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dnkb
TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE
2.0 out of 5 stars Dull; predictable
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2020
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While nothing about Alex Lake's "The Choice" is objectionable, there's not much to recommend it, either. The plot revolves around Matt and Annabelle Westbrooke, a married couple who have been together since university, have three young children, a staid and sturdy lifestyle, and whose children have been suddenly, shockingly kidnapped. Matt's negligence in leaving his kids in an unlocked car outside a convenience store is glossed over in the narrative, and the story focuses on the kidnapper's near supernatural knowledge of the Westbrooke's every move after their children's abduction, and the kidnapper's bizarre ransom: Annabelle, the children's mother.

Reluctant to involve the police, since the kidnapper seems to know every move the Westbrookes make, Matt and Annabelle enlist the aid of family and friends to assist in recovering the children.

I don't recommend this book highly. Although reasonably well-written, the characters are fairly lifeless and inauthentic for the circumstances. They seem prescripted, less than anxious in what would be a terrifying situation. Both seem unwilling to consider close friends or family in the role of abductor, though it's clear that only someone close to the family could have succeeded in kidnapping their children. In the messages they receive, it's fairly obvious that someone is getting nearly up-to-the-minute feedback on their plans.

I figured this out immediately. Some of that is due to process of elimination; there are only so many people it COULD be. However, I believe that this is also due to to sloppy writing.

The narrative switches back and forth between the present and the past when Matt and Annabelle were in university, giving us a context to their relationship (also throwing out red herrings as to possible suspects). In the end, though, I think that this novel isn't complex or interesting enough to recommend.
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Print MD
4.0 out of 5 stars This book should be a movie !
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2020
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OCTOBER 2020 : 4 STARS. While out with his three kids, Matt Westbrook turns his back for a moment and his 3 kids disappear. To get them back, the kidnappers want his wife Annabelle.

First books by this author for me were Seven Days (5 Stars), Copy Cat (4 Stars) and After Anna (4 Stars). Another great read. From the first pages this book just flies along. Loved the flashbacks of their early years together. I kept changing my guess for who the kidnapper was until the author revealed it. Even once that happened, the thrills did not let up. I think this would make a great movie!
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Crazy and Scary
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2020
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How does he think of these things? I love his books.
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Jen
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent read
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2020
his was a decent read with some twists that really makes you think. It centers on Matt and Annabelle, who are happily married with 3 kids. Matt leaves the kids in the car for a few minutes while he runs into a store and when he comes out, the car with the kids in it is gone- a parent's worst nightmare. He quickly receives messages from the kidnapper, who tells him that the only way he can get his kids back is to swap them for his wife.

The first half of this book is fraught with tension, as Matt and Annabelle try to figure out what to do and what options they have. There are also flashbacks to other times in both of their lives that drop some bread crumbs around who might be responsible for this. Once the reader finds out who the villain is (earlier in the book than I would have expected), the rest of the story fell a bit flat to me, though I can't put my finger on exactly why. I think I wanted to understand more of the backstory and details that led that person to make the decisions they made. The rest of the story was still fast paced but didn't keep me as engaged as the first half. I thought the ending was abrupt, as well.

All in all, a pretty good book with a unique premise, and also a quick read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Connie Fischer
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Notch Thriller
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2020
Matt Westbrook leaves his 3 small children in the car for a few minutes while he stops in a shop. They are ages 3, 5, and 7. With a virus that’s rampant, he does not want to possibly expose the children to the virus in the store. Matt’s wife, Annabelle, has asked him to pick up a few things for dinner. On his way out of the store, he sees that the car is gone. Then he gets a text telling him not to call call the police and that instructions will follow. Matt is a partner in a law firm and Annabelle is a writer.

Matt runs home and tells Annabelle what has happened. They call a couple siblings and a friend to come and help advise them what to do. The next text says this person doesn’t want money. Instead, they can have their children back and Annabelle will take their place. What does this person want with Annabelle?

This is one of the best edge-of-the-seat thrillers I have read in quite awhile. What an incredible imagination this author has. Without giving out any spoilers, suffice to say that you do not want to miss this book. Fabulously well done, Alex Lake.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Sharon Turner
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
Matt and Annabelle have a great marriage and three wonderful kids, whom they adore. One day Matt has to stop at the store to pick up a few things and has his kids with him, so he decided since he would only be a minute he would leave the kids in the car alone while he went inside. He got what he needed and headed back to his car and kids, but he couldn’t find his car, at first he thought he had forgot where he had parked then he starts to panic when he realized that his car and kids were missing. About that time he received a text from an unknown number that says his kids have been kidnapped, and if he called the police him and his wife would not see their children again and he told him he would hear from him later about a random. As Matt and Annabelle wait for the kidnapper to contact them they wonder why he had targeted them since they don’t have a lot of money. Imagine their surprise when the kidnapper informs them that it’s not money he wants in exchange for their kids but Annabelle. This was a very fast paced story that I couldn’t put down and I really enjoyed it. I love all of This authors books. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc for my honest review.
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Top reviews from other countries

Melanie’s reads
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure unadulterated thrilling fun from start to finish
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Narrated from three view points, Matt, Annabelle and the kidnapper, this is told mostly in the present (with a few Covid mentions) and flashbacks to their time at University in 2004. Then further on we also have narrative from Detective Wynn.

All the characters are well thought out and written in such a way to plant seeds of doubt. I found myself questioning marriages, friendships and every random introduction. Matt and Annabelle seem happy or am I being led up the garden path?

There are a whole bunch of crazies in this book, including an obsessed ex, a book fan who isn’t quite Annie Wilkes but isn’t the whole ticket either, and a sister with warped loyalties. So your suspect list is full but this is where you need to pay attention. The clues are there and for the first time in what feels like forever I actually worked it out and all because of one little teensy clue which could easily be missed. All is not revealed until about three quarters of the way through so you have time to hone your detective skills.

Reading like an action thriller at times the chase is on once the swap is made and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This is pure unadulterated fun from start to finish. If you enjoyed the film Knives out this would also make a great film and I’ve already got the two leads cast, James McAvoy for Matt and Kelly Macdonald as Annabelle.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
I loved this book. Read it on holiday in just 3 days! It's fast paced and gripping, you just have to get to the end to find out who did what (no spoilers). Looking forward to reading another book by this author.
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Janice Staines
4.0 out of 5 stars A kidnapping and a pandemic - can things get any worse?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
This book is set in the spring of 2020 as people are starting to be infected by a new virus hitting the UK.

A father leaves his three young children in the car while he ‘pops’ into a convenience store to grab a few items for dinner. When he comes out, just a few minutes later, his car and his children are gone. A parent’s worst nightmare, as you might imagine. But then he starts getting texts to say they have been kidnapped and the ransom for their safe return is that his wife be traded for his children.

So follows a gripping psychological thriller where the author leads us through the earlier life of Matt Westbrook as he goes off to University, makes new friends and meets the woman who will become his future wife - Annabelle Anderson.

This is a fast-paced, gripping thriller. It has touches of ‘The Chain’ about it, with the added threat of being set in a pandemic. And that, I think, is what ultimately detracts from the overall success of this book.

The premise, the plot and story telling is, as you’d expect from this author, really very good. But something isn’t quite right with the writing about two-thirds of the way through. I suspect that this has been caused by the rush to get a book about the pandemic published as quickly as possible. Given a little more time and consideration these ‘blips’ would have been ironed out and the book would have been the better for it.

Having said that, I did enjoy this book and I read it in just a couple of sittings - driven on to find out who the kidnapper was and the motive behind their actions. And, despite the hiccup in the middle, I still think it is a worthy four-star read.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
Absolutely brilliant book a real.page turner had me hooked from the first page,I love this author have read all her books
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Becky
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripped me to the core!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
From the start I felt totally invested in this story- and finished it in record time! Although I did guess the kidnapper, it didnt take away from the suspense of the rest of the story, and I was on the edge of my seat at times. Would definitely read more from this author.
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