finding a man that hadn't paid his insurance premiums and being able to assume his identity. Whatever...
Then there was the rogue police detective that basically did whatever he wanted and got away with it. The cop character seemed like he was based on Dirty Harry from the 70's. This book was a total waste of time.
I could understand the character John Bodine wanting to try and do whatever he could to get treatment for his wife's cancer, but supposedly finding a man that hadn't paid his insurance premiums and being able to assume his identity. Whatever...
Then there was the rogue police detective that basically did whatever he wanted and got away with it. The cop character seemed like he was based on Dirty Harry from the 70's. This book was a total waste of time.
May 27, 2013
I once had a boss that said anyone will commit a crime given the proper motivation. When John finds out his wife has cancer and only an expensive drug will put her in remission, he knows he must find a way to help her. Page turner, edge-of-your-seat read and plot twister don’t even begin to described Stolen. Other writers might have used the first three chapters as their entire novel. But not so with Palmer, he keeps finding more and more ways to keep you reading, wondering and trying to solve whodunit. Just when you think you have it, the author takes the tale in an entirely new direction.
May 30, 2015
How far will we go to save someone we love? Will we lie, steal, or even kill? Daniel Palmer seems to think we will. In this fast-paced, twisty thriller' a desperate husband matches wits with a psychopath to save the life of his wife, recently diagnosed with cancer. I didn't have a lot of sympathy for the protagoganist, but the story was super engrossing.
April 24, 2015
Identity theft is a real killer, not just a tedious legal nuisance. Fast paced domestic thriller. Nothing particularly special, but genre fans would appreciate it and its twist ending. Very quick read.
April 1, 2015
Fantastic page-turner! This guy knows how to weave a suspenseful story. Highly recommend!
June 3, 2023
3⭐️ The change in narration from the Prologue to Chapter One confused me. The story is being told from the same character, just an earlier time period, so why the switch? I also found the relationships and dialogue to be a little superficial. All that aside, the concept and speed of this story was fantastic! A quick, entertaining read.
January 29, 2020
While well written, I found it difficult to bond with the main characters. It also seemed unbelievable that the police would use civilians to solve the crime. Maybe I just needed to go along for the ride.
May 5, 2013
John Bodine is a game developer in his 20's who is married to Ruby Dawes, the love of his life. At the beginning of the story, we flash back to when he took their savings and went on a mountain climbing expedition with two other men-Brooks Hall, a new anesthesiologist who is married and David Clegg, a Boston police officer who is 7 years older, married, and the father of two children. During the climb, Clegg and Hall slide off the side and are dangling in the air. John thrusts the axe into the ice and tries to pull them up but can't. The axe is sliding. Soon all three men will fall to their deaths. John has choices to make- allow all 3 to die together or cut one man loose and allow two to live. He chooses the latter and selects Clegg who is a father as the one to save. He will be haunted by this for years. He will be so depressed that therapy won't help. Finally acupuncture supposedly helps some and Ruby decides to quit her job as a programmer and go to alternative medicine school so to become an acupuncturist. But then suddenly karma comes around and bites John on the ass. Bites him HARD.
One night as John is rubbing Ruby's feet and quizzing Ruby on her schoolwork, he discovers a dark rough patch on the bottom of one of her feet that she had never noticed before. He is concerned and gets her to the doctor. Bad news. It is a fast growing kind of melanoma and the cancer has already spread to her groin.
Now, if she lived in a civilized country like the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, or one of the other European countries I have not yet named, she would get the treatment she needs but unfortunately, she is a citizen of the USA and while she is insured, someone's profit comes between her and fighting cancer. The insurance is a cheap policy since that is all they can afford on one income and keep in mind that John is self-employed. There is good news and bad news- Ruby has a 25% chance of survival if treated with Verbilifide immediately and if she follows up with surgery. The bad news is that the generic form would be paid for by Atrium, their insurance company, but is out of production indefinitely. John tries to explain this to Atrium but they are hard-nosed and keep saying they will not pay for the name brand version since there is a generic available- even if it is out of stock and likely permanently out of production. Catch 22.
John tries every reasonable approach. He sells some computer equipment he needs in his work. He begs from family. He goes to companies that help people get the meds they need. One company says they will pay $12,000 but the meds will cost $300,000! They will not fully cover Ruby's costs since she has insurance even if the insurance will not pay for the medicine since a generic is available that is in fact, unavailable. And yes, this is exactly how it works in America. I have a friend who is dying right now from this exact same thing and myself have personally experienced this. Incidentally, the $12,000 isn't coming anytime soon and Ruby's survival clock is ticking.
A desperate John does glean the information from the company that will offer the $12,000 in help that there is an insurance company UniSol Health that would cover the cost of the brand name even if the generic was available. He dreams up a plan to save Ruby. Since people who play his new online game play for free but use credit cards to purchase extras to enhance their experience (like the Facebook games such as Farmville do) they register certain info. He harvests that info to find people similar to him and Ruby in age, race, etc and then to call UniSol pretending to be a customer who has lost his card. He sets up a mailbox at Post Boxes, Etc and rents an apartment in the name of one couple Elliot and Tanya Uretsky who are 4 months behind on their premiums. He pays it up to date, moves Ruby to the new place, rents out their old place, and begins to get her the help she needs.
What John doesn't know that someone has murdered Elliot and Tanya 4 months earlier (that is why the bills weren't paid) and stolen Elliot's identify because this person is a vile wicked murderer who gets off on torturing people to death. And guess what? This creeper has been accessing the dead Elliot's email box and noticed the change in address (John had done this) and now he knows John and Ruby have stolen those ids.
John and Ruby are horrified to get a call from this creeper. He is playing a real life crime game and expects them to commit crimes to keep him from killing people. At first, they didn't take him seriously but when he tortures Ruby's former oncologist to death when they fail to shop life the pair of scarves he tagged in a store, they can see he is deadly serious and begin to commit the escalading crimes he demands.
This is a taut thriller with a lot of twists, turns, and terror. They get help from Clegg who feels he owes John his life for choosing to save his life on that mountain but will even a grateful cop willing to play dirty be able to help when Ruby is kidnapped the crazy computer expert makes his calls and emails untraceable?
One night as John is rubbing Ruby's feet and quizzing Ruby on her schoolwork, he discovers a dark rough patch on the bottom of one of her feet that she had never noticed before. He is concerned and gets her to the doctor. Bad news. It is a fast growing kind of melanoma and the cancer has already spread to her groin.
Now, if she lived in a civilized country like the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, or one of the other European countries I have not yet named, she would get the treatment she needs but unfortunately, she is a citizen of the USA and while she is insured, someone's profit comes between her and fighting cancer. The insurance is a cheap policy since that is all they can afford on one income and keep in mind that John is self-employed. There is good news and bad news- Ruby has a 25% chance of survival if treated with Verbilifide immediately and if she follows up with surgery. The bad news is that the generic form would be paid for by Atrium, their insurance company, but is out of production indefinitely. John tries to explain this to Atrium but they are hard-nosed and keep saying they will not pay for the name brand version since there is a generic available- even if it is out of stock and likely permanently out of production. Catch 22.
John tries every reasonable approach. He sells some computer equipment he needs in his work. He begs from family. He goes to companies that help people get the meds they need. One company says they will pay $12,000 but the meds will cost $300,000! They will not fully cover Ruby's costs since she has insurance even if the insurance will not pay for the medicine since a generic is available that is in fact, unavailable. And yes, this is exactly how it works in America. I have a friend who is dying right now from this exact same thing and myself have personally experienced this. Incidentally, the $12,000 isn't coming anytime soon and Ruby's survival clock is ticking.
A desperate John does glean the information from the company that will offer the $12,000 in help that there is an insurance company UniSol Health that would cover the cost of the brand name even if the generic was available. He dreams up a plan to save Ruby. Since people who play his new online game play for free but use credit cards to purchase extras to enhance their experience (like the Facebook games such as Farmville do) they register certain info. He harvests that info to find people similar to him and Ruby in age, race, etc and then to call UniSol pretending to be a customer who has lost his card. He sets up a mailbox at Post Boxes, Etc and rents an apartment in the name of one couple Elliot and Tanya Uretsky who are 4 months behind on their premiums. He pays it up to date, moves Ruby to the new place, rents out their old place, and begins to get her the help she needs.
What John doesn't know that someone has murdered Elliot and Tanya 4 months earlier (that is why the bills weren't paid) and stolen Elliot's identify because this person is a vile wicked murderer who gets off on torturing people to death. And guess what? This creeper has been accessing the dead Elliot's email box and noticed the change in address (John had done this) and now he knows John and Ruby have stolen those ids.
John and Ruby are horrified to get a call from this creeper. He is playing a real life crime game and expects them to commit crimes to keep him from killing people. At first, they didn't take him seriously but when he tortures Ruby's former oncologist to death when they fail to shop life the pair of scarves he tagged in a store, they can see he is deadly serious and begin to commit the escalading crimes he demands.
This is a taut thriller with a lot of twists, turns, and terror. They get help from Clegg who feels he owes John his life for choosing to save his life on that mountain but will even a grateful cop willing to play dirty be able to help when Ruby is kidnapped the crazy computer expert makes his calls and emails untraceable?
January 12, 2024
Unjustifiably obsessed with its own cleverness
October 21, 2019
Excellent book. Will be reading more.
July 10, 2023
Kept me guessing until the very end!
March 19, 2019
The first book I read by Daniel Palmer, awesome book, I could not and didn't put it down.
April 15, 2013
How far would you go to obtain life saving medical attention for your
terminally ill spouse? Would you risk spending your life in jail so that he or she may live?
29 year old John Bodine, an online game designer made his decision, and
ended up risking both of their lives in Daniel Palmer’s third techno-with-a message thriller: STOLEN.
28 year old Ruby Bodine was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma after a
dark patchy area was discovered under her foot. The most highly effective medicinal treatment in its generic form was currently out of stock with no time table on its availability. Only the name brand, Verbilifide was available.
To his horror, John discovered that their insurance company was not going to fully cover the Verbilifide because the generic brand was available…just out of stock. The Verbilifide was going to cost a whopping two hundred seventy thousand dollars for the full course of treatment, unless he could come up with the money, highly unlikely, or with another idea…how far would he go???
To spare Ruby from worry John looks for answers alone. He discovers
UniSol Health, an insurance company that would fully cover the Verbilifide. What he was about to do next was not only immoral, but also illegal. But he also knew that he had to do it, to save the life of his Ruby.
John uses his online game to gain personal information from registered
players. He uses his IT knowledge and experience to make calls that could not be traced and social media to find the best match for his purposes. He uses every technology available to lead him to one person who carried insurance through UniSol Health.
Then John enrolls in UniSol Health using the identity of Elliot and Tanya Uresky.
He shares what he did with Ruby, the woman whose life rested in his
hands, the woman who he knew would have squashed these plans had
she known what he had been planning. He convinces her that they had no
other choice and they begin to live in a new apartment, with new insured identities, and with Ruby receiving successful treatment with Verbilifide.
Everything goes as planned until one day, John receives a call: “My
name is Elliot Uresky, and I believe you stole my identity.”
Palmer takes his readers on nightmare that one could not even imagine.
He has you wishing that all that happens is Karma. The end. John goes to jail, Ruby dies from lack of treatment.
Instead, Palmer takes you through the mind of a deranged killer. One who takes John and Ruby hostage…..mentally, and emotionally as he forces them to play CRIMINAL, his idea of an online game with real people. What did they have to do? Commit multiple crimes exactly how he says or someone ends up dead…...tortured then dead.
With an even more twist of evil, he forces John and Ruby to
watch it all live, each and every hostage/murder on a video feed via their computer,to remind them that they must continue to play his game or else.
STOLEN is a terrifying thriller, but it is also an excellent lesson in
what could happen in today’s world of technology. Daniel Palmer has that element in all three of his books, including Delirious and Helpless. He has us identifying with his characters as we recall entering personal,identifying information as we register to play on line games, engage in social media, use text and photo messaging, use caller ids, and everything technological that have become every day use for every day people.
If you want to read well orchestrated, take you on a ride, techno-savvy thrillers, Daniel Palmer’s books have them all.
terminally ill spouse? Would you risk spending your life in jail so that he or she may live?
29 year old John Bodine, an online game designer made his decision, and
ended up risking both of their lives in Daniel Palmer’s third techno-with-a message thriller: STOLEN.
28 year old Ruby Bodine was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma after a
dark patchy area was discovered under her foot. The most highly effective medicinal treatment in its generic form was currently out of stock with no time table on its availability. Only the name brand, Verbilifide was available.
To his horror, John discovered that their insurance company was not going to fully cover the Verbilifide because the generic brand was available…just out of stock. The Verbilifide was going to cost a whopping two hundred seventy thousand dollars for the full course of treatment, unless he could come up with the money, highly unlikely, or with another idea…how far would he go???
To spare Ruby from worry John looks for answers alone. He discovers
UniSol Health, an insurance company that would fully cover the Verbilifide. What he was about to do next was not only immoral, but also illegal. But he also knew that he had to do it, to save the life of his Ruby.
John uses his online game to gain personal information from registered
players. He uses his IT knowledge and experience to make calls that could not be traced and social media to find the best match for his purposes. He uses every technology available to lead him to one person who carried insurance through UniSol Health.
Then John enrolls in UniSol Health using the identity of Elliot and Tanya Uresky.
He shares what he did with Ruby, the woman whose life rested in his
hands, the woman who he knew would have squashed these plans had
she known what he had been planning. He convinces her that they had no
other choice and they begin to live in a new apartment, with new insured identities, and with Ruby receiving successful treatment with Verbilifide.
Everything goes as planned until one day, John receives a call: “My
name is Elliot Uresky, and I believe you stole my identity.”
Palmer takes his readers on nightmare that one could not even imagine.
He has you wishing that all that happens is Karma. The end. John goes to jail, Ruby dies from lack of treatment.
Instead, Palmer takes you through the mind of a deranged killer. One who takes John and Ruby hostage…..mentally, and emotionally as he forces them to play CRIMINAL, his idea of an online game with real people. What did they have to do? Commit multiple crimes exactly how he says or someone ends up dead…...tortured then dead.
With an even more twist of evil, he forces John and Ruby to
watch it all live, each and every hostage/murder on a video feed via their computer,to remind them that they must continue to play his game or else.
STOLEN is a terrifying thriller, but it is also an excellent lesson in
what could happen in today’s world of technology. Daniel Palmer has that element in all three of his books, including Delirious and Helpless. He has us identifying with his characters as we recall entering personal,identifying information as we register to play on line games, engage in social media, use text and photo messaging, use caller ids, and everything technological that have become every day use for every day people.
If you want to read well orchestrated, take you on a ride, techno-savvy thrillers, Daniel Palmer’s books have them all.
March 29, 2015
Daniel Palmer’s STOLEN is a fast-paced, engrossing, and intense suspense thriller. A desperate man and woman reach out for help and make a deal with the devil.
Having read DESPERATE 5 Stars, wanted to go back and read some of Palmer’s previous books, as I seem to start with newest releases and work my way backward. I devour audiobooks in between reading new ARC releases, and especially when I come across a thriller read by narrator Peter Berkrot (as his voice alone is chilling– swoon).
John Bodine, is an avid mountain climber from Boston, and faces a tough choice after an avalanche sweeps his two companions over a ridge line in Tibet. In order to survive, John must cut one of the ropes, connecting him to his friends, causing one of them to fall to fall to his death.
Now, John and Ruby have a great life, with a thriving business. However, when John learns that his insurance company won’t pay for the expensive treatment his wife needs after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer, he has nowhere to turn. He cannot afford the medication without insurance and he cannot watch his wife die.
So, he decides to steal the identity of another man, who does have insurance and files a false claim. He is great with technology as he writes and designs computer games. (he gets this guy’s name from his gaming data base). He lets his wife in on the plan, as she does not like but goes along with it. They even move to another address, rent out their old place, and use their new names in the event they are checked upon. Everything seems to working as planned, and the medication is working UNTIL, the customer contacts John with a shocker.
The Deal with the Devil: If he and Ruby will play along with a game he has devised. If they do so, he will not report them. They have to commit real crimes, and if they fail, it will be deadly. Crazy, right? The suspense, and danger heats up, leaving you holding your breath, as two desperate people fight to survive, and now connected to a twisted serial killer!
WOW! A powerful suspense, as fell in love with Ruby and John and your heart goes out them, when faced with this challenge to find themselves living in a nightmare.
I am loving Daniel Palmer’s writing, and have already purchased two additional audiobooks, Delirious and Helpless (love his one word strong titles). Please continue using Peter Berkrot, as you guys are a perfect match for a dynamic delivery. Fans of thrillers, and fast-paced action, Daniel is your man!
Check out Palmer's latest upcoming May 2015 suspense thriller CONSTANT FEAR!
Having read DESPERATE 5 Stars, wanted to go back and read some of Palmer’s previous books, as I seem to start with newest releases and work my way backward. I devour audiobooks in between reading new ARC releases, and especially when I come across a thriller read by narrator Peter Berkrot (as his voice alone is chilling– swoon).
John Bodine, is an avid mountain climber from Boston, and faces a tough choice after an avalanche sweeps his two companions over a ridge line in Tibet. In order to survive, John must cut one of the ropes, connecting him to his friends, causing one of them to fall to fall to his death.
Now, John and Ruby have a great life, with a thriving business. However, when John learns that his insurance company won’t pay for the expensive treatment his wife needs after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer, he has nowhere to turn. He cannot afford the medication without insurance and he cannot watch his wife die.
So, he decides to steal the identity of another man, who does have insurance and files a false claim. He is great with technology as he writes and designs computer games. (he gets this guy’s name from his gaming data base). He lets his wife in on the plan, as she does not like but goes along with it. They even move to another address, rent out their old place, and use their new names in the event they are checked upon. Everything seems to working as planned, and the medication is working UNTIL, the customer contacts John with a shocker.
The Deal with the Devil: If he and Ruby will play along with a game he has devised. If they do so, he will not report them. They have to commit real crimes, and if they fail, it will be deadly. Crazy, right? The suspense, and danger heats up, leaving you holding your breath, as two desperate people fight to survive, and now connected to a twisted serial killer!
WOW! A powerful suspense, as fell in love with Ruby and John and your heart goes out them, when faced with this challenge to find themselves living in a nightmare.
I am loving Daniel Palmer’s writing, and have already purchased two additional audiobooks, Delirious and Helpless (love his one word strong titles). Please continue using Peter Berkrot, as you guys are a perfect match for a dynamic delivery. Fans of thrillers, and fast-paced action, Daniel is your man!
Check out Palmer's latest upcoming May 2015 suspense thriller CONSTANT FEAR!
March 22, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Readers copy of this book thanks to Daniel and a posting he approved. It has been a long time since I stayed up and pulled an all nighter to read but once I opened the book, met the characters, I was hooked.
A young couple, who have already survived a traumatic life threatening experience suddenly find themselves immersed in the maelstrom that is the health insurance industry when it is discovered that the wife must undergo aggressive medical treatments in order to live.
The question you must ask yourself is, how far will you go to save the one you love? To what extremes, whether legal or not, are you willing to risk everything for this person? The answers are obvious and I dare you to not understand, or agree, with the story that Daniel has given us.
If you haven't read anything else by Daniel Palmer, this is a great place to start.
Merged review:
From the horrifying opening to the thrilling ending, I dare anyone to put this book down.
One of the biggest arguments these days revolves around health insurance, the health insurance industry (for that IS what it is) and the affordability of healthcare in general. We scrimp, we save and we purchase the best we can afford hoping and believing that in case of a catastrophic situation we are at least covered..or are we.
A young couple, rebounding from that horrific opening sequence, rebuilding their lives and planning for the future find themselves caught up in that web. When it is discovered that the wife has cancer and the medication she requires is unavailable in a generic form (the only form of medication her insurance will cover), they find themselves trying every avenue open and beyond to get the necessary treatment. The husband is the author/creator of a gaming website with extraordinary computer skills. out of desperation he turns to hacking to obtain the coverage needed to keep his wife alive..who can honestly say, given the same circumstances and with the same talents one would not do the same? To what measure would we go to save the one we love?
But now the twists..he start receiving these mysterious phone calls that claim to be the person he hacked. Has the hacker been hacked himself? is he a pawn in some bizarre game that threatens his and his wife's safety as well as her health and what is he going to do next.
Mr. Palmer writes believable characters who you begin to empathize with. He creates a scenario that is as gripping as any Hitchcock film.
If you have never read anything else by Daniel Palmer, I cannot think of a better place to start.
A young couple, who have already survived a traumatic life threatening experience suddenly find themselves immersed in the maelstrom that is the health insurance industry when it is discovered that the wife must undergo aggressive medical treatments in order to live.
The question you must ask yourself is, how far will you go to save the one you love? To what extremes, whether legal or not, are you willing to risk everything for this person? The answers are obvious and I dare you to not understand, or agree, with the story that Daniel has given us.
If you haven't read anything else by Daniel Palmer, this is a great place to start.
Merged review:
From the horrifying opening to the thrilling ending, I dare anyone to put this book down.
One of the biggest arguments these days revolves around health insurance, the health insurance industry (for that IS what it is) and the affordability of healthcare in general. We scrimp, we save and we purchase the best we can afford hoping and believing that in case of a catastrophic situation we are at least covered..or are we.
A young couple, rebounding from that horrific opening sequence, rebuilding their lives and planning for the future find themselves caught up in that web. When it is discovered that the wife has cancer and the medication she requires is unavailable in a generic form (the only form of medication her insurance will cover), they find themselves trying every avenue open and beyond to get the necessary treatment. The husband is the author/creator of a gaming website with extraordinary computer skills. out of desperation he turns to hacking to obtain the coverage needed to keep his wife alive..who can honestly say, given the same circumstances and with the same talents one would not do the same? To what measure would we go to save the one we love?
But now the twists..he start receiving these mysterious phone calls that claim to be the person he hacked. Has the hacker been hacked himself? is he a pawn in some bizarre game that threatens his and his wife's safety as well as her health and what is he going to do next.
Mr. Palmer writes believable characters who you begin to empathize with. He creates a scenario that is as gripping as any Hitchcock film.
If you have never read anything else by Daniel Palmer, I cannot think of a better place to start.
February 25, 2013
okay, WOW...just finished STOLEN which I received an Advance Read Copy of because I was following Palmer on Facebook. I planned on reading over a week and got through in 48 hours. Just like Palmer's previous 2 books, if not more so, this story moves, and moves fast! I was completely caught in the trap of "just one more page...just one more chapter..." I couldn't put it down! And, if you've read Daniel Palmer before, you may be convinced that you know who's behind everything but it's not what you think. I was COMPLETELY DUPED..which is why I loved this read so much. I did at times have to fight the fact that I hated the main character for decisions made early on and also the fact that some of the police stuff seems a bit unrealistic (the unfortunate circumstance of the fact that I am married to a police officer who has also done time in the detective division) and just go with the story. Which I was more than willing to do as it was just so compelling!!!! What's simply amazing about this novel is that it COULD HAPPEN TO YOU and just drives the reality of this world into your head!
I should also say that although the prologue is a backdrop to the story, I think think the first few lines are just spectacularly beautiful. "You've reached twenty thousand feet above sea level. The sky is a color blue so deep, so rich, so damned infinite, it makes you want to weep. But your eyes are too frozen to form a single tear."
Of course, my 2nd favorite line is early on "I'm twenty-nine years old. I'm married to the love of my life. And no matter what it takes, or how far I have to go, I'm not going to let her die." If only John Bodine really knew what this would mean!!!
Thank you Daniel Palmer for 48 hours of pure addiction to this novel!! (I had a nightmare the 2nd night and I can only imagine what the images you created in this book will lead to as I try to sleep tonight!)
I should also say that although the prologue is a backdrop to the story, I think think the first few lines are just spectacularly beautiful. "You've reached twenty thousand feet above sea level. The sky is a color blue so deep, so rich, so damned infinite, it makes you want to weep. But your eyes are too frozen to form a single tear."
Of course, my 2nd favorite line is early on "I'm twenty-nine years old. I'm married to the love of my life. And no matter what it takes, or how far I have to go, I'm not going to let her die." If only John Bodine really knew what this would mean!!!
Thank you Daniel Palmer for 48 hours of pure addiction to this novel!! (I had a nightmare the 2nd night and I can only imagine what the images you created in this book will lead to as I try to sleep tonight!)
May 9, 2013
This book started out with great potential. The free excerpt offered on Facebook was an intense hook that grabbed me and I decided then and there that I would purchase the Kindle edition when the book was released on April 30. I couldn't wait.
I started reading with great anticipation and the story began with increasing momentum...but as I got into it, everything slowly got more and more tedious. There was a monotony that began to develop near the middle of the book, and I felt disappointed and rather bored.
The story then veered off past the sludge and I had hopes that finally we were getting somewhere. It did pick up at that point, but never really took off until the end, which was predictable and expected.
The book showed promise, and I feel that this author might have something better to offer down the road, with more experience under his belt. His father is a favorite author of mine, (Michael Palmer) and so hopefully the genetics will kick in and give this young man what it takes to write a great story. This one fell short in my opinion.
The basic premise of the book asked the question, how far would you go, to what lengths would you go to save the one you love? When the wife of a young man is faced with a life-threatening diagnosis and insufficient medical insurance, they make a decision to steal the identity of another couple who has good insurance, only to find out that the identities that they stole had ALREADY been stolen by someone else...someone with a screw loose who played a crazy game with their lives.
I really wish this book had lived up to the very real possiblity of a fantastic story....but it did not deliver. Oh well.
I started reading with great anticipation and the story began with increasing momentum...but as I got into it, everything slowly got more and more tedious. There was a monotony that began to develop near the middle of the book, and I felt disappointed and rather bored.
The story then veered off past the sludge and I had hopes that finally we were getting somewhere. It did pick up at that point, but never really took off until the end, which was predictable and expected.
The book showed promise, and I feel that this author might have something better to offer down the road, with more experience under his belt. His father is a favorite author of mine, (Michael Palmer) and so hopefully the genetics will kick in and give this young man what it takes to write a great story. This one fell short in my opinion.
The basic premise of the book asked the question, how far would you go, to what lengths would you go to save the one you love? When the wife of a young man is faced with a life-threatening diagnosis and insufficient medical insurance, they make a decision to steal the identity of another couple who has good insurance, only to find out that the identities that they stole had ALREADY been stolen by someone else...someone with a screw loose who played a crazy game with their lives.
I really wish this book had lived up to the very real possiblity of a fantastic story....but it did not deliver. Oh well.
February 16, 2016
This is the third novel written by Daniel Palmer (son of one of my favorite authors, Michael Palmer)and it is far and away the best of the three. Of course, it is a murder mystery but it is a mystery with so many twists and turns that it's impossible to figure our what's going to happen until the end of the book. I was fortunate enough to win an ARC (advance reading copy) of the book which is not due to be released until April 30, 2013.
In this story, John Bodine is an avid climber, mostly of mountains. In the opening he has to make an chilling and horrifying decision, a life or death decision. Years later, married and now a budding entrepreneur, his life is turned upside down when his wife contracts a rare and very deadly form of melanoma. I won't give the plot away any more than this but in his quest to save his wife's life he falls into the clutches of an inhuman monster. As I previously said, the twists and turns of the story take you from conclusion to conclusion, all of which (in my case) were wrong. There were several times when I thought I knew who the culprit was only to have one theory after another dashed to pieces.
Daniel Palmer continues to get better with each new book. I am looking forward to his next book with eager anticipation. He is on a par with his father, whose books I have loved for years. Kudos to Daniel on a very well-written, suspenseful and exciting novel!! (And thanks for the ARC!!)
In this story, John Bodine is an avid climber, mostly of mountains. In the opening he has to make an chilling and horrifying decision, a life or death decision. Years later, married and now a budding entrepreneur, his life is turned upside down when his wife contracts a rare and very deadly form of melanoma. I won't give the plot away any more than this but in his quest to save his wife's life he falls into the clutches of an inhuman monster. As I previously said, the twists and turns of the story take you from conclusion to conclusion, all of which (in my case) were wrong. There were several times when I thought I knew who the culprit was only to have one theory after another dashed to pieces.
Daniel Palmer continues to get better with each new book. I am looking forward to his next book with eager anticipation. He is on a par with his father, whose books I have loved for years. Kudos to Daniel on a very well-written, suspenseful and exciting novel!! (And thanks for the ARC!!)
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