Title: PANIC
Author: Jeff Abbott
ISBN: 978 0751 5383 11
Publisher: Time Warner Books
First published January 1, 2005
Pages: 405
Source: Private Copy
Things are going well for young filmmaker Evan Casher — until he receives an urgent phone call from his mother, summoning him home. He arrives to find her brutally murdered body on the kitchen floor and a hitman lying in wait for him.
It is then he realises his whole life has been a lie. His parents are not who he thought they were, his girlfriend is not who he thought she was, his entire existence has been an ingeniously constructed sham. And now that he knows it, he is in terrible danger. Evan’s only hope for survival is to discover the truth behind his past.
Literary awards ITW Thriller Award Nominee for Best Novel (2006)
Official Summary
17 May 2023
Pulling this book off my bookshelf it would appear this poor book has seen better days. The pages are yellowed and the white cover is not all that white any more, not to mention that the corners are a little damaged. I am usually rather pedantic about my book’s appearance, yet this one has a feel of a well-read book.
I am having a lot of fun digging through all the old books on my bookshelf and digging up my old reading journal to see what I had to say about them.
I finished Panic on the 19th of May 2011 and I raced through this book in four days. Keeping in mind that I am a slow reader, that is pretty impressive for a more than 400-page book.
My notes on this book are not extensive, however, I note this to be full of suspense and thrill. The story takes you into the underworld of the CIA and KGB as a young man searches for the truth to find a way to stay alive.
The leading character is realistic and you are left feeling his pain as you flip the pages. This action-packed story is not my normal book of choice but I could not drag myself away for this one.
“What if everything in your life was a lie?”
This one line, printed on the inside cover of the book, perfectly explains what this book is all about.
To date, I have only read three books by Jeff Abbott, and all of them have been fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat suspense thrillers which I highly recommend if you are someone who battles to stay awake while reading.
Panic does not have a single dull moment and you will not be able to skip a beat as the bullets keep flying. This is a book I should recommend to my husband, I cannot believe I haven’t already. He would love the action in this one.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Jeff Abbott is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of many mystery and suspense novels. He has been called “one of the best thriller writers in the business” (Washington Post). His novels have been called “compulsively readable” (Chicago Sun Times), “outstanding. . .genuinely moving” and “fresh, original… intricately woven” (Publishers Weekly), “nail-bitingly suspenseful and totally original” (Irish Independent), and “extremely compelling” (Associated Press). He is published in many languages and has been a bestseller in the US, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, Portugal, and other countries.
Jeff’s novel Adrenaline was a Summer Great Reads choice by both The Today Show and Good Morning America. His novel Inside Man was a Summer Book Pick by O, The Oprah Magazine, and a Best Beach Reads pick by USA Today. Jeff is a winner of the Thriller Award (for The Last Minute) and was nominated for the Thriller Award for Panic. He is a three-time nominee for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award and a two-time nominee for the Anthony Award. Jeff’s first novel, Do Unto Others, won both the Agatha Award and the Macavity Award.
His novels Adrenaline, Panic, and Collision have been optioned for film and are in script development.
Jeff graduated from Rice University with a degree in History and English. He lives in Austin with his wife and two sons.
I hope you are enjoying my “archive reviews” it has been a lot of fun to pull all these old books off my bookshelf to give them a clean and revisit my reading journal to see what I had to say about them. Unfortunately, I have not always made detailed notes about books. My advice to younger readers, keep a reading journal and make notes about the books you read. Looking back, I wish someone told me that. I started my reading journal in 2008, but mostly just recorded the books I read. The ones I did make notes about are easily brought back to life in my mind now as I look back at them.
Thank you for visiting the blog, see you again soon.
