An American Family

An American Family Series, Book 1

By: Jackson Baer

Narrated by: Dan Carroll

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Isaac Childs has the perfect life - until that life comes crashing down when his wife Ramie vanishes.

Isaac learns that his wife's disappearance is the ninth in a string of similar cases. In the wake of this news, he struggles to cope, to be a good father to his daughter and college-bound son, and to reclaim something of an ordinary life even as he conceals his troubled past.

After the FBI makes an arrest, and his wife is presumed dead, Isaac begins to move on. Yet will his secrets catch up with him? Has he conquered his vices for good? And what of the FBI's theory that the case isn't completely resolved, after all?

Evolved Publishing presents the first book in the An American Family series, contemporary suspense thrillers that explore one family's trials and tragedies.

Books by Jackson Baer:

• An American Family (book one in An American Family)
• Life after Death (book two in An American Family) (Coming November 2018)
• Clouds Fall like Fire
• The Earth Bleeds Red
• The Lights Will Never Fade

More great thrillers from Evolved Publishing:

• Forgive Me, Alex by Lane Diamond
• The Syndicate-Born Trilogy series by K.M. Hodge
• The Oz Files series by Barry Metcalf

©2018 Evolved Publishing LLC (P)2018 Evolved Publishing LLC

Loved it

I absolutely loved this one. It has all the feels. Isaac had it all then tragedy strikes. This is a story about dealing with life changing events and learning to cope with the outcome. I really loved this book and look forward to the next one.

Amateur Dialogue

I stayed with it to the end but the dialogue is painfully amateurish. Storyline was okay.

Holy cow

The story has more ins and outs in a ball of yarn. Every time you expect things to settle a new challenge comes forth. It is just like the American family problems love-hate relationships. Great story! Great narrator!

What Would You Do?

The author did a great job establishing the characters and the character relationships. Not only do they seem like real people, but they struggle with the same 'demons' that a great many people struggle with such as infidelity, temptation, addiction, abuse, and more. At the same time, these characters also experience some of the genuinely best parts of life such as following their dreams, love, new beginnings, success, etc. One of the best aspects of this book is the author's ability to weave in this element of honesty of the reality real people encounter in their daily lives.

This isn't your typical abduction story. This isn't the typical 'person is abducted and then killed' or 'person is abducted but is saved and everyone lives happily ever after', it is so much more. However, there are periods throughout the book where I would start to forget that this was supposed to be a 'contemporary suspense thriller'. These periods are still intriguing, but the details do start to seem irrelevant to the overall story if you don't know that there is a 2nd book. Since there is a 2nd book, there is some stage setting going on that will likely make more sense later on and character interaction that will likely come to fruition. One very important question we are left to consider: what would you do if you were Isaac?

I think the narrator really did a great job with this performance, on a general level. He was consistent, clear, and he differentiated the character voices very well. I think he could have done exaggerated some emotions throughout the performance to add an extra layer of intensity to the story. As a narrator, he did great; however, I'm not wholly convinced that his actual voice was the best voice choice for this particular story. Regardless, he absolutely must narrate the next book. There is nothing worse than a narrator change in the midst of a series.

Excellent writing and great narration. Anxiously awaiting book 2!

I received a review copy at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.

A good story - more dramatic than thrilling

this was a good story, but for me it fell more to the Dramatic General Fiction, than a Gripping Suspenseful Thriller. The story does have merit though. Families struggle in stressful times, and this story delves into the dynamics of a family that has experienced stress that we can only ever hope we do not experience ourselves. While the narrator has a pleasant, clear voice, I do not think he was a good match for this book.

twisted twists and turns

Omg!! This is full of twist and turns. At times , I wanted to smack Isaac for some if his actions, but he seems like he's straightening up his life. The way this ended us shocking for all involved. I think some people have inappropriate expectations after two years have passed. Looking forward to the next book. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job bringing it to life.

Great story, not so great narration

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get through this book because of the narration. I did eventually get used to the way he delivered the voices. The story kept my attention. Even though I guessed what was going to happen, I enjoyed hearing it unfold. I was given this book in exchange for my honest review. Once you get used to the narrator, I think you will enjoy it.

Excellent plot

I loved the story and how the characters had real life flaws. They was relatable to modern day issues in families. The ending left me wanting to know how the delimma is going to be resoved. The only downside was the narrator didn't fit the story. He was great with the mens voices but the womens voices all sounded too similar for my tastes and the narrative part had more of a bedtime story quality. Aside from that this was an excellent book.

very interesting

this was very interesting.. some spots was creepy.. and the narrator did an amazing job with that haha. the story was very seat of your pants gripping type of story.. very well written. the narrator captured the feelings of the story and the characters very well . i liked this a lot

Great Thriller!

This was my first Jackson Baer's book. This is a good and gripping contemporary suspense and dramatic thriller. The story is well written. The characters and their relationships are well described. The story is filled with twists and turns. The FBI investigation is captivating. The ending is surprising and I would like to know what happens next. The narration is good. The narrator has a great male voice, but his female voice isn't my favorite. I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.