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In his second novel, Mark Gimenez retains his setting of the legal world, as he did in THE COLOUR OF LAW, his previous work, but without any courtroom scenes. Elizabeth Brice, a powerful Texas lawyer, turns up to collect her daughter Grace from soccer practice – only to find that her uncle has already done so. The problem is, however, that Grace does not have an uncle. Grace’s grandfather, Vietnam War hero Colonel Ben Brice, leads the hunt to find his granddaughter, but soon discovers that there is much more going on than meets the eye. This is no simple kidnapping, but something much deeper. Gimenez has written a fast-moving novel that contains numerous twists. He also concentrates on creating an attention-grabbing family portrait – on the surface, a family that ought to be happy, having achieved enormous success and made a lot of money, but as the old adage says, money does not buy happiness. The Brice family is, in fact, wracked with secrets and unhappiness, which are all laid bare as the story progresses. The different facets to the characters make interesting reading, although I find Grace, the kidnapped daughter, to be much too precocious and unrealistic. Very little of the story is told through her eyes, but her sections felt false and jarring. Exactly the same problem arose with the younger protagonists in Gimenez’s previous novel. It was originally planned to call THE ABDUCTION by the name of Amazing Grace, but in the end, THE ABDUCTION was used. Perhaps Amazing Grace would have been more fitting, since the character is viewed as amazing by all concerned. The plot itself is interesting and there is no doubt that Mark Gimenez knows the ingredients essential to writing a great thriller. This latest novel will sell very well and is recommended, particularly because of the powerful portraits of the characters that it paints. There may be some unrealistic points, but ultimately, the pace and excitement of the novel will render these unimportant.
Reviewed by Luke Croll, December 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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