From Amazon.com
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
From Booklist
Sky Walker is the superstar of the world-champion Chicago Bulls. His wife, Monique, is a beautiful television news personality. Their fairy-tale life seems irrevocably shattered when Tonya, their nine-year-old-daughter, is snatched by an unknown but technologically savvy psychotic with unclear motives. The kidnapper's demands are transmitted electronically via a sophisticated, virtually untraceable computer network. Heading the investigation is Tom Hopkins, who struggles to maintain his focus in the face of a media frenzy that rivals the O. J. Simpson circus. Television reporters uncover false leads, the kidnapper sends red herrings from cyberspace, and all the while a young innocent suffers at the hand of a madman with no discernible motive. Though the obvious resemblance to Michael Jordan is heavy-handed, the plot takes on a life of its own, due in large part to the palpable evil of the kidnapper and the empathy and humanity of Officer Hopkins. Toss in an unsettling but believable conclusion, and readers will be eagerly awaiting the next Amberg suspense novel.
Wes Lukowksky
