Rating: 
Summary: CLOCK WORK BLACK
Review: Greg Iles is turning out to be one of the most dependable writers in the thriller genre today. In "24 Hours," his skills as a plot technician, suspense/thrill master, and most importantly, character structure, is impeccable. While not as engaging and plausible as other books I've read by him ("Mortal Fear," "Dead Sleep"), this novel nonetheless is one you can hardly put down.
Again, skipping the synopsis already well covered by other reviewers, I'd like to focus once again on the tremendous ability Iles has in giving us richly developed and flawed characters, even the heroes.
The leading characters, Karen and Will Jennings, have fallen into the recognizable "stagnant" marriage. Jennings is a doctor who has come up with an amazing new medicine, and Karen is a wife who wanted to be a doctor, but had to give that dream up when she got pregnant, with their daughter Abby. This resentment fuels the story, and is both agonizing and convincing. It's also indicated in the fact that Will's concern for his kidnapped daughter, doesn't include his wife until late in the novel. He is also tempted by the sultry Cheryl, although this is initially when she's an audience member of his presentation, and before he finds out her role in the kidnapping. Even then, his temptation for sexual relationship is obvious. (He and Karen have conflicting views on the frequency and/or need for sex). Overall, Karen and Will are piercing characters, and you end up supporting them both in their desperate struggle to get their daughter back alive.
Abby, the little girl, is a different child character than usual. She is quite a charmer, a five year old with both the innocence of youth and the wisdom of intelligent and caring parents. She is also a diabetic, and is keenly aware of the need to watch what she eats and to make sure she gets her insulin shots.
The book has three villains, so to speak, but only one is truly irreprehensible. That's Joe Hickey. This man is evil through and through, and although he uses revenge as his motive for his fifth kidnapping, the other four show how cruel he can be also. He has a perfect crime on his hands, and has been successful four times before, but he meets his match in Karen and Will. He is vile, and quite well written.
Cheryl and mildlly retarded Huey are different; you can see their good side, and how they have been enamored and "captured" by the evil in Joe. I especially liked Cheryl's character, in that she "matures" in the reader's eyes.
The ending is spectacular and breathtaking; I can see its' cinematic value. "Trapped", screenplayed by Mr. Iles, is the movie version, and though I haven't seen it, reviews have indicated it stays close to the book.
Wow, this is a great read. I look forward to catching up on all of Mr. Iles' books.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating: 
Summary: A Woman's Worst Nightmare
Review: I am not sure who recommended Greg Iles to me as a writer of the seat-of-your-pants-page-turning-thriller variety; but I will be eternally grateful. Reading 24 hours is like watching a movie. Iles gets your attention from the very start of this thriller. The action is intense. The character development is an eight on a ten-point (the highest number) scale. The motivation for each of the principal players is a solid ten. Will and Karen Jennings are an upper middle-income professional family. Will is a doctor anesthesiologist and his wife is a stay at home mom who gave up her pursuit of a medical career in deference to that of her husband. Karen is smarter than Will and her underlying resentment of the trade-off has created uneasiness in the relationship. However, this is small potatoes compared to the nightmare their family is about to endure at the hands of a clever psychopath. Joe Hickey has devised a kidnapping scheme that he reenacts once every year. His target is always a successful professional (doctor) family. So successful is Joe with his scheme that the victims pay the ransom and never report the crime. The kidnapping of the Jennings' precocious five-year old daughter, Abby, however, is somehow a little different from the other kidnappings and thus the non-stop action begins. The dialogue is snappy; and the various encounters between the Joe, his henchmen and the Jennings family are filled with enough tension to keep your heart racing from one scene to the next. You will have to read the book to discover the reason I entitled this review as I did. Once you start reading 24 HOURS I dare you to put it down: you just cannot do it. It will consume you until you finish it. This is a thriller of the first order. Do not miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!!
Review: this is possibly the best pulse-pounding thriller i've read so far this year. In terms of pace, plot, character, it is brilliant. This easily rises above most kidnap thrillers, with Ile's addition of extra concepts in the plot, extra twists and added complications. He then sets himself the rather difficult task of trying to structure his plot around all these additions and extra problems, and he does it with ease, seamlessly. The plot runs completely smoothly and completely credible, and there isnt even the tiniest of holes in sight. The characters are very well drawn...very human. Sometimes, the way he draws his characters reminds me of Stephen King. Iles is very good at creating normal people caught up in unusual situations. And he is also very good at writing children, something not all authors are. The plot is original and exciting, his writing is very immediate, and puts us right in the thick of the action. the story moves at great pace, flicking brilliantly between the three alternating scenes (Will Jennings, trapped in a hotel room with one of the conspirators, Karen Jennings trapped at home with the ring-leader, and little Abby Jennings, who is being held in a cabin in the middle of a forest with a disturbingly gentle psychopath...), keeping the pages flying past. this is an excellent thriller. My favourite book by Iles. (So far! I've still got three to read.)
Rating:
Summary: One of the best I've read this year
Review: I had wanted to pick up this book for quite a long time and I finally decided to do so when I heard the movie was about to open. I love fast-paced thrillers where the action flows in just a few hours. This one really did it for me. A thrilling story that keeps you turning pages. Just to mention it, I found it really interesting that Iles didn't go for the typical Time of the Day subtitle in every chapter (you know, 10:22pm ... 03:45am ... 06:22am). I think it gave him more liberty to work on the suspense without being restrained by the actual hour.
Rating:
Summary: This whole story happens in "24 hours"
Review: I read the hardback "24 Hours" not "Trapped" as someone else indicated below. It was the first of his books that I have read, but I understand that Dead Sleep (which I will read next) was even better. This is a story of a kidnapping, the 5th of its kind for the kidnappers, none of the previous kidnappings having been reported, all "successful" as planned, and all are children of Doctors. The kidnapper uses his real name, lets the victims see his face, and his motto is "the kid always makes it," although the story leads the reader to wonder if the current kidnapping has the same rules as the previous kidnappings, as there seems to be a real personal agenda in this one. I thought it was well done and it kept my interest, as we get to see what really motivates the main kidnapper, Joe Hickey, how he manipulates his accomplices in the crime, his wife and semi-retarded cousin, and why he commits these crimes. He never asks for exorbitant amounts of money, only what he knows the victim (Doctor) can afford and come up with in 24 hours. I disagree that it was boring, and although some of it was predictable, I still recommend it as a good book to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Unimpressive
Review: This is the most boring book I have ever read. It is so predictible and, except for a few places, very slow. Towards the end it picks up, but not much. I wouldn't recomend this book to anyone. The author is not very creative and steorotyped all of the characters of what he thinks they should. Save your time and money on something else.
Rating:
Summary: this is a cool book
Review: This book (Trapped) is a suspenseful and thrilling book. I would read this book again and again. The main character, Joey Hickey, is a cruel and cold-hearted man, but he fits his part in the book. If you start to read this book, you will not want to put it down until your done. I think that the book keeps you thinking and its unpredictable. I think everyone who likes mysteries should read Trapped, By Greg Iles
Rating:
Summary: 24 Hours grabbed my imagination and did not let go.
Review: Even though I was warned to not start reading this book when I was ready to go to sleep, I figured that I could read for fifteen minutes, then call it a night. That was about 11:00 PM. A few minutes later I glanced at the clock -- it was after 3:30 AM. That is a page-turner. 24 Hours was released in paperback in July 2001, then re-released as Trapped. It is the basis for the movie starring Kevin Bacon, Charlize Theron, and Courtney Love. Many elements contributed to the book's success and ultimate destiny as a film. Paramount is the story telling that allows the reader to suspend disbelief, which is not that difficult due to due to the recent slate of child abductions and the aftermath. We see events like this happening, and our own knowledge interpreted by imagination creates the horror Iles describes. This is more than a suspenseful thriller. It taps into the psychology of criminal and victim, woman and mother, father and hunter, prey and survivor. The characters are deep, and deeply disturbing. To play out a kidnapping and keep those involved from ever discussing it, is masterful. The villain has done this every year for five years, and it has never been reported. The plot shows the complexities of the intricate plans of a methodical and intelligent man who has turned to crime, but he when he makes a mistake and chooses the wrong target it changes all of the rules. Unfortunately, some of the reviews of the movie indicate that it was not translated onto celluloid well, but it deserves five stars as a novel...
Rating:
Summary: Fast moving, well-written if a little implausible
Review: I read this book very quickly--it has a sort of motor in it. In many ways it is well-written. My main problem with it is that it is a little over the top in terms of plausibility, especially the final part of the book. But I would still recommend this book.
Note that the movie version (screenplay also written by Iles) came out this past weekend. I did not think the movie was as good as the book, and the movie has not been getting particularly good reviews....
Rating:
Summary: I read it in one sitting.
Review: This is a fantastic book! As I said, I read it in one sitting, I was glued to each page. This is the first book I read by Iles, and I plan to get the rest of his books. Iles is a fantastic author. He has the ability to keep the reader hooked to the very last page. He writing style is one of many plot twists and outsandting characters that you want to read about, and care about, even the "bad guys". This is the story of the Jennings family. They are forced to live a parents worst nightmare, the kidnapping of their child. But they aren't going to sit back and be a victim. They fight back to get their daughter. While this is going on, someone else is also helping the Jennings family, even if they don't know it. Hickey, who plays a role in the kidnapping, tells Karen that he has kidnapped her daughter, she won't be harmed. He's done this before and the child has always walked away. But something about this kidnapping is much different, Hickey isn't really interesting in moeny. What could he be interesetd in? Read this book and find out. There's a movie out now called "Trapped" that's based on this book. I highly, highly, highly suggest you read this book. I can promise you won't be sorry.
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