Book Review: Abducted by T.R. Ragan

Abducted
(A Lizzy Gardner Novel)
By T.R. Ragan

Synopsis: 
Elizabeth Gardner (Lizzy) is seventeen-years old when she tells her parents she's going out with her girlfriends. Instead, she meets up with her boyfriend, Jared Shayne. As she walks home beneath an inky black sky, her perfect night becomes her worst nightmare.

Fourteen years later, Lizzy is a licensed PI known as the 'one who got away'. When she's not searching for runaway teenagers, working on insurance scams, or talking to her therapist, she's at the local high school teaching young girls to defend themselves. But her world is turned upside down for the second time after she receives a call from Jared Shayne. He's an FBI special agent now and he needs her help. Lizzy has no plans to get involved. Not until Jared tells her the kidnapper left her a personalized note.

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Paul's Review: 
Spider-Man does not normally instill terror, disgust, and loathing, as he is a superhero and saves the day.  However, the villain that the protagonist in this novel is battling, called Spiderman, does instill all of those feelings and more.


Imagine that when you were a 17-year-old girl you were taken from your family by an evil, sadistic man and tortured and made to suffer in various ways for months.  Now imagine you somehow escaped, were found and returned to your family with whom you attempted to go on with your life.  You had to get counseling, and you have not been able to sleep since you were abducted - and when you do you only relive the horrors of your captivity over and over.  Now imagine if you can that 14 years have gone by and girls in your area start turning up mutilated and dead and the man who is doing it calls you to let you know he's back and wants what was taken from him - YOU - because he is Spiderman, and this time you are not getting away.

This book is riveting.  I do not read all that quickly, and I must have devoured this close to 400-page book in two days.  There is action, there is suspense, there is a love connection, and a whole lot of creepiness.  And I like creepiness.
If you have a phobia of spiders, read with care.

The characters in this book could be people in your neighborhood right now (minus Spiderman, hopefully), and their interactions are very real.  The suspense was nonstop, and the ending did not disappoint.  I want to read more adventures of Lizzy Gardner, this book's protagonist, and I am sure you will, too.  For all of the aforementioned reasons I give this book 4.5 stars.

Keep a light on at night after you read this book!

Rating: 4.5 - I Really Loved It!