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Grace Descanso #1
The Timer Game
Grace Descanso was going to be a pediatric heart surgeon---she was a brilliant up-and-comer with a bright future in a heartbreaking, innovative field. Then she took two months off to work in a clinic in Guatemala, and something happened there that nearly destroyed her. She won’t talk about why, but she quit medicine and nearly killed herself with drink. Finally, inch by inch, she pulled it all together for her new baby girl. Now, five years later, though she’s sworn off practicing as a doctor, Grace is using her science background as a crime scene tech in San Diego and going to AA meetings, scraping by and living to be a mom to five-year-old Katie.
Everything falls apart again when in the middle of processing a crime scene Grace shoots a madman after he’s killed two of her colleagues and after he’s called her by name, in a bizarre kind of warning, about someone he called “the Spikeman.” A day later, her daughter is kidnapped right out from under her, and instead of a ransom note, the kidnapper sends her on a harrowing twenty-four-hour scavenger hunt, laying out clues and giving out deadlines, leading her carefully, terrifyingly closer to Katie---and to him.
Everything falls apart again when in the middle of processing a crime scene Grace shoots a madman after he’s killed two of her colleagues and after he’s called her by name, in a bizarre kind of warning, about someone he called “the Spikeman.” A day later, her daughter is kidnapped right out from under her, and instead of a ransom note, the kidnapper sends her on a harrowing twenty-four-hour scavenger hunt, laying out clues and giving out deadlines, leading her carefully, terrifyingly closer to Katie---and to him.
493 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 25, 2020
4.25 Excellent medical thriller/suspense.
The pacing at the start is a little slow and meandering, it's also very predictable at the start, but there are lots of people and strands to the story that needs to be put in place. The foreshadowing is a little heavier than I would have liked, but I've read a lot of this kind of genre.
However, once the story starts to fly this really does race along. and takes you with it. There are a few twists too, one or two I missed.
This story is written in 2008 I think, and some of the technologies mentioned are now dated, but I don't think that's important.
I would definitely read more by this author.
The pacing at the start is a little slow and meandering, it's also very predictable at the start, but there are lots of people and strands to the story that needs to be put in place. The foreshadowing is a little heavier than I would have liked, but I've read a lot of this kind of genre.
However, once the story starts to fly this really does race along. and takes you with it. There are a few twists too, one or two I missed.
This story is written in 2008 I think, and some of the technologies mentioned are now dated, but I don't think that's important.
I would definitely read more by this author.
September 18, 2017
This is the first in a series featuring Grace Descanso, a one-time heart surgeon, now CSI agent. She is an interesting character, flawed but you sense she can become a success through sheer determination. In this book, her daughter is kidnapped and Grace must solve a series of timed clues in order to save her child. The tension keeps building to a satisfying end. I look forward to reading the next in this series.
February 5, 2024
Grace Descanso is a crime scene detective, having left behind her previous job as a heart surgeon (!) after a trauma in Guatemala. She's called out to a routine job at a meth house, which winds up with three people dead, and Grace shooting the killer dead after he warns her about the "Spikeman" coming for her.
Since she used excessive force, Grace is put on suspension. She doesn't have any time to wallow, though, because her five year old daughter, Katie, is kidnapped! Grace has to take part in the "Timer Game", a game she used to play with Katie, except this time the stakes are much higher. If Grace doesn't solve the clues in time, her daughter will be killed. As Grace races around trying to solve the clues, she must also figure out who came up with the Timer Game and why they dragged her into it.
This is definitely an example of a high concept thriller that sounds really good on paper, but the execution is seriously lacking. Once the Timer Game actually kicks off, it just doesn't generate the suspense that you would think such a high stakes situation would otherwise do. It doesn't amount to much more than Grace meeting a random person and going, "Do you have something for me?" at which point the random person hands over the next timer and clue. Rinse and repeat. It's the same thing every time. That's not suspenseful. That's just repetitive.
And the logistics of this Timer Game operation stretch the realm of credibility way too far. How could the mastermind be sure that every single person they roped into this scheme would go along with it? How would they know that one of these people would just say, "Nah, not doing that."? When your operation involves that many unknown factors from strangers you can't necessarily guarantee will go along with what is asked of them...it just isn't feasible! Way too many ways it could all fall apart.
Grace comes with a backstory involving her time in Guatemala, providing context for why she no longer works in heart surgery and her continuing trauma, and it was quite a good one, and ends up tying in well with the story. So why did we also need the stuff involving her uneasy relationship with her mother? Lottie shows up in one scene and is then never heard from or mentioned again. Personally, I don't understand setting up those sorts of story beats if they're not going to be followed through with.
The conspiracy behind it all is interesting, I'll give the book that. The mastermind's motive at least makes a bit of sense. But was just not satisfactory at all. Combined with the dull repetitiveness of the plot and the fact that the Timer Game itself was too convoluted and outlandish to ever be pulled off, made this a real disappointment, because the premise certainly contained promise.
Since she used excessive force, Grace is put on suspension. She doesn't have any time to wallow, though, because her five year old daughter, Katie, is kidnapped! Grace has to take part in the "Timer Game", a game she used to play with Katie, except this time the stakes are much higher. If Grace doesn't solve the clues in time, her daughter will be killed. As Grace races around trying to solve the clues, she must also figure out who came up with the Timer Game and why they dragged her into it.
This is definitely an example of a high concept thriller that sounds really good on paper, but the execution is seriously lacking. Once the Timer Game actually kicks off, it just doesn't generate the suspense that you would think such a high stakes situation would otherwise do. It doesn't amount to much more than Grace meeting a random person and going, "Do you have something for me?" at which point the random person hands over the next timer and clue. Rinse and repeat. It's the same thing every time. That's not suspenseful. That's just repetitive.
And the logistics of this Timer Game operation stretch the realm of credibility way too far. How could the mastermind be sure that every single person they roped into this scheme would go along with it? How would they know that one of these people would just say, "Nah, not doing that."? When your operation involves that many unknown factors from strangers you can't necessarily guarantee will go along with what is asked of them...it just isn't feasible! Way too many ways it could all fall apart.
Grace comes with a backstory involving her time in Guatemala, providing context for why she no longer works in heart surgery and her continuing trauma, and it was quite a good one, and ends up tying in well with the story. So why did we also need the stuff involving her uneasy relationship with her mother? Lottie shows up in one scene and is then never heard from or mentioned again. Personally, I don't understand setting up those sorts of story beats if they're not going to be followed through with.
The conspiracy behind it all is interesting, I'll give the book that. The mastermind's motive at least makes a bit of sense. But was just not satisfactory at all. Combined with the dull repetitiveness of the plot and the fact that the Timer Game itself was too convoluted and outlandish to ever be pulled off, made this a real disappointment, because the premise certainly contained promise.
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January 24, 2008I met the author in Phoenix at ThrillerFest 2006 and she gave me goosebumps in July with this one line synopsis of her new novel: "It's about a woman being stalked by a very bad man, who targets her through her 5-year old daughter, and then he grabs the kid and forces the mother to play the kid's favorite game, called The Timer Game, to get her back." Great synopsis, but one line really can't do justice to the intricacies of this plot. Grace Descanso is a brilliant pediatric heart surgeon who goes down to Guatemala to work among the poor. But her life is forever changed there, she gives up her career and comes back to the states and takes a job in San Diego as a crime scene tech. A recovering alcoholic and mother of a 5 year old, she invents the "timer game" to get her daughter moving in the morning. Using a kitchen timer and scavenger hunt type clues, her daughter dresses herself with each article of apparel in record time, with a prize at the end. Then someone takes her daughter, and challenges Grace to play the "timer game" to get her back. This is a frenetic, crazy game that propels the story forward at high speed towards the startling, yet believable ending. 01/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch
May 21, 2016
For a book I found at the dollar store, this one was pretty good. Very suspenseful as the main character, Grace, races against the clock to save the life of her daughter.
At first, it seemed as if there was a lot of backstory on the main character that the jacket describes but the story seems not to touch upon, such as Grace's career as a doctor and why her best friend is also her AA sponsor. However, as the story unwinds, so does Grace's story.
The main plot, Grace's race against the timers the kidnapper, aka The Spikeman, sets is a little far-fetched. Of course the author makes it dramatic, pushing the limit of the deadlines. However, it often feels like the time is going by and Grace has no idea where to find the next clue and timer and suddenly as time is running out, she knows exactly what to do. Or, she makes decisions to do something independent of where The Spikeman is leading her, and suddenly that is where the next clue and timer are. Just a bit unrealistic.
Oh, and the museum at the end of the book would totally freak me out if it was real.
At first, it seemed as if there was a lot of backstory on the main character that the jacket describes but the story seems not to touch upon, such as Grace's career as a doctor and why her best friend is also her AA sponsor. However, as the story unwinds, so does Grace's story.
The main plot, Grace's race against the timers the kidnapper, aka The Spikeman, sets is a little far-fetched. Of course the author makes it dramatic, pushing the limit of the deadlines. However, it often feels like the time is going by and Grace has no idea where to find the next clue and timer and suddenly as time is running out, she knows exactly what to do. Or, she makes decisions to do something independent of where The Spikeman is leading her, and suddenly that is where the next clue and timer are. Just a bit unrealistic.
Oh, and the museum at the end of the book would totally freak me out if it was real.
January 26, 2018
Initially I wasn't sure if I'd stay with this book as the beginning seemed to be very slow. Another reviewer said the same thing and said that it got better, so I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. If you're reading this and are about to give up on it, please stick with it. Once you get past the first 100 pages it really does become very fast paced. As soon as Katie disappears it almost turns into a different book! It is so quick and easy to read; a real page turner! From then on it all happens in real time too as Grace only has 24 hours to find her daughter. I thought I'd worked it all out quite early on, but it turns out I was totally wrong! I never saw all those twists and turns coming! I am only knocking a star off due to the slow paced start.
June 18, 2014
I was impressed with the pace of this book. It was a high speed race to the finish, with twists and turns galore. The tension was palpable, and you could feel the growing tension with each step in the main character's search to find her daughter. Early stages of the "Timer Game" were explained and gone through in a pace that was easily understood. As time became short, and the process more stressful, the pace of the book also picked up, creating more stress for the reader as well as the characters. Great story with background coming in as needed; answering all of your questions by the end of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fast paced mystery thrillers.
November 7, 2011
I have never heard of this author, but picked this up at a bookstore that was closing. I just grabbed it because it looked interesting and it was cheap. Well I am now a big fan on Susan Arnout Smith. This book kept me engaged like a good book should. I couldn't wait to get back to reading it and now that I'm done I want to get more of her books. After doing some research I found that she has only written three to date, with this one being her second one. I will definitely be reading them all.
January 23, 2019
Wow! This book was so intense, got my adrenaline pumping and I couldn’t put it down. This would make an excellent movie. Also even though it was written 11 years ago, it didn’t seem outdated at all which impressed me. Highly recommend!
December 7, 2017
Katie loves the Timer Game. Her mother Grace sets riddles for her to solve then hunt for various items in the house & she wins herself a token prize. But suddenly Grace finds herself playing the Timer Game for real. She's got just 24 hours to solve the riddles & in this game the stakes are high....she's playing for her daughter's life.
Well that's the basis for the story & it's an entertaining one that zips along at a fast pace. It's maybe a little hard to believe that someone could set up this "game" involving all these timers but as long as you just accept it & go with the flow of the story you should enjoy it. There's a nice twist at the end & I'll be happy to read more by this author - can't say fairer than that!
Well that's the basis for the story & it's an entertaining one that zips along at a fast pace. It's maybe a little hard to believe that someone could set up this "game" involving all these timers but as long as you just accept it & go with the flow of the story you should enjoy it. There's a nice twist at the end & I'll be happy to read more by this author - can't say fairer than that!
October 23, 2019
I only finished this book because I was stuck on a plane with nothing better to do. Cliche-riddled and somewhat predictable, there was very little that really stuck out as enjoyable or thrilling to read.
A large amount of the backstory/arc was dictated almost completely through dialogue, yet the characters failed have distinctive voices. The book would have been as well written in a script or screenplay format.
On a happier note, I did like the twist at the end, the final revelation of the identity of the Spikeman. It took me by surprise, but when the Spikeman monologued the context it did make sense.
A large amount of the backstory/arc was dictated almost completely through dialogue, yet the characters failed have distinctive voices. The book would have been as well written in a script or screenplay format.
On a happier note, I did like the twist at the end, the final revelation of the identity of the Spikeman. It took me by surprise, but when the Spikeman monologued the context it did make sense.
March 24, 2017
read this book shortly after i read "You Are Dead" by Peter James so really i had no problem what so ever getting in the mood to read this even though crime books i one of my less loved genres. What i did find was that i kept making these comparisons to "You Are Dead" because Peter James descriptive nature when it comes to characters was just so mind blowing that i had difficulty connecting to characters in this book. Again i knew who it was from the get go but i don't wanna spoil it....but its so similar to who it was in another popular book you might have read if you into crime novels.
good but not mind blowing
good but not mind blowing
August 12, 2017
封底文案所寫的，就是小說的超濃縮版內容。換而言之，只要看完這段短短的文案，不用看內容也沒差。
以培養人體器官為幌子，實質上卻是暗地裡以活人器官進行非法手術這一點，其實已是非常老的梗了，害我看完後也沒有吐糟的力氣了。
以培養人體器官為幌子，實質上卻是暗地裡以活人器官進行非法手術這一點，其實已是非常老的梗了，害我看完後也沒有吐糟的力氣了。
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November 24, 2022Not read passed on.
September 2, 2025
Started off slow but once it ramped up was filled with twists and turns that kept me turning the page
August 20, 2009
This one has both good and bad elements, the good can be quite good but the bad can break with the suspense. It left a lot of questions at the end as to why characters did what they did.
The main character is ex-doctor CSI investigator Grace Descano. On a holiday and preparing for her 5-year-old daughter Kate's birthday. The team she's with are attacked by a madman and she kills him, which ends her up under investigation and suspended from work.
Then her daughter is snatched and she has to follow clues to find her. Timed clues. Just like she used to play with her daughter. Which adds to the stress she's under.
It's not bad, there are times when you just want things to move on and at the end you wonder why the hero trusted some people and didn't question her trust of others. It did sweep me up but I was left with a slight bad feeling in my mouth.
The main character is ex-doctor CSI investigator Grace Descano. On a holiday and preparing for her 5-year-old daughter Kate's birthday. The team she's with are attacked by a madman and she kills him, which ends her up under investigation and suspended from work.
Then her daughter is snatched and she has to follow clues to find her. Timed clues. Just like she used to play with her daughter. Which adds to the stress she's under.
It's not bad, there are times when you just want things to move on and at the end you wonder why the hero trusted some people and didn't question her trust of others. It did sweep me up but I was left with a slight bad feeling in my mouth.
June 16, 2012
Not a bad read. For the first 100 pages I struggled to get into it, but when young Katie is kidnapped the plot takes a sinister and intriguing turn as Grace fights to get her daughter back.
The Time Turner challenges made the plot exciting and nail biting and you were clueless to the culprits until the last few chapters.
Grace is such a strong character, and such a fighter at a time when she needed to be most.
A great thriller that I shall be passing on to my friends to read.
February 14, 2010
I was hooked to this book the first page I read, The book which is set real time and only 24 hours. Fast-paced and exceptionally writing on every page not one page drags. A fight for survival, with only a few hours to save your daughter.
Have bought Susans second book and looking forward to starting that.
Have bought Susans second book and looking forward to starting that.
January 28, 2008
After reading Coal River, I needed something light. This fit the bill. Classic airport read - non offensive but capitvating.
Read
April 6, 2008UK: Clare Smith (nice deal, for two books)
Want to read
December 21, 2010xmas present from friend
September 19, 2011
Absolutely love this book. Not usually my genre, but the Susan Arnout Smith certainly has a way with words! Highly recommend it!
April 9, 2012
This was a good and exciting story but it wasn’t very believable. Everything that happened was a bit over the top.
December 12, 2015
right up my street!
May 9, 2015
Very good. Fast plot. Really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews