Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
I thought this would be a page turner, but this has just too many characters with too much happening all over the place. Didn't like it one bit. Actually struggled to finish it

Gone in Seconds is the second book in the Special Agent Max Carter series by best-selling author, Ed James.

Max Carter is a FBI special agent leading a rapid response unit specialized in abduction cases. In the aftermath of the previous book, he’s still on the trail of a person of interest. However, a new abduction soon has him and his team scramble for another race against the clock. A baby has been taken from a family who’s been using their fortune to fund charitable causes. But, behind this honorable facade, secrets, a siblings feud, and shady dealings, threaten to derail the case and the fate of the kidnapped baby.

The unusual writing style Ed James used for Tell Me Lies is there again. The first person narrative focuses on one of the perpetrators, while we follow Max Carter and his team through a third person narration. And, even if I didn’t expect this literary device to make a return, this feels more natural the second time around.

Unlike the first book, however, and in spite of this focus on a secondary character, we learn a lot more about Max Carter, his personal life, his past, and his motivations. He’s still dead serious, focused, and not letting anything get in the way of his job and the law, but we get a better picture of what makes him tick.

As unexpected is this second novel serving, in part, as a sequel to the first. And, if you thought the author was blurring the lines between good and evil in Tell Me Lies, prepare for more of the same as this new story is downright heart-wrenching

From start to finish, this is a book that doesn’t let you escape its grasp. It is more thrilling manhunt than whodunnit, and It’s hard to get more fast-paced, with a clock ticking on the page frequently evoking the legendary sound of the « 24 » split screen chapter breaks.

While, by the last pages, the main plot points are resolved, the book nonetheless ends on a personal cliffhanger for Max Carter and, aside from this obvious one, the acute reader will have noticed a few other threads left dangling. This makes me think that, even if each book stands on its own, the start of this series has been planned as a trilogy. Judging by the quality of the first two outings, this couldn’t be more welcome.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

Gone in Seconds is a fantastic read! It’s a police procedural, a family drama, the story of a kidnapping and a fast-paced psychological thriller with the Russian mob thrown into the mix. It’s definitely a 5 star read!

Landon and Jennifer Bartlett have a picture perfect life in their Seattle home with their 6 week old baby boy Ky. He’s the millionaire head of a family foundation, she’s a stay at home mother. When after a fundraising gala, they discover that Ky is missing, the FBI is called to investigate.

Agent Max Carter is the lead investigator. He soon discovers that there is something off about this family. Landon’s brother Chase is definitely hiding something. And what is the connection between Kaitlyn, the young kidnapper, and the mysterious Layla, wanted for her involvement in another crime? And who owes money or favors to Boris Zangiev, a ruthless Russian mobster who is taking an unusual interest in the kidnapping case? All these questions will be answered but not before secrets are peeled away to reveal the truth that has been hiding just below the surface.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Ed James for this ARC.

Another great book by Ed James. This is the second in the Max Carter Series and follows on from the first, though can be read as a standalone. The book is told from a number of different perspectives and has a timeline (not that I ever seem to take note of it when reading!). Baby Ky Bartlett, 6 weeks old is taken from his parents, Jennifer and Landon while they are out, and the nanny is having a sneaky cigarette. FBI child protection agent, Max Carter is called in to investigate and ensure the safe return of Ky to his loving family.

This follows a good plot, there are many twists and turns throughout but this adds well to the story. This wasn’t the fastest-paced read for me, it starts a little slowly and the way the kidnapper manages to get into and out of the house is quite unbelievable. The story flows well though and the chapters are a good length.

The characters are well developed and while it could be confusing being told from different points of view, it all flowed seamlessly through each person. A lot of the characters are a little cold feeling, none of them has much warmth and the Bartlett’s, in particular, don’t appear to be that upset about losing their son, there’s a bit of a lack of emotion there. Through the twists and turns Landon’s brother, Chase becomes more involved and I found the names Chase and Carter (as he is mostly referred to) slightly confusing in parts, I would have liked it more if their names were more different.

Overall though I really enjoyed this, it held my attention well and I wouldn’t hesitate to read the next book in the series when it comes out, which I am assuming it will given the cliff hanger at the end!

Fantastic book, kept me up all night reading!!! Fast paced and action packed!!! I would definitely recommend this book to everyone!

A baby missing. A family in pieces. A shocking secret that can’t be told.

Landon and Jennifer Bartlett have everything¾money, influence and a picture-perfect family. But it means nothing when their lives are torn apart the day someone breaks into their plush mansion and takes their newborn child right from his cot.

FBI Agent Max Carter investigates child abduction cases. He has a reputation for working all hours to find every missing child on his watch¾after all, he was once one himself. When he visits the Bartletts’ sprawling home in an exclusive estate in the suburbs of Seattle, he’s immediately suspicious of Landon Bartlett and his brother Sam.

As Carter delves deeper into the lives of the brothers, he finds a web of dubious business deals and lies that could cost the Bartletts their entire family fortune. And it’s clear they will do anything to keep their secrets¾but would they withhold vital information that could lead him to baby Ky’s kidnapper?

As Carter begins a cat-and-mouse game with the kidnapper, he receives some startling news from home, which stops him in his tracks. And when a young woman is spotted boarding a bus out of town with a baby fitting Ky’s description, he must decide whether to risk everything to find the missing child or save his own family.
This book had a fantastic plot with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
The only downside, it would be beneficial to read the first book before this one .

First, I want to thank Ed James for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

The shocking secret in Ed James Gone in Seconds literally pulled on my heart strings!! This abduction story is unlike any I have ever read before. It is filled with so many secrets, many winding twists and curves, and shocking moments. The saddest part of all an innocent baby is missing throughout this craziness.

I will admit that this cover pulled hard on my heart strings that I just had to read the book. It was so perfect for this story. Kudos to the graphic designer on this one.

Abduction books have always been a fascination of mine for some reason. This storyline was so totally different from all the rest that I have read. This was an abduction of baby KY. It had a little bit of high profile political figures, brotherly fights, a lot of secrets, twists and turns galore, shocking revelations, etc.

For me personally I preferred the middle to the ending more than the first part of the book. I loved when Jennifer opened up her heart and we saw her true self shine. Then things started falling into place for me.

This book is dedicated to Mark Edwards, for a cracking week in the Pacific Northwest and a character name, though you might regret letting me use your name.

Picking up essentially where Tell Me Lies left off, the action in this book just keeps on rolling. There are nefarious characters, intricate connections, ulterior motives, and shady pasts (and presents) that need to be sorted out. Fortunately, Carter is a hero who looks at the whole picture. You can read this as a standalone. But, if you didn’t read the first book I would highly recommend doing so because it will make this one much clearer. And there is definitely a cliffhanger that indicates at least a third book in the series. For a full review please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

This book was okay. It took me awhile to get into it and I felt it could have better. I'm having a hard time with some of these books as I feel like they're very generic in the same kind of missing person Mysteries

Murder, mafia and commerce.
Set in Seattle, 'Gone in Seconds' is part police procedural, part crime story told from multiple POVs (points of view) including FBI agent Max Carter, teenaged Kaitlyn, Layla and Chase Langdon.

19-year-old Kaitlyn abducts 6-week-old baby Ky from the mansion he lives in. We know he's a colicky baby, he screams a lot and barely sleeps. Yet, it doesn't seem that Kaitlyn has thought this through, or what her destination is, or how she'll get there. There's no car waiting to envelope Ky and her in its air-conditioned warmth. She hasn't any blankets for the cold weather, baby formula or diapers or change of clothes – anything you know a tiny neonate will need. Yet, surprisingly, Ky doesn't fall sick.

At times naïve and clueless, Kaitlyn nevertheless has martial arts and wall-climbing skills that are never explained. If Kaitlyn was more likeable or smart or understandable, then I think I would have enjoyed the novel better. Eventually at around the sixty percent mark we learn of Kaitlyn's backstory, and why she did what she did. However, unfortunately by then, my attention had already flagged. I was skimming tracts to get to the heart of the story: the repercussions or the escape. It had to be one or the other.

The lady of the mansion, Ky's mother, Jennifer Bartlett, gives the nanny instructions that you can just see the nanny will flout, though no particular reason is given why she would.

The next is a sentencing scene in court where Max Carter chases after a spectator, a criminal from another series. This scene felt like the reader was missing a whole lot of information. Then, we are led to a swish fund-raising event held by Langdon Bartlett. The relationships between Langdon, his wife, Jennifer and brother, Chase, seem fraught. The Bartlett brothers have secrets; neither is likeable or seems redeemable. There's Russians in the crowd and the Edwards siblings who all seem like the bad guys, although their crimes are never spelt out until about the last 20 percent.

The reader follows Layla, whom Max Carter has referred to as a dangerous criminal. Her story is ironically, very slow given that she's on the run the whole time, chasing an outcome unspecified until near the end.

The reader doesn't get enough detail on the current scene before switching to the next one. The build-up of the plot is at a slow pace with what I felt were too many filler scenes instead of action-orientated or emotional set-ups. I found it hard to like or engage with any of the characters, even the main protagonist, Max Carter, seeing his attitude towards his dying father.

I must say that I was surprised that Ed James has written multiple other novels and series, as this one just read in a disjointed way. The blurb or cover should have told this was part of a series as you felt dropped halfway into the story with no idea what was going on. You had to have read the previous book in this series to understand various characters, e.g. Layla, and what they'd done as the multiple references to them did nothing to inform the reader of their actual crimes. Also, the ending left dangling threads regarding what exactly was the fate of at least three of the protagonists. It was only hinted at.

There is the mafia involved, murder, torture, some reference to the armed forces in the Middle East (which lost me), and cases of child abduction that are alluded to but not detailed. This story has some harrowing, violent scenes. Not for the faint-hearted.

What I liked: there are some interesting twists and turns in Kaitlyn's choices, and some of the characters show heart. Thank you to #NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book review also appears in Amazon.com, Netgalley.com,
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3378405327
https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2020/06/gone-in-seconds-by-ed-james.html

Firstly I’d like to thank netgalley and bookouture for the advance copy of this book.

Gone in seconds is the second book about FBI agent Max Carter and it shows.

The story is told from many viewpoints. Without prior knowledge of many of the characters which would have featured in the first book, I found myself wondering who all these people were that kept popping up. You were supposed to know who they were and there wasn’t much of a back story to them.

Initially I thought this was going to be all about a child abduction, but there was a back story of a Russian businessman/ mafia boss type character that completely lost me.

The first half was really slow, so when the story was based on the kidnapper and the hunt for them the pace really picked up. Other than that it didn’t really grab me.

Kidnapping , murder , the Russian mob and most of all Max Carter , Special Agent to the FBI.

Although this is book 2 in the series it can be read as a standalone (but I am off to read book 1)

There are stories within stories in Gone in Seconds and that just keeps you on your toes, dodging curve balls and storing clues.

Lots of action, the pages flew by for me and I for one am now a Max Carter fan !

Can't wait for book 3.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a great read !

Gone in Seconds is the second instalment in the FBI Special Agent Max Carter series, set in Seattle, Washington and follows Max’s exploits as a member of the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team. When the team are called in to investigate the kidnapping of wealthy Landon and Jennifer Bartlett’s six-week-old son, Ky, who was brazenly taken from his cot inside their lavish mansion whilst the parents attended a dinner party and the nanny looking after him was engrossed by the television, Max feels the family are not telling him all they know. There also appears to be some tension between the parents and the baby boy’s uncle that keeps bubbling to the surface. Soon Uncle Chase becomes a person of interest and the Barlett families shady business dealings are brought to the light where it is instantly clear that they have made many enemies through their less than fair behaviour. The FBI wants to know more about these dealings but it appears the family will do anything to keep their secrets even if it means jeopardising the hunt for their son’s abductor. The lack of cooperation certainly doesn't reflect well on them.

This is a captivating and superbly crafted police procedural; it held my attention from the first few pages through to the last with everything that was going on. There is a lot to unpack as this is an action-packed read that barely gives you a moment to breathe. Max and colleagues uncover a conspiracy involving many dubious people and although they identify the abductor, locating and catching him is a totally different kettle of fish. I recommend reading the first book before diving into this one as the story follows on from the occurrences in Tell Me Lies and to get the most enjoyment out of the series I feel they need to be read chronologically. It’s a fun, easy, quick and entertaining thriller with plenty of twists and a narrative that switches seamlessly between different perspectives without some of the confusion that happens in other multi-perspective novels. This is a great work of crime if you can suspend your disbelief given this is high-octane and slightly far-fetched in places.

I was utterly gobsmacked by the ending and it has me hankering for the third instalment already. A real cracker of a page-turner. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

I couldn't put this book down! I began reading this afternoon and had to finish it tonight. It's THAT GOOD!
Each character is so well developed, even the supporting characters.
There were several subplots woven into the main storyline and instead of distracting the reader, as many wind up doing, they really added to the story as a whole.
So many twists and turns! As soon as I thought I had figured it all out, another curve ball was thrown and I was back to rapidly turning pages and guessing again.
Definitely pick up a copy of this book as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed.

This one had such promise but unfortunately for me it fell a bit flat. It is a bit slow and takes awhile to get any kind of answers. It was an easy read however it jumped all over the place.

Another great book in the Max Carter series. I was hooked from the beginning and read it very quick as I didn’t want to put it down. It’s best to read the first book in the series to get the background information although it can be read as a stand-alone. Gritty and suspenseful storyline I didn’t want it to end. Bring on the next one.

Overall I enjoyed this book although it did take me a while to get into it, it was well written with good characters but some parts I did find a bit confusing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 12, 2020
This is my first novel by Ed James, although he is the author of quite a few police procedural novels. In fact, “Gone in Sixty Seconds” is the second novel in the Detective Max Carter series (again, I did not read the first one so I’m reviewing blind here).
Agent Max Carter works with the FBI, investigating child abduction cases. When an infant goes missing, Max and his team lead the search to find young Ky, the son of rich and influential couple, Jennifer and Landon Bartlett. Instantly, Landon’s brother Chase becomes a suspect, and Max begins to uncover some shady business dealings that the two brothers have tried to keep secret. As the hours tick by and Ky is not returned, Max knows he is working against the clock to return the infant home.
“Gone” is a police procedural, crime fighting novel. There is an abundance of characters (most of whom are involved in investigating the case), and it takes a detailed chart to keep track of who knows whom and who is doing dirty business deeds with whom. It feels like two stories in one- one plotline being the dirty business dealings between the brothers and their connection to the Russian mob, and the other is the missing child Ky and his parents’ struggles with infertility. Although both are (loosely) connected, I did not feel these two plots had enough in common to be part of the same novel.
Max Carter is about the only likable character in the novel (but he’s also the only one not involved directly in the kidnapping of a baby, so….) but I was invested enough in the plot to see how it played out. I was satisfied with the ending, and it definitely ends with a segue into what I’m sure is another novel in the series.
Overall, the novel was full of police action, and played out like a Hollywood movie would. There was never a break in the action and the story ended well. However, the over-abundance of characters (when I had no previous relationship with the characters from James’ other novels) and the two distinct plots that did not merge well, made this novel less than what I expected. I am not going to forego James entirely yet, but I will definitely proceed with caution.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Gone in Seconds, the second novel to feature Seattle FBI Agent Max Carter of the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team.

Max is asked to investigate the kidnapping of Ky Bartlett, the six week old son of Landon and Jennifer. As he investigates he finds that Landon and his brother Chase have plenty of secrets, some of which could help him and some of which hinder him greatly. Still, he and his team manage to quickly identify the kidnapper, catching them is a different matter.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gone in Seconds which is a fun read with a few good twists. It is told from various points of view, Max and all the main players, Including the kidnapper. This should be distracting with so many voices but the novel seems to slip seamlessly from one to another with enough tantalising hints and facts to keep the reader turning the pages. Then there are the twists, some more guessable than others, like the kidnapper’s motive that I guessed immediately, and some that are totally unexpected, like ... no spoilers. It should be noted that this novel has a realism bypass so I read it in the spirit intended as a fun, entertaining read. Thus, the plot is well done with everything a reader could want, including a blast from the past, ok a character or two from the previous novel, Tell Me Lies.

Max Carter is actually a fairly boring guy who is extremely dedicated to his job, possibly because he was kidnapped by his father as a child. His resentment of this sours his dealings with his father and will be explored further, I assume in the next novel as this one ends with a bombshell revelation.

Gone in Seconds is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Wow wow wow wow what a book!! I enjoyed every minute of this fast paced and suspenseful book!! A definite must read!!