29 Seconds
by T. M. Logan
From T.M. Logan, the bestselling author of Lies, comes 29 Seconds, a sensational new thriller that explores what happens when a split second thought of revenge takes on a life of its own.
“Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear.”
“Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear.”
Sarah is a young professor struggling to prove herself in a workplace controlled by the charming and manipulative Alan Hawthorne. A renowned scholar and television host, Hawthorne rakes in million-dollar grants for the university where Sarah works—so his inappropriate treatment of female colleagues behind closed doors has gone unchallenged for years. And Sarah is his newest target.
When Hawthorne's advances become threatening, Sarah is left with nowhere to turn. Until the night she witnesses an attempted kidnapping of a young child on her drive home, and impulsively jumps in to intervene. The child’s father turns out to be a successful businessman with dangerous connections—and her act of bravery has put this powerful man in her debt. He gives Sarah a burner phone and an unbelievable offer. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that can make all her problems disappear.
No consequences. No traces. All it takes is a 29-second phone call.
Because everyone has a name to give. Don’t they?
Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
29 Seconds is a slow starter with a considerable amount of time spent on setting the stage. In fact, I almost set this one aside as I kept waiting for Sarah to be presented with the choice that is described in the blurb. After a little more of the mundane than I thought absolutely necessary, we do eventually get there, and by this time the author has achieved the goal of making us really hate Hawthorne. The only problem is I didn't much like Sarah either. She comes across as weak and incapable of taking action against her despicable boss. But, yes, there is a but, take action, she does, in a moment of desperation? Exasperation? Infuriation? Whatever 'ation' she feels in that moment, it was enough to finally do something. This is where the story took a turn for the better for me. Sarah is still whiney to the point of tedium, but she does have reason for some of it. Anyone with a shred of morals would have at least had second thoughts. But the twists and the way things play out saved this one for me. I can usually see the twists coming, and there were a couple that didn't take me by surprise, but they were still done excellently. That said, there were also a couple of twists that snuck right up on me and had me sitting up in my chair and paying attention, and the conclusion was perfect for this crazy, twisted story. Looking back and thinking about it all, I would say this book really starts at almost halfway through, but from there, it has a steadily rising tension and explosive twists that kept those pages turning.
29 Seconds is a slow starter with a considerable amount of time spent on setting the stage. In fact, I almost set this one aside as I kept waiting for Sarah to be presented with the choice that is described in the blurb. After a little more of the mundane than I thought absolutely necessary, we do eventually get there, and by this time the author has achieved the goal of making us really hate Hawthorne. The only problem is I didn't much like Sarah either. She comes across as weak and incapable of taking action against her despicable boss. But, yes, there is a but, take action, she does, in a moment of desperation? Exasperation? Infuriation? Whatever 'ation' she feels in that moment, it was enough to finally do something. This is where the story took a turn for the better for me. Sarah is still whiney to the point of tedium, but she does have reason for some of it. Anyone with a shred of morals would have at least had second thoughts. But the twists and the way things play out saved this one for me. I can usually see the twists coming, and there were a couple that didn't take me by surprise, but they were still done excellently. That said, there were also a couple of twists that snuck right up on me and had me sitting up in my chair and paying attention, and the conclusion was perfect for this crazy, twisted story. Looking back and thinking about it all, I would say this book really starts at almost halfway through, but from there, it has a steadily rising tension and explosive twists that kept those pages turning.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press
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