American Outrage [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Tim Green (Author), Scott Brick (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2009

Jake Carlson, a correspondent for the TV news show American Outrage, inhabits a world of sensational trials and crazed celebrities. One of the nation's top television journalists, he's used to dragging himself through the dirt to get to the truth. When his adopted son, Sam, asks him to use his muckraking talents to find his birth mother, Jake is stunned by the ugly secrets he unearths: an international crime syndicate, a horrifying child trafficking ring, and a corrupt politician, the patriarch of an old New York financial dynasty.

Initially galvanized by a career-making exclusive, Jake-and his son-are soon the victims of brutal violence and the targets of Jake's fellow reporters, who dog them for their story. Concerned for the survival of his family, Jake realizes some sins of the past should never be uncovered...

Filled with an insider's knowledge of tabloid news and the experience of an adopted son seeking his biological parents, AMERICAN OUTRAGE proves to be Tim Green's best, most personal thriller yet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Green (Kingdom Come) introduces a tough, appealing hero in his action-packed 12th thriller. Jake Carlson, a correspondent for the tabloid TV news show American Outrage, based in New York City, has softened his hard line a bit after his wife's recent death, but is still capable of going for the jugular when necessary for a hot story. On the home front, to help his preteen adopted son, Sam, get over his grief, Jake agrees to try and track down Sam's biological mother. This simple request goes from bad to worse once pseudo-celebrity Jake starts asking questions about the boy's supposed Albanian roots. After Jake is drugged and shot at, his personal life becomes tabloid fodder as his own colleagues ruthlessly chase down the story. When Sam disappears, Jake gets serious and sets out to do whatever it takes to bring his son back, regardless of who pays the price. Green's tale is ripe with irony and full of barbs. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Sure, Jake Carlson is making big bucks as a reporter on the tabloid news show I^ American Outrage, but the former foreign correspondent is ashamed of his job, and his personal life is a mess, too. Widowed for a year, he's struggling to keep his 13-year-old adopted son, Sam, on the straight and narrow. Jake finds a renewed sense of purpose, though, when Sam convinces him to help find his birth mother. He knows the hunt will be difficult, but he doesn't realize just how challenging until he starts asking questions. The head of the agency Jake used for the adoption had died, and there's no trace of the agency, which had been operating slightly under the radar, funneling babies from Albania to the U.S. for couples desperate for children. As Jake attempts to tie his investigation into a story to bolster his waning popularity at I^ American Outrage, he and Sam become the target of violence and revenge. Genre veteran Green hits his stride here, with his best novel since his early football thrillers (I^ Outlaws, 1996). Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Abridged edition (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600244351
• ISBN-13: 978-1600244353
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 5.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,149,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tim is the NY TIMES BESTSELLING author of fourteen highly successful suspense novels, including soon-to-be-released FALSE CONVICTIONS and national bestseller ABOVE THE LAW, as well the non-fiction New York Times Bestseller, THE DARK SIDE OF THE GAME which was featured on CBS's 60 Minutes. His last five novels have all been national bestsellers hitting the charts between #22 and #30 on the NY Times Bestseller list. While his first five novels used professional football as their backdrop, his most recent works have drawn more on his experiences as a lawyer exploring the themes of ambition and revenge.

Tim is also the author of a memoir entitled A MAN AND HIS MOTHER: AN ADOPTED SON'S SEARCH which was featured in PEOPLE magazine, Entertainment Tonight, and ABC's Prime Time.
His writing career began at Syracuse University where he was a Rossman Scholar for Humanities, a Syracuse Scholar, an NCAA Top Six Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, and co-valedictorian of his class. While studying English Literature, Tim became acquainted with the renowned minimalist Raymond Carver, and had the opportunity to study under the award-winning writer and professor Tobias Wolff.

During his studies, Tim also played football for the Syracuse Orangemen with a career that included a consensus All-American honors as well as his recent induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1986, he was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons where he was a star defensive end for eight years. During his NFL career, Green began his thirteen year career as a commentator for National Public Radio, wrote columns for USA Today, and received his law degree with honors at Syracuse University. Because of his accomplishments both Sports Illustrated and the Los Angeles Times have called Tim Green the "Renaissance Man" of sports. After his playing career, Tim spent eleven years as an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and recently hosted FOX's nationally syndicated news magazine, A Current Affair. His other broadcast experiences have included ABC Good Morning America's legal commentator, Court TV's Pros and Cons, host of FOX Sports Net's Emmy nominated show NFL TOTAL ACCESS, and Comedy Central's Battlebots. Recently, Tim hosted the ABC Prime Time reality show, FIND MY FAMILY.
In 2007, Tim wrote FOOTBALL GENIUS, his first novel for young readers, and an instant NY Times Bestseller. The success and enjoyment of working with his own kids on the project resulted in FOOTBALL HERO, which was released in 2008. In both novels, Tim models the main characters after his own children, submerging them into a suspenseful world that blends adolescent life and sports with the visceral realm of the NFL. FOOTBALL HERO was selected as a Junior Library Guild choice and a GMA summer page turner for young adults. Most recently he released BASEBALL GREAT, another NY Times Bestseller, as well as FOOTBALL CHAMP. Tim's newest young reader novel, RIVALS, will be released in stores in March 2010.
Tim lives with his wife, Illyssa, and their five children in upstate New York. More information about Tim can be found at his Web site www.timgreenbooks.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable investigative thriller, April 27, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Outrage (Hardcover)

In New York City American Outrage TV news reporter Jake Carlson mourns the loss of his wife Karen. However, their thirteen years old adopted son Sam is having more trouble with her death in many ways more than Jake is as the kid feels he does not belong anymore. Sam asks Jake to find his biological mother; reluctantly he agrees though he is not sure how successful he can be as they adopted him from a nebulous Albanian system.

Jake starts his search with the lawyer who finalized the adoption only to find the man committed suicide. He next goes to the Albanian agency only to learn they are no longer in the baby business; instead they are a travel agency. Still though he makes little progress, Jake digs deeper for Sam's sake with his teen at his side. When the travel agency head is killed after a night with Jake, he knows he is getting close, but not sure what he has. He becomes tabloid news, Sam vanishes, and the Mafia and an unknown affluent adversary want Jake stopped.

This is an enjoyable thriller as Jake changes during the course of the quest. Whereas he initially gives his investigation lip service, he soon realizes how important it is. Adding interest to the fun tale is the reporter becomes the subject of his peers and gets a taste of his own medicine. Fans will enjoy this solid investigative tale.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb action packed book, July 8, 2007

By 

J. Tassone (Albany, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Outrage (Hardcover)

Another great book by Tim Green. With each book, Green matures as an author. In American Outrage, he juxtaposes a son looking for his real birth mother with organized crime and a behind the scene look into a tabloid news show. From the first page to the last, this book is packed with action and leaves the reader rotting for the heroes to succeed in their mission. If you are a fan of Grisham, DeMille, Patterson and other Green books, you will love this one. Definitely one of his best works.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most interesting and challenging work to date., May 30, 2007

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Outrage (Hardcover)

Has Tim Green really been writing for over a decade? AMERICAN OUTRAGE, his 12th novel, is arguably his most interesting and challenging work to date. The former host of "A Current Affair" uses the experience of working for a TV newsmagazine to great advantage in this book.

Jake Carlson is a successful, though aging, television commentator with an instantly recognizable countenance and a life that most people dream about. However, he is privately reeling, having recently suffered the loss of his wife to cancer. Meanwhile, his adopted son, Sam, is acting out, partially in reaction to his mother's death. Carlson is drinking a bit too much and missing assignments too often for an anchor who is rapidly approaching middle age.

To make matters more complicated, Sam asks his foster dad to use considerable resources to find his birth parents. Carlson knows next to nothing about Sam's origins, having obtained Sam through an adoption agency that had informed him they specialized in placing orphaned Albanian children.

As Carlson delves into Sam's background, the story begins to unravel. The agency that Carlson and his wife used is out of business, the owner apparently having committed suicide. When Carlson starts asking questions, he receives anonymous warnings telling him to back off his investigation. It's not long before Carlson finds himself on a collision course not only with the Albanian mob but also with one of America's oldest and most powerful families --- which appears to have an unexpected tie to Sam as well.

AMERICAN OUTRAGE starts off a bit slowly, but patient readers will be rewarded in the second half, which contains some of the best writing Green has ever done. He drops a number of surprises throughout --- one of the biggest at the halfway point, when he unexpectedly takes a major character piece off the board --- and as the closing pages fly by, it's anyone's guess as to how things will end. This is a strong work by one of the more consistently dependable authors.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub