Jeff Abbott - Panic

review by showhost

It's a crime thriller

It begins with a phone call in the early hours of the morning to Evan from his mother.  She needs him to come home straight away, it is an emergency but she can't tell him anything on the phone.  His father is away in Australia on business.  Home to his mothers is a 2 hour drive away.  Evans girlfriend Carrie is not in bed next to him, she has left a note to say she had an early start at work and will see him later.

When Evan arrives at his parents home nobody answers.  He finds his mother dead in the kitchen.  As he reaches for the phone to ring the police a metal blow to the head sends the world into darkness.  When he wakes, with a noose around his neck, a hood over his face and a gun to his head, the first question asked by his captors is "where are the files your mum sent you?".

From here on it is a story of espionage and counter espionage and Evan finds out his whole life has been a lie.  He is being hunted but who can he trust and what exactly are those files 'they' so desperately want and where are they?

This story has a similar speed of action to Simon Kernick books, especially at the beginning, but they're not as good.  I thought it got a little messy towards the end but it would probably make a good 'made for tv film'.

It says on the blurb 'fans of Harlan Coben & Lee Child would enjoy the bumpy ride'  I'm not sure if I would read another of his but would maybe pick one up for a holiday read if I saw it in a charity shop.