The Freedom Broker

October 31, 2016
Kidnap and rescue expert Thea Paris, the heroine of Howe’s promising debut, has suffered from survivor’s guilt ever since her brother, Nikos, was kidnapped 20 years earlier at age 12—despite Niko’s safe return. In the present day, the stakes get personal again when Thea’s wealthy father, Christos, is kidnapped on his 60th birthday from his yacht, which was moored at the Greek island of Santorini. A powerful oil baron about to make the deal of a lifetime, Christos has certainly made his share of enemies. Thea expects a ransom demand, but instead a series of foreboding messages in Latin come to her father’s phone. With no way to know whether her father is still alive, or who’s behind the kidnapping, Thea must fight the clock, her own secrets, and those of her closest family members in order to find the truth. Howe, the executive director of ITW’s annual Thrillerfest, provides nonstop action, believable characters, and a well-researched look at the world of international kidnapping. Agent: Victoria Sanders, Victoria Sanders & Associates.

Starred review from November 1, 2016
A fast-moving thriller featuring kidnapped oil tycoon Christos Paris and his kidnap-negotiator daughter, Thea. She's tough. She's smart. She's diabetic.Greek mogul Christos is snatched from his yacht, The Aphrodite, on Christmas Day, his name day, and his crew lies dead in pools of blood. Luckily, Thea's job at London-based Quantum International Security (QSI) is hostage rescue. She's a woman of "pure steel" in an "action-oriented domain." American Special Agent Gabrielle Farrah gets involved, because the Christos name is "synonymous with the oil that fueled America." There are no ransom demands, only cryptic messages in Latin. QSI has no idea who's holding Christos, but maybe it's the Islamic State group. Meanwhile, Nikos Paris hates his father, who he feels didn't do enough to rescue him 20 years ago when at age 12 he'd been kidnapped by a warlord. The family had been living in the (fictional) African nation of Kanzi, where for more than nine months Nikos' captors had forced him to become a murderous child soldier. Now, in addition to being the well-known son of a rich man, Nikos is also Ares, an arms dealer and "self-proclaimed God of War," though only a few know about his alter ego. He "could order someone's death with a casual whisper," but don't expect him to help in the search for Dad. And Helena Paris has little time to enjoy being Christos' fifth wife, because her limo explodes with her in it. "Bodies kept accumulating" around Thea, oh yes they surely did. The action largely takes place in Africa and is relentless, leaving just enough time for one vivid airborne sex scene. Thea tries to lead a prime minister through a ventilation system even as she fears she won't get her insulin dose in time. But the best scene--and who cares if it's plausible--involves bungee jumping over the Zambezi River. It's worth the price of the book. A spectacular start for what promises be a great Thea Paris series.

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Starred review from November 1, 2016
The crime of kidnapping unites a family. Nikos Paris was kidnapped when he was 12 years old, as his shocked younger sister, Thea, looked on; then the boy was held captive for nine months, an experience that irrevocably changed him. Thea has become a fearless response consultant for Quantum International Security, specializing in kidnap prevention, negotiation, and hostage extraction, and she hides her diabetes to avoid being judged weak. Then Thea and Nikos' father, oil magnate Christos, is kidnapped from his yacht in Greece just before his sixtieth-birthday celebration and as negotiations for a contract on an oil-rich area in Africa are about to begin. As Thea and her colleagues search for her father, Nikos' experience in captivity and dual identity are revealed, leading to a potentially fatal showdown on an elevated bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Fortunately Thea has an ally from the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell as well as Rif Askerher boss' son, father's godson, and childhood friend, who always has her back. This debut novel by Howe, executive director of the International Thriller Writers' annual ThrillerFest, generates nonstop suspense, commanding attention from the start and never letting go. Intended as the start of a series, this is a must for thriller fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)