Description:
Among the many things Jay Amberg does right in this sharp and savage new thriller is to create a credible monster--a physically and psychologically maimed computer wizard named James Robert Saville. This character plans and executes the kidnapping of the 9-year-old daughter of Chicago Bulls superstar Robert "Sky" Walker and his glamorous, high-profile television news reporter wife. Amberg quickly makes us believe that Saville really is a master of the electronic universe, smarter than the people pursuing him and also able to do all the hard work necessary to make his plan succeed. The only cop with a shot at stopping him is a suburban detective named Tom Hopkins, a decent, dedicated man with undiscovered links to Saville's past, plus the obvious integrity to earn the trust of a jaded but ultimately likable sports legend like Walker. Two other characters add depth to Amberg's strong story: an ambitious, amoral television journalist manipulated by Saville, and Walker's slick, secretive lawyer with an agenda of his own. There are several disturbing moments of pain involving children, but they're there for reasons of realism rather than exploitation. --Dick Adler
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