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Eleven Hours
One pregnant woman.
One deranged man.
Eleven hours of hell.
Abducted from a shopping mall in Dallas, Didi Wood, in her ninth month of pregnancy, is taken on the most dangerous, horrifying ride of her life, as a madman drives her across Texas. While her husband and the FBI try furiously to track them down, they can only hope to find Didi -- and her unborn child -- alive.
One deranged man.
Eleven hours of hell.
Abducted from a shopping mall in Dallas, Didi Wood, in her ninth month of pregnancy, is taken on the most dangerous, horrifying ride of her life, as a madman drives her across Texas. While her husband and the FBI try furiously to track them down, they can only hope to find Didi -- and her unborn child -- alive.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
66 people are currently reading
1532 people want to read
About the author
Paullina Simons
47 books5,369 followersPaullina Simons was born in Leningrad, USSR, in 1963. At the age of ten her family immigrated to the United States. Growing up in Russia Paullina dreamt of someday becoming a writer. Her dream was put on hold as she learned English and overcame the shock of a new culture.
After graduating from university and after various jobs including working as a financial journalist and as a translator Paullina wrote her first novel Tully. Through word of mouth that book was welcomed by readers all over the world.
She continued with more novels, including Red Leaves, Eleven Hours, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross (also known as Tatiana and Alexander), The Summer Garden and The Girl in Times Square (also known as Lily). Many of Paullina's novels have reached international bestseller lists.
Apart from her novels, Paullina has also written a cookbook, Tatiana's Table, which is a collection of recipes, short stories and recollections from her best selling trilogy of novels, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross, (also known as Tatiana and Alexander) and The Summer Garden.
After graduating from university and after various jobs including working as a financial journalist and as a translator Paullina wrote her first novel Tully. Through word of mouth that book was welcomed by readers all over the world.
She continued with more novels, including Red Leaves, Eleven Hours, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross (also known as Tatiana and Alexander), The Summer Garden and The Girl in Times Square (also known as Lily). Many of Paullina's novels have reached international bestseller lists.
Apart from her novels, Paullina has also written a cookbook, Tatiana's Table, which is a collection of recipes, short stories and recollections from her best selling trilogy of novels, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross, (also known as Tatiana and Alexander) and The Summer Garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
April 18, 2015
So glad I am reading more books of a 'thrilling' nature!
This ripper of a book packed a quick, fast punch. It covers, as the title suggests, an eleven hour time frame, where there's no room for anything else but good solid reading, that I did not want to put down for a moment. Everything there is to like is here, as nine month pregnant Didi is enjoying the air con in the dead of summer, minding her own business and filling in time till she meets up with her loving husband, Rich, for lunch. This leisurely afternoon of shopping and pretzel eating (I loved the little nuances, yes Didi you should take two - why not?!) turns into a nightmare for this lovely glowing pregnant woman. The descriptive nature of Didi for this entire book was extremely vivid and needed to be.
I found the FBI/husband combo amusing to an extent, Rich was entrusted to help closely, and I also enjoyed seeing this play out.
Highly recommended, quick effective reading, which I really enjoyed for a couple of days. Things in this person's daily routine got somewhat ignored. Definitely a good sign for this reader!
This ripper of a book packed a quick, fast punch. It covers, as the title suggests, an eleven hour time frame, where there's no room for anything else but good solid reading, that I did not want to put down for a moment. Everything there is to like is here, as nine month pregnant Didi is enjoying the air con in the dead of summer, minding her own business and filling in time till she meets up with her loving husband, Rich, for lunch. This leisurely afternoon of shopping and pretzel eating (I loved the little nuances, yes Didi you should take two - why not?!) turns into a nightmare for this lovely glowing pregnant woman. The descriptive nature of Didi for this entire book was extremely vivid and needed to be.
I found the FBI/husband combo amusing to an extent, Rich was entrusted to help closely, and I also enjoyed seeing this play out.
Highly recommended, quick effective reading, which I really enjoyed for a couple of days. Things in this person's daily routine got somewhat ignored. Definitely a good sign for this reader!
February 27, 2017
Extremely forgettable. I have finished it 5 minutes ago and I already struggle to remember what this book was all about.
Painfully cartoonish, monochromatic characters, and a dull and predictable plot with abundant platitudes littering the narrative, all strongly characterize this book and make it an excruciating reading experience; moreover, the leading character is so painfully stupid, in her mixture of dumb consumerism and Christian fundamentalism , that the only missing ingredient in her story is some "make America great again" statement. Brain-damaging. The pretentious "philosophical" debates, within and between the main characters, are pathetic in their shallowness.
Very disappointing, especially considering that the author also wrote "The Bronze Horseman", which I quite enjoyed. What a waste - I want my reading time back.
Painfully cartoonish, monochromatic characters, and a dull and predictable plot with abundant platitudes littering the narrative, all strongly characterize this book and make it an excruciating reading experience; moreover, the leading character is so painfully stupid, in her mixture of dumb consumerism and Christian fundamentalism , that the only missing ingredient in her story is some "make America great again" statement. Brain-damaging. The pretentious "philosophical" debates, within and between the main characters, are pathetic in their shallowness.
Very disappointing, especially considering that the author also wrote "The Bronze Horseman", which I quite enjoyed. What a waste - I want my reading time back.
November 19, 2014
Nine months pregnant Didi Wood had a little over an hour to kill after her doctor’s appointment before she met her husband Rich for lunch. She decided to go to a nearby shopping centre where it was air conditioned – it was a crushingly hot day – she needed to get some wooden blocks for her daughter Amanda; a few other bits and pieces. She wouldn’t be late for lunch with Rich but she would enjoy her slow wander around the shopping centre. When a young man offered to carry her bags, she declined the offer – there was something about him that made her wary. Then as she entered the car park and moved toward her car, anxious to get inside out of the heat she heard the voice again – it was behind her – suddenly she felt an unnamed fear; was she being irrational?
Rich couldn’t work out where Didi was – she was often a little late but would always call – it was totally out of character for her to not contact him. Then with the police finally involved, plus the FBI as well, Rich was desperate. What had happened? Where was she? The FBI agent seemed confident they would locate the abductor sooner rather than later, but Rich was not at all confident…
As Didi struggled with disbelief, fear and terror, she frantically tried to come up with a plan to help herself. She needed to stay calm; but the heat, the discomfort, her need to go to the bathroom; it all overwhelmed her. What would she do? What could she do!
This would have to be the best psychological thriller I have read in a long time. The pacing was electric with the book almost impossible to put down. The suspense and tension had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning and I just couldn’t stop reading! This is my first by author Paullina Simons, and it will definitely not be my last! Highly recommended.
Rich couldn’t work out where Didi was – she was often a little late but would always call – it was totally out of character for her to not contact him. Then with the police finally involved, plus the FBI as well, Rich was desperate. What had happened? Where was she? The FBI agent seemed confident they would locate the abductor sooner rather than later, but Rich was not at all confident…
As Didi struggled with disbelief, fear and terror, she frantically tried to come up with a plan to help herself. She needed to stay calm; but the heat, the discomfort, her need to go to the bathroom; it all overwhelmed her. What would she do? What could she do!
This would have to be the best psychological thriller I have read in a long time. The pacing was electric with the book almost impossible to put down. The suspense and tension had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning and I just couldn’t stop reading! This is my first by author Paullina Simons, and it will definitely not be my last! Highly recommended.
December 28, 2017
EXCERPT: Didi wanted to speak but found she was made speechless by her heart ramming itself against her chest. She didn't need to turn around. She recognized his voice. It was the manin the jacket. She felt slightly nauseated.
'Did you hear me, ma'am?' the voice said. 'You shouldn't be carrying those heavy bags. It's not good for the baby.'
Didi turned around.
The man was standing in front of her, hands in his jacket pockets. The heat index was up to 120 and he was wearing a jacket over his white shirt. The incongruity of the jacket hadn't registered in the cool mall, but now it seemed distinctly out of place.
She stared directly at him without averting her gaze. His upturned nose made him look petulant, as if he'd been waiting for a bus too long. His mouth was upturned too, in a semblance of a smile. It looked as if he was grimacing, stretching his thin lips upward, toward eyes that weren't smiling. They were blue and they were cold, and she saw that they lacked something essential. The expression in the eyes, like the jacket, did not belong in a mall parking lot on a hot summer day.
Didi held onto the bags as she and the man stared at each other. She tried to focus, but all she saw was dark spots instead of his face. Wait, wait, she said to herself, narrowing her mental vision. Think! It's not so bad. Maybe he is really concerned about the bags. Remember? He said the same thing to me in the mall.
Wait a second. Who said he'd followed her? Maybe he hadn't followed her. Maybe his own car was parked here and he was on his way home.
Didi had been silent too long. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry and her heart was beating too fast.
'You don't need to help me. My car is right . . .' She stopped, already regretting what she had been about to say. Take it back, fool, take it back. Why would she want him to know they were in front of her car?
The man said "What I 'd like to do is help you to my car.'
Didi lost her breath and opened her mouth.
'I'd rather not do that,' she said, her voice breaking. 'I'm meeting my husband for lunch.' Her knees began to shake. To steady herself, she leaned against the minivan.
The man stretched his lips sideways, exposing his teeth. 'I think he'll be eating alone today,' he said.
THE BLURB: One pregnant woman.
One deranged man.
Eleven hours of hell.
Abducted from a shopping mall in Dallas, Didi Wood, in her ninth month of pregnancy, is taken on the most dangerous, horrifying ride of her life, as a madman drives her across Texas. While her husband and the FBI try furiously to track them down, they can only hope to find Didi -- and her unborn child -- alive.
MY THOUGHTS: I love this book.
The sun beats down on the parking lot of a Texas shopping mall.
Heavily pregnant and not at all comfortable in the relentless heat, Didi Wood is moving through her rgular routine of shopping before leaving to meet her husband for lunch.
And then she is kidnapped and bundled into a car by a desperate young man.
Who is he?
What does he want?
Where are they going?
This book is taut and gripping.
It is the book by which I measure all others in this genre.
The story telling alternates between Didi herself trapped by a sometimes violent but always unpredictable kidnapper, and her husband Rich with Scott, the FBI agent assigned to catch the kidnapper.
I re-read this book every few years.
Neither the magic nor the suspense ever dims.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Did you hear me, ma'am?' the voice said. 'You shouldn't be carrying those heavy bags. It's not good for the baby.'
Didi turned around.
The man was standing in front of her, hands in his jacket pockets. The heat index was up to 120 and he was wearing a jacket over his white shirt. The incongruity of the jacket hadn't registered in the cool mall, but now it seemed distinctly out of place.
She stared directly at him without averting her gaze. His upturned nose made him look petulant, as if he'd been waiting for a bus too long. His mouth was upturned too, in a semblance of a smile. It looked as if he was grimacing, stretching his thin lips upward, toward eyes that weren't smiling. They were blue and they were cold, and she saw that they lacked something essential. The expression in the eyes, like the jacket, did not belong in a mall parking lot on a hot summer day.
Didi held onto the bags as she and the man stared at each other. She tried to focus, but all she saw was dark spots instead of his face. Wait, wait, she said to herself, narrowing her mental vision. Think! It's not so bad. Maybe he is really concerned about the bags. Remember? He said the same thing to me in the mall.
Wait a second. Who said he'd followed her? Maybe he hadn't followed her. Maybe his own car was parked here and he was on his way home.
Didi had been silent too long. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry and her heart was beating too fast.
'You don't need to help me. My car is right . . .' She stopped, already regretting what she had been about to say. Take it back, fool, take it back. Why would she want him to know they were in front of her car?
The man said "What I 'd like to do is help you to my car.'
Didi lost her breath and opened her mouth.
'I'd rather not do that,' she said, her voice breaking. 'I'm meeting my husband for lunch.' Her knees began to shake. To steady herself, she leaned against the minivan.
The man stretched his lips sideways, exposing his teeth. 'I think he'll be eating alone today,' he said.
THE BLURB: One pregnant woman.
One deranged man.
Eleven hours of hell.
Abducted from a shopping mall in Dallas, Didi Wood, in her ninth month of pregnancy, is taken on the most dangerous, horrifying ride of her life, as a madman drives her across Texas. While her husband and the FBI try furiously to track them down, they can only hope to find Didi -- and her unborn child -- alive.
MY THOUGHTS: I love this book.
The sun beats down on the parking lot of a Texas shopping mall.
Heavily pregnant and not at all comfortable in the relentless heat, Didi Wood is moving through her rgular routine of shopping before leaving to meet her husband for lunch.
And then she is kidnapped and bundled into a car by a desperate young man.
Who is he?
What does he want?
Where are they going?
This book is taut and gripping.
It is the book by which I measure all others in this genre.
The story telling alternates between Didi herself trapped by a sometimes violent but always unpredictable kidnapper, and her husband Rich with Scott, the FBI agent assigned to catch the kidnapper.
I re-read this book every few years.
Neither the magic nor the suspense ever dims.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
August 28, 2020
Wow - glad not too be the heroine in this dowzy of a story. A 9 months pregnant lady is kidnapped. From an up-market shopping plaza. Slowly, very slowly; as her abductor tells her about his life - she understands why.
Fast paced writing and an unputdownable story.
Fast paced writing and an unputdownable story.
March 19, 2013
I don't know exactly why but I keep reading other novels by Paullina Simons looking for the same feeling "The Bronze Horseman" trilogy left me, which I devoured in no time (and they are not short books at all!).
This is my second book by Simons after the trilogy, and again, I feel more than disappointed, I feel disgusted.
No trace of the smart and subtle prose of her most acclaimed series, just another impossibly likable characters in a superficial story not believable at all...
In this "thriller", we meet nine-month pregnant Didi (short name for Desdemona...) who is kidnapped by a disturbed young man in the parking of a mall (going shopping stupid make up and underwear when you're due any minute?). We are supposed to wonder why he kidnaps her, and even though it isn't revealed until the last pages, it's completely obvious from the beginning, which makes all the story even more pointless...
Her husband Rich tries to save her with the help of a typical film FBI Agent, half stupid half funny (or at least he tries to be...).
Plus I couldn't help but dislike Didi; she seemed false and swallow, her supposed Christianity and her willingness to save everybody didn't match her passion and strength in her fighting of the last pages, I doubt a pregnant woman mistreated the way she was could have the nerve to react the way she does in the last chapter.
All in all, the novel failed to move me, I found it charmless and predictable and vulgar.
And let me warn you, there are some passages with explicit violence, disgusting detailed descriptions of physical abuse and torture, which I personally found unnecessary.
So, if you're looking for a thriller, go for a Stephen King's or even a James Patterson's and don't bother with this novel.
In fact, I think I won't bother myself with Simons anymore...
This is my second book by Simons after the trilogy, and again, I feel more than disappointed, I feel disgusted.
No trace of the smart and subtle prose of her most acclaimed series, just another impossibly likable characters in a superficial story not believable at all...
In this "thriller", we meet nine-month pregnant Didi (short name for Desdemona...) who is kidnapped by a disturbed young man in the parking of a mall (going shopping stupid make up and underwear when you're due any minute?). We are supposed to wonder why he kidnaps her, and even though it isn't revealed until the last pages, it's completely obvious from the beginning, which makes all the story even more pointless...
Her husband Rich tries to save her with the help of a typical film FBI Agent, half stupid half funny (or at least he tries to be...).
Plus I couldn't help but dislike Didi; she seemed false and swallow, her supposed Christianity and her willingness to save everybody didn't match her passion and strength in her fighting of the last pages, I doubt a pregnant woman mistreated the way she was could have the nerve to react the way she does in the last chapter.
All in all, the novel failed to move me, I found it charmless and predictable and vulgar.
And let me warn you, there are some passages with explicit violence, disgusting detailed descriptions of physical abuse and torture, which I personally found unnecessary.
So, if you're looking for a thriller, go for a Stephen King's or even a James Patterson's and don't bother with this novel.
In fact, I think I won't bother myself with Simons anymore...
August 11, 2020
This held my interest to the end, but I wasn't able to really invest in the characters. In many ways this read like a book I'd read before - no surprises and not much suspense for a book about a kidnapping.
September 1, 2019
Extremely scary, extremely suspenseful story of an extremely pregnant woman who is kidnapped outside of a mall. From the beginning, with the slow stalking of Didi, with the creepy guy who is just slightly inappropriate and giving off the weird vibe, but who doesn't do anything obvious enough for Didi to scream for help or call 911 or ask mall security for help, the book is great. I think ALL women have been there—with a creepy weirdo who is asking to carry your bags, who is making you uncomfortable but it's such a minor thing that they are doing so we ignore our intuition that says RUN. The author does a fantastic job of describing this, and I completely felt the whole “Boy, this guy is icky” feeling, but society tells us we are overreacting if we do anything about it!
Lyle forces Didi into his car and is driving her to Mexico. Rich, her husband, is trying to get the police and FBI to jolt into action and SAVE HIS WIFE—but it seems they are more interested in catching the bad guy than they are with saving Didi's life. Oh, that is when they are not accusing Rich of having done something to his wife himself--you know, the husband is the most likely suspect. You feel the anger and frustration that Rich feels with the police and with the situation as a whole.
The tension is further racheted up by the fact that Didi is so completely pregnant and ready to pop at any second! Great plot twists, and exciting conclusion.
I have enjoyed everything that Paullina Simons has written, and this book is perhaps my favorite of hers!
Lyle forces Didi into his car and is driving her to Mexico. Rich, her husband, is trying to get the police and FBI to jolt into action and SAVE HIS WIFE—but it seems they are more interested in catching the bad guy than they are with saving Didi's life. Oh, that is when they are not accusing Rich of having done something to his wife himself--you know, the husband is the most likely suspect. You feel the anger and frustration that Rich feels with the police and with the situation as a whole.
The tension is further racheted up by the fact that Didi is so completely pregnant and ready to pop at any second! Great plot twists, and exciting conclusion.
I have enjoyed everything that Paullina Simons has written, and this book is perhaps my favorite of hers!
September 16, 2025
✨9/10✨
Son sayfaya kadar gerginlikle okudum. Çoğu sayfada nefesimi tuttum. Kitabı sevdim ama yaşananlar hiç hoş değildi. Her şeyi tahmin ettiğim ve farklı bir olay gerçekleşmediği için bir puan kırdım. Onun dışında güzeldi. Canım yazarımı okumayı özlemişim. 💖
Son sayfaya kadar gerginlikle okudum. Çoğu sayfada nefesimi tuttum. Kitabı sevdim ama yaşananlar hiç hoş değildi. Her şeyi tahmin ettiğim ve farklı bir olay gerçekleşmediği için bir puan kırdım. Onun dışında güzeldi. Canım yazarımı okumayı özlemişim. 💖
June 4, 2018
Kind of excruciating. The guy is a stereotype of every creep and psycho ever written and the plot moves really slowly over exactly what he says and does.
Didi is not very likeable. She's an empty-headed "little woman" who married the boss and had kids and lives to shop (and even buys special expensive lingerie to give birth in). Not judging, just 11 hours with her is too long even if she does get tough (finally) and do something about the situation after trying everything else first (including religion).
The religion that wound its way through the plot seemed excessive and not plausible. Ok so he sells religious books (and is damn rich from it) so she has this very strong faith and her conversations with her abductor and thoughts are full of that but then they also say things like "karma" and sort of mix their faiths a fair bit in anachronistic ways. I know people in real life DO have very personal blends of faiths but there is not enough story and characterisation here to make it believable.
The FBI guy is both a set of stereotypes and a foil for Rich (the aptly named husband) to illustrate his masculinity on/against/with). There are parts in their interactions which seem played for comedy, which falls flat when you consider how creepy and sleazy the other chapters (ie what is happening to Didi) are.
Basically the author had too many different intentions and not it seems the discipline to pare out the ones that don't add anything, also nothing much to say. I guess in a sense a suspense novel is always this predictable, the "bad guy" was written all over the place as if the author herself couln't completely decide what she thought of him or what made him tick. I was glad he wasn;t more human/relateable but I was not glad then to spend so many hours profitlessly in his company.
The book is only about 300 pages long but seemed twice that. I had to read in very short bursts because I don't like rapey scenarios and there was little here apart from that.
This is th second time I have not enjoyed this author. I have another of hers coming up on my TBR shelf but I may not bother
Didi is not very likeable. She's an empty-headed "little woman" who married the boss and had kids and lives to shop (and even buys special expensive lingerie to give birth in). Not judging, just 11 hours with her is too long even if she does get tough (finally) and do something about the situation after trying everything else first (including religion).
The religion that wound its way through the plot seemed excessive and not plausible. Ok so he sells religious books (and is damn rich from it) so she has this very strong faith and her conversations with her abductor and thoughts are full of that but then they also say things like "karma" and sort of mix their faiths a fair bit in anachronistic ways. I know people in real life DO have very personal blends of faiths but there is not enough story and characterisation here to make it believable.
The FBI guy is both a set of stereotypes and a foil for Rich (the aptly named husband) to illustrate his masculinity on/against/with). There are parts in their interactions which seem played for comedy, which falls flat when you consider how creepy and sleazy the other chapters (ie what is happening to Didi) are.
Basically the author had too many different intentions and not it seems the discipline to pare out the ones that don't add anything, also nothing much to say. I guess in a sense a suspense novel is always this predictable, the "bad guy" was written all over the place as if the author herself couln't completely decide what she thought of him or what made him tick. I was glad he wasn;t more human/relateable but I was not glad then to spend so many hours profitlessly in his company.
The book is only about 300 pages long but seemed twice that. I had to read in very short bursts because I don't like rapey scenarios and there was little here apart from that.
This is th second time I have not enjoyed this author. I have another of hers coming up on my TBR shelf but I may not bother
October 13, 2019
Eleven was a fast paced thriller by Paulina Simons. Though it was
completely different from her The Bronze Horseman series and not the type of book I usually gravitate to I found it very readable and I sped through it with ease.
Didi Wood is very pregnant, I mean due to deliver any time now kinda pregnant, when she has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lyle Luft is a most disturbed fellow and as far as antagonists go he was a scary piece of work - volatile, eratic and unstable. Lyle kidnaps Didi and as their story progresses we get some insights into his mental state and there were moments when I almost felt sorry for him. Almost .
The title of the book describes the elapsed time from abduction to the end of Didi's ordeal. Told in alternating chapters we not only knew what was happening to Didi but also what was going on in the search from her husband Rich's perspective. There were some elements that seemed unplausible to me. On the whole this was a good quick read but I definitely preferred her historical fiction.
completely different from her The Bronze Horseman series and not the type of book I usually gravitate to I found it very readable and I sped through it with ease.
Didi Wood is very pregnant, I mean due to deliver any time now kinda pregnant, when she has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lyle Luft is a most disturbed fellow and as far as antagonists go he was a scary piece of work - volatile, eratic and unstable. Lyle kidnaps Didi and as their story progresses we get some insights into his mental state and there were moments when I almost felt sorry for him. Almost .
The title of the book describes the elapsed time from abduction to the end of Didi's ordeal. Told in alternating chapters we not only knew what was happening to Didi but also what was going on in the search from her husband Rich's perspective. There were some elements that seemed unplausible to me. On the whole this was a good quick read but I definitely preferred her historical fiction.
November 20, 2020
This page turner definitely had me on the edge of my seat.
I really liked that the story was told by 2 alternate perspectives, however given the subject matter (ie kidnap) some parts were skimmed over and treated as trivial that made the story a bit far fetched.
I am not sure what to make of the ending either... I felt a bit let down considering the tension and build up of the rest of the book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 as it was such a fast read.
I really liked that the story was told by 2 alternate perspectives, however given the subject matter (ie kidnap) some parts were skimmed over and treated as trivial that made the story a bit far fetched.
I am not sure what to make of the ending either... I felt a bit let down considering the tension and build up of the rest of the book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 as it was such a fast read.
January 27, 2011
This is a book that was hard to put down. The tension rose. Poor Didi! From shopping the mall, munching on almond pretzels, her day just went steadily downhill. The pain, the thirst, the worry, the heat, the dirt and the blood all mounted up, and the poor reader is trapped there with her. It's an uncomfortable and unpleasant ride, but there's no escape. Not until the end. The suspense was killing.
I read it as quickly as I possibly could. Within the span of a day, which is pretty good for me now.
Didi and the kidnapper were entirely credible. Well, mostly. The kidnapper was crazed enough to make his odd behaviour understandable. He had a plan to follow and he was following it, even if Didi was making things difficult.
Didi. Geez. Don't get in the car! You're nine months pregnant, a few minutes away from having lunch with your husband, there is nothing good coming out of a car ride with a strange man who spooks you out. And I don't care how strong he is, he's not going to be able to carry or drag a nine-month pregnant screaming woman through a car park without interference.
After that, well, the violence keeps her in line.
What jarred was the police/FBI side of things. The police sounded realistic enough, but the FBI end of it was way out of whack. As Megan notes, the husband isn't going to be that closely involved. Questioned closely, sure, but his place then is at home, looking after the kids and keeping the relatives calm. He's not going to go flying around in helicopters, dressing up in combat vests and fiddling around in crime scenes, destroying evidence.
Sure, it gives the reader a lot of dialogue with him and the cocky FBI agent - and why just one? Wouldn't there be a team of a dozen or so, manning an office full of ringing phones and buzzing computers? Sure, it keeps the reader in he action seat, looking at the developing crisis from both sides. But it's so terribly unrealistic.
My feeling is that this is a movie script in book form. It's got Hollywood all over it, with the simplistic setups and the talky philosophical debates. and the violence.
Right. I read it quick, but I didn't like it much. I'm not inspired to go out and read more of this author. Not unless she does a whole heap more research.
I read it as quickly as I possibly could. Within the span of a day, which is pretty good for me now.
Didi and the kidnapper were entirely credible. Well, mostly. The kidnapper was crazed enough to make his odd behaviour understandable. He had a plan to follow and he was following it, even if Didi was making things difficult.
Didi. Geez. Don't get in the car! You're nine months pregnant, a few minutes away from having lunch with your husband, there is nothing good coming out of a car ride with a strange man who spooks you out. And I don't care how strong he is, he's not going to be able to carry or drag a nine-month pregnant screaming woman through a car park without interference.
After that, well, the violence keeps her in line.
What jarred was the police/FBI side of things. The police sounded realistic enough, but the FBI end of it was way out of whack. As Megan notes, the husband isn't going to be that closely involved. Questioned closely, sure, but his place then is at home, looking after the kids and keeping the relatives calm. He's not going to go flying around in helicopters, dressing up in combat vests and fiddling around in crime scenes, destroying evidence.
Sure, it gives the reader a lot of dialogue with him and the cocky FBI agent - and why just one? Wouldn't there be a team of a dozen or so, manning an office full of ringing phones and buzzing computers? Sure, it keeps the reader in he action seat, looking at the developing crisis from both sides. But it's so terribly unrealistic.
My feeling is that this is a movie script in book form. It's got Hollywood all over it, with the simplistic setups and the talky philosophical debates. and the violence.
Right. I read it quick, but I didn't like it much. I'm not inspired to go out and read more of this author. Not unless she does a whole heap more research.
May 26, 2011
Sometimes it seems like Simons is two different authors. She moves between brilliance and mediocrity so easily. This was down the mediocrity end. Not terrible, readable, but she's capable of so much more
April 24, 2020
Very interesting yet depressing book.
Normally, I would have enjoyed the thrill and darkness but with this book there was also some sadness included. The main character who was kidnapped was heavily pregnant almost at her last stage. So it was very awkward and extra scary. The things she had to go through were very horrible.
Overall, the book was very addictive. I loved the author’s writing.
Normally, I would have enjoyed the thrill and darkness but with this book there was also some sadness included. The main character who was kidnapped was heavily pregnant almost at her last stage. So it was very awkward and extra scary. The things she had to go through were very horrible.
Overall, the book was very addictive. I loved the author’s writing.
January 26, 2020
It is remarkable how much power Paullina's writing has over me.
There is quite a lot of 'God' involved in this as the main character named Didi, who gets kidnapped by a very unstable young man, is religious. Normally I would have minded this as I am one of those who believe that God, if he is out there, is rather a bystander and doesn't get involved in the matters of humans and our drama (most of which is self-inflicted). But - it read so well. Every element of the story worked exceptionally well and I ended up really connecting with pregnant Didi, her desperate husband Rich and the FBI agent who was helping find her. I also wanted to absolutely smother Lyle but as I couldn't figure out why exactly he was doing what he was doing, reading about him was as fascinating as watching documentaries about serial killers is (you hate them all but you can't get enough of the most sordid, horrifying stories; must admit that is best done from the comfort of your couch, with a blanket, cat and a glass of wine so you feel REALLY safe).
Paullina never disappoints!
I would recommend it to her fans who has never read it before (as I hadn't for the longest time!) and for those who enjoy thrillers and/or mysteries and don't get spooked if there's talk about God in books. The writing is captivating, as always.
There is quite a lot of 'God' involved in this as the main character named Didi, who gets kidnapped by a very unstable young man, is religious. Normally I would have minded this as I am one of those who believe that God, if he is out there, is rather a bystander and doesn't get involved in the matters of humans and our drama (most of which is self-inflicted). But - it read so well. Every element of the story worked exceptionally well and I ended up really connecting with pregnant Didi, her desperate husband Rich and the FBI agent who was helping find her. I also wanted to absolutely smother Lyle but as I couldn't figure out why exactly he was doing what he was doing, reading about him was as fascinating as watching documentaries about serial killers is (you hate them all but you can't get enough of the most sordid, horrifying stories; must admit that is best done from the comfort of your couch, with a blanket, cat and a glass of wine so you feel REALLY safe).
Paullina never disappoints!
I would recommend it to her fans who has never read it before (as I hadn't for the longest time!) and for those who enjoy thrillers and/or mysteries and don't get spooked if there's talk about God in books. The writing is captivating, as always.
February 6, 2017
Personal Response: I thought that “Eleven Hours” by Paullina Simons was a good book. It took me awhile to get into it but once I did it was hard to put down.
Plot: Didi Woods, at eight months pregnant, was shopping at the mall and this guy as she was walking to her car asked if she needed help with her bags. She said no thank you and kept walking but he followed her to her car. He said that she was hurting herself and the baby because she was carrying those bags. Once she go to the side of her van he forcefully pushed her up against it and said “let’s go for a ride together” but she said no because she had to meet her husband Rich for lunch at 1. But the guy took her by the arm and tried to lead her to his car but she yelled help me to two ladies walking into the mall, and as she did that this guy took her face in his hands and kissed her very hard. Now Didi knew something was wrong. He dragged her to his car where he shoved her to the seat and made her sit. They took off on the highway at a really fast speed. When it is 1:45 and Didi isn’t at the restaurant Rich starts to get worried so he goes to the mall and started to look for her white van. He found it eventually and looked inside, but found nothing except on the outside was a crumpled pretzel back white her hand lotion smell on it. Rich only knew it was her because he watched her put it on that morning. He noticed something else on the bag, it was blood, Didi’s blood. He ran inside the mall to the security room and told them what he found and demanded them to help find his eight month pregnant wife who he think was forcefully taken. Security took him to the pretzel place and asked to see the worker that was working at the time on the receipt. They took him and Rich to a private room where they were both asked questions. After they got some of the answers they wanted, they took Rich to the downtown police station, where they were asked more questions. Rich did everything and anything he could to get the officers to help him look for his kidnapped wife. Meanwhile Didi is in a car with a crazy mad man. He wants only her baby and nothing to do with Didi, but that is only because his wife and child were taken from him by God. His wife got sick right after birth and died and the son was born 3 months too early so he couldn’t survive on his own. On her treturous ride, she has to keep herself and her baby alive. They stop at a gas station quite a ways away from where they first started, they stopped after the Didi and Lyle, the kidnapper, played a game of guessing each other's names. They stopped so Lyle could get gas and get Didi something to drink. Didi went to the bathroom to freshen up and as she was about to leave she wrote a note on the mirror with her lipstick saying “Help me please! I’m Didi Woods and I’ve been kidnapped by a man named Lyle. He’s driving a Tan Ford Taurus Station Wagon Please Help!”. Someone must’ve seen the note and the guy that Lyle killed because apparently he wasn’t a nice man, because they called the guys Rich was with, Scott and the FBI. So with that news they were up in the helicopter in 2 minutes flat. They were heading there and they sent out ads on TV and the radio looking for Lyle and Didi both. Back in the car they were driving and needed a pawnshop because Lyle needed cash in his hand. He made Didi take off her engagement ring after he sliced open her fingers because she wouldn’t give it to him, and then took the phone from the glove box that he threw in there from Didi’s purse. Rich got the call and was frantically looking for his wife. They tracked him down
Characterization:
Recommendations:
Plot: Didi Woods, at eight months pregnant, was shopping at the mall and this guy as she was walking to her car asked if she needed help with her bags. She said no thank you and kept walking but he followed her to her car. He said that she was hurting herself and the baby because she was carrying those bags. Once she go to the side of her van he forcefully pushed her up against it and said “let’s go for a ride together” but she said no because she had to meet her husband Rich for lunch at 1. But the guy took her by the arm and tried to lead her to his car but she yelled help me to two ladies walking into the mall, and as she did that this guy took her face in his hands and kissed her very hard. Now Didi knew something was wrong. He dragged her to his car where he shoved her to the seat and made her sit. They took off on the highway at a really fast speed. When it is 1:45 and Didi isn’t at the restaurant Rich starts to get worried so he goes to the mall and started to look for her white van. He found it eventually and looked inside, but found nothing except on the outside was a crumpled pretzel back white her hand lotion smell on it. Rich only knew it was her because he watched her put it on that morning. He noticed something else on the bag, it was blood, Didi’s blood. He ran inside the mall to the security room and told them what he found and demanded them to help find his eight month pregnant wife who he think was forcefully taken. Security took him to the pretzel place and asked to see the worker that was working at the time on the receipt. They took him and Rich to a private room where they were both asked questions. After they got some of the answers they wanted, they took Rich to the downtown police station, where they were asked more questions. Rich did everything and anything he could to get the officers to help him look for his kidnapped wife. Meanwhile Didi is in a car with a crazy mad man. He wants only her baby and nothing to do with Didi, but that is only because his wife and child were taken from him by God. His wife got sick right after birth and died and the son was born 3 months too early so he couldn’t survive on his own. On her treturous ride, she has to keep herself and her baby alive. They stop at a gas station quite a ways away from where they first started, they stopped after the Didi and Lyle, the kidnapper, played a game of guessing each other's names. They stopped so Lyle could get gas and get Didi something to drink. Didi went to the bathroom to freshen up and as she was about to leave she wrote a note on the mirror with her lipstick saying “Help me please! I’m Didi Woods and I’ve been kidnapped by a man named Lyle. He’s driving a Tan Ford Taurus Station Wagon Please Help!”. Someone must’ve seen the note and the guy that Lyle killed because apparently he wasn’t a nice man, because they called the guys Rich was with, Scott and the FBI. So with that news they were up in the helicopter in 2 minutes flat. They were heading there and they sent out ads on TV and the radio looking for Lyle and Didi both. Back in the car they were driving and needed a pawnshop because Lyle needed cash in his hand. He made Didi take off her engagement ring after he sliced open her fingers because she wouldn’t give it to him, and then took the phone from the glove box that he threw in there from Didi’s purse. Rich got the call and was frantically looking for his wife. They tracked him down
Characterization:
Recommendations:
August 30, 2020
Easy to read, read the whole book today. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I loved it. It’s a bit of a contradiction because it kept me reading, but I didn’t enjoy it that much.
Here are my issues with this book. Spoilers ahead....
Firstly, Rich the husband. In what world, would the husband of a kidnapped woman be able to be part of the entire investigation as if he were a cop? He slows everything down immensely with his rage and inability to think rationally. There are some forced scenes where the reader is supposed to think the FBI is being schooled about his job, by an Account Manager for religious books. This was doing my head in for most of the book. Rich also seems to view his wife as more his property than the woman he loves.
Didi is so one dimensional, she is a religious housewife that loves shopping. There is no more depth to her than that, no backstory, nothing. I felt next to nothing for her until the end.
Lyle is also an underdeveloped villain, a man with a tragic past and various vague references of him being no good, he doesn’t seem like a fully realised character. The fact that he could abduct a pregnant woman in the car park of a busy mall is a huge stretch, from the very start.
It’s far too repetitive over all. Didi’s need for water is rehashed time and time again. God and religion is a theme which whilst brought up over and over and is never properly tested or explored.
Lazy writing and but an easy read.
I loved the Bronze Horseman series though, so I have enjoyed Paulina Simons as a writer. Maybe this one just wasn’t for me.
Here are my issues with this book. Spoilers ahead....
Firstly, Rich the husband. In what world, would the husband of a kidnapped woman be able to be part of the entire investigation as if he were a cop? He slows everything down immensely with his rage and inability to think rationally. There are some forced scenes where the reader is supposed to think the FBI is being schooled about his job, by an Account Manager for religious books. This was doing my head in for most of the book. Rich also seems to view his wife as more his property than the woman he loves.
Didi is so one dimensional, she is a religious housewife that loves shopping. There is no more depth to her than that, no backstory, nothing. I felt next to nothing for her until the end.
Lyle is also an underdeveloped villain, a man with a tragic past and various vague references of him being no good, he doesn’t seem like a fully realised character. The fact that he could abduct a pregnant woman in the car park of a busy mall is a huge stretch, from the very start.
It’s far too repetitive over all. Didi’s need for water is rehashed time and time again. God and religion is a theme which whilst brought up over and over and is never properly tested or explored.
Lazy writing and but an easy read.
I loved the Bronze Horseman series though, so I have enjoyed Paulina Simons as a writer. Maybe this one just wasn’t for me.
September 30, 2010
This book was only written two years before the Bronze Horseman, and it was so incredibly different and so badly written (comparatively) that I feel very fortunate I didn't read this first. I surely would never have read the Tatiana and Alexander series.
This was a really quick read, and had an interesting angle...pregnant woman kidnapped from the mall for no apparent reason, guy is a psychopath, doting husband knows she is missing very quickly, etc etc. I could identify with Didi, because even though I've never been kidnapped, I have been 9 months pregnant a couple of times. It was not very hard to imagine how helpless she would have felt, in her condition, in her situation. Didi's part was very real. We never really got a look inside the kidnapper's crazy, twisted ass mind, and Scott, the FBI guy, was a little too flip and friendly to be believed. Not that I know what a real FBI guy would act like in this scenario, but I don't think it would be quite like that.
Perhaps it is not fair to compare the works of an author, but the Soviet Russia/WWII books were so good, so well written and so believable that I just wanted to gobble up all the rest of her books. This didn't even feel like the same author. I do think I will read another one by her, though. I am interested to see if she really improved that much in two years. Maybe she's just that versatile, and is able to change her "voice" to suit the narrative.
This was a really quick read, and had an interesting angle...pregnant woman kidnapped from the mall for no apparent reason, guy is a psychopath, doting husband knows she is missing very quickly, etc etc. I could identify with Didi, because even though I've never been kidnapped, I have been 9 months pregnant a couple of times. It was not very hard to imagine how helpless she would have felt, in her condition, in her situation. Didi's part was very real. We never really got a look inside the kidnapper's crazy, twisted ass mind, and Scott, the FBI guy, was a little too flip and friendly to be believed. Not that I know what a real FBI guy would act like in this scenario, but I don't think it would be quite like that.
Perhaps it is not fair to compare the works of an author, but the Soviet Russia/WWII books were so good, so well written and so believable that I just wanted to gobble up all the rest of her books. This didn't even feel like the same author. I do think I will read another one by her, though. I am interested to see if she really improved that much in two years. Maybe she's just that versatile, and is able to change her "voice" to suit the narrative.
May 19, 2011
GRIPPING. i couldnt put this book down until i finished it (about 11 hours as it happens) and even after finishing, i sat feeling quite dazed, the story has quite an impact. excellent read, one that i'd go back to quite happily but only if i had time to read it from cover to cover, absorbing
December 6, 2019
Didi is 9 months pregnant and due to give birth anytime soon.some last minute shopping before lunch with her husband,proves to be her last moments being terror free.a man kidnaps her and threatens her for 11 hours.killing anyone who may recognise her,from a cop to a guy at a gas station.will didi manage to save herself in time or will he murder her?will she save her pregnancy or lose her baby in those hours?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2017
"A heavily pregnant young woman is leaving the shopping mall to head home on a horribly hot day in Texas. Her normal life of shopping, husband, children, with the extra excitement of the imminent baby, stretches before her. And then she is bundled into a car and kidnapped by a desperate young man."
September 26, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the details had me picturing the whole story while reading. I like how the “chapters” were time. So the story starts off at 11:45am. It also shows two different perspectives and what’s happening simultaneously (Didi who was kidnapped and Rich trying to find her). It was a very good read and I finished it in less than 2 days, I couldn’t put it down.
June 10, 2024
I got to 49% and could not continue. Bland, generic characters and plot. One of the worst thrillers I have read.
February 15, 2025
I first read this when I was 16 or 17 and loved it. Now I've reread it at 40 I'm not sure why!
July 27, 2020
A very fast, easy read which kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Although I found it predictable, I still enjoyed the ride.
June 15, 2020
DNF
I picked this book up at a free street library in my home town, I chose it because I read and really enjoyed Paullina Simons The Bronze Horseman series.
I think Eleven Hours was first published in 1998 and the author was finding her feet as a writer because the quality of writing is very inferior to The Bronze Horseman.
It started of with a semi interesting idea but after a while went down hill for me. Chapters we headed by a time stamp, when I got to 1:45pm, which was two hours of the story I had had enough. I skipped to the end and read backwards from 10:35pm and had a serious WTF moment. I read backwards to 10pm and thought that’s enough of my time waisted on this story.
Who writes an ending where the pregnant abductee goes into labour and gets raped by her captor who thinks she is just wet for him?? Seriously she should have just stabbed him in the neck in the car park at the beginning and saved us all the time!
This is the book I would toss on the fire first to warm me up during the zombie apocalypse if all I had were precious books to burn!
I picked this book up at a free street library in my home town, I chose it because I read and really enjoyed Paullina Simons The Bronze Horseman series.
I think Eleven Hours was first published in 1998 and the author was finding her feet as a writer because the quality of writing is very inferior to The Bronze Horseman.
It started of with a semi interesting idea but after a while went down hill for me. Chapters we headed by a time stamp, when I got to 1:45pm, which was two hours of the story I had had enough. I skipped to the end and read backwards from 10:35pm and had a serious WTF moment. I read backwards to 10pm and thought that’s enough of my time waisted on this story.
Who writes an ending where the pregnant abductee goes into labour and gets raped by her captor who thinks she is just wet for him?? Seriously she should have just stabbed him in the neck in the car park at the beginning and saved us all the time!
This is the book I would toss on the fire first to warm me up during the zombie apocalypse if all I had were precious books to burn!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2011
Amazing. Harrowing. Gripping from page 1 to the last.
The story is strong I think because of the bravery of the subject. Paullina writes of a heavily pregnant woman kidnapped and battling for her survival in extreme heat and terrifying circumstances. I found this story shocking and Paullina brave to put a pregnant woman into this sort of situation and to be so graphic about the happenings. This story is gutsy and really does punch you in the stomach right to the end. You feel the desperation of this woman and understand her actions instinctively, you feel her reasoning through your whole being through your essence as a human. Paullina also does not yb any means romanticise the situation or the kidnapper as some writters tend to do and I appreciated this for the truth of the situation. It is a no holds barred ride which will leave you literally breathless.
The story is strong I think because of the bravery of the subject. Paullina writes of a heavily pregnant woman kidnapped and battling for her survival in extreme heat and terrifying circumstances. I found this story shocking and Paullina brave to put a pregnant woman into this sort of situation and to be so graphic about the happenings. This story is gutsy and really does punch you in the stomach right to the end. You feel the desperation of this woman and understand her actions instinctively, you feel her reasoning through your whole being through your essence as a human. Paullina also does not yb any means romanticise the situation or the kidnapper as some writters tend to do and I appreciated this for the truth of the situation. It is a no holds barred ride which will leave you literally breathless.
May 27, 2010
I read this book in one day. It's not a big book, but is certainly a rollercoaster ride! Paullina Simons wastes no time getting to the point. Very different to her other books, I couldn't imagine her writing something like this! While reading it you come up with a hundred scenarios of where you think the book is going to go. It was hard because I felt such anger and frustration towards Didi's kidnapper, but then towards the end of the book I was crying for him and felt so sad. But then after a few more pages I was filled with rage again! Paullina never fails to create strong characters and I really enjoyed this book.
August 8, 2015
This was certainly an un-put-downable read.
Highlights were definitely the Didi and kidnapper parts, well written and credible. I could really FEEL the unbearable heat of the day, the blind panic of Didi's, the dirt, the pain and the thirst. It was all so vivid.
What was not so credible was the husband/FBI side of the story. The husband being so involved in the search for Didi was just not realistic. Donning bullet proof vests and flying around in helicopters is just too unbelievable...seriously. As if the police/FBI would willingly put another civilian at great risk like this.
Overall, a 4 star great read.
Highlights were definitely the Didi and kidnapper parts, well written and credible. I could really FEEL the unbearable heat of the day, the blind panic of Didi's, the dirt, the pain and the thirst. It was all so vivid.
What was not so credible was the husband/FBI side of the story. The husband being so involved in the search for Didi was just not realistic. Donning bullet proof vests and flying around in helicopters is just too unbelievable...seriously. As if the police/FBI would willingly put another civilian at great risk like this.
Overall, a 4 star great read.
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