savannahmarie6's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jaimemvnl's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Great book
ldav's review against another edition
3.0
The Disappearance was a good, quick read. It has great court drama and dialogue. Though the story was a bit predictable there was enough going on to keep at least a small sense of drama and mystery.
gracedionnne's review against another edition
4.0
It's obvious based on the number of reviews and ratings that this isn't a super well known book, and given that it was published over 20 years ago, I doubt it's going to see a surge in popularity anytime soon. Since I had never heard of The Disappearance before, I wasn't sure what to expect going in. A crime mystery mixed with courtroom drama, sure, but how does J.F. Freedman tell his stories? Every author has a style.
I found out while reading this book that I really enjoy how J.F. Freedman tells his stories. Honestly, I think this book deserves more recognition, but I know there are enough books like this that it can get lost in the shuffle. The Disappearance was a page-turner, but not in a cheap way where events keep happening for shock value (readers can always tell when this is the case). Everyone can sympathize with how tragic it is for a parent to lose a child, and especially for a promising, beautiful young girl to lose her life, but what if the situation isn't as it appears? J.F. Freedman was painting a picture of a heart-wrenching, complicated case where I was compelled to keep reading to find out what really happened, and I didn't want to stop until I knew.
Another reason I appreciated this book was how the main character, Luke Garrison, and his partner Riva were handled. I'm accustomed to getting a cursory look, at best, at the relationships of the characters in a book like this, with all the focus being on the courtroom and the mystery. Sometimes that isn't a bad thing, but most times it prevents me from really investing myself in the characters because I don't feel like I know them. I thought The Disappearance was really well-balanced in that sense, because I did feel like I got to know Luke and Riva. They were a bit of a mystery at first, since we first meet them from another perspective, but I was glad we got to spend some time inside their heads to understand them emotionally, and I enjoyed their romance. I sympathized with Luke's internal turmoil and desire to do the right thing, and trying to figure out how he can accomplish that for himself while also pursuing justice.
I was satisfied with the resolution of the mystery, because I had some lingering suspicion about the outcome, but I didn't have it totally figured out. J.F. Freedman executed his misdirection well, and it lead me to examine and re-examine the evidence with each new revelation. In the end, nothing was simple, but it all made sense, so I was happy. Or, maybe happy isn't the right word, given the actual circumstances, but I thought he navigated the ending well.
I think this book can be enjoyed by a wide audience, although it does have some mature content. I would definitely recommend it!
I found out while reading this book that I really enjoy how J.F. Freedman tells his stories. Honestly, I think this book deserves more recognition, but I know there are enough books like this that it can get lost in the shuffle. The Disappearance was a page-turner, but not in a cheap way where events keep happening for shock value (readers can always tell when this is the case). Everyone can sympathize with how tragic it is for a parent to lose a child, and especially for a promising, beautiful young girl to lose her life, but what if the situation isn't as it appears? J.F. Freedman was painting a picture of a heart-wrenching, complicated case where I was compelled to keep reading to find out what really happened, and I didn't want to stop until I knew.
Another reason I appreciated this book was how the main character, Luke Garrison, and his partner Riva were handled. I'm accustomed to getting a cursory look, at best, at the relationships of the characters in a book like this, with all the focus being on the courtroom and the mystery. Sometimes that isn't a bad thing, but most times it prevents me from really investing myself in the characters because I don't feel like I know them. I thought The Disappearance was really well-balanced in that sense, because I did feel like I got to know Luke and Riva. They were a bit of a mystery at first, since we first meet them from another perspective, but I was glad we got to spend some time inside their heads to understand them emotionally, and I enjoyed their romance. I sympathized with Luke's internal turmoil and desire to do the right thing, and trying to figure out how he can accomplish that for himself while also pursuing justice.
I was satisfied with the resolution of the mystery, because I had some lingering suspicion about the outcome, but I didn't have it totally figured out. J.F. Freedman executed his misdirection well, and it lead me to examine and re-examine the evidence with each new revelation. In the end, nothing was simple, but it all made sense, so I was happy. Or, maybe happy isn't the right word, given the actual circumstances, but I thought he navigated the ending well.
I think this book can be enjoyed by a wide audience, although it does have some mature content. I would definitely recommend it!
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
The Disappearance by J.F. Freedman was originally published in 1998. This book is now available in digital format and published by Open Road Integrated Media.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Luke was a high flyer in the D.A's office. He had a beautiful successful wife, was respected and admired by his colleagues. Then the worst nightmare a prosecuting attorney could ever face, happened to Luke.
Now he and his wife are divorced, he quit his job and is now taking cases for petty thieves and drug convictions. He live a long way for Santa Barbara with his girlfriend, Riva.
When an high powered TV executive's daughter, Emma, is kidnapped in the middle of the night from her own bedroom, then later discovered murdered, a local newscaster that was close to the family is accused of the crime.
A retired judge seeks Luke out and offers him the job of defending the accused. This would mean that Luke would have to face issues in his life he has been running from for years. It would also give him a second chance, not just career wise, but with life in general as well.
The story then moves on to Luke's defense, the lies, betrayals, secrets, and power struggles that come to light in the course of the investigation and a riveting courtroom scene.
If you like legal thrillers, and mysteries with lots of twist and turns and big reveals, you will like this one. This story is like an old school legal drama reminding in some ways of Steve Martini's style of writing. This one also has just a touch of modern noir as well.
There is little mention of modern technology. I think a cell phone was mentioned once. The story focused on the thoughts, actions and motives of those involved and on the legal process. I loved the courtroom scenes the most.
This was a very engrossing novel. It held my attention from beginning to end. You won't know what is really the truth until the very end.
Overall this one is an A.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Luke was a high flyer in the D.A's office. He had a beautiful successful wife, was respected and admired by his colleagues. Then the worst nightmare a prosecuting attorney could ever face, happened to Luke.
Now he and his wife are divorced, he quit his job and is now taking cases for petty thieves and drug convictions. He live a long way for Santa Barbara with his girlfriend, Riva.
When an high powered TV executive's daughter, Emma, is kidnapped in the middle of the night from her own bedroom, then later discovered murdered, a local newscaster that was close to the family is accused of the crime.
A retired judge seeks Luke out and offers him the job of defending the accused. This would mean that Luke would have to face issues in his life he has been running from for years. It would also give him a second chance, not just career wise, but with life in general as well.
The story then moves on to Luke's defense, the lies, betrayals, secrets, and power struggles that come to light in the course of the investigation and a riveting courtroom scene.
If you like legal thrillers, and mysteries with lots of twist and turns and big reveals, you will like this one. This story is like an old school legal drama reminding in some ways of Steve Martini's style of writing. This one also has just a touch of modern noir as well.
There is little mention of modern technology. I think a cell phone was mentioned once. The story focused on the thoughts, actions and motives of those involved and on the legal process. I loved the courtroom scenes the most.
This was a very engrossing novel. It held my attention from beginning to end. You won't know what is really the truth until the very end.
Overall this one is an A.
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