Welcome to The Reading Closet on this cloudy Tuesday. I’m thrilled to be sharing the audiobook review from Awais Khan of The Abduction by A. A. Chaudhuri, narrated by David Thorpe. You can pre-order your audio copy here, I have a feeling Awais is absolutely going to convince you!
Madeline Kramer has finally got her life back on track at top city law firm Sullivan, Blake, Monroe. But when two armed, masked men burst into a conference room one lunchtime, kidnapping a trainee and a partner, Maddy’s life is plunged into disarray once more – particularly when charismatic DCI Jake Carver, who caught a heartless killer when they last met and with whom Maddy shared a mutual chemistry, is called to the scene.
Things become more complicated when a disturbing video reveals two more trainees have been taken. What initially appears as a random kidnapping for mercenary gain soon evolves into something far more complex, the horrifying events of 30 years ago motivating the abductors and having colossal implications….
The Scribe left me breathless and desperate for more, and I am pleased to say that The Abduction is another brilliantly plotted page turner. Narrated by the phenomenal David Thorpe for Isis Audio, this book will take you for a ride to remember, the kind of thrilling escapism we all crave in present times. Chaudhuri is an expert storyteller who knows just when to introduce the necessary tension, passion, action and humour in a book.
But this is no straightforward action thriller. Like The Scribe it’s a psychological thriller, exploring the motivations and mindsets of certain key characters, as well as various relationships, and issues of class and gender.
The Abduction takes place a couple of years after the events of The Scribe, and reintroduces us to Maddy Kramer who has only just begun to piece her life back together and find her place in her new firm. She is once again shaken to the core when armed gunmen burst into a conference room, taking two of her colleagues with them, including her trainee. The crime puts her back in touch with the charismatic Jake Carver and it’s as if no time has passed at all, the attraction between them palpable.
I was glad to see The Abduction develop the electric chemistry between Maddy and Carver, initially seen in The Scribe, as well as continue the friendship between Carver and Drake, his loyal right-hand man. Chaudhuri writes with a deft, practiced hand and delivers on what she has promised and more with a clever twist that left me gasping, plus one or two more.
As for the audio aspect, I was absolutely bowled over by Thorpe’s professional, at times confessional, way of storytelling which constantly hinted at something macabre happening, and therefore doing justice to the dark themes that pervade the book. There are a fair number of characters, but Thorpe easily settles into the characters of each, and sometimes I forgot it was one narrator telling the story.
In summary, this is a tense, fast-moving, highly compelling book, exploring some dark issues, and as the audiobook came to its end, I felt myself thirsting for more. I hope a third part is in the offing, Ms. Chaudhuri, as I’m sure there will be a line of people wanting to buy it, myself included.
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