Takeover (Nicola)
Takeover by Lisa Black
Pages: 340
First Published: Sept. 2008
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 4/5
First sentence:
The sun had barely come up, and already it was too hot.
Comments: Theresa MacLean, forensic scientist, and her fiance, police detective Paul Cleary, are working the same case of a man found dead in the bushes in front of his home, while his wife and two-year old are nowhere to be found. Theresa goes off to take forensic details of the body at the hospital while Patrick goes to the Federal Reserve bank, where the man worked, to interview his coworkers. Patrick hardly steps foot in the place when two armed robbers takeover the bank and hold the people on the first floor hostage, including Patrick who pretends to be a bank worker while covering his gun so as not to alert the robbers to his police status.
What ensues is a page-turning, thrilling story of hostages, bank robbers with a plan bigger than anyone can imagine, professional negotiations and the terror involved in dealing with ones loved one in a hostage situation.
Very well written in a face-paced narrative with an unpredictable and not necessarily happy ending. Though I did guess one of the major twists fairly early on it didn’t hamper my enjoyment of watching the plot unfold. A quick read, I read it in 24 hours, and a satisfying book for fans of suspense novels.
Takeover (Caribousmom)
Lisa Black’s first novel - Takeover - takes place in Cleveland and opens with the grisly murder of a man found outside of his home. Forensic scientist Theresa MacLean doesn’t have any reason to believe this will be different from any other murder she has investigated until she gets word that a hostile takeover of the Federal Reserve has occurred. To make matters worse, Theresa’s fiance Paul is one of the hostages being held. From this moment forward, the book is nonstop suspense and thrills.Black develops her characters with a sharp eye to detail, and Theresa MacLean is a worthy heroine who uses her intelligence and courage to help uncover the secrets of the case.
Black’s professional background as a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences with a certification by the American Board of Criminalistics adds authenticity to her writing which is in the tradition of Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell.
I liked this book for its tension and fast-paced plot. It is a quick read which kept my attention. Black left the ending open for a sequel…so I hope she is working on her second novel.
Recommended.
