The head of a billion dollar interior design corporation receives a mysterious cell phone in the mail delivering a message from an automated attendant threatening to expose a hidden secret that could ruin the company if she doesn't comply with their demands.  This opens the story of intrigue and suspense. 

Judith Find is in direct competition with Martha Stewart.  On a daily basis, she has to contend with a greedy stepson who wants to push her out as CEO of the company that his father, her husband, built.  What did she do in her errant college days that could compel her to follow the extortionist's orders to keep the secret? 

Luke Becker has led a difficult life, one that left him paranoid and a recluse. He, too, receives a mysterious cell phone that rings with a threat from the same automated attendant, sending him to meet Judith where the two of them embark on a joint mission. 

The story propels into a journey of blackmail, trailing through California on the company's private jet to find a kidnapped boy.  The action is quick-paced and well drawn.  The author has done a marvelous job of keeping you on the edge of your seat and feeling the pain and hopelessness of less-than-action-hero characters trying to accomplish superhuman feats.  My one qualm with this book is that the motivation for them seemed very weak to me.  I didn't know why they needed to chase a kidnapped child they had no connection to and I didn't understand if their joint mission was to rescue the child or pay a blackmailer to prevent harm coming to an innocent for their crimes.  That part of the plot seemed poorly drawn, in my opinion.  I was also surprised when they found the child so quickly and then the theme of the book switched from save the child to save the children.  The author could have dropped more clues along the way that the child was one of a special group to provide more continuity to the pursuit.  All in all, I did enjoy the read based on the action sequences and the well-drawn characterizations.

Reviewed by Karla Brandenburg for The Road to Romance

September 15, 2007