Stolen - Hardcover

Palmer, Daniel

3.91

1,243 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0758246668 ISBN 13: 9780758246660

Publisher: Kensington, 2013

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"In Stolen, Daniel Palmer updates a classic premise, the ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary situation, and the result is a twisting, suspenseful chiller of a book." --William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob

The future looks bright for Boston couple John Bodine and Ruby Dawes. John's online gaming business is growing, and they're talking about starting a family. But when Ruby receives a life-changing diagnosis, and their cut-rate insurance won't cover the treatment she desperately needs, John makes a risky move. He steals a customer's identity and files a false claim for Ruby's medication.

The plan works perfectly--until the customer in question contacts John with a startling proposition. If John and Ruby play a little game he's devised, he won't report their fraud. The rules of Criminal' are simple: commit real crimes. But if they fail, there will be deadly consequences. John assumes it's a sick joke--until people start dying.

With each round, the crimes get more twisted. John and Ruby can't disappear--and they can't go to the police. Their only option is to keep playing, while trying to outwit a psychopath who has no intention of letting them leave this game alive...

Praise for Daniel Palmer's Helpless

"Warning: once you start reading this novel, you will not stop!" --Lisa Gardner

"If Palmer's second thriller doesn't generate tingling spinal columns, then nothing will." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A high speed thriller." --Lisa Scottoline

"Palmer scores again with a terrific thriller that has it all." --Library Journal (starred review)

"A compelling and deeply puzzling thriller." --The Associated Press

Delirious

"Not just a great thriller debut, but a great thriller, period." --Lee Child

"A solid, well-constructed thriller, nicely convoluted and definitely suspenseful." --Booklist

"A roiling plot, insightful characters, clear, intelligent writing. What more could you ask for in a novel?" --Steve Berry

"Techno-savvy thriller fans will enjoy this psychological mind-bender." Library Journal

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About the Author:

Daniel Palmer spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer helping to build first generation websites for Barnes & Noble and other popular brands. An experienced musician and songwriter, Daniel has recorded two CDs and licensed his songs for commercial use. Daniel's co-written two short stories for the trade organization International Thriller Writers. He holds a master's degree in mass communications from Boston University, and currently resides in New Hampshire with his wife and two children.

READER BIO
A veteran of stage and screen, Peter Berkrot's career spans four decades. Highlights include feature roles in Caddyshack and Showtime's Brotherhood, and appearances on America's Most Wanted and Unsolved Mysteries. His voice can be heard on television, radio, video games, documentaries and industrials. Peter has recorded a number of audiobooks, including three by Peter Hessler. Other favorite titles include The Wood; English, August; The Fifth Vial; American Brutus; Better; and Some Sort of Epic Grandeur.

Review:

"In Stolen, Daniel Palmer updates a classic premise, the ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary situation, and the result is a twisting, suspenseful chiller of a book." --William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob

Hanging from a mountain cliff with two other climbers, John must make a gut-wrenching decision: which man should he cut loose in order to save John and one other. John's action gives us a preview of his personality and capabilities, as the theme of "what would you do to save yourself?" plays throughout the rest of this suspenseful thriller. John and Ruby are young, in love, and on their way to success when Ruby is diagnosed with cancer. After finding out their insurance will not cover the lifesaving medicine she needs, John uses his technology skills to steal an identity and file a false claim. But the couple are pulled into a horrible cat-and-mouse game when the identity theft victim threatens to kill people close to them if John and Ruby refuse to play a game called Criminal.

Verdict Palmer's (Delirious; Helpless) whirlwind of a thriller takes readers into the mind of a psychopath as his victims go to extremes to come out alive. This well-written, well-paced nail-biter will please adrenaline fiction junkies. --Library Journal

In the prologue of Palmer's unrelentingly suspenseful thriller, John Bodine, an avid mountain climber from Boston, faces a horrific choice after an avalanche sweeps his two companions over a ridgeline in Tibet. To survive, John must cut one of the ropes that connect him to his friends, causing one of them to fall to his death. Years later, John learns that his insurance company won't pay for the expensive treatment his wife needs after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Desperate, he succeeds in stealing the identity of another man, Elliot Uretsky, who has the proper insurance. The problem is, Uretsky is a serial killer. Uretsky calls John and tells him he knows what John is doing and will turn him in unless John agrees to play "a game." John must commit ever-more-dangerous crimes, and when he balks, Uretsky kills someone close to him. Readers should note that Palmer (Helpless) sets a high bar for serial killer brutality. --Publishers Weekly

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