Panic

Love Jeff Abbott, and if this isn't one of his best, it is still a fast moving, well-plotted story with interesting characters that keep you engaged from beginning to end. Read his five-novel series of CIA/ex-CIA agent Sam Capra: his wife's betrayal, his long search for his newborn son, his complicated relationship with his new boss Mila, his new job as a private "spy" to uncover threats to the US while working undercover as a bartender. Terrific stories, but really need to be read from 1st to last. This is a great series, and one I hope will continue!

This book works as a script. The plotting is tight. The twists keep you turning the pages. It continues Abbot's obsession with missing mothers and mysterious fathers all bound together by the love of a son. Abbott is consistent. Once again, he has a character "tent his cheek". You can see the movie. Redford as the father. A cameo by Sarandon as the mother. Some flashbacks. Toby Maguire as the protagonist. For consistent chemistry, lets toss in Ms. Dunst as the love interest. And that is the problem. Jeff Abbott knows better. And writes better. Where is the thought and the heart that has made my Judge Whit Mosely my favorite jurist? Where are the characters, the people, good and bad, with whom Mr. Abott has taken our imaginations in his past efforts? Gone to Hollywood it appears. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a let down for this reader.

I was convinced to buy Panic from the excellent review which compared Abbott to Joseph Finder and Harlan Coben, both of whom I love. On that basis I was disappointed because it certainly wasn't of that caliber. The main character, Evan Casher, is a likable documentary film critic leading a pretty wholesome, ordinary life. When he finds his mother murdered and the killers try to kill him, he transforms into a "super hero" right away. He is able to take on life long CIA and KGB spys and assassins and out fight, out gun and outsmart them. There was one dramatic shoot out or car chase after another, too much to be realistic. He overused statements such as "the lie tasted just fine in his mouth" and "he opened his mouth and then shut it." Once or twice maybe, but they were both overused which I found distracting. Despite all that, I liked the characters enough and the story enough to finish the book and I did enjoy it. If you decide to read it, you'll probably like it and it will keep your interest. Just don't expect a Finder or Coben level novel.

I had never read a book by Jeff Abbott. This was one of our book club picks. I'm so glad to have been given the opportunity to read it, because I might not have chosen it for myself. It's a quick read and a very gripping story.

I bought Jeff Abbott's "Panic" based on the unbroken string of 5-star reviews, as well as a strong endorsement from "Booklist". So while Abbott and "Panic" clearly have an enthusiastic following, I've got to take the contrarian view.This tells the story of Evan Casher, a twenty-something documentary film maker who's life begins to spiral out of control when he finds his mother brutally murdered while narrowly escaping the same fate for himself. Poor Evan begins to realize that everything he's ever accepted as truth is up for grabs as he tries to unravel the mysteries of mom's slaughter, find dad, and keep his new girlfriend satisfied. OK so far. But from this promising start, Abbott meanders at a needlessly slow pace through place and time, infusing what could have been an interesting premise with an overdose of schmaltz and melodrama that I found more tedious than thrilling. I suppose the die-hard black helicopter crowd would consider the plot gospel, but the storyline was stretched just a bit too far for my sensibilities. Evan's transformation from nerdy film boy to super-spy left me out in the cold as he magically matches wits and heavy weapons with steely-eyed operatives who are more comfortable handling Berettas than movie cameras.This was by no means a bad book, but no better than the average thriller, and definitely not up to the adrenaline-charged page-turners of Lee Child, to which "Panic" has been compared. For a more realistic average-guy-placed-in-extraordinary-circumstances story, try "Caught Stealing" by Charlie Huston. Or, if you prefer a more brutally likely finish for the kid trying to play out of his league with guys who practice violence for a living, try Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men." But if you insist on going with the majority, my advice: before dropping sixteen-and-change for the hardback, go to the library, look for a used copy, or wait for the paperback.

Lots of action but too many twists and turns, got confusing at times. Ended too abruptly.

This book is suspenseful, and it moves right along. I like the way Abbott writes. The plot is great, having two young people up against a CIA type villain. It will keep you guessing who the bad guy really is.

Jeff really knows how to spin a tale.. His books are great .. Once I start.. I have to keep reading until my eyes are falling out of my head.. THANKS JEFF! Look forward to more from you ..

not good

I read this and liked it but my husband hated it. Just different tastes obviously.

If you can suspend belief that 16 year old kids can be trained to become CIA agents then this is a terrific read.

Still reading but the main character is a teenage which I found to begin with odd having read a few of his other novels but worth a read so far.

I didn't realise this book was altered for a younger audience. Still a good read though. However, watch out for this, as apparently the word 'ultimate' was the clue.