Rating: 
Summary: A fairly enjoyable thriller
Review: Joe Hickey has figured out how to pull off the perfect kidnapping for ransom. He knows that the problem with kidnapping is the drop...you always get caught at the drop. Therefore, he has devised a plan where each family member, mother, father and child are all held in seperate locations for 24 hours where each kidnapper then places a check in call every half hour to make sure that everything is going according to plan. There is no drop, no confusion and most importantly no one gets hurt. They have pulled this off numerous times before and have yet to be caught, however, Joe didn't anticipate running into a family who refused to keep with his plan!
'24 HOURS' is an enjoyabe thriller by Iles and while I cannot say that it exactaly kept me on the edge of my seat, I can say that it was well written, well thought out and because everything was done just right I decided to give it 3 1/2 stars. While others raved about this book I didn't find that I was kept in suspence at all, I could pretty much figure out how the book was going to end from the begining, but hey, at least it kept me entertained for a day or two.
Rating: 
Summary: I cheered for the ''Bad Guy''
Review: This book was atrocious. It hurt to finish it. I found myself completely unable to relate to Will, Karen or Abby. Did not like any of them as characters, found them unbelieviable and hence gravitated towards Joe Hickey. Again, skip this one. read something else, anything else. I will not read any more f Greg Iles. I like to learn while I read and this did nothing for me.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Joe, Hickey and Cheryl are kidnappers. They abduct children, ask for a moderate ransom in the form of a wire so that the transaction runs smoothly and is completed within 24 hours.
As they are about to kidnap Abby, Will and Karen Jennings's daughter, they can hardly imagine that this time their operation is going to be anything but easy-going. As for the victims, they are about to spend the worst 24 hours in their lives.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst Greg Iles book I've ever read!
Review: I could not put this book down. It was my first book by Greg Iles so I didn't know what to expect. I am hooked. Fast paced, spine tingling, full of twists and turns. Great book.
Rating: 
Summary: action packed page turner
Review: I could not put this one down easily, there is so much action and surprises involved. The plot is simple, there is a team of professional criminals who specialize in kidnapping for ransom. They have succeeded five times without a hitch. Their plan is based on a 24 hour cycle. First, a doctor (preferably a well established specialist) with a family that has one small child is selected. The team takes advantage of a time when the doctor has to attend a medical conference. Each team member holds every member of the family hostage, keeps them separate and stays in contact via cell phone. One family member wires the cash to a bank and another family member is forced to pick up the cash at a bank and give it to the kidnapper. After the 24 hour cycle, the family is reunited and everyone promises to not say anything to anyone under the threat of their child being killed.There is just one job the team does however that presents a special challenge they could not have anticipated. All of the plans start to fall apart one by one which forces the team to alter their original plans. As everyone knows from reading popular mystery/thriller novels the bad guys always lose, but the question is, how far are the bad guys able to make it without getting caught and what are the things which contribute to their plan being foiled? I found it interesting how a similar scenario from the movie "Panic Room" was used.
Rating:
Summary: 24 Hours of Boredom
Review: Greg Iles is a talented young author with the ability to write exciting prose and draw his readers into his stories. Unfortunately, he didn't do that with this book. 24 Hours, later renamed Trapped when they made a movie out of it, is as exciting as a middle school spelling bee. There is never any real threat to any of the characters. The meanest of the three villians is quickly subdued early in the book, before he can truly menace anyone. The other two villians are so weak and "nice" that they never seem more frightening than a half-dead roach. Even the kidnapped little girl is never, ever, ever portrayed as being in a dangerous situation. "Mildly inconvenienced" would be more applicable. This book was a good idea that was badly executed, and I can't help wondering if the editor was at fault here instead of Iles. I really had to struggle to keep reading this one, unlike some of the other books by Iles. If you want to be kept on the edge of your seat, start with Sleep No More or Mortal Fear by the same author. Keep this book around for those nights when you have insomnia and need something to put you to sleep. It definitely worked for me.
|
