Lisa Scottoline's "What Happened to the Bennetts" is a gripping and intense thriller that plunges readers into a family's nightmare after witnessing a crime that changes their lives forever. Scottoline expertly crafts a narrative full of suspense, twists, and emotional depth as the Bennett family is placed into witness protection, dealing with the unsettling realities of their new identities and the secrets they are forced to keep.

The story is both a psychological deep dive and a fast-paced thriller, showcasing Scottoline’s strength in creating relatable characters confronted with extraordinary circumstances. The challenges they face test their resilience and the bonds of their family, pushing them to the brink in a world where trust is scarce.

"What Happened to the Bennetts" is an engaging read for those who enjoy well-crafted thrillers that explore the impact of crime on individuals and families, delivering a powerful mix of action, emotion, and intrigue.

A thoroughly entertaining read!

After requesting this book I then saw a whole host of mixed reviews. Which i know I shouldn’t have read and it was wrong …. And as a result I must admit put me off reading it straight away . I’m pleased to say that the reality was that I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and actually quite humorous in places. So who knows what everyone was reading!!

When Jason decides to ‘go-rogue’ you are do have to suspend belief somewhat. But other than that the dialogue is very human and real, possibly a bit too much in places as it really does evoke all the emotions! I’d forgotten how intense Lisa’s character and situation building can get.

I loved reading this book, it was addictive and I found myself struggling to put it down at times. Short chapters with punchy cliffhangers combined with great pace and brilliant character development means this book will likely be a hit this summer with all fans of the crime fiction genre.

So my best advice would be ignore the reviews (except mine of course!) go in with an open mind looking to be entertained and you will love this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Brilliant read, suspenseful, engaging and enough turns in the story to keep me entertained. Would make a great film or mini TV series!

What happens when you have to act to protect your family and you don't what's the truth?
This is a thrilling, adreline fuelled and well plotted thirller. The first part is the introduction, the second part action and solution
Well plotted, gripping, entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’ve read some of Lisa Scottoline’s earlier books and have particularly enjoyed her series about Rosato and DiNunzio, lawyers who investigate crimes.
This book was different. It was about a court reporter, Jason, and his family who get involved in a very complicated plot. One evening, whilst driving home in their new car, Jason, his wife, Lucinda and their two children are car jacked. Despite cooperating with the criminals, things spiral out of control and a tragedy occurs. Nothing will ever be the same again.
Soon after the event, there is a knock on the door and the family receive some more devastating news.
The first part of the book deals with the family’s reaction to what has happened and their trying to get used the new situation in which they find themselves.
Part 2 is a whole different ball game as Jason takes matters into his own hands and tries to save his family.
This section is full of action and I could barely put the book down as I raced through, eager to see how the situation could be worked out and if they would all survive the trauma.
There is a lot in this book, it examines parents’ relationships with their children, family dynamics, how different people deal with traumatic situations to name but a few.
All the characters are well described and sympathetic, particularly the narrator, Jason. I really felt for him and the position in which he found himself.
There were also many twists and it was difficult to know who could be trusted, particularly as the novel progressed. This is an incredibly well plotted novel.
I would definitely recommend this as an exciting and compelling read and would like to thank NetGalley for my advance copy.

I'm used to reading Lisa Scottoline's legal series and this was a departure from them, but an equally compelling read.
What I loved most about it was the attention to emotion and building character. They were so believable that I felt their grief, their anger and their helplessness. It's written in two parts , the first being dedicated to character building, plot building and setting up for that explosive, fast paced second part.
With twists and turns, unexpected betrayals and fragile relationships, the main character Jason is taken out of his comfort zone in ways he (and the reader) couldn't anticipate. A real page turner

The story of the Bennett family starts with a shock, as shortly after we see this happy family driving home at night, they are held at gunpoint and shots are fired. Overcome by grief after what follows, they finally try and get some sleep as suddenly the FBI stands at their door explaining what must happen with them. NOW! They are to enter the Witness Protection Program and this means Jason and his family have to leave their old life, their family, their work and their home. And of course their friends. Only just recovering from the shock the family finds out that although they are not allowed to have contact with anybody – so no social media! – that somehow their friends do not believe they are gone and start a search.
Everything that follows, follows at a very past pace, but there is still time for Jason and his family to try and think about what everything will mean for them in the future. There are bad people, and not so good people, and very good people, but who is what? And whát actually happened that night? It is almost impossible not to feel for this poor family (and their dog) and although its not a story with a lot of happy endings, in the end it left me happy with the solutions Lisa Scottoline came up with.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bedford Square Publishers for this review copy.

Yes, yes, yes! Now this is the kind of domestic noir that I love for! A lot of the time I find they start off quite slowly and drag on a bit with the normality of family life but this one had action and suspense right from the start. I was immediately invested and loved how fast paced the whole thing was, again quite rare for a domestic noir! The characters were well written, the plot original and full of twists. I coukdnt put it down

A really well written domestic noir, part mystery. Really enjoyed thus story with brilliant characters and unpredictable twists. 5 big stars 🌟

Superb solid 4 stars the below is what I left on Goodreads :)

I enjoyed this book , it had me feeling all the feels as a parent “ how would I feel in their situation “

Without giving too much away as this deserves a read - good fast paced family drama that will keep you in the edge of your seat …. Parents worst nightmare …. Life turned upside down .

Add this to your TBR for 2024 !! Thank you netgalley for the poirot unity to read this ARC .

I found the first half of this book enthralling, shocking, upsetting and about as impactful as any thriller I’ve read. It’s the kind of story that will benefit from the reader knowing as little as possible about the plot in advance, and for this reason I’ll attempt to give very little away.

Jason Bennett, his wife and two children are about as close to a perfect family as it’s possible to get. The parents dote on a son and daughter, who seem to be a thriving and well adjusted pair. Both parents run successful businesses of their own but somehow still seem to find enough time to be fully participative in their children’s lives. Everything is rosy in their garden. So when a setback inexplicably arrives one day it’s a shock – a terrible shock. Suddenly, this family's future is derailed, and who knows which direction it will take from this point.

With their once bright future now looking anything but, the ‘safe’ and rather dull Jason decides that it’s time he stepped up and owned the task of defining their way forward. From this point on it’s all action as he challenges not only those who have clearly set out to destroy their lives but also question those who claim to have become their protectors. Now events pile upon each other with everything happening at breakneck speed. The climax, when it comes, is violently conclusive.

In truth, I’m not sure that the second half of the tale quite lives up to what precedes it, my threshold for accepting what a well meaning but underprepared individual can achieve in a short space of time having been somewhat stretched here. But I do admire the inventiveness of the storytelling and I really can’t overstate how compelling I found the opening chapters to be.

Wow! This book has been on my radar for such a long time and ai was so excited to get a copy of this to review. Lisa Scottoline is such a great storyteller and ai couldn’t get enough of this wild story. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about what could possibly happen next.

This poor family really went through the wringer. A happy family on their way home from their daughter’s hockey match… life changes for them all when they are car jacked. This is just the start of their troubles. They soon find themselves in witness protection, cut off from everything and everyone they love.

I loved this book! It was a book that I just had to keep reading, turning pages into the night. I had no idea how things would get resolved and it continued to shock me right until the end.

Thank you so much to Bedford Square Publishing for the early copy of this book to read. Publishes on January 18th, get this on your TBR.

High octane thriller that read in 2 sittings,whilst at times the writing style was not really for me the story was fast paced enough to keep me hooked

As usual lisa scottoline keeps the reader involved with a high energy thriller full of twists and turns .I really enjoyed this book .

This was a really enjoyable thriller which I raced through in a day - I think that says it all.

The Bennett's are a happy family, mum, dad, 2 kids (and a dog) who, on their way back from a hockey game, are victims of an attempted carjacking which ends in tragedy.

When they are visited by the FBI shortly after and told that the alleged perpetrators were in fact a well known high profile criminal gang, they have little option but to join witness protection.

However, joing WITSEC isn't the end of their troubles, it is just the beginning.

As I say, starting this book at 9am and finishing it at 5pm should tell you all you need to know about this one. Once you race through the opening few chapters, you will not be able to function until you know how it ends

A really impressive thriller