Fear

by Jeff Abbott

Book Overview

What if you could forget the worst moment of your life? Miles Kendrick is a federal witness hiding from the mob, constantly haunted by the horrifying memories of his best friend?s death. While helping his psychiatrist with a mysterious favor, Miles stumbles into a murder?and an illegal medical research program that could free him and millions of others with post-traumatic stress disorder from their crippling fears. In the wrong place at the wrong...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525949720
• ISBN13: 9780525949725
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Good start, better than some

The first half of this book was extremely suspenseful and intriguing, and provided an interesting look at the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. Though some of the characters were innovative (the reality T.V. show character who had become agoraphobic was well drawn, and the main character with his ghostly visitors), most of the others seemed like stereotypes. When the book degenerated into a murderous, car-chase, shoot-em-up, though, I got bored. When Abbot threw in a concocted and unsubstantiated plot twist at the very end that really felt like a betrayal of the reader and was just completely unbelievable, I got both bored and annoyed. It seemed like a book written to be a gun movie, and written after watching a bunch of gun movies, by a guy who likes gun movies, and has a little more imagination than most gun-movie oriented novelists, but not by much. Something very paint-by-numbers about it, especially toward the end, and I did not feel satisfied when I finished it. Still, all in all, not a bad way to pass the time while doing housework. Read by L.J. Ganser, who did an excellent job building suspense and providing voice characterization. I review only audiobooks. Check out my other reviews, then download, plug in, and never be bored again.

Audio

Just picked this one up at the library at the last minute. L.J. Ganser does of fine job of narrating. The story moved in a fairly steady manner. As mentioned, the plot seemed a bit convoluted, but as you get further into it, it kind of came together. As far as the listening went, it was an average thriller.

Excellent action thriller

The earlier reviewers have done a good job of outlining the plot. Suffice it to say here that the race to secure the medical research behind the drug "Frost" -- a cure for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder -- is intense and convoluted. The good guy in all of this is Miles Kendrick, a former mob spy turned states evidence and in the Federal Witness Protection Program and a PTSD victim, himself. He joins forces (sort of) with two other PTSD on the side of good vs. evil (or not). I suspect that the author knows a thing or two about PTSD, as he portrays its victims with great sympathy and understanding. The story is genuinely interesting and entertaining, and none of the characters is 100% good or 100% evil. FEAR is a very good read.

Convoluted thriller satisfies a lust for action.

Jeff Abbott is one of those wonderful thriller authors whose penchant for and skill in putting action on every page overcomes any gaps in their plotting. In "Fear" the plots and sub-plots keep the reader guessing to the very end. In short, "Fear" is a page-turner, as I learned when the numerals on the digital clock weren't the only thing glowing: so was the sky as the sun rose - it was just after 5 a.m. when I finally put this book down hours after planning to read just a few pages before falling asleep. Miles Kendrick, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has yet another argument with his friend Andy. Friends often argue, of course, but this situation is just a bit different: Andy is dead. In fact, Miles believes he killed Andy. Miles is a more than a bit troubled. In another life he was a private investigator in Miami, roped into working for a criminal gang because of his late father's gambling debts. Now he's in the Witness Protection Program waiting to testify against the Barradas, a criminal enterprise that employed the unwilling Miles Kendrick and his willing friend Andy. Miles, living under a new name, is seeing Allison Vance, a psychiatrist specialzing in PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Miles is a shell of the man he once was; afraid to drive, plagued by visits from his dead friend Andy and very, very frightened of losing what is left of his mind. Now he works under his assumed name at a Santa Fe art gallery and relies heavily on DeShawn Pitts, a U.S. Marshall who is responsible for Miles in the WITSEC program. Life gets complicated quickly as author Abbott starts piling it on. Dr. Vance springs a new doctor on Miles, someone named James Sorenson. Something doesn't add up about Sorenson. Miles starts running scared and, as it turns out, with good reason. Dr. Vance's office explodes. Miles has reason to believe that Sorenson is involved. Things start happening fast now and the reader needs to keep track of all the characters Abbott feeds into the story. Quick-witted Joy Garrison, the art gallery owner, and her son Cinco. Dennis Grote, the less-than-kind hearted former FBI agent turned hitman, who pursues Miles. Nathan Ruiz, an Iraq war veteran suffering from PTSD; Celeste Brent, the $5 million winner of a TV reality show who was tortured by a demented fan and made to watch the murder of her husband, who is also suffering from PTSD. Dr. Hurley, who you definitely don't want as your psychiatrist; and an assortment of other characters, none of whom are particularly pleasant except for Victor Gamby, who operates Internet chat groups and forums to help those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. At the heart of the action is Frost, a potential cure for PTSD. The formula for the drug and the research results are up for grabs. Grote wants it and will kill for it. Sorenson wants it and apparently will kill for it. Corpses start piling up quickly as the action moves from artsy Santa Fe to California to Austin, Texs. Th

superb action thriller

In Miami Miles Kendrick worked for the Barrada mob, but turned against them leading to his best friend's death and the FBI hiding him inside the federal witness protection program. He lives, a loose euphemism for it because many things are denied him. For instance he no longer drives a car out of a fear of a bombing, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Miles sees psychiatrist Dr. Allison Vance, who is trying to help him cope with what she has diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which developed after he inadvertently killed his best friend while assisting the FBI. Surprising Kendrick, Dr. Vance asks for his help, but soon after she is killed by an explosion in her office. He assumes the Barrada mob killed her, but learns she was involved with a new miracle drug Frost touted as curing PTSD; he craves trying the drug. However former FBI Agent Dennis Groote turned hitman has other plans for Kendrick, other Vance patients and Frost. If Kendrick fails to control his fears, he will be dead when he and Groote confront one another. Though fans will need to accept some of the escapades, this is a superb action thriller that grips the audience from the onset and never slows down until the final altercation as the readers do not know how the antihero will react in the crisis due to the crippling fear he feels. Kendrick's desperation to try a potentially dangerous drug to control his fears serves as a metaphor for those with severe illnesses willing to try anything immediately and not wait for FDA approval (besides which their recent record is not to healthy). The story line is action, more action, and super more action as Jeff Abbott provides his fans with a one sitting on the edge of your seat thriller. Harriet Klausner