The Stolen (Henry Parker Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pinter's ambitious third Henry Parker novel opens as Daniel Linwood, 11, suddenly reappears on his family's front porch five years after being kidnapped. Parker, a young but seasoned New York Gazette reporter, snags an exclusive interview with Daniel and his overjoyed mother. But Daniel appears to have no recollection of his missing years, and something he absentmindedly says in the interview deeply rattles Parker—convincing him there's a sinister undercurrent to this feel-good story. Working with his ex-girlfriend, Legal Aid Society lawyer Amanda, Parker meets resistance from law enforcement officials, a popular politician and even his own editor. What he gradually uncovers involves seemingly disparate individuals with unexpected motives, desperate to keep their activities a secret. Parker's first-person voice dominates: it lists between Parker as gritty, desensitized journalist and young romantic who wants little more than to spend the rest of his life with one woman. The emotional dichotomy makes Parker a captivating and complex protagonist, one whose pithy observations about New York are dead on. Pinter's chunky plot, rapid pacing and credible dialogue do the rest. (Aug.)
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Review

"Ambitious...Parker is a captivating and complex protagonist...Pinter's chunky plot, rapid pacing and credible dialogue do the rest." -- Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Mira (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325725
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325727
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,105 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 3 in The Henry Parker Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars entertaining suspense thriller, August 7, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Six months has passed since New York Legal Aid attorney Amanda Davies ended her relationship with New York Gazette reporter Henry Parker because he chose work over her. Since getting a job on the newspaper, his life turned hectic and dangerous but not just for him; anyone close to him including Amanda (see THE MARK).

However, the investigative reporter puts his personal life on hold again when he is given an incredible exclusive. Five years ago, then six year old Daniel Linwood was kidnapped; the case went cold until now. Suddenly eleven years old Daniel has come home. He remembers nothing as to where he has been, what happened to him, or even how he ended up back at his family's house. Henry interviews the child, but learns nothing about the mystery from the kid. He and Amanda soon learn that other children have been abducted and ultimately returned. As they dig deeper, an unknown adversary is willing to kill the nosy journalist and his former girlfriend to prevent the truth from surfacing.

The latest Henry Parker investigative tale is an exciting whodunit as the hero and his ex girlfriend team up on the case. Henry is terrific as his inquiries leave him confused with more unanswered questions; his first hand account enhances his bewilderment and that of the audience as the motive is just out of reach. However, it is his sort of schizoid personality that makes him a superb character as he is a classic New York City cynic on the job and a closet romantic in his home. Fans will appreciate this entertaining suspense thriller with the right touch of sexual tension to augment a fine read.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling thriller, September 2, 2008

By	RebeccasReads.com "Rebecca's Reads" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Tina Avon for RebeccasReads (8/08)


I have just finished reading The Stolen, by author Jason Pinter. I have to say that I am coming into this series a little bit late, but no matter, I found myself thrown right into the storyline and definitely will go back and read the books I am missing.

Pinter has written a great whodunit! I love this type of book - one where you keep thinking you "know" who the killer is, only to discover a few pages later that you really don't. The main storyline centers around a kidnapping and the two main characters Amanda Davies, who is a Legal Aid Lawyer and Henry Parker, a seasoned and somewhat scattered journalist.

The author cleverly introduces us to Daniel, an eleven-year old who was abducted five years ago, and mysteriously returns home one day. Parker interviews the boy and suddenly finds himself unable to let go of the story and what Daniel has said to him. There is a pattern emerging of more young children having been kidnapped and then released - and nobody has any memory of the events.

Amanda and Henry need to get to the bottom of the situation, so they team up to investigate. This is going to prove itself to be more problematic than just solving the kidnapping; there is a lot of chemistry and unresolved issues between these two. I was a little worried about this particular storyline as it has been used before, but these two are so different and yet so similar that the extra "heat" added to the book's intensity and was a nice touch.

The storyline moves ahead at great speed, and I like that the author does not use all of the old standby ploys to move the plot along. The two main characters are interesting together and Henry is a bit scattered and at the same time seems to have a few personalities within himself. At some point, I was not sure if Henry was creating more of the problems in his head or if the kidnapper what manipulating him; it all gets very confusing and totally engrossing. On the other hand, Amanda is a strong and tough heroine who appears to have only one weakness: Henry. However, together they make a great team as they try to get to the kidnapper and stop these horrific crimes.

I enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. This is a great thriller and I bet you won't be able to figure it out until the end.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another strong Henry Parker novel, August 16, 2008

By	Aaron Harris (Fort Lauderdale) - See all my reviews

A young boy mysteriously reappears five years after being kidnapped from his parents home with no memory of the lost time, and reporter Parker soon realizes that something else, something larger, is afoot. THE STOLEN is a little different from the first two Pinter thrillers (THE MARK and THE GUILTY), and in my opinion the differences makes it the strongest of the trio. Pinter tones down the flying bullets and foot chases from his first two books (which were entertaining, but maybe a smidge over the top) and concentrates on more of a slow burning mystery with ramifications that strike at the heart of broken families, community, and of course Parker and his friends and loved ones. Henry is not a perfect hero, he's made mistakes in nearly every aspect of his life (sometimes maddeningly so), but this is refreshing and more realistic than some of the Captain America dopplegangers in the genre. This is a very good entry in one of the better new crime series to come along.