Rating: 
Summary: Read it!
Review: Wow!!! Couldn't put it down. In its genre its near the top. Faster paced than Quiet Game. More suspense than Spandau Phoenix.More intense than Mortal Fear. And a faster sleigh ride than Black Cross. If you're an Iles fan, this book's for you. Forget the pseudo-intellects that try to analyze this book. Its a downhill ride that is pure joy.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing effort from a thriller master
Review: I found Greg Iles to be one of the finest new talents to emerge in the thriller genre in the 1990s. His first four novels are textbooks for aspiring thriller writers. From "Spandau Phoenix" to 1999's "The Quiet Game", Iles took common thriller concepts and with his considerable writing talent put his original stamp on each. From international intrigue, to WWII spy caper, to courtroom drama, Greg Iles asserted himself as a master of the thriller form.Which is why I found "24 Hours" to be such a disappointment. When I learned that the plot would revolve around a tired, overdone concept -- kidnapping for ransom -- I assumed that Iles would turn my assumption and preconceptions upside down and deliver another clever spin on a thriller convention. Such was not the case. I anticipated every alleged plot twist before it occurred, and I think any thriller savvy reader will be bored. I hung in until the very end waiting for something to occur that bore a resemblance to the Greg Iles that I have come to expect so much from. I could forgive a lack of originality if the themes of the novel had reached the literary heights of his past efforts. But, even the characters and their relationships rang false. The harried doctor who ignores his family. The wife who is indignant at her role as sole caregiver to their daughter. The kidnapper with an ax to grind. When the primary message behind the narrative is "The Junior League and the country club membership don't seem so important when your daughter's been kidnapped" the novel descends into bad movie of the week triteness. Overall, the lack of an original plot and surprises and the unexpectedly poor writing smacks of deadline pressures for Iles. In the past, he has gone two and even three years between releases. This is the first time he has released a novel a mere twelve months after the previous one, and the final product feels slapped together and rushed. Here's hoping that next time he discards the first idea that comes into his head and finds something to work on that the rest of us find worthy of his considerable talent.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: The term 'page turner' gets overused to the point that it has lost it's meaning. However, take that expression literally and it applies to 24 Hours. This is one of the fastest reads I have ever had. The book moves along at a frantic pace and just pulls you along with it. As the title suggests the events in the book only span 1 day, but in those 24 hours you learn about every chracter and are involved in the events they are involved in intimately. If you like good suspense and a fast read then this is the book for you. As usual Greg has come out with something original, and something disimilar to his previous works but he shows that he is a good storyteller and that is what is important. It is disturbing at times, but I think everyone will enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Good Read From Greg Iles!
Review: Overall, I would have rated 24 Hours 3 1/2 stars if it were possible to do so in Amazon's rating system. In 24 Hours Iles has delivered another book that moves along at a galloping pace and is packed with lots of suspense. I'd rate this book 4 1/2 stars on these qualities. Unfortunately, I found that I was able to predict much of the action and, in particular, the ending, well in advance of their occurences. Also, while the story is interesting and enjoyable to read, I found that Iles' often severely strained my ability to extend belief in his main characters. Thus, I'd give only 2 1/2 stars to 24 Hours on the dimensions of believability and credibility. Further, while not a major criticism, I would have liked 24 Hours even more if he had provided a brief epilogue to tie up some of the loose threads in the story. Having finished 24 Hours, I have now read all five books Greg Iles has written and I would recommend them all to you. However, if you are considering reading your first book by Iles, I'd recommend Mortal Fear and The Quiet Game above 24 Hours. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: RIVETING...A HEART-STOPPING THRILLER
Review: Will and Karen Jennings are a successful couple, with a beautiful daughter, Abby. Will is a prominent doctor on the verge of a medical breakthrough, and during a medical convention his worst nightmare comes true...his daughter is kidnapped. Every year, at the same time, during this convention a plan is put into place...A doctor is chosen, and his family held hostage for 24 hours. The rules are simple-the doctor will come up $200,000.00 for the release of their child-UNHARMED. Hickey is the mastermind of this plan, and he has followed through with the SAME plan for many years, never to be caught, but entering in the Jennings family is the biggest mistake he will make, for this family will fight to survive, and to further complicate matters, Hickey's past crimes will come back to haunt him. I am keeping other plot points a secret, for all the fun is finding out as you go. "24 Hours" is a riveting, masterful thriller. The pacing is perfect, and demands to be read in one sitting. The novel is filled with tension, that will have readers on the edge of their seat, anxiously awaiting the next plot twist, while sudden bursts of violent action scenes pull the novel to it's climax. Greg Iles is a master thriller writer at the top of his game, his fans will NOT be disappointed with this MUST READ thriller. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: A winner by THE thriller master
Review: No question Joey is the best at what he does. Once a year, accompanied by his partners Huey and Cheryl, Joey kidnaps a child. He always succeeds in obtaining the ransom money, returning the child unharmed, and never having the abduction reported to the police. Clearly, Joey belongs in the felons' hall of fame (shame?). This year, Joey plans to abduct Abby, the five and a half-year-old daughter of Dr. Will and Karen Jennings of Jackson, Mississippi. He has been watching the Jennings for some time to insure his plot goes smoothly and that the parents of the victim fits the mold he needs to succeed. However, this time the abduction has a twist because Will and Karen refuse to idly sit by while Joey orchestrates his dastardly deed. By taking action, has the once happy couple doomed their daughter to become Joey's first casualty? 24 HOURS is an exciting, frantic-paced story line that grips readers much more than Mel Gibson's similar movie. The plot never allows the audience a moment to breath as the tension mounts to almost unbearable levels only to rise further due to the MORTAL FEAR that the precocious Abby will die, something fans will not want to happen because they care. As usual with a Greg Iles work (see THE QUIET GAME), the key players seem genuine as if they are next door neighbors and the plot feels authentic, adding to the overall helpless terror in the pit of the sympathizing reader's stomach. Mr. Iles is at his nightmarish best with this abduction tale that takes no prisoners. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but not nearly his best
Review: "The Quiet Game" raised the bar so high for this Natchez, Mississippi author that almost anything else would seem a letdown. Unfortunately, "24 Hours" is a big drop. The systematic kidnapping of the doctor's daughter (perpetrated by a very well-prepared and experienced felon) makes for fairly compelling reading, but the yuppy-couple-living-in-a-huge-house-in-rural-Mississippi backdrop is beginning to wear a bit thin. Iles' writing is still strong, as he creates real heartache for any parent who can imagine his/her child (especially one with an illness) being snatched away. But "24 Hours" veers to close to Grisham territory in Will Jennings' race against time to save his wife and daughter (the F.B.I. portrayed as arrogant buffoons comes off a trifle smug) and the climactic plane landing on the highway scene is a wee bit too Hollywood for this reader. This is an enjoyable book, but it strikes me as perhaps rushed into print. You might be inclined to agree if you read this one, then try "The Quiet Game" and "Mortal Fear."
Rating: 
Summary: My first, but not my last, Iles book
Review: "24 hours" might well describe the span of time in which I read this fast-paced, surprise-at-every-turn book. It is the first novel I have read by Greg Iles and I intend to read all of them. Iles portrays the Jennings family as resourceful, smart, determined and quick-thinking. They are the perfect foils for the organized and psycopathic kidnapper, Joe Hickey, who has completed five successful child-kidnappings and looks forward to another, that of Abby Jennings. A parallel story of a family whose child had previously been kidnapped by Hickey keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen, since this family has gone to the FBI on the anniversary of their son's kidnapping and the day of Abby's. Iles builds the heart-pounding suspense, one layer at a time. His character development is very good--you feel that you KNOW these people by the end of the book. My only complaint is that I did think that Iles was a little tough on the FBI-- it seemed that some personal animosity exists.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst Greg Iles book I've ever read!
Review: This book was horrible from start to finish. I never once believed the characters. Their actions and words did not speak of truth at all. I read the entire book and the entire thing felt like wading through sludge.
I normally like Greg Iles (The Quiet Game is one of my all-time favorite books) and it is hard for me to believe this was even written by the same guy.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who has a shred of understanding of the human psyche.
Rating:
Summary: ANOTHER TOP-NOTCH THRILLER FROM ILES!
Review: This book has all the thrill and suspense of James Patterson's "Along Came A Spider." For those who are devoted Greg Iles fans, this one rates close behind his successful, "Mortal Fear." In this novel we have a kidnapping plot, a distraught Mom and Dad whose ho-hum marriage is not exactly a garden of passion, a sweet little girl, a fiendish villain who is the mastermind of the plot, and the villain's somewhat challenged cousin who is also his partner in crime. The characters are well developed, true-to-life people, and while the plot is not original in nature (kidnappings novels are easy to come by these days and the reason for a four-star rating as opposed to a five) the book is filled from start to finish with action and suspense. It is definitely an all night thriller and I highly expect this one will be a future movie. You won't believe how much action can actually be packed into 24 hours. Great book, fabulous author; that says it all!
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