Cache 72

Jaxon Jennings #2

by Richard C. Hale

72 hours. That's what the note said. 72 hours and the girl would be dead. Jaxon held the paper in one hand and the severed finger in the other. It was not a hoax. A day with his new hobby had turned into something he hadn't seen coming.

GeoCaching--a modern scavenger hunt--was now a race against time. A woman he had never met was praying he wouldn't fail.

72 hours. Three days. A life hanging in the balance and the clock ticking. The killer's game deadly. Jaxon Jennings, retired cop and private eye, knew the girl had only one chance...

And he was it.

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

260 pages, ebook

First published August 16, 2013

About the author

Richard C Hale has worn many hats in his lifetime including Greens Keeper, Bartender, Musician, Respiratory Therapist, and Veteran Air Traffic Controller. You can usually find him controlling Air Traffic over the skies of the Southeastern U.S. where he lives with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ex GI and cop and now a PI , Jaxon Jennings, with his wife and Ex FBI agent now running a PI business find themselves in race against a diabolical killer who has roped Jaxon into a race against time when he is out Geocaching and finds a severed finger in the cache he has located. There is a note that says he has 72 hours to find a women before she dies or is killed. He is given the coordinates to the next cache and its the beginning of a chase through Florida following the trail that is revealed, but no matter how hard he tries the killer always seems a step ahead of him. He reluctantly gets help from some others, but it also makes the targets of the killer. Its a treasure hunt to save the girl and catch the killer, but there are more deaths and it starts to seem a lost cause. Will Jaxon and new friends prevail? You will have to find out for yourself by reading the book.

[C. Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read all of the books written by Agatha Christie, and many of the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Childs, I wonder why this author seems to feel the need for so many murder victims.
Unlike some, I found that this book was less enjoyable than its immediate predecessor. I doubt that I shall be checking out any others!
On a personal note, the two authors mentioned above have also managed to write great stories without resorting to offensive language. Why do so many seem to think that that, too, is necessary?

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this, my thought was, oh no - this is a copy of Book 1! But as I read on, it got better. This book has the same tension building, with a couple twists to surprise you.

Good story, but I hope the next book has a fresh, New storyline. Be sure I'll find out, because Richard C. Hale has been added to my list of authors to watch for.

[Sebastian Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twist on a modern craze.

Cleverly thought out story involving Geocaching. Jaxon gets caught up in this madness to save a girl's life. Along the way he gets help from unwilling, at first, strangers. Who is setting up this game of solve the clues to save a life? A few twists and turns keep you reading to the end.

[Steve Hildebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book to be enjoyed

This was a thrilling adventure story to read. The characters were strong and believable. The premise of the story was somewhat unbelievable though which I understand might be the purpose but it still didn't seem to ring true. I liked reading it though and gave it 4 stars.

[Donna Jahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

I really loved this book! It seemed to be a Good book...until the ending started to change i thought I knew the ending...and BOY! was i surprised! Thanks for writing this book. Loved the characters. ...already looking for the next book

[Teri Hawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinion is just ok

This book has a decent enough storyline, but I just had a hard time with the believability. It was hard to get into, but there comes a point when the story does get interesting.

[Colleen L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have definitely found a new author from Blank to the Jaxon Jennings series. I have read the first two in both series I will continue.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Richard C Hale! It held my interest from the first page to the last page. The tension builds chapter after chapter. I recommend this book highly to all suspense & mystery fans.

[William Goldbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleased with this book although the end was not as anticipated. Good story and will look forward to the next one this author creates.

[Karen Semrau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't put it down

This was one of the best books i have read in a long time. Loved it. A definite good read.

[Nomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read with alot of action.

[Colleen Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling

So Files saved the day Jason really does not do any work other than to give people a whole lot of heat aches however, he is a cool dude and I enjoy reading about him.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

As good as the first book in the series. Granted, I don't like some of the methods Jaxon uses but he gets results ... even if they aren't what he expects. Off to read the 3rd book.

[Curtis Hawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Richard Hale.
Very intriguing game of Geocaching and mystery mixed with great characters

[Pat Raskob · Rating 4 out of 5]

keeps your interest. will keep you up at night reading just one more chapter.

[Caroline Beaudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it ! Kept me on the edge of my seat . Defenitely will read His other books!

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar story as Frozen Past. I enjoyed as much as That book. I will read next in Series.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to.
Given that it was time related it kept going without losing anything and with a good twist or two

[Govno Nichevo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that overall this was a reasonably good read. Not a simple rehash of Frozen Past that it first seemed to be. An engaging story with good pace.

[Deborah Schuebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love a good mystery and interesting characters this is the book for you! Very hard to put down.

[GW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cache 72

Ehhh... This was an OK book. Not great but not bad either. It moved quickly but was unrealistic at times.

[Gail Krause · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read

Loved the way he tied everything together. The Geo cache angle was fantastic and believable. Learned a few facts about Geo Cache.

[Renee Pauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This story kept me guessing throughout the entire book, the ending was very unexpected. I've recommended this series to everyone I know.

[Debbie Oxier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaxon Jennings is a former cop, retired, now a private investigator. His wife, Victoria, works in the business with him. She's former FBI. They had a son, Michael, who was murdered. Now Jaxon has taken up GeoCaching, a treasure hunt of sorts, as a hobby. When he follows his GPS coordinates to a wooded area he finds a small box tied up with a pretty bow. When he opens it he finds a severed finger and a note. It informs him that he now has 72 hours to find a girl named Bethany Hope or she dies. He's given a set of latitude and longitude numbers that supposedly will lead him to the next clue. Thus the game begins. Along the way, as Jaxon follows the clues from one site to another, he meets a young couple, Gil and Mel, who end up helping him with his quest. This violates the rules of the game so whoever is doing this decides to punish Jaxon. But it's Gil who opens the next clue and he's bitten by a Black Mamba snake. Jaxon, Gil, and Mel, have to reach the next set of coordinates in order to find the anti-venom and keep Gil alive. They barely make it. Then someone tries to kill Gil in the hospital but he and Mel manage to escape. Jaxon realizes they now not only have to save Bethany but watch out for themselves as well. As they race around the state of Florida, fighting the clock and the evil genius behind this plot, they encounter more pitfalls and find themselves butting heads with local law enforcement. It's Victoria who suggests that Jaxon wasn't chosen to play the game at random but that whoever has involved him did so on purpose. This makes the list of suspects endless unless they can somehow get ahead of the game, save Bethany, and figure out who wants Jaxon dead.

This book had me hooked from the very first page. It was so entertaining I couldn't put it down. It had plenty of action and a whole lot of suspense. Jaxon could be bull headed when working on a case and doesn't always follow the rules but he's the type of guy you want on your side when circumstances are against you. He refuses to back down from a fight, especially when someone's life is on the line. At first he brings Gil and Mel along just to keep them safe but before long he realizes what a help they can be, that he isn't going to be able to make the deadline without them. They're young and initially think Jaxon is on some kind of adrenaline rush adventure and they want to tag along. Pretty soon they're up to their necks in the game. Even though Jaxon lets them in on what's going on, it doesn't totally sink in until Gil is seriously hurt and they find a dead body. They seem to kind of mature over night and the interaction between Jaxon and Mel is kind of like that of an older brother with his sister.

I really liked the whole premise of the book. While I was reading it, it felt like I was actually on a treasure hunt myself. I couldn't wait to get the next clue and find out where we were going and what we might encounter when we get there. The people that cross their path keep the action flowing smoothly and add to the appeal of the story. And the way it was written it was pretty much impossible to guess who was behind the game until the very end. This is one character I plan to keep following and hope the author will continue with the series beyond the three books already written.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, not bad at all. Interesting premise regarding geo caching and characters I actually cared about. My only criticisms are that the villain needed a little more fleshing out during the story, perhaps through some chapters written from the perps point of view, which could have been done without spoiling the reveal; also, I found the ending and epilogue both to be somewhat rushed and abbreviated. Still, a fun vacation read.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Games Some Villains Play"

This novel grabbed me right from the very first sentence, and it kept speeding me beside the characters on their many trips around Florida. Retired cop, ex-Army MP, and now Private Detective Jaxon Jennings is taking what he thinks is a fun treasure hunt diversion from his office. He's in the woods when he picks up a small box, opens it to be shocked to see a severed bloody finger, which then falls on his leather shoe. It's a woman's finger with pink fingernail polish. Inside is a note identifying the finger belonging to Bethany Hope, who is still alive, trapped in a hidden place. Also written is the first clue containing longitude/latitude position. Jaxon looks around, up in a tree he spots a camera, removes it, and sends a threatening message before turning it off. Jaxon is a big guy, 6'3", 240 lbs., with an angry aggressive attitude at times. His wife Victoria is also an ex-cop and retired FBI agent and they work together at Jennings' Investigations. He advises Vick of his findings, adding that the note says they have 72-hours to locate Bethany. Jaxon's fun treasure hunt is an on-line game which many people throughout the world enjoy: GeoCaching, which is a scavenger hunt providing clues. The villian is obviously a player of this game and knows all the frequently used sites to leave further clues. Some of the sites can be lethal as Jaxon soon finds out. As Jaxon checks the note again, the purple swirling ink is unusual; a spot on one corner carries the scent of perfume. But this is not the type of crime committed by women. There is no ransom requested, it's very suspenseful; what is the motive of this kidnapper/killer? This is a finely-honed, suspenseful novel which you'll not be able to put down. Fast reading, excellently written and edited, with many twists, turns, shocking surprises, with Jaxon sometimes out of control. He's not going to be shoved aside in solving this crime. Read this thriller, it's exciting beyond imagination!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely a huge improvement over the last Jaxon Jennings novel. Unlike the last novel, there weren't as many extra details, and what was there was pertinent to the plot or at the very least not SO monotonous that I wanted to stop reading. It was relatively fast paced, which made it much easier to get through as well.

I would have liked a little more (in the beginning) about what GeoCaching is, but it was a little easier to figure out as the story went along.

The only real issue I had with it, other than the writing tended to be a little simple/ repetitive in spots was that parts of the trail itself became repetitive, although it kind of worked with the killer's personality. I also got a little confused with the timeline because chapters stopped including how much time was left or had passed. It also felt like a few of the chapters were out of order, according to the time plot, although that could have been me misreading it.

SPEAKING OF THE KILLER, that seems to be a common plot point in Hale's stories that's getting predictable. The killer always seems to be the father of one of the victims and he always goes after Jaxon because of something he did earlier in life. I really hope his other two books aren't the same. I mean, seriously, how many psychotic people can one man piss off in his life that have the means to get back at him later for it?

[Jeff Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Typical Hale, strong storytelling with big plot holes and lacking character development. Less deaths than other books, but that is one trait I like about Hale. He is not afraid to kill characters. Would have really liked to know more about how Jaxxon got engaged in Geocaching and how the protagonist had such strong tech skills. I missed Jaxxon's wife in this one. She is there, but more of a bit character.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for free, so I can't complain about the value I received. I am a geocacher and I knew that a book about geocaching wouldn't be good. But it's free, so why not?

From the start when he wrote GeoCaching over and over I knew I'd hate it. Right letters, but the G and the C are not capitalized. They never are. Just looking at geocaching.com would show this. Apparently zero research was done.

Now let's look at the plot. A guy who was bullied wants to avenge his daughters death. She died because she took her own life after being bullied. OK, sounds good. But, here's the kicker. He's going to slowly torture his daughters bully while leading his own bully to her through geocaches. Yeah, that's not going to work. Not at all. There are so many variables that could go wrong. And the father? He can hack anything. Of course he can. The situations the characters get in aren't believable, and then of course all law enforcement works with them, no problem at all.

Do you see where I'm going with this? It's not well thought out. The thriller part was good, the plot not at all, and the way the characters acted felt like a made for TV movie that plays at 2 am.