Torn

December 22, 2008
In Jordan's heart-pounding third Randall Shane venture (after 2007's Trapped
), the FBI agent turned lost child locator is called upon to do the impossible. After an explosion at the elementary school in tiny Humble, N.Y., 10-year-old Noah Corbin's remains—a few bits of tissue and blood—have been identified. Stubbornly refusing to admit that her son is dead, and having worn out the patience of local authorities, Haley Corbin contacts Shane. Before long, between his own investigative skills and a little help from FBI buddies, Shane starts to peel away the layers of what appears to be an abduction plot by a cultlike group with personal ties to Noah and his deceased father. The ensuing chase and rescue in a remote Colorado mountain aerie stretch credulity at times but provide a satisfying romp.