Touch and Go
"Touch and Go' is, as expected, a storming read from Gardner and definitely not one to be missed."
Synopsis:
Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life you'd find in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Boston's Back Bay neighbourhood. A great marriage, admired by all. A perfect life.
When investigator Tessa Leone arrives at the crime scene in the foyer of the Denbe's home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and a million tiny pieces of bright green Taser confetti. The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their cell phones and electronic devices remaining. No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive. Just a perfect little family, gone.
Tessa knows better than anyone that flawless fronts can hide the darkest secrets. Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbe's innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices. Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family? And how far would such a person be willing to go?
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Review:
Touch and Go' is one of those books you race through as you have to find out what happens. But at the end you wish you had not read it so quickly as you enjoyed it so much you want to still be reading it! Written giving the views from both the detectives, and that of Libby who has been kidnapped, Gardner doesn't just flit from one to another, but spends plenty of time at each scene giving the reader enough information and perspective. The plot is simple enough - a family kidnapped and held to ransom. But as time progresses, the story starts to unravel and the plot thickens. By around page 400 I had worked out who was behind the kidnapping. By the end of the book I was totally wrong! Each character has a motive for carrying out the kidnap, but once the culprit is finally revealed, it was not who I was expecting. A riveting read from Gardner, as usual. A definite plus from me was Gardner moving on from characters such as Kimberley and Quincy Pearce, and using newer characters from other books like Tessa Leoni. Familiarity of names but a chance to get to know them in more depth. Wyatt was also a definite hit for me and I would like to see him feature in future books. 'Touch and Go' is, as expected, a storming read from Gardner and definitely not one to be missed.