Constant Fear

April 13, 2015
This breakneck edge-of-your-seat thrill ride from Palmer (Desperate) falls just short of perfect. Jake Dent was on his way to becoming a major-league pitcher when he drunkenly crashed his car and shattered his elbow. Since his wife left him and their diabetic son, Andy, Jake has found a sense of security as a doomsday “prepper,” teaching himself and Andy how to survive any kind of catastrophe. Now the head custodian at Pepperell Academy in the picturesque Berkshire town of Winston, Mass., he has the chance to put his training to the test when apparent terrorists take 16-year-old Andy, a student at Pepperell, and a number of other students hostage. As Jake tries to save the kids, he begins to understand that Andy and friends did something criminal to bring this disaster to the school. Extraordinary character development and more than a few bombshell plot twists will keep readers turning the pages until the contrived ending. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

Starred review from May 15, 2015

Palmer (Desperate) sets out to tell a fast-paced, suspenseful story and doesn't fail. A former baseball all-star and single father, Jake Dent spends his days as a custodian at the prestigious Pepperell Academy where his son, Andy, attends on a scholarship. At night, he trains the boy as a survivalist in preparation for the doomsday he is convinced will soon arrive. Jake keeps that side of himself secret from everyone except Andy, including his love interest, Ellie. When Andy and his hacker friends steal money from a drug cartel, Jake must use every skill he's learned in order to save the students from killers set on revenge. VERDICT This nail-biting tale is sure to get hearts pumping and bound to be a winner with fans of Greg Iles and Iris Johansen. The author is the son of deceased best-selling medical thriller author Michael Palmer, but he doesn't need to ride on his father's coattails. His suspenseful stories, full of twists and turns, are sure to win him a following of his own.--Nanci Milone Hill, Boxford Town Lib., MA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Palmer's thrillers examine family dynamics set against impossible odds, and his latest pits a horrendous drug cartel against a man desperate to keep his son alive. Jake Dent was thrown curve balls in life and has become a survivalist as a way of coping. He forces his son, Andy, to live the survivalist life as well, though Andy wants out. Andy and his friends at a private school, where Jake works as custodian, are computer wizards, but they have hacked the wrong account: ruthless people who are out millions of dollars want every cent back. They will do anything to recover the cash and exact revenge, even take all teen hackers hostage inside their high school. Jake is hiding in the bowels of the school and must utilize his survivalist skills to create weapons and save the boys. Palmer takes a straightforward kidnapping story and turns it into a compelling tale filled with not-so-typical heroes. Setting the action in a high school is risky, but Palmer pulls it off. Fans of Harlan Coben or Linwood Barclay will especially enjoy this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)