EXCERPT: ....they loaded her into their car.

And now she felt the violence in them. Not spite, or sadism, or wounded, woman-hating pride. But violence. Violence in the hands of deeply experienced professionals who did this sort of thing for a living.

She saw her baby son, and she called his name, and the child was still sleeping on the back seat, wet-lipped and head lolling under the 'Baby, I'm bored' sign, and she let out a howl like a wounded animal because she knew with total blinding clarity that she would never see him again in this life.

And that was when she understood.

This was personal.

This was as personal as hell.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: WRONG TIME.
WRONG PLACE.
WRONG GIRL.

When a young mother is kidnapped by unknown assailants, Detective Max Wolfe suddenly has a dangerous job on his hands.

As Wolfe investigates the connection between the kidnapped woman and the head of a crumbling criminal empire, the hunt takes him from New Scotland Yard’s Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret dungeons, and from the murderous hatreds of today to the unspeakable crimes of half a lifetime ago.

Why would someone kidnap an innocent young woman? As Wolfe plunges deeper and deeper into a world of darkness and vengeance, he begins to wonder if anyone is innocent...

MY THOUGHTS: I have learnt to expect surprises from Tony Parsons. He is a master at leading the reader in totally the wrong direction, of smokescreens so well crafted you don't see them for what they are until afterwards. But he takes his writing to a whole new level with #taken, #6 in the Max Wolfe series.

I read this with my mind darting from one scenario to another, my heart pounding, my pulse racing. If I could have read it in one sitting, I would have. I did not want to put it down. Even while I was at work, I was thinking about this book, about the possibilities, wondering......and wondering some more.

I love the character of Max. He is strong, thoughtful. I love reading about his bolt-hole, New Scotland Yard's Black Museum, and his daughter Scout. I love what I learn about London, old and new, each time I read a book in this series. In short, I love this series, and #taken is a wonderful addition.

#Taken #NetGalley

*****

THE AUTHOR: Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.

He is the author of the multi-million selling novel, Man and Boy (1999). Parsons had written a number of novels including The Kids (1976), Platinum Logic (1981) and Limelight Blues (1983), before he found mainstream success by focussing on the tribulations of thirty-something men. Parsons has since published a series of best-selling novels – One For My Baby (2001), Man and Wife (2003), The Family Way (2004), Stories We Could Tell (2006), My Favourite Wife (2007), Starting Over (2009) and Men From the Boys (2010). His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of #taken by Tony Parsons for review. All opinions expressed in this review are totally my own opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

love this thriller, what seems to be simple unravels with many layers and twists.
i did not see the end coming, the mystery remains in place until the last moment. real suspense.

The sixth in the DC Max Wolfe series follows the investigation of the abduction of a young mother, in a case of mistaken identity. Tightly plotted with plenty of twists and turns. Get more insight into Max's private life as a single parent, with welcome appearances from his troubled boss DCI Whitestone and boyhood pal Jackson. A bronze for Scout in the school race s nd five gold stars for this enjoyable read.

I shouldn't probably admit this, but this was the first Tony Parsons book I've read and now I really regret it's taken me so long!!
What a fast paced, page turner of a book!! I would love to see it as a TV series, it felt so believable.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this very entertaining book!!
I have read most of Tony's books, so I had an idea what to expect, and once again I was not disappointed. In this book, a case of mistaken identity from the beginning can have a deadly end if the wrong girl doesn't get found in time. This was really a well written book, and I highly recommend it.

Another good installment of this series. I found it a bit slow to start but soon picks up pace. An enjoyable read.

#taken, a gripping detective thriller by Tony Parsons. It starts with extreme tailgating which leads to abduction but was Jessica Lyle a victim of being mistaken for the owner of the car she had borrowed? Jessica, a beauty who made heads turn, who would want to harm her? DC Max Wolfe is the man charged with finding her. What he finds though, is that things aren’t always as they seem. He has to answer to his boss DCI Pat Whitestone who has some serious problems of her own and they only get worse as the story develops. There’s a small cliffhanger at the end where you wonder if Wolfe has been tainted by his association with Whitestone until you suspect Whitestone took matters into her own hands.
A great hook and intriguing story, fast paced and packed with action.

This, the latest book in the Max Wolfe series, is an excellent read. The story, about the kidnapping of a young woman who turns out to be the girlfriend of a gangster, is entertaining and keeps the reader guessing. I think one of the reasons I enjoy these books so much is because Max is a likeable character, he's loyal to his friends (though not adverse to disagreeing and even fighting with them if he feels their actions warrant it) and is the sort of detective you'd want to be investigating on your behalf if you'd been involved in a crime. I like the interaction between him and his daughter, Scout and feel for him when he's trying to involve his ex wife in the upbringing of their daughter. I don't want to give too much away but at one point I thought I had guessed who the likely perpetrator of the crime was - I was wrong!

À gréât thriller from a top as normal author. Despite not having read the previous outings in the series it was still easy to get into and full of ups and downs.

Loved it. What a great book, full of mystery and intrigue with a bit of drama with twists and turns. Looking forward to reading his next book. Recommended.

I found this book to be interesting and enjoyable to the point that I did not want to put it down. Definitely recommended.

#Taken is the latest novel in the Max Wolfe detective series. A young mother is kidnapped and the race is on to find her. Max Wolfe once again ventures in to the underbelly of the crime world. A top notch crime procedural with a flawed but believable protagonist.

What another fantastic book in the Max Wolfe series. A great storyline that keep you intrigued all the way through from the first page until the very end.

Another 'can't put it down' read from Mr Parsons. I love this series, the crimes are topical and cleverly plotted and Max always stays just on the right side of the law. This time however he comes perilously close as those nearest to him are threatened.

An ok read. Well paced and well written but then again what do you expect from Tony Parsons,
Thank you to both NetGalley and Cornerstone for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

Gritty London underbelly, with echt use of real places, recognisable to locals and in reach of out-of-towners. Wolfe must constantly struggle through the opposition to progress, whilst protecting his family, his colleagues, his city

Nicely paced, fast moving book. This is the first Max Wolfe book I’ve read but I’ll be tracking the rest down.

Max Wolfe is still coming to terms with the tragic climax to his last case when he and his colleagues are called to investigate a kidnapping. Jessica Lyle was driving herself and her baby son home when a car blocks her path and two men grab her from the car. This could be a random attack - Jessica is a very beautiful woman - but it could also be a case of mistaken identity as she’s driving her flatmate’s car. Her flatmate’s boyfriend is a local businessman with a shady past. Is someone trying to get at him.

Read this book in an evening - couldn’t put it down. Absolutely love the Max Wolfe series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House and Tony Parsons for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

A kidnapping story is always a safe detective bet. Yet the narrative wasn’t as original as it could have been. However, the writing is very well crafted and it’s a good page turner.

I have read a couple of the DC Max Wolfe stories but I think I need to catch up on the missed ones! A young, attractive single mum is driving her friend's car when she is abducted. At first it seems like a clear case of mistaken identity, as her friend is the mistress of a London gangster. However, all is not as it seems. This is a fast paced story, with some unexpected twists. DC Wolfe is also a single father and this theme is a link in the series as we hear a little more of his personal life, and the challenges of single parenthood.