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Ticket for Terror
To find out where and when the winning pick six lottery ticket was sold is easy, you could obtain that information within minutes of the drawing. All you need now is the surveillance video from the retailer who sold it and you could identify the winner, and rip him off. This is the scheme in which a homegrown terrorist cell is planning to finance their latest attack on America.
Owen Duffy, a mechanic and cab driver from the Bronx, accidently finds himself right in the middle of their scheme. When Duffy stops on the road to help out a stranded motorist, he is ambushed by Middle Eastern men who kidnap the owner of the car. He flees the scene with the man’s daughter, Regan, in tow. Together they attempt to uncover the reason for the kidnapping while trying to stay alive in the process.
The kidnappers make contact and Duffy learns that they're after a winning lottery ticket. They offer a trade; the ticket for the life of Regan’s father. The problem is, Regan has no idea where the ticket is or if her father even won.
Duffy and Regan are taken off the street by members of Homeland Security who inform them an undercover agent is currently working inside the homegrown terrorist cell which has abducted Regan's father. Events spiral out of control when they plan to set a trap for the terrorists which backfires, resulting in Duffy and Regan being taken hostage. Their only hope is the undercover agent. But who is he? And what happened to the lottery ticket?
Owen Duffy, a mechanic and cab driver from the Bronx, accidently finds himself right in the middle of their scheme. When Duffy stops on the road to help out a stranded motorist, he is ambushed by Middle Eastern men who kidnap the owner of the car. He flees the scene with the man’s daughter, Regan, in tow. Together they attempt to uncover the reason for the kidnapping while trying to stay alive in the process.
The kidnappers make contact and Duffy learns that they're after a winning lottery ticket. They offer a trade; the ticket for the life of Regan’s father. The problem is, Regan has no idea where the ticket is or if her father even won.
Duffy and Regan are taken off the street by members of Homeland Security who inform them an undercover agent is currently working inside the homegrown terrorist cell which has abducted Regan's father. Events spiral out of control when they plan to set a trap for the terrorists which backfires, resulting in Duffy and Regan being taken hostage. Their only hope is the undercover agent. But who is he? And what happened to the lottery ticket?
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2012
2 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Parks
2 books35 followersChristopher Parks (1980- ) was born in the Bronx, New York. He is a railroad mechanic and small business owner. He has worked as an actor in hit television shows such as; OZ, Law & Order and ED. He has also starred in the award winning short film Oh Baby. The idea for his debut novel Ticket for Terror derived from an incident in which he was mugged while driving a taxi. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, Jessica and their three boys.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 9, 2012
What a fun, wild ride of a story! I absolutely LOVE the plot. (And it is SO REFRESHING to read something by an author who is not in the least concerned with cranking out the latest version of politically correct b@*&sh@t. I’m really tired of reading novels that are afraid of offending someone; that’s no problem here.)
In this book, I especially enjoyed the way the characters “speak.” The author does a wonderful job of capturing their speech patterns and personalities; I can almost hear their inflection and accents by reading the dialogue. I love it when an author can do this.
I also liked the conclusion of the book (which I won’t give away) and the way that aspect of the story was handled.
Finally, we all know “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” I think that’s true, but in the same way I often buy a bottle of wine because I like the label, the main thing that initially drew me to this book was its cover. I appreciate the fact that it was an attention grabber; otherwise I may have overlooked this fun thriller.
(UPDATE: I have updated my review to delete my prior complaints about editing, as I understand the book will shortly be released in a version which has solved most of those problems. So, those comments are no longer relevant.)
In this book, I especially enjoyed the way the characters “speak.” The author does a wonderful job of capturing their speech patterns and personalities; I can almost hear their inflection and accents by reading the dialogue. I love it when an author can do this.
I also liked the conclusion of the book (which I won’t give away) and the way that aspect of the story was handled.
Finally, we all know “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” I think that’s true, but in the same way I often buy a bottle of wine because I like the label, the main thing that initially drew me to this book was its cover. I appreciate the fact that it was an attention grabber; otherwise I may have overlooked this fun thriller.
(UPDATE: I have updated my review to delete my prior complaints about editing, as I understand the book will shortly be released in a version which has solved most of those problems. So, those comments are no longer relevant.)
August 6, 2012
I'm always a little nervous when opening any book from a new author, but Mr. Parks has written an action packed story that's well worth reading. The entire plot benefits from the nagging thought that this is something that maybe could really happen. Could someone or some group identify lottery winners before they go public and steal the winning ticket to use the money for criminal/terrorist purposes? With the amount of information that's collected and kept on individuals these days, it's certainly a possibility.
Well the action starts quickly and keeps on going to the end. I found several surprise twists and other things I didn't see coming. Mr. Parks has all the elements of a good storyteller and readers should be well pleased with what he's done with this book.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Well the action starts quickly and keeps on going to the end. I found several surprise twists and other things I didn't see coming. Mr. Parks has all the elements of a good storyteller and readers should be well pleased with what he's done with this book.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2012
Wow, what an exciting book! Parks puts you right in the cab with Owen Duffy and takes you on an exhilarating, thought provoking ride of what could happen if a jackpot ticket fell into the wrong hands. I found myself unable to put the book down, with each chapter ending in such a cliffhanging style that I HAD to start the next one right away. I LOVE these kind of books. Loaded with action, suspense, and even a little romance, "Ticket For Terror" is Grade A fiction. It makes one shutter to think of this type of scheme really happening. I had to dust myself off a few times, as I felt right in the heat of the battle, but never had to dust the book off, as I couldn't put it down. It makes me think twice of going on line for a lotto ticket,but I'll run to get on line for Parks' next book if it is as well done as "Ticket For Terror".
October 1, 2012
I am currently reading this book... but i'd like to say the very first chapter grabs your attention and then after the story drops you back to a week before. I understand why he does this, so you can get to know the characters and their stories. Since I am reading this book plus another, it seems a little easy to put down. I am interested enough though to pick it back up...
I will be back to give a better review when I'm finished. I am hoping to add a star or 2!!
I have finished the book and I enjoyed it thoroughly!!! I was lucky enough to win it in the Goodreads giveaway and I'm glad I did because I'm uncertain if I would of picked it up.. The story line was very clever AND entertaining!!.. I also enjoyed the little twist at the end!!!...
Will certainly be looking forward to novel #2 from him!!!!
I will be back to give a better review when I'm finished. I am hoping to add a star or 2!!
I have finished the book and I enjoyed it thoroughly!!! I was lucky enough to win it in the Goodreads giveaway and I'm glad I did because I'm uncertain if I would of picked it up.. The story line was very clever AND entertaining!!.. I also enjoyed the little twist at the end!!!...
Will certainly be looking forward to novel #2 from him!!!!
May 14, 2013
Wow!! This was an edge of the seat thriller all the way!! What an exciting and inventive tale. I loved the lottery twist, it was really fresh as plots go.
The characters were realistic and dynamic. I was with them the whole way. Duffy and Regan had just the right amount of sizzle to make the romance work. Great chemistry.
At times with all the action and quick dialogue it felt more like a movie than a book. It was great to feel the energy carry through all the scenes. Really refreshing story that had a high impact!
I would love to see more of this author!! Really great first book that shows a promising future!!
The characters were realistic and dynamic. I was with them the whole way. Duffy and Regan had just the right amount of sizzle to make the romance work. Great chemistry.
At times with all the action and quick dialogue it felt more like a movie than a book. It was great to feel the energy carry through all the scenes. Really refreshing story that had a high impact!
I would love to see more of this author!! Really great first book that shows a promising future!!
May 6, 2013
Grade: B
L/C Ratio: 10% Literary / 90% Commercial
Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Action thriller
25% - Terrorism
20% - New York City
10% - Violence
5% - Romantic love
Addictiveness: High
Movie Potential: 2 Thumbs Up
Re-readability: Low
Despite some choppy dialogue, Ticket For Terror proves to be a captivating thriller with a strong, engaging hero at the center of its plot. Christopher Parks clearly knows his way around NYC, and the book's vivid setting gives depth to its scenes and adds a realistic touch to the suspenseful action.
L/C Ratio: 10% Literary / 90% Commercial
Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Action thriller
25% - Terrorism
20% - New York City
10% - Violence
5% - Romantic love
Addictiveness: High
Movie Potential: 2 Thumbs Up
Re-readability: Low
Despite some choppy dialogue, Ticket For Terror proves to be a captivating thriller with a strong, engaging hero at the center of its plot. Christopher Parks clearly knows his way around NYC, and the book's vivid setting gives depth to its scenes and adds a realistic touch to the suspenseful action.
May 3, 2013
Great book and though provoking. I downloaaded it last night and kept waking up to read more.
May 20, 2013
The description of this novel by Christopher Parks was enticing - a lottery ticket used to finance a terror scheme seems just outside-the-box enough to actually happen. And the things that go wrong - for good and bad guys alike - made it even more fun. I thought it was really good premise for a thriller and it delivered.
Sometimes I found the descriptions to be a bit forced, especially when dealing with the "getting physical" scenes between the main characters. And I was less than impressed with the stereotyping of Muslims and Islam in general, feeding into (or buying into) the paranoia that if it's a mosque, it must be a terrorist front. I didn't find the nuance in the portrayal of the villains that I'd expect to find in the best thrillers. Still, this was a well donestory. Dialogue could have been a little cleaner, and I found a few editing mistakes, so for these reasons I dock it a star. Still, the story of Owen Duffy and Regan Fowler and their ordeal at the hands of terrorist and their subsequent rescue was compelling and entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys these types of thrillers.
Sometimes I found the descriptions to be a bit forced, especially when dealing with the "getting physical" scenes between the main characters. And I was less than impressed with the stereotyping of Muslims and Islam in general, feeding into (or buying into) the paranoia that if it's a mosque, it must be a terrorist front. I didn't find the nuance in the portrayal of the villains that I'd expect to find in the best thrillers. Still, this was a well donestory. Dialogue could have been a little cleaner, and I found a few editing mistakes, so for these reasons I dock it a star. Still, the story of Owen Duffy and Regan Fowler and their ordeal at the hands of terrorist and their subsequent rescue was compelling and entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys these types of thrillers.
January 18, 2017
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and I want to thank the author for giving me a chance to enjoy this novel.
"Ticket for Terror" was an enjoyable mystery thriller and had a high degree of readability. The author did a good job on crafting most of the characters and expressing their personality and dialogue style. The protagonist was engaging and relatable. I did find a few of the characters to be slightly simplified in several of their thoughts/motives but not enough so to harm the overall quality of the story.
The plot was not groundbreaking but was unique enough to keep it interesting.
The writing style worked for the story. There were some minor grammatical errors and sentences which needed some tweaking but nothing glaringly bad.
Overall this was a fun novel and one which I would certainly recommend. I could see it translating well to the big screen. I wish the author luck with his future publications.
"Ticket for Terror" was an enjoyable mystery thriller and had a high degree of readability. The author did a good job on crafting most of the characters and expressing their personality and dialogue style. The protagonist was engaging and relatable. I did find a few of the characters to be slightly simplified in several of their thoughts/motives but not enough so to harm the overall quality of the story.
The plot was not groundbreaking but was unique enough to keep it interesting.
The writing style worked for the story. There were some minor grammatical errors and sentences which needed some tweaking but nothing glaringly bad.
Overall this was a fun novel and one which I would certainly recommend. I could see it translating well to the big screen. I wish the author luck with his future publications.
September 6, 2014
Engaging mystery with a little humor added.
The authors actual experience of viewing video footage to see who won a lottery ticket forms a good base for the plot that includes the main character who is a mechanic, others in his work place and community, and foreign and disenfranchised American terrorists. I guessed who won the lottery, but the rest of the mystery was fluid and well written.
The authors actual experience of viewing video footage to see who won a lottery ticket forms a good base for the plot that includes the main character who is a mechanic, others in his work place and community, and foreign and disenfranchised American terrorists. I guessed who won the lottery, but the rest of the mystery was fluid and well written.
September 30, 2012
Good storyline, lots of action, but a little chaotic through the bulk of the book. The suprise ending was disappointing in my opinion. The author seems to have potential, will definitely give his next book a try.
Read
August 20, 2012This book held my interest to the very end. I would recommend this book.
September 4, 2014
Great Ride
This book reminded me of my first NYC cab ride fast, exciting, lots of turns and thrilling to the end. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a wild ride!
This book reminded me of my first NYC cab ride fast, exciting, lots of turns and thrilling to the end. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a wild ride!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews