Randomize ME

Book Description:

An Amazon Best Book of December 2015

The bestseller with over half a million readers that People magazine called a “live-wire debut.”

A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. Still unsolved, the mystery remains a national obsession.

For legendary hacker and marine Gibson Vaughn, the case is personal—Suzanne Lombard had been like a sister to him. On the tenth anniversary of her disappearance, the former head of Benjamin Lombard’s security asks for Gibson’s help in a covert investigation of the case, with new evidence in hand.

Haunted by tragic memories, he jumps at the chance to uncover what happened all those years ago. Using his military and technical prowess, he soon discovers multiple conspiracies surrounding the Lombard family—and he encounters powerful, ruthless political players who will do anything to silence him and his team. With new information surfacing that could threaten Lombard’s bid for the presidency, Gibson must stay one step ahead as he navigates a dangerous web to get to the truth.

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I’d been in a reading funk lately, starting and then abandoning one book after another. Got very frustrated, but happily, this is one novel that I finished (and in record time too!) The Short Drop was an audible deal offer on Amazon, and I was very curious when I read the book description (A cold case involving the future president’s missing daughter suddenly has new evidence turn up 10 years later). Very intriguing! And I was not disappointed, at all. And I’ve been recommending this thriller to everyone I know since!

This book really lived up to its “live-wire debut” description – it’s a cliché to say this, but I found it to be a literal page turner, with so many unexpected twists and turns, and I never got bored or even felt like putting the book down (what a struggle to find the extra time to sleep/eat/work!). The author managed to keep me guessing, and although I did figure out the ‘big secret’ in the girl’s disappearance before it was revealed, I was surprised when someone I thought was a friend turned out to be not so friendly.

It also helped that I really liked the main character Gibson Vaughn – he’s this (disgraced but still legendary) hacker and ex-marine, who has never gotten over the disappearance of Suzanne Lombard (his childhood friend who was practically his baby sister). From his recollections of the girl, I found myself deeply caring about what happened to her also. And even as the other characters cautioned Gibson about ‘false hope’ – the girl had been gone for 10 years! – I found myself right beside Gibson – hoping against hope that there was a happy ending somehow.

I also want to mention how easy it was to read this book – the writing flow was so good, and I was really immersed in the story. It’s a bit hard to explain (like that so-called x-factor in Hollywood stars), but this author has that special quality that makes me go – this is a good writer, I want to read more of his stuff!

RATING: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Short Drop (The Gibson Vaughn Series) by Matthew FitzSimmons (Thomas & Mercer) is available on Amazon and other bookstores (B&N Nookbook, Kobo books, iBooks, Book Depository)