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Unthinkable
From international bestselling author Brad Parks comes a new thriller about an ordinary man who may be able to save the world as we know it—but to do so, he must make an impossible choice.
Nate Lovejoy is a self-proclaimed nobody, a stay-at-home dad who doesn’t believe he’s important to anyone but his wife and their two daughters. So it’s a shock when members of a powerful secret society kidnap and spirit Nate away to a mansion at the behest of their leader, Vanslow DeGange, who claims to know the future. He’s foreseen that a billion people could die—unless Nate acts.
It seems improbable, especially given what DeGange says will set this mass casualty incident in motion: a lawsuit against the biggest power company in Virginia, being brought by Nate’s wife, Jenny.
Nate quickly smells a scam being perpetrated by the power company. But at every turn, it becomes apparent there’s more to DeGange’s gift than Nate wants to acknowledge. A billion people really could die, and Nate might be the only one who can save them.
All he has to do is the unthinkable.
Nate Lovejoy is a self-proclaimed nobody, a stay-at-home dad who doesn’t believe he’s important to anyone but his wife and their two daughters. So it’s a shock when members of a powerful secret society kidnap and spirit Nate away to a mansion at the behest of their leader, Vanslow DeGange, who claims to know the future. He’s foreseen that a billion people could die—unless Nate acts.
It seems improbable, especially given what DeGange says will set this mass casualty incident in motion: a lawsuit against the biggest power company in Virginia, being brought by Nate’s wife, Jenny.
Nate quickly smells a scam being perpetrated by the power company. But at every turn, it becomes apparent there’s more to DeGange’s gift than Nate wants to acknowledge. A billion people really could die, and Nate might be the only one who can save them.
All he has to do is the unthinkable.
352 pages, Unknown Binding
First published July 27, 2021
225 people are currently reading
2688 people want to read
About the author
Brad Parks
24 books779 followersInternational bestseller author Brad Parks is the only writer to have won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Awards, three of American crime fiction's most prestigious prizes. His books have been translated into 16 languages and have earned starred reviews from every major pre-publication journal.
A father of two and a husband of one, Brad is a slow runner and an even slower swimmer. He's grateful for his readers, because otherwise he'd just be a guy who has a lot of conversations with himself in his own head.
For more information -- or to sign up for the newsletter written by his impertinent interns -- visit his website at www.bradparksbooks.com.
To find Brad on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/Brad_Parks.
And for Facebook: www.facebook.com/BradParksBooks.
A father of two and a husband of one, Brad is a slow runner and an even slower swimmer. He's grateful for his readers, because otherwise he'd just be a guy who has a lot of conversations with himself in his own head.
For more information -- or to sign up for the newsletter written by his impertinent interns -- visit his website at www.bradparksbooks.com.
To find Brad on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/Brad_Parks.
And for Facebook: www.facebook.com/BradParksBooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
June 19, 2021
Having enjoyed Brad Parks Say Nothing, I was delighted to pick up his latest thriller set in Richmond, Virginia. However, I confess to being disappointed with it, the premise that drives it just does not work for me, straying into too far out territory. Lawyer Nick Lovejoy is happily married to the far more gifted, high flying lawyer, Jenny Welker, a partner at the most prestigious law firm of Carter, Morgan and Ross. He is the stay at home husband looking after their adorable young daughters, 3 year old Parker and 18 month old Cate, and he loves his role. The novel opens with Nick having been drugged and abducted, awakening in what appears to be a museum with priceless artworks hanging on the walls.
Nick's life veers off track when he meets Lorton Rogers, a man who appears to be normal and stable, but who relays an unthinkable task that he must carry out if he and his children are to survive. Vanslow DeGange is an extremely wealthy man with prescient abilities, he can see into the future, he and the powerful secret cult The Praesidium, act for the greater good, organising to save the lives of countless millions, if not billions, by ensuring the deaths of those who represent a threat to humanity in the future. Jenny has been working her socks off on a pro bono case for 2 years, determined to see justice served. She has put together a mass action tort claim, representing clients from a area where abnormally high rates of terminal cancer and respiratory diseases proliferate, caused by the toxic coal burning fumes emitted by the Commonwealth Power and Lighting Company plant. Rogers tells Nick he must kill Jenny, the only way to stop the class action, so countless others can be saved in the future.
Needless to say, Nick is a sceptic, how can anyone see into the future? However, Rogers provides what looks like cast iron proof, what is Nick to do? Ethical and philosophical debates are had, although Nick doesn't really have a choice, the ruthless Praesidium cult has no intention of letting his wife live and Nick must protect Parker and Cate. This is a thriller for those more willing to enter fantastical territory and buy into the questionable ideas that underlie this novel, I have no doubt there will be many who will enjoy it. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Nick's life veers off track when he meets Lorton Rogers, a man who appears to be normal and stable, but who relays an unthinkable task that he must carry out if he and his children are to survive. Vanslow DeGange is an extremely wealthy man with prescient abilities, he can see into the future, he and the powerful secret cult The Praesidium, act for the greater good, organising to save the lives of countless millions, if not billions, by ensuring the deaths of those who represent a threat to humanity in the future. Jenny has been working her socks off on a pro bono case for 2 years, determined to see justice served. She has put together a mass action tort claim, representing clients from a area where abnormally high rates of terminal cancer and respiratory diseases proliferate, caused by the toxic coal burning fumes emitted by the Commonwealth Power and Lighting Company plant. Rogers tells Nick he must kill Jenny, the only way to stop the class action, so countless others can be saved in the future.
Needless to say, Nick is a sceptic, how can anyone see into the future? However, Rogers provides what looks like cast iron proof, what is Nick to do? Ethical and philosophical debates are had, although Nick doesn't really have a choice, the ruthless Praesidium cult has no intention of letting his wife live and Nick must protect Parker and Cate. This is a thriller for those more willing to enter fantastical territory and buy into the questionable ideas that underlie this novel, I have no doubt there will be many who will enjoy it. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
June 30, 2021
Folks seem to get a kick out of me reviewing my own book on Goodreads.
I always give myself five stars. Look, writing books is hard enough, okay?? There seems little point in adding to the punishment with another act of self-flagellation.
Also, I really do love this novel. It often surprised me (yes, I’m as surprised as you are sometimes!). And, though I made their lives inordinately difficult, I really came to care for Nate and Jenny.
Hope you enjoy their story!
I always give myself five stars. Look, writing books is hard enough, okay?? There seems little point in adding to the punishment with another act of self-flagellation.
Also, I really do love this novel. It often surprised me (yes, I’m as surprised as you are sometimes!). And, though I made their lives inordinately difficult, I really came to care for Nate and Jenny.
Hope you enjoy their story!
June 28, 2021
3.5 rounded down.
Nate Lovejoy and Jenny Welker have a very nice life. Both lawyers but since Jenny is a more high flying lawyer, the lovely Nate is the stay at home parent caring for their two young daughters. All is great until Nate is approached by Lorton Rogers with a preposterous proposition, he represents a secret organisation called the Praesidium and wants Nate to shoot his wife in the head at exactly 9.47 pm on Friday night to ultimately avert an ecological disaster that would result in around a billion deaths worldwide. No big deal - right?
As you would expect, Nate is sceptical and refuses but Rogers explains that their leader, 99 year old Vanslow DeGrange is a person with special skills, he can sense ripples in the space-time continuum and his predictions always come true. Jenny is pursuing a pro bono class action against a power company whose dirty and decrepit coal fired generator is causing lung cancers in nearby residents at unprecedented levels way above what you would expect. DeGrange is claiming that the ultimate upshot of winning the case will be safer power but with much more damaging emissions that will cause worldwide devastation. The scene is set and I won’t go into more of the plot, this all happens in the first few chapters.
Well the title of the book is apt! It really is unthinkable which was one of the problems I had with the story! The pace was great and there were no flat spots so I was eagerly reading away. But when I finished I thought it really was too far-fetched. I understand that some books require you to suspend disbelief but I do have a problem with this sort ‘conspiracy theory’ plot. Nevertheless it still could have been a four star read but the ending…. well, it really was a bit of an eye roll. It took preposterous to a whole new level. I thought the ending, while it may have seemed necessary for the story was over complicated and totally fanciful.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I really did - but! I also thought the characters could have been fleshed out a bit better, Nate seemed too good to be true and Jenny was overly driven by her job. The other characters were lightly sketched. It is a good story for those who can park their disbelief and is a welcome change to serial killers and destination weddings and I do appreciate the author’s efforts to entertain us - at which task he succeeded! Thanks to Netgalley who provided a free copy of this book which I reviewed voluntarily.
Nate Lovejoy and Jenny Welker have a very nice life. Both lawyers but since Jenny is a more high flying lawyer, the lovely Nate is the stay at home parent caring for their two young daughters. All is great until Nate is approached by Lorton Rogers with a preposterous proposition, he represents a secret organisation called the Praesidium and wants Nate to shoot his wife in the head at exactly 9.47 pm on Friday night to ultimately avert an ecological disaster that would result in around a billion deaths worldwide. No big deal - right?
As you would expect, Nate is sceptical and refuses but Rogers explains that their leader, 99 year old Vanslow DeGrange is a person with special skills, he can sense ripples in the space-time continuum and his predictions always come true. Jenny is pursuing a pro bono class action against a power company whose dirty and decrepit coal fired generator is causing lung cancers in nearby residents at unprecedented levels way above what you would expect. DeGrange is claiming that the ultimate upshot of winning the case will be safer power but with much more damaging emissions that will cause worldwide devastation. The scene is set and I won’t go into more of the plot, this all happens in the first few chapters.
Well the title of the book is apt! It really is unthinkable which was one of the problems I had with the story! The pace was great and there were no flat spots so I was eagerly reading away. But when I finished I thought it really was too far-fetched. I understand that some books require you to suspend disbelief but I do have a problem with this sort ‘conspiracy theory’ plot. Nevertheless it still could have been a four star read but the ending…. well, it really was a bit of an eye roll. It took preposterous to a whole new level. I thought the ending, while it may have seemed necessary for the story was over complicated and totally fanciful.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I really did - but! I also thought the characters could have been fleshed out a bit better, Nate seemed too good to be true and Jenny was overly driven by her job. The other characters were lightly sketched. It is a good story for those who can park their disbelief and is a welcome change to serial killers and destination weddings and I do appreciate the author’s efforts to entertain us - at which task he succeeded! Thanks to Netgalley who provided a free copy of this book which I reviewed voluntarily.
March 16, 2021
"The Butterfly Effect" has been a staple of time travel speculative fiction for decades. Under this theory, if you go back in time and step on a butterfly, the ripple effects could change the universe as we know it. Therefore, the heart goes, be very careful about interfering with the past or today could disappear. Brad Parks, in his latest thriller, turns the Butterfly Effect on its head with a secret organization, the Presidium, whose leader can forecast the future. This group thereupon perceiving major disasters takes actions to step on butterflies and change the future and make things better. It all sounds so perfect. Indeed, all the world's disasters will come to and end and peace and harmony will rule the day.
Well, maybe not so fast, bucko. The thing is the Presidium seems to work conspiratorially and decides that an environmental disaster that will destroy half the world can be stopped if a do-Goodreads lawsuit against a power company is stopped. And how do you stop the formidable do-good would-be Erin Brokovich from destroying the world by saving it? Well, of course, you kidnap her husband and tell him to murder her with a bullet to her head.
That's perhaps where this whole ball of wax goes awry. Or maybe it's where the dear husband goes back to his life and doesn't confide in anyone, not even his loving wife and instead goes and investigates on his own.
Of course, idiot Nate investigates with two toddlers in tow. Not believable!
Of course, when he asked for proof and is told a homeless guy will be rundown, Nate runs in the streets and screams the victim's name and tells the police who he is at the scene of the hit and run.
Of course, when told his wife is cheating on him, Nate never confronts her. But when she tells him she was secretly meeting hot guy in hotel room to pass secret documents, he then immediately believes her.
The thriller is filled with unbelievable cardboard characters who act in ways no one in reality would. Take a pass on this one.
Well, maybe not so fast, bucko. The thing is the Presidium seems to work conspiratorially and decides that an environmental disaster that will destroy half the world can be stopped if a do-Goodreads lawsuit against a power company is stopped. And how do you stop the formidable do-good would-be Erin Brokovich from destroying the world by saving it? Well, of course, you kidnap her husband and tell him to murder her with a bullet to her head.
That's perhaps where this whole ball of wax goes awry. Or maybe it's where the dear husband goes back to his life and doesn't confide in anyone, not even his loving wife and instead goes and investigates on his own.
Of course, idiot Nate investigates with two toddlers in tow. Not believable!
Of course, when he asked for proof and is told a homeless guy will be rundown, Nate runs in the streets and screams the victim's name and tells the police who he is at the scene of the hit and run.
Of course, when told his wife is cheating on him, Nate never confronts her. But when she tells him she was secretly meeting hot guy in hotel room to pass secret documents, he then immediately believes her.
The thriller is filled with unbelievable cardboard characters who act in ways no one in reality would. Take a pass on this one.
July 18, 2021
Elaborate hoax or frightening reality?
“Unthinkable” explores the concept of cause and effect. Can a butterfly flapping its wings in California start a whirlwind that becomes a tornado in Kansas? Is there a correlation between separate events? One can use statistics to associate events in the past, but how accurately do statistics predict the future? This book presents a series of life-shaping experiences. Is this a game? A scam? A prank of the worst kind? The ravings of a madman, or a frightening reality? Characters stand at a fork in the road, and readers watch the drama unfold not knowing which path the characters will take. (No spoilers in this review)
Nate Lovejoy is a “retired” lawyer, now stay-at-home dad with two preschool-age daughters, Parker and Cate. His wife Jenny Welker is a “rock star” lawyer, a gifted problem solver; perhaps she is too successful. The drama unfolds in chapters that alternate between Nate and Jenny. They are confronted with a problem, a big problem that will change their lives forever. Is this “thing” just the delusion of a resident of a mental hospital? Is it a deep fake and if so, how could they even tell? Is it akin to little green men dissecting cows? What is next, wearing tinfoil hats? Should they just leave? Run away? Live completely off the grid?
Parks creates a scenario where the unthinkable becomes possible, the abnormal becomes ordinary, and every choice has unintended and tragic consequences. The tension builds exponentially on every page, and readers expect a landslide to come barreling down the hill at any moment, burying everyone and everything. It is impossible to stop turning the pages.
“Unthinkable” is compelling and terrifying with a surprise on every page. Just when I thought things could not get any stranger – they did. I received a review copy of “Unthinkable” from Brad Parks and Thomas & Mercer. In a “nice shout out” to the Carter Ross books, where things started, Jenny works for the law firm of Carter, Morgan & Ross.
“Unthinkable” explores the concept of cause and effect. Can a butterfly flapping its wings in California start a whirlwind that becomes a tornado in Kansas? Is there a correlation between separate events? One can use statistics to associate events in the past, but how accurately do statistics predict the future? This book presents a series of life-shaping experiences. Is this a game? A scam? A prank of the worst kind? The ravings of a madman, or a frightening reality? Characters stand at a fork in the road, and readers watch the drama unfold not knowing which path the characters will take. (No spoilers in this review)
Nate Lovejoy is a “retired” lawyer, now stay-at-home dad with two preschool-age daughters, Parker and Cate. His wife Jenny Welker is a “rock star” lawyer, a gifted problem solver; perhaps she is too successful. The drama unfolds in chapters that alternate between Nate and Jenny. They are confronted with a problem, a big problem that will change their lives forever. Is this “thing” just the delusion of a resident of a mental hospital? Is it a deep fake and if so, how could they even tell? Is it akin to little green men dissecting cows? What is next, wearing tinfoil hats? Should they just leave? Run away? Live completely off the grid?
Parks creates a scenario where the unthinkable becomes possible, the abnormal becomes ordinary, and every choice has unintended and tragic consequences. The tension builds exponentially on every page, and readers expect a landslide to come barreling down the hill at any moment, burying everyone and everything. It is impossible to stop turning the pages.
“Unthinkable” is compelling and terrifying with a surprise on every page. Just when I thought things could not get any stranger – they did. I received a review copy of “Unthinkable” from Brad Parks and Thomas & Mercer. In a “nice shout out” to the Carter Ross books, where things started, Jenny works for the law firm of Carter, Morgan & Ross.
December 26, 2021
Oh my gosh! This book!!! I honestly don't know how Mr. Parks comes up with his ideas. BIG thanks to Brad Parks, Thomas & Mercer Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of Unthinkable!
Nate Lovejoy is a stay-at-home dad who doesn’t believe he’s particularly important to anyone other than his wife and their two daughters. So, it’s a shock when members of a powerful secret society drug and kidnap Nate, where he awakens in a mansion with his hand smelling of soap! There, he is informed that the leader of Praesidium claims to know the future and he’s foreseen that a billion people could die—unless Nate does the unthinkable.
I was grabbed from the very beginning! This book is full of intrigue and suspense, with wee bits of the Brad Parks humor thrown in here and there. It's really hard for me to write any more than that because I don't want to post any spoilers at all. Suffice it to say that after I finished the book I found myself wondering what the heck I would do if I were in Nate's shoes. I would love to see this book as being the first of a series!
It's entertaining even to read the author's notes at the end of the book! What a sense of humor!
Nate Lovejoy is a stay-at-home dad who doesn’t believe he’s particularly important to anyone other than his wife and their two daughters. So, it’s a shock when members of a powerful secret society drug and kidnap Nate, where he awakens in a mansion with his hand smelling of soap! There, he is informed that the leader of Praesidium claims to know the future and he’s foreseen that a billion people could die—unless Nate does the unthinkable.
I was grabbed from the very beginning! This book is full of intrigue and suspense, with wee bits of the Brad Parks humor thrown in here and there. It's really hard for me to write any more than that because I don't want to post any spoilers at all. Suffice it to say that after I finished the book I found myself wondering what the heck I would do if I were in Nate's shoes. I would love to see this book as being the first of a series!
It's entertaining even to read the author's notes at the end of the book! What a sense of humor!
April 25, 2022
Fast and fun thriller with an unusual premise.
Nate and Jenny are not the typical family -- he stays home with their two pre-school age daughters while his wife, a lawyer, makes the big bucks. Both are fine with this arrangement until the day when their peaceful suburban life is imploded by the intrusion of a powerful and secret consortium. When Nate is kidnapped and given an explanation, he is stunned to find out that he alone has the ability to stop a billionaire's apocalyptic vision from happening and save the lives of millions of people.
I love a book that gets off to a quick start with lots of action and a fun story line. Even though you might have to suspend disbelief a bit to buy in, it is very entertaining and enjoyable. The author creates a lot of tension with the reader wondering if Nate will do what is asked -- or not. All told, a very satisfying novel and a great one to pick up when you are in the mood for a movie in your mind.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
Nate and Jenny are not the typical family -- he stays home with their two pre-school age daughters while his wife, a lawyer, makes the big bucks. Both are fine with this arrangement until the day when their peaceful suburban life is imploded by the intrusion of a powerful and secret consortium. When Nate is kidnapped and given an explanation, he is stunned to find out that he alone has the ability to stop a billionaire's apocalyptic vision from happening and save the lives of millions of people.
I love a book that gets off to a quick start with lots of action and a fun story line. Even though you might have to suspend disbelief a bit to buy in, it is very entertaining and enjoyable. The author creates a lot of tension with the reader wondering if Nate will do what is asked -- or not. All told, a very satisfying novel and a great one to pick up when you are in the mood for a movie in your mind.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
May 5, 2021
In interests of diversity and just for a nice change of pace, I like to mix female authored thrillers with male authored ones. Accusations of sexism and generalizations aside, there really is (usually) a significant difference, in tone, mood, pacing, so many things. And this is the author I’ve been meaning to try and Netgalley accommodated.
So then…imagine if someone came to you and told you that you had to kill your wife or she’ll end up causing a global catastrophe and death of millions. This someone would claim they were a representative of a secret society centered around a man who knows the future, a society dedicated to making precognition based murderous decisions for the greater good. Crazy, right? Moreover, positively unthinkable. Also, makes for a good story.
Now meet Nate and Jenny, a loving couple in a longtime committed relationship, parents to two small children. Both are lawyers by training (the adults, not the kids), but Jenny is the six foot tall breadwinner of the family, while six foot four Nate is a stayathome papa. Just imagine how tall their baby girls are going to grow up to be, pure WNBA material.
Anyway, Nate is the one presented with the unthinkable choice in the beginning of the novel…way to take the trolley hypothetical exercise to the new levels. And Nate is freaking out. Especially after the proof of the future predictor’s abilities is presented. What do you do what all the options are terrible? Well, first research. Then weapons. Then go on an all out ballistic assault like a popcorn action thriller that you’re in.
Which is to say at some juncture the novel abandons a lot of its theoretical and cryptic aspects and just turns into a good old fashioned shoot ‘em up. And that’s actually totally fine. Because this isn’t meant to be some profound morality play, this is meant to be 100% pure fun. Fun with an intriguing premise, sure, but more so just a summer movie type of fun. With likeable leads going up against sinister forces…a sinister secret society (unlike all those other cozy kinds)…with enough gusto and cheese for an Italian restaurant menu and omnia vincit amor message to boot. Cute, wildly entertaining, more than mildly preposterous when seriously contemplated.
Preposterousness has to be mentioned. The entire plot hinged on the fact that people apparently can’t properly communicate to their loved ones. I tested this, I conveyed the plot to my fiancé (and we’ve been together as long as the couple in this book) and asked would you walk away from a work project if our lives depended on it and the answer was yes, of course. There, it was that easy. But then of course there’d be no book.
Plus, to be fair, the author does throw in more plot twists in the end, so that it isn’t just as straight forward as one decision/sh*tton of deadly consequences. But the motif of having secrets from your spouse and not communicating properly remains prominently featured.
Anyway, all that aside, this was a fun read, dynamic, entertaining and it went by quickly. An easily likeable book, good introduction to a new author for me and an exciting energetic camera ready sort of story. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
So then…imagine if someone came to you and told you that you had to kill your wife or she’ll end up causing a global catastrophe and death of millions. This someone would claim they were a representative of a secret society centered around a man who knows the future, a society dedicated to making precognition based murderous decisions for the greater good. Crazy, right? Moreover, positively unthinkable. Also, makes for a good story.
Now meet Nate and Jenny, a loving couple in a longtime committed relationship, parents to two small children. Both are lawyers by training (the adults, not the kids), but Jenny is the six foot tall breadwinner of the family, while six foot four Nate is a stayathome papa. Just imagine how tall their baby girls are going to grow up to be, pure WNBA material.
Anyway, Nate is the one presented with the unthinkable choice in the beginning of the novel…way to take the trolley hypothetical exercise to the new levels. And Nate is freaking out. Especially after the proof of the future predictor’s abilities is presented. What do you do what all the options are terrible? Well, first research. Then weapons. Then go on an all out ballistic assault like a popcorn action thriller that you’re in.
Which is to say at some juncture the novel abandons a lot of its theoretical and cryptic aspects and just turns into a good old fashioned shoot ‘em up. And that’s actually totally fine. Because this isn’t meant to be some profound morality play, this is meant to be 100% pure fun. Fun with an intriguing premise, sure, but more so just a summer movie type of fun. With likeable leads going up against sinister forces…a sinister secret society (unlike all those other cozy kinds)…with enough gusto and cheese for an Italian restaurant menu and omnia vincit amor message to boot. Cute, wildly entertaining, more than mildly preposterous when seriously contemplated.
Preposterousness has to be mentioned. The entire plot hinged on the fact that people apparently can’t properly communicate to their loved ones. I tested this, I conveyed the plot to my fiancé (and we’ve been together as long as the couple in this book) and asked would you walk away from a work project if our lives depended on it and the answer was yes, of course. There, it was that easy. But then of course there’d be no book.
Plus, to be fair, the author does throw in more plot twists in the end, so that it isn’t just as straight forward as one decision/sh*tton of deadly consequences. But the motif of having secrets from your spouse and not communicating properly remains prominently featured.
Anyway, all that aside, this was a fun read, dynamic, entertaining and it went by quickly. An easily likeable book, good introduction to a new author for me and an exciting energetic camera ready sort of story. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
August 1, 2021
Brad Parks really turned things up a notch and stepped into Michael Crichton territory with his previous release, INTERFERENCE. So the bar was significantly raised for his next title, and I am happy to report that UNTHINKABLE delivers in the form of a solid, edge-of-your-seat thriller.
The action kicks off literally from the very first sentence when we see Nate Lovejoy shaking off the cobwebs as he returns to consciousness. Once fully alert, he is facing a man who has been able to quickly and effectively neutralize him. This dangerous stranger, Lorton Rogers, has a shocking message with instructions that Nate needs to absorb and follow.
Parks alternates the narrative between Nate and his wife, Jenny. An attorney who is working a high-profile class action lawsuit, Jenny is in the process of soliciting individuals and families to join it. We are privy to her meeting with an elderly couple, the Hendersons, who are ideal potential plaintiffs. Mrs. Henderson is suffering from a serious condition and must sleep in a makeshift bed in her living room while being hooked up to an oxygen machine 24/7. The reason for her deteriorating health is the deadly air quality in their area caused by the local power company. By the time Jenny is done, the Hendersons will be added to the lawsuit.
Once the action switches back to Nate, we find out that Rogers needs him to do something and only lets him know that it involves his wife and her work. Nate is a former attorney who is now helping to take care of his two young daughters while Jenny is the breadwinner. Rogers works for an organization known as the Praesidium, which is run by its founder, Vanslow DeGange, who is now in his 90s. DeGange has built his empire on his uncanny ability to predict world events. In this case, he believes that if Jenny and her firm are successful with their lawsuit and effectively shut down the power company they see at fault, it will have a long-reaching impact that will physically change the face of the planet and cost billions of people their lives.
Rogers tells Nate that the only choice he has is to kill Jenny by the end of the week. He cannot tell anyone about this, or he will put the lives of his children and himself in jeopardy. Instead, he must take the gun that Rogers hands him and follow through on those orders in the specific timeframe he is given, or else his entire family will be taken out as collateral damage. To Nate, this is a no-win situation that is completely unthinkable.
This unique premise hooked me from the start. The fact that there is also a built-in countdown clock running throughout the book makes for some tense moments as Nate tries to figure out whether or not he can kill his wife to save billions of other lives. He does his research into the mysterious DeGange and finds out that he is everything Rogers has made him out to be --- a shadow figure behind a large and powerful consortium that may have been responsible for such major happenings as the JFK assassination.
Nate tries to remain cool, calm and collected at home, even though with each passing minute he will reach the point when he needs to pull the trigger. Then, just when the critical moment is at hand, Parks throws us a major curveball.
UNTHINKABLE is an effective and memorable work that will force readers to think hard about the circumstances in which these characters are involved, while wondering what they would do if they were faced with the same challenges.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
The action kicks off literally from the very first sentence when we see Nate Lovejoy shaking off the cobwebs as he returns to consciousness. Once fully alert, he is facing a man who has been able to quickly and effectively neutralize him. This dangerous stranger, Lorton Rogers, has a shocking message with instructions that Nate needs to absorb and follow.
Parks alternates the narrative between Nate and his wife, Jenny. An attorney who is working a high-profile class action lawsuit, Jenny is in the process of soliciting individuals and families to join it. We are privy to her meeting with an elderly couple, the Hendersons, who are ideal potential plaintiffs. Mrs. Henderson is suffering from a serious condition and must sleep in a makeshift bed in her living room while being hooked up to an oxygen machine 24/7. The reason for her deteriorating health is the deadly air quality in their area caused by the local power company. By the time Jenny is done, the Hendersons will be added to the lawsuit.
Once the action switches back to Nate, we find out that Rogers needs him to do something and only lets him know that it involves his wife and her work. Nate is a former attorney who is now helping to take care of his two young daughters while Jenny is the breadwinner. Rogers works for an organization known as the Praesidium, which is run by its founder, Vanslow DeGange, who is now in his 90s. DeGange has built his empire on his uncanny ability to predict world events. In this case, he believes that if Jenny and her firm are successful with their lawsuit and effectively shut down the power company they see at fault, it will have a long-reaching impact that will physically change the face of the planet and cost billions of people their lives.
Rogers tells Nate that the only choice he has is to kill Jenny by the end of the week. He cannot tell anyone about this, or he will put the lives of his children and himself in jeopardy. Instead, he must take the gun that Rogers hands him and follow through on those orders in the specific timeframe he is given, or else his entire family will be taken out as collateral damage. To Nate, this is a no-win situation that is completely unthinkable.
This unique premise hooked me from the start. The fact that there is also a built-in countdown clock running throughout the book makes for some tense moments as Nate tries to figure out whether or not he can kill his wife to save billions of other lives. He does his research into the mysterious DeGange and finds out that he is everything Rogers has made him out to be --- a shadow figure behind a large and powerful consortium that may have been responsible for such major happenings as the JFK assassination.
Nate tries to remain cool, calm and collected at home, even though with each passing minute he will reach the point when he needs to pull the trigger. Then, just when the critical moment is at hand, Parks throws us a major curveball.
UNTHINKABLE is an effective and memorable work that will force readers to think hard about the circumstances in which these characters are involved, while wondering what they would do if they were faced with the same challenges.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
January 13, 2022
Riveting
This story starts with a bang! Could you kill your wife if it meant saving a billion people? I mean, whoa! And the suspense only increases from there. I gobbled this book up, reading way past my bedtime. Most of the twists I did not see coming. The ending was totally satisfying.
This story starts with a bang! Could you kill your wife if it meant saving a billion people? I mean, whoa! And the suspense only increases from there. I gobbled this book up, reading way past my bedtime. Most of the twists I did not see coming. The ending was totally satisfying.
June 3, 2023
I cannot believe that readers rated this book 4 stars. The storyline is so far fetched secret organization kidnapped a husband and father and tell him if he doesn't kill his wife they will kill his whole family. Wife is a lawyer working on a class action suit against an Electric company whose toxic fumes are making people sick. Since I read almost all Brad Parks books this is a disappointment.
July 20, 2021
The follow-up to “Interference” is another stand-alone thriller dealing with ordinary people being thrust into extraordinary, life-threatening, situations. However, this time out Parks ratchets up the tension by giving the protagonist, and the reader, a moral quandary to deal with throughout the book. Parks has developed a unique method of telling a fast paced story through multiple viewpoints in each of his stand-alone books and, while he frequently puts families in peril, he always shows what heroics regular people are capable of when put in harrowing situations. In a way, without giving away any spoilers, “Unthinkable” is a bit different from Parks’ previous novels in its subject matter, but it’s also classic Brad Parks in its themes and storytelling. This book is full of twists, turns, secret organizations, and double crosses. It may be Parks’ most ambitious books yet.
July 27, 2021
This book was off to an amazing action packed start of intriguing mystery and jaw dropping thrills. You won’t believe the measures a once ordinary man will have to do to save in order to save lives. But a little too much happens that stretches the imagination to be real although it does make for a suspenseful read.
July 28, 2021
This book grabbed me from the very beginning! What an insane concept to come up with! The future of the world comes down to if you are able to kill your loved one. Do you do it? That’s the situation Nate has found himself in. Quite the predicament! 🥴
I burned through these pages! The twists and turns kept coming, and I was here for them all. I’m obsessed with the Olympics, and found myself reading last night instead of watching. It was that good.
I burned through these pages! The twists and turns kept coming, and I was here for them all. I’m obsessed with the Olympics, and found myself reading last night instead of watching. It was that good.
August 9, 2021
A thriller for thinkers
Oh this was so much fun. Not only a cracking good thriller but lots of ponder-worthy ethical dilemmas and (for and Dr.Who fans) lots of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, let's ponder time as a concept passages.
I was immediately hooked by the great writing and then quickly won over by the improbable-made-believable plot. Anytime an author can take something really wild and make you buy into that, that's great writing.
So a great thriller, a fun concept, and likeable characters. I could see this being a series (I hope so!) Five stars.
Oh this was so much fun. Not only a cracking good thriller but lots of ponder-worthy ethical dilemmas and (for and Dr.Who fans) lots of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, let's ponder time as a concept passages.
I was immediately hooked by the great writing and then quickly won over by the improbable-made-believable plot. Anytime an author can take something really wild and make you buy into that, that's great writing.
So a great thriller, a fun concept, and likeable characters. I could see this being a series (I hope so!) Five stars.
April 7, 2021
Fast paced thriller you won't want to put down.
Stay at home Dad Nate Lovejoy is approached by a man with an unbelievable tale, telling Nate he must do the unthinkable in order to save humanity. Nate takes some convincing and then grapples with the moral dilemma.
About 2/3 of the way in, you feel the story is concluding and not sure where the tale can go .... but then a great turn of events to surprise and then the pace quickens !
Stay at home Dad Nate Lovejoy is approached by a man with an unbelievable tale, telling Nate he must do the unthinkable in order to save humanity. Nate takes some convincing and then grapples with the moral dilemma.
About 2/3 of the way in, you feel the story is concluding and not sure where the tale can go .... but then a great turn of events to surprise and then the pace quickens !
March 19, 2021
NOT what I expected.
First, I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. When i read the synopsis, I thought it sounded a little confusing, and maybe not my type of book. But I really liked #BradParks so I thought I would give it a try.
I was hooked from page 1. Ok, maybe page 5 or 6. But it was easy to follow, and full of intrigue, and suspense. I could actually feel the tension in my body as I read it, and I HAD to know what happened next.
Now, not only did I get caught up in the story, I kept thinking "what would I do?". What if you new your spouse, or your parent, or your child would try to do good, but end up causing thousands of millions of deaths? What would you do? It was truly disturbing to think about.
I really enjoyed this book, and am glad to know that this author hasn't let me down yet....
First, I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review. When i read the synopsis, I thought it sounded a little confusing, and maybe not my type of book. But I really liked #BradParks so I thought I would give it a try.
I was hooked from page 1. Ok, maybe page 5 or 6. But it was easy to follow, and full of intrigue, and suspense. I could actually feel the tension in my body as I read it, and I HAD to know what happened next.
Now, not only did I get caught up in the story, I kept thinking "what would I do?". What if you new your spouse, or your parent, or your child would try to do good, but end up causing thousands of millions of deaths? What would you do? It was truly disturbing to think about.
I really enjoyed this book, and am glad to know that this author hasn't let me down yet....
July 27, 2021
Unthinkable is the latest standalone thriller from bestselling writer Brad Parks and asks an impossibly tough question: would you kill your significant other if it was the only way to prevent the deaths of a billion people? Nate Lovejoy is a former lawyer who is now a stay at home father to two young daughters and the poor soul who must wrangle with this wicked question. He and his wife, Jenny, reside in Richmond, Virginia, where she is eying up becoming a partner in the law firm she currently works at, one of VA’s most prominent legal businesses. When Nate is kidnapped by abductor Lorton Rogers, a member of a cult-like clandestine society known as Praesidium, he is held captive for a short time at the sprawling mansion of its leader, Vanslow DeGange. Praesidium truly believe that DeGange can see the future and his prophecy has shown that if Nate does not submit and commit to killing his wife Jenny Welker within 4 days, a huge number of people will die as a result of what they deem to be Nate’s selfishness and disregard for mankind.
The mass casualty event will be a direct result of Jenny's class-action lawsuit against Virginia's biggest power company. Filing the claim on behalf of 280 clients of Virginia’s Commonwealth Power and Light alleging that its coal-fired Shockoe Generation Plant produced record amounts of lung cancer and COPD will have unintended consequences: cataclysmic global warming. What choice, if any will be made, or will the couple be able to put a stop to DeGange’s disturbing and deadly ultimatum before time runs out? This is a compulsive and absorbing thriller with a rapid fire pace, well-written narrative, twists, turns and ample use of misdirection, and a cast of intriguing characters. It's an engrossing and thoroughly entertaining nailbiter from start to finish with a refreshingly original storyline, however, it does require you to suspend your disbelief quite a lot. This is an enthralling, fiendishly inventive tale narrated in alternating perspectives between Nate and Jenny that will keep you guessing until the end. Highly recommended.
The mass casualty event will be a direct result of Jenny's class-action lawsuit against Virginia's biggest power company. Filing the claim on behalf of 280 clients of Virginia’s Commonwealth Power and Light alleging that its coal-fired Shockoe Generation Plant produced record amounts of lung cancer and COPD will have unintended consequences: cataclysmic global warming. What choice, if any will be made, or will the couple be able to put a stop to DeGange’s disturbing and deadly ultimatum before time runs out? This is a compulsive and absorbing thriller with a rapid fire pace, well-written narrative, twists, turns and ample use of misdirection, and a cast of intriguing characters. It's an engrossing and thoroughly entertaining nailbiter from start to finish with a refreshingly original storyline, however, it does require you to suspend your disbelief quite a lot. This is an enthralling, fiendishly inventive tale narrated in alternating perspectives between Nate and Jenny that will keep you guessing until the end. Highly recommended.
July 24, 2021
Unthinkable
By Brad Parks
This is really an exciting read I enjoyed. I loved hearing about ordinary people being thrust into extraordinary, life-threatening, situations - becoming a hero of some sorts - but is this real or a hoax? I found that this speculative fiction an exciting read and I really came to enjoy the characters of Nate and Jenny very much. The story was fast paced and exciting - you will want to know what happens next and that will keep you turning those pages. Overall, I had fun reading this and really enjoyed it a lot.
By Brad Parks
This is really an exciting read I enjoyed. I loved hearing about ordinary people being thrust into extraordinary, life-threatening, situations - becoming a hero of some sorts - but is this real or a hoax? I found that this speculative fiction an exciting read and I really came to enjoy the characters of Nate and Jenny very much. The story was fast paced and exciting - you will want to know what happens next and that will keep you turning those pages. Overall, I had fun reading this and really enjoyed it a lot.
August 8, 2021
Unthinkable could best be described as a madcap thriller with a side of science fiction. While I don't think it will win any awards, it was a pure delight to read.
July 31, 2021
Author Brad Parks really turned things up a notch and stepped into Michael Crichton territory with his previous release, INTERFERENCE. Thusly, the bar was significantly raised for his next title, and I am happy to aver that UNTHINKABLE delivers in the form of a solid, edge-of-your-seat thriller.
The action in this novel literally takes place from the very first sentence when we see a man named Nate Lovejoy shaking off the cobwebs as he returns to consciousness. Once fully alert, Nate is facing a man who is a stranger to him but someone who has been able to quickly and effectively neutralize him. The reason for this treatment is that this dangerous stranger, who we will soon learn is named Lorton Rogers, has a serious message with instructions that he needs for Nate to absorb and follow.
Parks flips the narrative throughout the story between husband and wife, Nate and Jenny. When we first see Jenny, we learn that she is an attorney working a high-profile class action lawsuit and is in the process of soliciting individuals and families to join said lawsuit. We watch as Jenny meets with an elderly couple, the Henderson’s, who are ideal potential plaintiffs. Mrs. Henderson is suffering from a serious health condition and must sleep in a makeshift bed in her living room while being hooked up to an oxygen machine 24/7. The reason for her deteriorating health condition is the deadly air quality in their area caused by the local power company. By the time she is done, the Henderson’s will be just another couple of names added to the class action lawsuit.
Once the action switches back to our friend Nate, we find out that Rogers needs for him to do something and only lets him know that it involves his wife and her work. Nate is a stay-at-home dad and former attorney who is now helping with two very young daughters while Jenny is the successful breadwinner. Rogers works for an organization known as the Praesidium that was founded and run by a Vanslow DeGange who is now in his nineties. DeGange has built his empire on his uncanny ability to predict world events. In this case, DeGange has predicted that if Jenny and her law firm are successful with their lawsuit and effectively shut down the power company they see at fault it will have long-reaching impact that will physically change the face of the planet and cost billions of people their lives.
Rogers then tells Nate that the only choice he has is to kill his wife, Jenny, by the end of the week. He cannot tell anyone about this, or he will put the lives of his children and himself in jeopardy as well. Instead, he must take the gun Rogers hands him and must follow-through on his orders in the specific timeframe he was given or else his entire family will be taken out as collateral damage. To Nate, this was a no-win situation that was completely unthinkable.
If you’re like me, you are plenty hooked at this point by this unique premise. The fact that there is also a built-in countdown clock running through the entire narrative makes for some tense moments as Nate tries to figure out whether or not he can kill his wife to save billions of other lives. Nate does his research into the mysterious Mr. DeGange and finds he is everything that Rogers made him out to be --- a shadow figure behind a large and powerful consortium that may have been behind such world events like the JFK assassination. There are subtle reminders throughout the novel by way of different individuals that die tragically and were somehow connected to the lawsuit.
As a sidebar, I found it humorous that a homeless transient who is eliminated was named Marcus Sakey --- just like the author of the same name. I am sure this was a great inside joke between the actual Sakey and Brad Parks. Nate in the meantime is trying to keep things as normal as possible at home knowing with each passing minute, he is getting closer to the moment where he needs to pull the trigger. Then, just when the critical moment is at hand, Brad Parks throws the reader a major curveball. We end up having a face-off between Nate and Jenny who each have a gun pointed at the other person. It turns out Jenny had also been in touch with DeGange’s group and was tasked with killing Nate!
Now, husband and wife are on the same page but are also the hunted for the reasons previously mentioned. We also learn that Jenny shares some of the same precognitive powers that Mr. DeGange has and that the Praesidium may have other plans for her. The result is a finale that stays twisty right up to the last moment. UNTHINKABLE is a novel that will force readers to think hard about the circumstances the protagonists are put in while wondering throughout what they would do if they were faced with the same peril. Very effective and memorable work and another winner for Brad Parks.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
The action in this novel literally takes place from the very first sentence when we see a man named Nate Lovejoy shaking off the cobwebs as he returns to consciousness. Once fully alert, Nate is facing a man who is a stranger to him but someone who has been able to quickly and effectively neutralize him. The reason for this treatment is that this dangerous stranger, who we will soon learn is named Lorton Rogers, has a serious message with instructions that he needs for Nate to absorb and follow.
Parks flips the narrative throughout the story between husband and wife, Nate and Jenny. When we first see Jenny, we learn that she is an attorney working a high-profile class action lawsuit and is in the process of soliciting individuals and families to join said lawsuit. We watch as Jenny meets with an elderly couple, the Henderson’s, who are ideal potential plaintiffs. Mrs. Henderson is suffering from a serious health condition and must sleep in a makeshift bed in her living room while being hooked up to an oxygen machine 24/7. The reason for her deteriorating health condition is the deadly air quality in their area caused by the local power company. By the time she is done, the Henderson’s will be just another couple of names added to the class action lawsuit.
Once the action switches back to our friend Nate, we find out that Rogers needs for him to do something and only lets him know that it involves his wife and her work. Nate is a stay-at-home dad and former attorney who is now helping with two very young daughters while Jenny is the successful breadwinner. Rogers works for an organization known as the Praesidium that was founded and run by a Vanslow DeGange who is now in his nineties. DeGange has built his empire on his uncanny ability to predict world events. In this case, DeGange has predicted that if Jenny and her law firm are successful with their lawsuit and effectively shut down the power company they see at fault it will have long-reaching impact that will physically change the face of the planet and cost billions of people their lives.
Rogers then tells Nate that the only choice he has is to kill his wife, Jenny, by the end of the week. He cannot tell anyone about this, or he will put the lives of his children and himself in jeopardy as well. Instead, he must take the gun Rogers hands him and must follow-through on his orders in the specific timeframe he was given or else his entire family will be taken out as collateral damage. To Nate, this was a no-win situation that was completely unthinkable.
If you’re like me, you are plenty hooked at this point by this unique premise. The fact that there is also a built-in countdown clock running through the entire narrative makes for some tense moments as Nate tries to figure out whether or not he can kill his wife to save billions of other lives. Nate does his research into the mysterious Mr. DeGange and finds he is everything that Rogers made him out to be --- a shadow figure behind a large and powerful consortium that may have been behind such world events like the JFK assassination. There are subtle reminders throughout the novel by way of different individuals that die tragically and were somehow connected to the lawsuit.
As a sidebar, I found it humorous that a homeless transient who is eliminated was named Marcus Sakey --- just like the author of the same name. I am sure this was a great inside joke between the actual Sakey and Brad Parks. Nate in the meantime is trying to keep things as normal as possible at home knowing with each passing minute, he is getting closer to the moment where he needs to pull the trigger. Then, just when the critical moment is at hand, Brad Parks throws the reader a major curveball. We end up having a face-off between Nate and Jenny who each have a gun pointed at the other person. It turns out Jenny had also been in touch with DeGange’s group and was tasked with killing Nate!
Now, husband and wife are on the same page but are also the hunted for the reasons previously mentioned. We also learn that Jenny shares some of the same precognitive powers that Mr. DeGange has and that the Praesidium may have other plans for her. The result is a finale that stays twisty right up to the last moment. UNTHINKABLE is a novel that will force readers to think hard about the circumstances the protagonists are put in while wondering throughout what they would do if they were faced with the same peril. Very effective and memorable work and another winner for Brad Parks.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
September 17, 2021
Reading a novel by a Virginia author was appealing.
The settings- Richmond and Northern Neck, Va are personally beloved. Beyond that the plot was disjointed, the protagonists one dimensional, the writing functional, the dialogue serviceable. Theme of struggle between predestination and free will intriguing.
Parks warrants credit for his focus on stay -at-home dad, a rarity in contemporary lit, but Nate lacked the intellectual complexity expected for one of his background when faced with his moral dilemma.
I have not read any of the other books written by this author; this may not be representative of his body of work.
As for adding excitement to the climax, sited in White Stone, Va, enter reality. An aging, narrow, two lane, miles- wide bridge which arcs high across the Rappahannock River, is the only direct route to White Stone, on its north bank. It would have been on the route traveled by the protagonists. A description of it alone could be plenty scary!
The settings- Richmond and Northern Neck, Va are personally beloved. Beyond that the plot was disjointed, the protagonists one dimensional, the writing functional, the dialogue serviceable. Theme of struggle between predestination and free will intriguing.
Parks warrants credit for his focus on stay -at-home dad, a rarity in contemporary lit, but Nate lacked the intellectual complexity expected for one of his background when faced with his moral dilemma.
I have not read any of the other books written by this author; this may not be representative of his body of work.
As for adding excitement to the climax, sited in White Stone, Va, enter reality. An aging, narrow, two lane, miles- wide bridge which arcs high across the Rappahannock River, is the only direct route to White Stone, on its north bank. It would have been on the route traveled by the protagonists. A description of it alone could be plenty scary!
August 23, 2021
Might be my favorite from Brad Parks yet, and that says a lot. It begins with a bang- Nate is kidnapped and the organization responsible tries to convince him that by committing a horrible crime he will ultimately pretty much save the world. There’s a lot of action in this book, something I don’t normally gravitate towards, but the meticulous plotting makes it work. The twists, and there were a few, are jaw dropping and fun. A tiny criticism is that the psychic powers theme might be a bit overdone. Stephen King’s The Institute comes to mind. But outweighing that by far was some unique character development. I so admire that Parks created such a strong female hero in Nate’s wife Jenny, and it was nice to see an equally capable man in a stay-at-home-dad role. Bravo, Brad Parks. Keep ‘em coming.
November 9, 2021
I don't usually read thrillers with supernatural elements, but this book was so well written that it continually drove my interest, and I ploughed right through it to its improbable end. I also appreciated the lack of a hundred characters...it has a very manageable personae dramatis.
It essentially is a story of a stay at home boring-type of husband and father, whose wife has a superpower that he is unaware of (as is she). The clandestine organization wants to recruit the wife, but via a highly unusual scheme...beginning with the husband seemingly being recruited to kill his wife!
The short chapters keep up the pace, and the text is full of jokes and funny observations. The situation, ridiculous as it sounds, seem almost possible.
This is the 2nd Brad Parks novel I have read, and I have a feeling it will not be the last.
It essentially is a story of a stay at home boring-type of husband and father, whose wife has a superpower that he is unaware of (as is she). The clandestine organization wants to recruit the wife, but via a highly unusual scheme...beginning with the husband seemingly being recruited to kill his wife!
The short chapters keep up the pace, and the text is full of jokes and funny observations. The situation, ridiculous as it sounds, seem almost possible.
This is the 2nd Brad Parks novel I have read, and I have a feeling it will not be the last.
May 9, 2021
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.
Nate is a stay at home dad, having given up his associate position at a large Richmond firm for his now-senior partner wife, as her career has taken off. He's kidnapped from his home and presented with a nightmare scenario: "Kill your wife to stave off the collapse of society as we know it, or your entire family dies instead."
The reader gets immersed in the tense situation, wondering how a loving husband could possibly get to "yep, she's gotta go". The book maintains that palpable feeling, alternating chapters from Nate's perspective to his wife Jenny's, with fair action and swerves.
It was an enjoyable book, but to me, the ending didn't match the rest of story's pacing.
Nate is a stay at home dad, having given up his associate position at a large Richmond firm for his now-senior partner wife, as her career has taken off. He's kidnapped from his home and presented with a nightmare scenario: "Kill your wife to stave off the collapse of society as we know it, or your entire family dies instead."
The reader gets immersed in the tense situation, wondering how a loving husband could possibly get to "yep, she's gotta go". The book maintains that palpable feeling, alternating chapters from Nate's perspective to his wife Jenny's, with fair action and swerves.
It was an enjoyable book, but to me, the ending didn't match the rest of story's pacing.
December 16, 2021
I was 100% into this book. I couldn't put it down. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. Such a fascinating premise and Nate is such a likable protagonist, who actually thinks things through without jumping to drastic conclusions. I was sure this was going to be one of the best books I've read this year, up until about Chap. 40, when things go off the rails (literally and figuratively).
The story became so topsy-turvy, it really lost me. Facts seemed to be added in out of nowhere, just to help things make sense. It reminded me of the game where people go in a circle adding one part to a story while trying to set it up to be difficult for the next person. Just like that game, this book ended up turning into a rollercoaster of nonsense, in my opinion. The author made a valiant effort to create something really riveting, but it feels like he got lazy at the end.
The story became so topsy-turvy, it really lost me. Facts seemed to be added in out of nowhere, just to help things make sense. It reminded me of the game where people go in a circle adding one part to a story while trying to set it up to be difficult for the next person. Just like that game, this book ended up turning into a rollercoaster of nonsense, in my opinion. The author made a valiant effort to create something really riveting, but it feels like he got lazy at the end.
August 31, 2021
Brad Parks remains the finest of the Hardee’s novelists and this book is as entertaining and readable as his others I’ve enjoyed. ( For those unfamiliar with Mr. Parks, he writes most of his novels while sitting at a corner table at the Hardee’s restaurant in Saluda, Virginia near his home).
November 6, 2021
I wasn't sure what to think of this book when I began it.
I'm not exactly sure what I think now that I've finished it.
It's thought-provoking and head-scratching, but it is interesting, and exciting. Set aside a sizable chunk of uninterrupted time; once you reach 9:47 PM on Friday (in the book), you won't want to put it down.
I'm not exactly sure what I think now that I've finished it.
It's thought-provoking and head-scratching, but it is interesting, and exciting. Set aside a sizable chunk of uninterrupted time; once you reach 9:47 PM on Friday (in the book), you won't want to put it down.
August 25, 2021
A great plot in which the major male character is being forced to kill his wife ( major female character) in order to save their children. A rather upsetting situation but Parks with his natural wit provides some levity in addition giving a few fellow authors a part in the story.
August 30, 2021
Unthinkable? Fantastical! The first part paranoia the second pure adrenaline . Makes a great movie in my head.
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