Five Day Nightmare

by Fredric Brown

The clock is ticking as a husband frantically tries to save his abducted wife in this fast-paced crime novel by "a real pro" (The New York Times Book Review).Twenty-five grand if he wants his wife back alive. That's the demand on the ransom note Lloyd Johnson found sitting in his typewriter. It has to be in unmarked bills--and it has to be delivered in five days.To make it worse, the kidnapper dropped the names of his previous victims--one who'd made it back home to her husband, and one who hadn't. Armed with this information, Johnson hopes further investigation of those cases will improve his--and his wife's--chances. But the more he learns, the worse things look, and time is running out, in this twisting tale by the Edgar Award-winning author.

Genres: Mystery, Ebooks, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was one of the boldest early writers in genre fiction in his use of narrative experimentation. While never in the front rank of popularity in his lifetime, Brown has developed a considerable cult following in the almost half century since he last wrote. His works have been periodically reprinted and he has a worldwide fan base, most notably in the U.S. and Europe, and especially in France, where there have been several recent movie adaptations of his work. He also remains popular in Japan.

Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lloyd Johnson is a Phoenix-based stockbroker who comes home one night after a busy day at the office to find his wife Eileen has been kidnapped. This is the third recent kidnapping in the area. One husband went to the police and didn’t get his wife back alive. The other cooperated and she came home. Lloyd tries to comply with the note left in his typewriter, but coming up with $35,000 and keeping it quiet is proving difficult.

Lloyd plays the desperate Everyman, but he calmly And methodically sells off assets, flies to Las Vegas, where he gets lopped at the airport on doubles, and mixes up endless batches of martinis when he gets back. Indeed, one would think by his attitude, having your wife kidnapped is not necessarily an earth-shattering event.

Lloyd though is desperate to get Ek]Len back if it takes every last penny he can raise and the five days are agony not knowing if she’s alive or dead.

[Alberto Avanzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abbiamo già nominato questo autore, famoso anche e forse soprattutto per il contributo dato alla fantascienza. Con questo romanzo del 1962, costruisce una pietra miliare della storia del giallo. Un consulente finanziario, tornando a casa una sera dal lavoro, non trova la moglie, e trova invece un biglietto con il quale apprende del sequestro a scopo di estorsione della moglie appunto, e riceve un ultimatum. Entro cinque giorni deve pagare 25mila dollari, o la moglie verrà uccisa. Pur benestante, non possiede la somma e deve chiedere aiuto ad alcuni amici. Finale davvero sorprendente, ma tutto il romanzo è ad altissima tensione, con il tema a me caro della “persona comune” come protagonista, cosa che agevola l’identificazione e quindi il coinvolgimento del lettore (come La rossa mano destra, L’orlo dell’abisso o Il visitatore che non c’era)

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 1962 crime/thriller novel by prolific Frederic Brown, reissued in 2001 by MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (one of 10 Brown books they reissued) available as an ebook. First, let me say, they could sure drink. The book covers the events of 5 days, maintaining a high level of suspense, while the protagonist knocks back (what to me is) an amazing amount of alcohol. Another quick, entertaining outing by Brown.

[Randy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tension-Filled Kidnapping Story

The book opens with a man discovering his wife has been kidnapped. We then follow him over the next few days as he tries to gather the $25,000 ransom, then waits to get instructions on where to leave it. A pretty simple plot, but Brown tells the story in a way that propels you along, wondering if the man will succeed in getting his wife back. It’s a neat little thriller with some interesting characters and a few satisfying twists.

[Shed · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot twist made me laugh. Poor, Lloyd.