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7 Hours to Die
Jenna Wade has it all. A devoted husband. Two precocious children. A wildly successful mother. A beautiful house in one of the most desirable beach towns on the planet.
And seven hours to live.
Kidnappers grabbed Jenna in broad daylight, right in front of her children and their horrified classmates. Her family was issued an insane ransom demand: $25 million in cash and jewels, payable by the end of the school day, otherwise they’ll never see her again.
As Jenna’s mother scrambles to gather the money, detectives Mo Butler and George Ortega follow the trail of the kidnappers, which will lead them through a sordid landscape of jealous lovers, broken dreamers, and twisted schemers. But every second counts, and there’s one thing Jenna Wade doesn’t have: very much time.
Between competing detectives and colorful locals, everyone has a theory about who is behind this unthinkable crime. But things may not be as they seem ... will you be able to solve the puzzle before time runs out?
And seven hours to live.
Kidnappers grabbed Jenna in broad daylight, right in front of her children and their horrified classmates. Her family was issued an insane ransom demand: $25 million in cash and jewels, payable by the end of the school day, otherwise they’ll never see her again.
As Jenna’s mother scrambles to gather the money, detectives Mo Butler and George Ortega follow the trail of the kidnappers, which will lead them through a sordid landscape of jealous lovers, broken dreamers, and twisted schemers. But every second counts, and there’s one thing Jenna Wade doesn’t have: very much time.
Between competing detectives and colorful locals, everyone has a theory about who is behind this unthinkable crime. But things may not be as they seem ... will you be able to solve the puzzle before time runs out?
3 pages, Audible Audio
Published September 12, 2024
59 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews
November 4, 2024
Short, slightly interesting, but feels incomplete.
December 23, 2024
Story 3.5** stars
Audio all cast performances 5 stars**
Narrators Sarah Paulson
Patina Miller
Mel Rodriguez
Dan Stevens
Audio all cast performances 5 stars**
Narrators Sarah Paulson
Patina Miller
Mel Rodriguez
Dan Stevens
October 14, 2024
A kidnapping. 😱 or should we call it adultnapping? 😵💫
October 10, 2024
A short thriller to bake to 😊
January 1, 2025
Fun to listen to while cleaning/cooking/etc. but not anything amazing. Narrated like a true crime podcast/graphic audio which made it more enjoyable!
August 17, 2025
James Patterson impresses alongside Duane Swierczynski in this Audible short piece that pushes the reader into the middle of a mysterious plot. When a prominent woman is abducted in front of her children’s school, everyone waits for news. The abductors release a statement that a ransom is to be paid in seven hours or Jenna Wade dies. The story explores the rush needed by the LAPD, the family, and anyone seeking to ensure the plan to rescue Jenna stays on track. However, too many loose ends can easily turn things on its head. Patterson and Swierczynski keep the action high with this short piece.
Jenna Wade has a wonderful life and beautiful children. Her family has money and prominence, which adds to her allure. Jenna is abducted at her children’s school and those who have her release a statement that they want money or Jenna dies… in seven hours. Panic and complete mayhem follow!
When the LAPD takes the case, pressure mounts. Jenna was a beloved, yet connected, woman. Everyone knows her and the detectives are under the microscope to solve the case and bring Jenna Wade home safely. This is not as easy as it seems, with so many cooks in the kitchen and time limited to ensure a successful outcome.
With many wanting to play the hero role, time passes. Jenna is alive but her time is quickly slipping away. The kidnappers are getting bolder and more demanding, but their control of the situation slips when the money is not delivered. Someone is behind this and motives are plentiful amongst those in Jenna's sphere. What follows is a gripping story where all is revealed and no one is safe. James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski keep the tension high in this well-paced story.
I have long enjoyed James Patterson’s shorter pieces, as they help bridge larger reading adventures. His collaborative work is also quite strong, when shared by great writers, of which Duane Swierczynski is one! The narrative kicks up from the opening line of the story and never dials it back. Things take a significant upswing when the narrarrative’s momentum kicks into high gear. Characters are able to keep things moving along, flavoring the piece between trying to be impactful. Many faces add to the intrigue of the story and provide the reader with some who might have orchestrated events. Twists and tense plot points serve the reader well as this story has little time to rest before all is revealed.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Swierczynski, for a story that barely let me breathe!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Jenna Wade has a wonderful life and beautiful children. Her family has money and prominence, which adds to her allure. Jenna is abducted at her children’s school and those who have her release a statement that they want money or Jenna dies… in seven hours. Panic and complete mayhem follow!
When the LAPD takes the case, pressure mounts. Jenna was a beloved, yet connected, woman. Everyone knows her and the detectives are under the microscope to solve the case and bring Jenna Wade home safely. This is not as easy as it seems, with so many cooks in the kitchen and time limited to ensure a successful outcome.
With many wanting to play the hero role, time passes. Jenna is alive but her time is quickly slipping away. The kidnappers are getting bolder and more demanding, but their control of the situation slips when the money is not delivered. Someone is behind this and motives are plentiful amongst those in Jenna's sphere. What follows is a gripping story where all is revealed and no one is safe. James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski keep the tension high in this well-paced story.
I have long enjoyed James Patterson’s shorter pieces, as they help bridge larger reading adventures. His collaborative work is also quite strong, when shared by great writers, of which Duane Swierczynski is one! The narrative kicks up from the opening line of the story and never dials it back. Things take a significant upswing when the narrarrative’s momentum kicks into high gear. Characters are able to keep things moving along, flavoring the piece between trying to be impactful. Many faces add to the intrigue of the story and provide the reader with some who might have orchestrated events. Twists and tense plot points serve the reader well as this story has little time to rest before all is revealed.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Swierczynski, for a story that barely let me breathe!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
September 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is my personal 5 star rating system because I’m too lazy to write a review for every book.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
September 23, 2024
An unexpected, chaotic fast thriller that made meal prepping more interesting!
November 24, 2024
Kinda silly and predictable, but Sarah Paulson proved herself a pretty good narrator. This short, free audiobook from Audible is presented with sound effects which some may find annoying. I think Patterson does that a lot.
I liked it enough for 3 stars.
I liked it enough for 3 stars.
September 23, 2024
A true tale of how far greed will take you.
October 20, 2024
Fast paced melodramatic drivel in the Patterson formula. Over dramatic narration, underdeveloped characters. Works okay as background noise during chore time. You get what you pay for -and this was rightfully free.
October 7, 2024
Ack. Awful. Don't bother. DNF
September 25, 2024
Free on audio for a reason :-/
December 18, 2024
Not good lol do not get me wrong. This is no masterpiece but I read it for the concept of the audiobook. That I would give a 5 because of the extra voices, sounds and feel they created. Now do it with good writing
October 3, 2024
for a 2 hour audiobook, i really really enjoyed it. get sarah paulson on more audiobooks ☝️
November 18, 2024
Read via audiobook.
Wow! What a stupid, stupid, stupid book. I'll be honest I didn't rent this because of James Patterson (not really a fan of his work so I shouldn't be too surprised that I didn't like this), I got it because it has one of my favorite actresses, Sarah Paulson. Given that I watch almost everything she's in I figured I'd give this one a shot. Unfortunately, not even my favorite actress can save this trainwreck of a book.
First, the writing/screenplay is very basic. I know this is available for mass consumption, but it felt so dumbed down. Every character was basically a caricature with an uninteresting background. Every plot device had been used a million times before, and I figured out the ending for myself before the book ended. The overall plot of a kidnapped woman with a wealthy family has been done a million times before, and nothing was done to differentiate this from the millions of other books that have this plot.
Overall give this one a pass. If an excellent Sarah Paulson performance can't save it and it really is a waste of an audiobook...
Wow! What a stupid, stupid, stupid book. I'll be honest I didn't rent this because of James Patterson (not really a fan of his work so I shouldn't be too surprised that I didn't like this), I got it because it has one of my favorite actresses, Sarah Paulson. Given that I watch almost everything she's in I figured I'd give this one a shot. Unfortunately, not even my favorite actress can save this trainwreck of a book.
First, the writing/screenplay is very basic. I know this is available for mass consumption, but it felt so dumbed down. Every character was basically a caricature with an uninteresting background. Every plot device had been used a million times before, and I figured out the ending for myself before the book ended. The overall plot of a kidnapped woman with a wealthy family has been done a million times before, and nothing was done to differentiate this from the millions of other books that have this plot.
Overall give this one a pass. If an excellent Sarah Paulson performance can't save it and it really is a waste of an audiobook...
December 15, 2024
Short and not fully fleshed out
December 30, 2024
This is by far the best book I’ve read from this author….the ending was unexpected!
April 9, 2025
The production makes this a 4 stars. I was thinking that this was going to be super dark and intense but it actually turned out to be kind of funny and casual. Definitely the palette cleanser I needed to move on to my next book.
December 1, 2025
3.5 Stars
I really love reading/listening to James Patterson novels but this wasn’t one of his best. What WAS nice is theirs short story was a short listen and free on Audible.
I really love reading/listening to James Patterson novels but this wasn’t one of his best. What WAS nice is theirs short story was a short listen and free on Audible.
December 29, 2024
I guess I liked the premise of a collge kid solving a murder case more than the details/story of the said mystery.
October 7, 2024
2024/10/07 Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus
Great narration by cast, but forgettable short story.
Currently on Audible Plus
Great narration by cast, but forgettable short story.
October 2, 2024
My first audible original. Honestly not a fan. I get it, the performance, etc. and it’s a very short fast paced story. It’s quite predictable and just not all that intriguing. Patterson has done better.
October 6, 2024
Great audible original with a full cast (including famous actors,) so it’s engaging and entertaining.
It’s really short, so as a mystery/thriller you know it can’t get too involved in a long suspenseful story. But it’s enough to make it interesting.
Jenna Wade has been kidnapped, and listeners get to hear the perspectives of the detectives, the husband, her mom, the kidnappers, and other side characters, as well as Jenna herself. While the detectives work to find out motive and find Jenna, others focus on coming up with the ransom money and figure out how to hide their misdeeds. Others die and overall it’s pretty sloppy storytelling. It’s not a really great storyline. But it’s a decent domestic thriller/kidnapping mystery.
Even though the story isn’t the most intriguing mystery ever, the audio format and narration is great! Definitely worth listening to for fans of full cast audios.
It’s really short, so as a mystery/thriller you know it can’t get too involved in a long suspenseful story. But it’s enough to make it interesting.
Jenna Wade has been kidnapped, and listeners get to hear the perspectives of the detectives, the husband, her mom, the kidnappers, and other side characters, as well as Jenna herself. While the detectives work to find out motive and find Jenna, others focus on coming up with the ransom money and figure out how to hide their misdeeds. Others die and overall it’s pretty sloppy storytelling. It’s not a really great storyline. But it’s a decent domestic thriller/kidnapping mystery.
Even though the story isn’t the most intriguing mystery ever, the audio format and narration is great! Definitely worth listening to for fans of full cast audios.
January 21, 2025
this is a face-paced thriller that packs a lot of tension and excitement into a short, quick read. the plot is intense and gripping, with a ticking clock that keeps the suspense high throughout. despite its shorter length, the story manages to deliver plenty of twists and turns and kept me hooked from start to finish. it's the perfect read for those looking for a fast, adrenaline-filled story that doesn’t require a huge time investment. while I would have loved a bit more depth, it’s still an enjoyable ride overall.
October 5, 2024
As a big fan of Patterson, I loved that this was written just for Audible. I found it really gripping and definitely kept me engaged - which can sometimes be a problem for audio books.
But the best part was the performance! The multiple narrators made it feel like a proper drama instead of just an audiobook. Each character sounded great, which made it super enjoyable to listen to.
If you’re into thrillers and want something that’ll keep you hooked, this one’s a solid pick! Highly recommend!
But the best part was the performance! The multiple narrators made it feel like a proper drama instead of just an audiobook. Each character sounded great, which made it super enjoyable to listen to.
If you’re into thrillers and want something that’ll keep you hooked, this one’s a solid pick! Highly recommend!
September 26, 2024
Great little story and fantastic audio production...
November 8, 2024
This was pretty good!
December 12, 2024
Yeahhhhhh not a fan
Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews