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jennabeck13's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)
Genre: Thriller
About 390 pages
When a carjacking goes wrong, Jason Bennett loses one of his family members. This carjacking wasn’t a one off though, it was done by two members of a dangerous drug cartel (GVO). Now the Bennetts must go into WITSEC if they want to avoid what the FBI thinks GVO is capable of doing… WITSEC is designed for criminals turned informants and not families, so Jason quickly becomes frustrated with how his family is treated and how the investigation into one of his loved one's murders is going. So when the opportunity arises, Jason goes on the run to find answers of his own.
This novel took me on a wild ride! The first part was a slow burn, but the second part was extremely fast-paced and exhilarating. Both parts were well done and I enjoyed them, but the dramatic change did throw me for a bit of a loop…. In the second half, Jason was essentially a vigilante and while I liked it, some parts didn’t seem too realistic…. This kept me on my toes and quickly turning the pages but also raised some questions in my mind. If you’re looking for a thriller that also feels like an action movie, I would recommend adding this to your list!
Favorite Quote: “Whenever you’re taking a portrait of someone, you and your subject are in the present, but if you’re any good, you can see their past, and even their future.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Blood, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Violence
paytonbird's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
melissa_b_67's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Grief, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
micaelamariem's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway but all thoughts are my own!
I am not a huge mystery/thriller reader, so I suppose that was playing against me as I was reading. The book is supposed to follow the Bennett family after a horrific carjacking that causes them to join the witness protection program. There’s a big theme of grief here. While I appreciate that, the pacing was very uneven, with the first half of the book not much happening then after nonstop crazy action. I also found some of the side characters to fall flat and be a bit one-dimensional—mainly the wife and son. Finally, I think some of the dialogue, particularly the limited conversations with the daughter, were cringey and unbelievable.
That being said, the action scenes provided a real thrill, there was a huge conspiracy that was intricate and interesting, and at times I really felt for the main character.
So over all, this was a three star read, falling on an “average” category for me.
I am not a huge mystery/thriller reader, so I suppose that was playing against me as I was reading. The book is supposed to follow the Bennett family after a horrific carjacking that causes them to join the witness protection program. There’s a big theme of grief here. While I appreciate that, the pacing was very uneven, with the first half of the book not much happening then after nonstop crazy action. I also found some of the side characters to fall flat and be a bit one-dimensional—mainly the wife and son. Finally, I think some of the dialogue, particularly the limited conversations with the daughter, were cringey and unbelievable.
That being said, the action scenes provided a real thrill, there was a huge conspiracy that was intricate and interesting, and at times I really felt for the main character.
So over all, this was a three star read, falling on an “average” category for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Cursing, Death, Suicide, Torture, Child death, Gun violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Blood, and Confinement
meganely's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
lauramarie83's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Enjoyed the book for the first 50ish%, but then the direction went toward the unbelievable
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Murder
Minor: Infidelity
haysx5's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, and Child death
missingmybreezy's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
was well into this book, really enjoying it and all the sudden it took a right turn - an unbelievable right turn. At about the half way mark, starting with Part Two this book was pretty much done for me. Similar to Sally Hepworth, Scottoline is an author that runs hot and cold for me and this book definitely got cold really quick.
A family is put into the witness protection program after two criminals tried to car jack them, which lead to the death of not only their daughter, but also one of the criminals. Knowing the father of the dead criminal had far reaching powers and would come after them, they were taken to a safe house. This part of the story is pretty good.
It is only when Jason Bennett, the father, leaves the safe house that things start to go downhill - literally. From this point on the story seemed to take on a surreal vibe with an undertone of disbelief. I think it was supposed to be suspenseful, but for me it was just plain dumb!
In addition Jason's wife Lucinda was a terrible character - I wanted to slap her every time she opened her mouth. I was doing my best not to let her ruin the story, when Part Two started.
I know when I pick up a Scottoline book that I might be disappointed and with this one I was. For this story starting off so good, it sure ended with a big THUD...
A family is put into the witness protection program after two criminals tried to car jack them, which lead to the death of not only their daughter, but also one of the criminals. Knowing the father of the dead criminal had far reaching powers and would come after them, they were taken to a safe house. This part of the story is pretty good.
It is only when Jason Bennett, the father, leaves the safe house that things start to go downhill - literally. From this point on the story seemed to take on a surreal vibe with an undertone of disbelief. I think it was supposed to be suspenseful, but for me it was just plain dumb!
In addition Jason's wife Lucinda was a terrible character - I wanted to slap her every time she opened her mouth. I was doing my best not to let her ruin the story, when Part Two started.
I know when I pick up a Scottoline book that I might be disappointed and with this one I was. For this story starting off so good, it sure ended with a big THUD...
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Murder, Child death, Grief, and Gun violence
The first half of this book was very good, but from the center of the book forward it was all down hill. Totally unbelievable.craftyanty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book started off really strong. I was riveted by Part One and couldn't wait to see how the story evolved.
Then I hit Part Two, and it all went downhill. I was lost for most of the second half of the book. Part of my confusion, I think, was caused by how implausible it all seemed.
Then I hit Part Two, and it all went downhill. I was lost for most of the second half of the book. Part of my confusion, I think, was caused by how implausible it all seemed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Child death