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There’s never a dull moment for New York City’s Detective Michael Bennett. The widowed father of 10 already has his hands pretty full at home. But there’s more to Mike’s life than basketball practice and science fair projects.
Mike’s latest case has New York’s richest, most powerful citizens outraged. Jacob Dunning, the teenage son of the CEO of a multinational pharmaceutical company, has been kidnapped. Rich and well-connected, the Dunnings have plenty of influential friends—friends who quickly call FBI Agent Emily Parker in from Washington, D.C., to help with the case.
Bennett and Parker don’t have a whole lot of clues—so they find themselves racing to catch up as the kidnapper kidnaps more and more children of wealthy parents, giving each one a deadly final exam.
In their third Michael Bennett thriller (following Step on a Crack and Run for Your Life), co-authors James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge have clearly hit their stride. Worst Case is a breakneck thriller built on a solid, suspenseful plot.
Like The Teacher in Run for Your Life, the kidnapper (whom readers meet in the first chapter of Worst Case) is trying to teach the city of New York an important lesson. His methods may not be the best of ways to preach peace and love, but his motives (while twisted) are clear, and his message still comes across to readers—a subtle reminder of the world’s injustices, courtesy of a desperate man.
This time, though, the story is even tighter—and more suspenseful—than previous books in the series. And as the kidnapper continues his spree, you’ll race along, anxious to see what he’ll do next and how long he’ll keep going—and whether Mike and Emily will be able to catch him before his final act.
But Worst Case is more than just another crime thriller—thanks to Mike Bennett and his motley crew of family members. Bennett is an immensely likeable everyman cop—a tough, hardworking detective with a caring, thoughtful side. He’s a family man, first and foremost—and that makes him all the more compassionate in his dealings with victims and their families. The Bennett family stays mostly in the background in this installment, as the story focuses more on the complicated love triangle that develops between Mike, Emily, and the Bennetts’ faithful nanny, Mary Catherine. But they do pop up from time to time, adding a little bit of light-hearted family flavor to the story.
If you enjoyed the first two books in the Michael Bennett series, you’ll love Worst Case. And if you haven’t read any of the books in the series, there’s no better time to check it out. The lovable family of characters, mixed with plenty of heart-pounding suspense, makes it a can’t-miss thriller.
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