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The Worst Thing [Hardcover]

Aaron Elkins (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews) |
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Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Aaron Elkins has been hailed as "a master" (The Dallas Morning News) for his Edgar(r) Award-winning Gideon Oliver mysteries. Now, in an original new novel, he illustrates how quickly everything can go wrong when you ask: What's the worst that can happen?

For Bryan Bennett, designing hostage negotiation programs is the perfect job-as long as he keeps a safe, theoretical distance. What he can't do is deal directly with kidnappers or their victims, as a result of his own abduction and imprisonment as a small boy. Thirty-some years later, intense nightmares still plague his sleep, and a fear of enclosed spaces prevents him from attempting to travel.

So when Bryan's boss asks him to fly to Reykjavik, Iceland, to teach his corporate-level kidnapping and extortion seminar, he automatically says no. But the CEO of GlobalSeas Fisheries, Inc. has specifically requested Bryan-or no one else. Bryan finally relents...

For decades he's treaded gingerly around the edges of his deepest terrors. Now, on this trip, Bryan's taken hostage again and must face his fears full-on. Will he realize that in this battle of will and nerve, he is his own greatest enemy? Or has this fight already been lost, years and years ago?

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Worst Thing is an intriguing novel of suspense as well an evocative portrayal of the inner workings of a mind tormented by terror."
-Jonathan Kellerman, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Mystery.

"Aaron Elkins delivers a mind-bending, heart-pounding, read. Count me as a lifetime member of his fan club. I'm in awe."
-Ridley Pearson, New York Times Bestselling author of In Harm's Way

"It starts with a memory of a horrendous kidnapping at age 5. He was kept in a Turkish dungeon for two months. Crippling panic attacks and claustrophobia for decades sent him to therapy. He had experienced The Worst Thing he ever would - - or had he? Elkins' riveting, intricate thriller should win him his second Edgar Award."
-Elizabeth Loftus, Distinguished Professor, University of California- Irvine Past President - Association for Psychological Science, Co-author of Witness for the Defense

"A well-calculated change of pace for normally laid-back Elkins, with mounting thrills, a heavy emphasis on self-therapy and a nice surprise at the end."
-Kirkus Reviews

"This is the kind of novel that gives genre fiction a good name-thanks to its high energy, smart characters, classy writing, palpable suspense, and one whopper of a surprise ending... Elkins is a crime-fiction veteran known mainly for his Gideon Oliver series, but this may well be his best book. It's a joy to read."
-Don Crinklaw, Booklist --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Aaron Elkins is the author of the Edgar Award-winning Gideon Oliver mysteries.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley Hardcover; 1 edition (May 3, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0425240991
  • ISBN-13: 978-0425240991
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Aaron Elkins
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
When Bryan Bennett was five years old he was kidnapped and held for ransom for 58 days. Taken from the Turkish compound where his father worked, Bryan was held in very primitive conditions and treated poorly. When he was released, he writes that "doctors found two dozen ulcerating sores on my body as a result of malnutrition and poor hygiene. I had lost nine pounds - more than 20 percent of my body weight - I had gum abscesses, infections in both eyes and a raging case of dysentery. I was too weak to walk".

As an adult, Bryan began his career as a hostage negotiator but found that direct involvement with kidnappers and their victims was too close to home. He ends up writing curriculum and making presentations on corporate safety, extortion, and kidnapping prevention for the Odysseus Institute for Corporate Protection in Seattle.

When his boss asks him to go to Iceland to make a presentation there, he at first refuses. Bryan suffers from horrific panic attacks exacerbated by some situations such as flying on airplanes. His wife really wants to go and Bryan reluctantly agrees. He finds out later, however, that the CEO of the company in Iceland has recently been the victim of a botched kidnapping attempt.

Bryan uses xanax, a tranquilizer, to deal with his panic attacks which usually come at night. These night attacks wax and wane in frequency and severity. Once he agrees to go to Iceland, the attacks come on full force despite his seeing a therapist and receiving some cognitive behavioral therapy to address this problem.

Aaron Elkins' book, The Worst Thing, is about Bryan's worst fear - being kidnapped again. Though the odds of a second kidnapping are statistically miniscule, Bryan lives daily with this horrible fear of being kidnapped. The post-traumatic stress from his first kidnapping has never been resolved. As his wife says, "my abduction had left me with some extremely heavy baggage to lug around but also with a compulsive interest in, or perhaps even an obsession (her term) with kidnapping, extortion and captivity. That is, I was scared to death of anything to do with them, but fascinated at the same time".

In Iceland, Bryan begins conducting his seminar and in short order ends up in the hands of kidnappers, along with the CEO of the company for whom he is doing the presentation. The group of four kidnappers form an amateurish group of eco-terrorists who call themselves the VBJ. Bryan's xanax is confiscated and Bryan must face his deep-seated fears and terrors once again. Though rationally more prepared than the average person, fear is irrational and Bryan must again relive The Worst Thing he can imagine.

Elkins gives the best description of a panic attack that I've ever read outside of a textbook. He also gets the psychopathic personality down pat. The book is a fine thriller and filled with suspense from the beginning. One can feel Bryan's fear and terror along with him and the author's use of the first person works very well. I enjoy a good thriller and this one held me in its grips throughout.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Low-key yet gripping May 14, 2011
Format:Hardcover
Most "psychological thrillers" are overwrought to the point of melodrama. _The Worst Thing_ is different. For one thing, it's about real (not pop) psychology. For another, its suspense comes not from the menace of a Hannibal Lecter-esque villain, but from the protagonist's own inner demons. It'd make a good movie ... but you'd need some top-notch actors.

Elkins makes the interesting and mildly unusual choice to have most of the book narrated in the first person. This works out well on a couple of levels. The protagonist, Brian Bennett, is shown to be a likeable and grounded sort of guy. We see those inner demons from *his* point of view, which makes them understandable. It's a way of showing that Brian's troubles differ from yours or mine--if they do--only in degree, not in kind. So when Brian gets put through the wringer, you'll find yourself with that uneasy feeling: what if this happened to me?

I have but one kvetch to make, and it's minor. There's a surprise in the last chapter, which is interesting and perfectly foreshadowed, but which doesn't dovetail strongly with the action in the book's body. The book would be even stronger if the final revelation brightly re-illuminated what's happened and why. There is a connection--it's just a little muted.

That aside, this is a superb display of Aaron Elkins's usual top-notch craftsmanship. The pacing is superb, the characters are well-drawn, and the resolution is satisfying. I was initially reminded of two classic Dick Francis novels (_Risk_ and _The Danger_), but _The Worst Thing_ ultimately goes in its own direction. It's less about what the hero *can* do, and more about what he *will* do.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Bryan Bennett of Redmond, Washington designs hostage negotiation programs. Bryan believes every life has a defining moment and that his occurred when he was five years old. Bryan remembers being kidnapped in Istanbul and held for two months in an underground cell. Now as an adult, Bryan suffers from severe panic attacks, claustrophobia, and the fear of being kidnapped in the future. Bryan is able to conduct research and prepare lectures and training materials related to hostage situations, but is not able to work with kidnappers or their victims, or even take part in a direct discussion of the subject.

In spite of his overwhelming fears, Bryan accepts an assignment to meet with a client in Iceland. He wants to treat his wife Lori to this trip to make up for prior travel opportunities they've declined because of Bryan's phobias. Bryan plans to take medications to get through the flights and tempts fate by telling himself the trip will be great, because after all "what was the worst that could happen?"

"The Worst Thing" is an exciting, suspenseful novel. The main character, Bryan Bennett, is sympathetic and likeable. Brian really wants to get better, but doesn't think it's possible. I was rooting for him throughout the book to be able to conquer his fears and lead a happy life with his wife Lori. Lori plays a major role in the story, but the book's focus is on Bryan. The author gives us many insights into what Bryan is thinking, but not Lori. I liked Lori, but wasn't able to connect with her character the same way I was with Bryan.

Bryan's friend, the psychologist Zeta Parkington, is a wonderful supporting character. Zeta is not the usual therapist found in fiction. She is in her seventies and smokes cigars. She's intelligent, independent, and outspoken. Although she's straight-talking and doesn't mince words, she is caring and is truly concerned about Bryan's well-being. I think the author could create entire series centered on this distinctive character!

The book is very well-researched. In addition to information about psychology and hostage negotiation, there are also many details about the unique Icelandic setting. The author describes places of interest, traditions, and customs of Iceland which help the reader to experience the country right along with Bryan and Lori.

From the title alone, as well as the first few chapters, there is a sense of foreboding that something terrible is going to happen. However, the twists and turns the story takes are unpredictable and thrilling and keep you guessing until the very end. The conclusion is great, but the final few paragraphs seem to wrap up reactions to a shocking revelation a little too quickly. I still thoroughly enjoyed the book in spite of the slightly rushed ending.

This stand-alone novel by Aaron Elkins is much different in style from the author's scholarly Gideon Oliver mystery series. The Worst Thing is more comparable to a suspense novel by Linwood Barclay or a psychological thriller by Jonathan Kellerman. If you're looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your seat, this fast-paced thriller is just the thing.

This review was originally written for the "Season for Romance" E-Zine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not just another mindless suspense thriller
This novel was a fun read, and a real departure for the author. There are some interesting twists and turns and one can learn something in the process. Enjoy!
Published 8 months ago by Naomi J. Smith
The Worst Thing
AAron Elkins remains one of my preferred Authors. However his current title is well chosen and presents likely reactions among readers such as me. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Robert E.Saltmarsh Ed.D.
Displays the Skill of an Experienced and Award-winning Author
Everyone knows not to tempt fate. Since the time of the Greeks we have been warned and warned against uttering that magical incantation "what's the worst that can happen? Read more
Published 10 months ago by Shroud Magazine's Book Reviews
Elkins delivers the suspense he promises.
What's your worst fear? Is it based on reality or imagination? Bryan Bennett's is based on reality. He's taken that fear and turned one facet of it into his career. Read more
Published 11 months ago by PJ Coldren
"I am facing my fears."
The narrator of "The Worst Thing," by Aaron Elkins, is thirty-seven year old Bryan Bennett, who holds a doctorate in labor relations and crisis management and has been a research... Read more
Published 12 months ago by E. Bukowsky
Very interesting and suspenseful
"The Worst Thing" is a suspense novel about hostage negotiation and panic attacks. The author wove vivid details into the story about hostage negotiation, what it's like to be a... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Debbie
Teriffic thriller
If you've been following the trail of Author Aaron Ekins and his Gideon Oliver series you'll love this. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Bob Lampert
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