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Getaway

by Lisa Brackmann (Goodreads Author)

3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 · rating details · 207 ratings · 75 reviews

From the author of New York Times bestselling Rock Paper Tiger comes the most electrifying thriller of the Summer.

Michelle Mason tells herself she’s on vacation. A brief stay in the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta. It’s a chance to figure out her next move after the unexpected death of her banker husband, who’s left behind a scandal and a pile of debt. The trip was...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Soho Press

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May 01, 2012 Sia McKye rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

Tropical beaches, too many margaritas, add a sexy tempting stranger, and you have an engrossing tale filled with danger and excitement.

"WELCOME to gorgeous Puerto Vallarta, Mexico—home of margaritas, sunset beaches, a shady American ex-pat community, and a barely-hidden drug syndicate. This will be the most dangerous vacation of Michelle’s life..."

I have been looking forward to reading Getaway since I first heard about the setting and premise.Getaway didn’t disappoint me....more

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May 02, 2012 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21st-century-fiction, thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Lisa Brackmann's first novel, Rock Paper Tiger, captivated me with its exotic location in modern China and its damaged but resourceful heroine, Ellie Cooper. Getaway, though a perfectly acceptable beach read (literally) just doesn't have the same amount of kick. It felt to me like the author was under the pressure inherent in writing a second book; as though she had an editor and a marketing director hovering behind each shoulder.

Michelle Mason, the heroine in Getaway, is her own problem as well...more Lisa Brackmann's first novel, Rock Paper Tiger, captivated me with its exotic location in modern China and its damaged but resourceful heroine, Ellie Cooper. Getaway, though a perfectly acceptable beach read (literally) just doesn't have the same amount of kick. It felt to me like the author was under the pressure inherent in writing a second book; as though she had an editor and a marketing director hovering behind each shoulder.

Michelle Mason, the heroine in Getaway, is her own problem as well as the weakest link in the story. She is using a vacation paid for by her recently deceased husband as a respite from her troubles. That's about all he left her except for a mountain of debt after his financial house of cards collapsed in the economic meltdown of recent years.

Though Michelle numbers among females who live off a man's money without asking questions, she is unconvincingly clueless for a mid-thirties 21st century Los Angeles native. After she lands in a highly treacherous situation between sexy but mysterious Daniel and slimy Gary, she dithers for so long and makes so many bad decisions, I found myself hoping right along with her for the one who is good in bed to rescue her. How could she not know that a guy with deep pockets who brags about having secret government connections might be able to track her through her cell phone?

Now I've waited way too long to tell you that the story takes place in a Mexican resort town and involves that country's brutal drug cartels and their investment capital bedfellows. It's a tense thriller and Michelle's future appears to be doomed. To her credit, she is pretty good at gut-level instincts and she gets tougher and smarter. She went to Mexico to work out how to live a more authentic life but I'm afraid she just might be one of those women who has to rely on luck.

And why am I getting all moralistic and snarky with Lisa Brackmann? Because she proved she has got a lot more to offer in Rock Paper Tiger. I understand she is writing a sequel, so perhaps she just tossed off Getaway in order to stay in touch. That cool. It was fun to read. But I want Ellie Cooper back.(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

Yet another reason to not have a one-night stand: recent widow Michelle is on vacation in Puerto Vallarta, where she meets Daniel and, well, one thing leads to another. Which leads to a midnight robbery in which Daniel is hurt and their cell phones being accidentally switched, and suddenly Michelle is drawn into a situation about which she has no idea who is safe, who is lying, who she can trust and what is going on.

The level of suspense plateaus quickly and doesn't abate, but at no point does...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Robert Carraher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Puerto Vallarta, a tropical destination with pristine, sandy beaches and funky little bars replete with thatched roofs where the tequila flows freely and your cares and woes melt away. A virtual paradise on the Mexican coast, surrounded by, yet untouched by the political and criminal chaos that is the rest of Mexico with it’s drug wars and rampant corruption. A place where dressing for dinner means putting on a shirt or wrapping a sarong over your bikini.

Michelle Mason, recently widowed and fin...more

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May 26, 2012 Maimoona Rahman rated it 2 of 5 stars

This isn’t a bad book, but it’s a potboiler nonetheless, like a meaningless action film with guns, violence, booze, and women, and no storyline whatsoever. Good for a quick read on a commuter train, but not worth spending too much money on.

Michelle Mason is on a holiday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her rich husband has recently passed away, leaving her in debt, and she dreads going back to the US. She meets Daniel on the beach, and they spend a rather awkward night together: she is weepy and he m...more This isn’t a bad book, but it’s a potboiler nonetheless, like a meaningless action film with guns, violence, booze, and women, and no storyline whatsoever. Good for a quick read on a commuter train, but not worth spending too much money on.

Michelle Mason is on a holiday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her rich husband has recently passed away, leaving her in debt, and she dreads going back to the US. She meets Daniel on the beach, and they spend a rather awkward night together: she is weepy and he might be annoyed. In the dead of night, their hotel room is broken into and Daniel is beaten up. Michelle thinks it is a mere robbery, but when she is arrested for a tiny packet of cocaine in her bag and she cannot return to the US, she realises she has been caught up in something dangerous. Gary, a baby-faced American resident, asks her to spy on Daniel in return for debt repayment, and Michelle doesn’t have a choice because she cannot leave Mexico. She doesn’t know who is bad: Daniel or Gary, or both.

What makes this book less thrilling is that there are no hooks, except for when Michelle is arrested. There is no gradual revelation or disclosure of new information. It’s just Michelle wondering if she can ever escape, a couple of people getting killed, and Michelle wondering if she can ever escape. She has been told that no one is reliable in Mexico—everyone is involved in drug trade.

The subtle hints at the possibility of CIA involvement in narcotics trade could have been developed better. The characters are not dynamic, not even Michelle. I think Brackmann could have played with her character a lot; there is no backstory, but there are implications that Michelle is a young gold digger who did not quite expect her husband to die so soon or leave her in debt. There is also a possibility that she is not a gold digger because while she was married, she was faithful to her husband. There could have been more stories about cartels; what are the chances that you get caught up in drug trade but don’t run into cartels? But then, Getaway is a thriller, and thrillers are not obliged to talk about characters.

I have heard mixed reviews of Lisa Brackmann’s Rock, Paper, Tiger, and I am willing to give it a shot because Brackmann seems to have the potential to be a dangerously good writer. She attributes a kind of sensuousness to Puerto Vallarta that you can feel, and if it weren’t for the plot, I would have highly recommended this book.(less)

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May 13, 2012 Beatnik Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...

I'm not sure why, but I didn't have high expectations for this book. I thought it would be a struggle to get through, but honestly--and I know this is a cliche--it was a struggle to put it down!

The basic premise is that a recently widowed woman, Michelle, is vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, when she decides to be spontaneous and give in to a sudden urge, which results in her sharing a bed with a man she barely knows. Before she even has time to regr...more

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May 06, 2012 Leighton Gage rated it 5 of 5 stars

How’s this for a nightmare scenario?
You’re a woman alone, on holiday, in a developing country where you don’t speak the language. A crooked cop plants some drugs on you and hauls you off to jail. A countryman comes along to spring you, but it soon turns out that he’s in cahoots with the cop.
You can’t leave, because they’re holding on to your passport. And, unless you agree to spy on a guy you hardly know, but with whom you’ve suffered a violent assault in your very own hotel room, they’re going...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lisa Brackmann has chosen a well known, but unusual, vacation area to set her mystery: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her protagonist, Michelle, is a bit unlikely too, a newly widowed, rather spoiled and shallow woman from Los Angeles. She is broke and deeply in debt, yet spends money she doesn't have on this trip to Mexico. Sounds ludicrous, when you say it this way, but Brackmann makes it plausable with her excellent story-telling.

Michelle is in Vallarta (as it is called through most of the book),wh...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Ashland Mystery Oregon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-mexico, ashland-mystery-2011

It's no wonder that Lisa Brackmann's second blockbuster of a thriller is my favorite read so far for 2012.

Getaway is set in exotic Puerto Vallarta, and the opening pages find Michelle Mason wallowing in self pity. She's lost and lonely, drunk and maudlin. Michelle is on vacation in Mexico, a vacation planned before her husband was revealed as a bankrupt, lying cheat who conveniently dies of a heart attack. Now Michelle has an unreal past and a confused, confusing future. She's easy prey it turn...more It's no wonder that Lisa Brackmann's second blockbuster of a thriller is my favorite read so far for 2012.

Getaway is set in exotic Puerto Vallarta, and the opening pages find Michelle Mason wallowing in self pity. She's lost and lonely, drunk and maudlin. Michelle is on vacation in Mexico, a vacation planned before her husband was revealed as a bankrupt, lying cheat who conveniently dies of a heart attack. Now Michelle has an unreal past and a confused, confusing future. She's easy prey it turns out, in this popular coastal resort with a veneer that barely conceals the underbelly of police corruption, drug trafficking and threats.

No one is who or what they seem in Puerto Vallarta, and Michelle is at the mercy of any event and person that she comes into contact with. Michelle doesn't know who to trust and in fact, she trusts no one. As Michelle spirals into increasingly complex circumstances, she becomes more focused and more aware of her situation, gradually gaining more control over her life.

The expatriate American community is filled with characters and misfits, and there's just the right sort of interaction with and exposure to the local population that adds authenticity and humility to the writing. The dump scenes are particularly well drawn. I really enjoyed the ending of the book, so ambiguous and fraught with possibility. It's a perfect beginning to the second Michelle Mason thriller.

I can just see author Lisa Brackmann enjoying sunsets and margaritas, lazing on the beach and dreaming up the people and schemes that make up Getaway. She's taking a well-deserved break after the endless excitement that began in 2010 with the success of Rock, Paper, Tiger. I can imagine that later she quickly exchanged her gauzy cotton wrap for shorts and sneakers and makes her way among the hidden alleys of the city. She's scribbling furiously, taking notes, photographing what she finds, seeing conspiracy everywhere and with her keen insight, reveals the chaotic danger that rots just below the surface of beautiful Puerto Vallarta.

Keep it comin', Lisa. I love it!(less)

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May 18, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/05/...

Michelle is in sunny Puerto Vallarta, attempting to escape from her troubles, including the mound of debt her recently deceased husband left her (hey, the vacation was already paid for), and wondering what kind of life will be waiting for her upon returning to LA. Unfortunately, escape isn’t in the cards, since trouble manages to find Michelle in the form of handsome, mysterious Daniel. He’s everything her late husband was...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/05/...

Michelle is in sunny Puerto Vallarta, attempting to escape from her troubles, including the mound of debt her recently deceased husband left her (hey, the vacation was already paid for), and wondering what kind of life will be waiting for her upon returning to LA. Unfortunately, escape isn’t in the cards, since trouble manages to find Michelle in the form of handsome, mysterious Daniel. He’s everything her late husband wasn’t: lithe, sexy and definitely mysterious. Their first night together is a disaster, though, after armed men burst in on them in the middle of the night. Danny is injured, Michelle is scared, and when she goes to his apartment to return his belongings, a gruesome discovery leads Michelle to think that Danny may be part of something sinister. When an acquaintance of Danny’s threatens her unless she spies on him, she knows she’s in over her head.

If you’re looking for a fast paced and diverting thriller, look no further than Getaway. Michelle is very likeable, and the author manages to capture exactly how it feels to be on vacation, at least in the beginning. You know what I’m talking about: the I’m-on-vacation-so-nothing-bad-can-possibly-happen-to-me feeling? Unfortunately, that feeling doesn’t last for Michelle, as she spends time with Danny, becoming increasingly sure that he’s into some pretty nasty stuff. I’ve been to Mexico, and it’s a beautiful place to vacation. While I haven’t been to Puerto Vallarta, the author seems to know her way around and perfectly illustrates the devil-may-care feeling of a coastal tourist town. What she also shows is the darker underbelly of drug and cartel violence that has been ubiquitous lately. You can’t read the news without coming across an article on the cartel wars that have claimed thousands of lives, in increasingly gruesome ways. Her timing is perfect with this book, making it very relevant to current events and adding an additional layer of menace. Rapid pacing and tight plotting will keep you turning pages and even though it never manages a real romance between Michelle and the enigmatic Danny, the ending will leave you wanting more of this talented author. Lisa Brackmann is most definitely an author to watch!(less)

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May 03, 2012 Deborah Gray rated it 5 of 5 stars

Michelle is widowed unexpectedly, amid the discovery that her husband lost all their money and she is left penniless. As a sort of last hurrah and the need to escape from her depressing reality, she decides to go to Vallarta, a trip already booked and paid for when he was alive, a vacation they were planning together.

Almost as soon as she arrives Michelle is embroiled in suspense and danger, careening from one awful experience to another at the hands of what appears to be the criminal underbelly...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Brie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, won-in-contest, goodreads-first-reads

I won this book as a Goodreads First Reads.

I have to say, this book was not my thing. The main female character was much too passive for my taste. I understood she was dealing with people in the drug trade in another country that she was not sure what they were capable of. Yes, that would be scary when you come from a life that has no prior experience with such people and situations...and not used to people turning up dead. My issue with Michelle (the main character) is she just let things happe...more

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May 09, 2012 Faye Heath rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I've decided that I really like this author. I gave Rock Paper Tiger three stars but was leaning heavily towards four. On this book I have no doubts. It's a page turner all the way.

Like in Rock Paper Tiger, the female protagonist often makes me want to reach into the pages and shake her. Put down that drink and THINK, for cryin' out loud! It was that feeling of frustration that caused me to hand out the three stars for the first book. The protagonist in Getaway is a little better, to my th...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Kerrie Loyd rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a mystery which both women and men will definitely enjoy. The Mexican setting is fascinating and the author captures it perfectly. The plot revolving around the drug trade is timely. Plus I loved the everywoman heroine. I could really relate to her struggles and how she might find herself in such a situation.

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Feb 12, 2012 Nawnee rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Nawnee by: Goodreads

Shelves: freebie-books

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was looking forward to reading a new author, new to me anyway. The story had a weird start for me, but after the second or third chapter I was starting to get interested in the characters. This story is set in exotic Puerto Vallarta. The book opens with the main character Michelle Mason on vacation, a vacation that was planned before her lying, cheat of a husband conveniently dies of a heart attack, leaving her bankrupt. Michelle immediately gets in ov...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Billie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review is based on an Advance Uncopyedited Edition version of the book which I received free from the Publisher through the Goodreads First Reads program.

Our heroine is Michelle who just happens to have hooked up with the wrong guy at the wrong time. All she wanted was to get away from all the crap at home and relax. But she keeps running into people who want to use her.

Without a passport she is trapped in Mexico and has to play along until she can figure out how to escape. However the long...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

A solid, well-paced thriller. Michelle Mason is vulnerable: recently widowed, mired in debt, and vacationing amidst some seriously shady characters in Puerto Vallarta. A one-night-stand with a mysterious man named Daniel unexpectedly embroils her with a drug cartel, and she finds herself trapped in PV and at the mercy of a man named Gary.

Michelle spends most of this book being manipulated by men, and her passivity is often frustrating. She eventually becomes angry enough to fight back, but I wo...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Kris Herndon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is another great Lisa Brackmann thriller with a strong female lead. I'm not sure what the official name is for books that combine current events with a fast-paced mystery plot, but it's something Brackmann does well. I thought of LeCarre and Graham Greene at times while reading. The difference is that the female character drives the plot-- and she's no femme fatale, super spy, or two-dimensional "type." She's an ordinary woman with a conscience and with believable problems, which is very re...more This is another great Lisa Brackmann thriller with a strong female lead. I'm not sure what the official name is for books that combine current events with a fast-paced mystery plot, but it's something Brackmann does well. I thought of LeCarre and Graham Greene at times while reading. The difference is that the female character drives the plot-- and she's no femme fatale, super spy, or two-dimensional "type." She's an ordinary woman with a conscience and with believable problems, which is very refreshing.

Brackmann's first, "Rock Paper Tiger," incorporated a lot of diverse themes: Chinese history and politics; the Chinese art scene and censorship thereof; American hypocrisy during the Iraq war; the thorny issue of torture and US involvement in ... well in things it doesn't seem like the US should really be involved in. It was good stuff, and Brackmann created a narrator who was believably naive while also being pretty smart.

By comparison, "Getaway" has a simpler theme (Mexican drug cartels, and the US's involvement with them) and, dare I say it, a simpler heroine! The sole drawback of the book (which is really well-paced and speedy and interesting) is that there were times when I just wanted to sit the main character down and give her some basic safety tips. Don't send the cab away, it's after midnight! Don't get into a stranger's car! If there are an unusual number of flies buzzing around the door to the empty apartment where the door is ajar, don't go in!!! Trust me, something gross is in there!!

That said, if the narrator were as cautious as I'd have been under similar circumstances, the plot would have consisted of a round of margaritas, the application of sunscreen, and a really long argument at the passport office. In short, I liked the book and I enjoy the way Brackmann crafts a good fast-paced plot without trivializing the issues and current events she weaves into it. Brackmann never takes an easy out regarding US involvement in Mexican drug wars, but doesn't come off as preachy or depressing, either. It's a good read.

One last caveat: This book will make you crave margaritas like mad! (less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 08, 2012 Bri rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults who love adventure

Shelves: first-reads, mystery, my-personal-books

The beginning was a little slow for me. I was afraid I wouldn't get into the book but I kept on going. I hated being being drug into the story and not given any information - like Michelle, but i totally understand the Author's point - Brilliant! My heart did not "race" until the trunk and beating at the dump to which I was thoroughly excited to see who it was, why it happened, and what was to come next. The last few pages put me back on my toes as I was expecting a relaxing ending that Michelle...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Alecia rated it 1 of 5 stars

I struggled to finish this one and I don't even know why I did. There was no tension in this book, and the author's writing style seemed to be one of ending most of her sentences as questions. I'm guessing her intention was to indicate the protagonist, Michelle's, panic and uncertainty in her situation. But the effect it had on me was just annoyance and tedium. Michelle is vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico,after the death of her husband, and finds herself caught up in a murky mess with lots...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read Lisa Brackmann's debut novel, Rock, Paper, Tiger and loved it. I enjoy reading novels and memoirs set in China, so was naturally attracted to RPT because of its China setting. Brackmann is a witty writer and tells a good story. So I was excited to read Getaway, her latest novel, which is set in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

And boy was it good!

The heroine, Michelle, is a forty-something, recently widowed, Los Angeles housewife. Her late-husband Tom had planned a little getaway in Puerto Vallar...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, netgalley, arc

Michelle Mason is at a crossroads in her life after the recent death of her husband. In order to recuperate and gain some perspective, she takes a trip to Puerto Vallarta where she soon meets local American Danny and finds herself caught amidst a mystery fraught with danger.

This was an enjoyable story, but something about it fell a little flat. I think it was the character development. This is one of those suspenseful stories that keeps you guessing, and you really have no idea who to trust. Unf...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Toni Osborne rated it 4 of 5 stars

What kind of trouble can a single girl on vacation by herself get into? This is the challenge “Getaway” reveals. I found this story to be very engaging, one that kept my imagination in over drive throughout the pages.

Welcome to Puerto Vallarta

After the unexpected death of her husband, Michelle Mason needs a change of pace to reset her outlook on life. A trip to the beautiful Mexican Beach resort of Puerto Vallarta could be the ultimate solution to her grieving process.

One day while walking the...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Cynthia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well if I ever thought a trip to Mexico sounded like fun (which I don't), this book would make me reconsider! There was definitely no lack of action and the plot unwinds fairly quickly, weaving a very interesting and intense storyline. Michelle Mason, a recently widowed California housewife, travels to Mexico on vacation to escape the downward spiral her life has taken since the death of her husband. Because that sounds like a good idea, right? A lone female traveler meandering the streets of Me...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Ms.pegasus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone looking for an escapist thriller or entertaining summer read.

Recommended to Ms.pegasus by: gr suggestions

Shelves: fiction, suspense, thriller

Don't be misled by the Death Head cover art of GETAWAY. Los Muertos Beach in Puerto Vallerta is a popular vacation spot – at least until Memorial Day, gateway to summer, a season of stifling heat and sweltering humidity. This is the setting for an action thriller centered around a highly likeable heroine named Michelle Mason, vacationing widow from Los Angeles. Author Lisa Brackman knows how to convey a sense of place. The story quickly moves from the bar-lined beachfront teeming with tourists a...more Don't be misled by the Death Head cover art of GETAWAY. Los Muertos Beach in Puerto Vallerta is a popular vacation spot – at least until Memorial Day, gateway to summer, a season of stifling heat and sweltering humidity. This is the setting for an action thriller centered around a highly likeable heroine named Michelle Mason, vacationing widow from Los Angeles. Author Lisa Brackman knows how to convey a sense of place. The story quickly moves from the bar-lined beachfront teeming with tourists and local vendors to dusty paths and tin roofs. This passage expresses perfectly the shifted venue. “The road ahead was cobblestoned, the banks lining it tangled with browning vegetation that would not green until after the summer rains, with plastic bags and food wrappers caught up in the branches. A lot of the houses looked expensive. New construction clung tenuously to the hillside, as though the flesh of the land had wasted away, leaving skeletal frames stacked unsteadily on top of one another, foundations undermined before they'd even been laid. With enough rain saturating the hill, she could just see one of these buildings giving up, letting go, the cheap rebar popping out of the ground like a rotten tooth.” Michelle is a long way from sheltered Brentwood, and fashionable Mephisto footwear – or boredom!

Brackman is an observant author, and although the story is told in third person, there is ample dialogue and a constant narrative of Michelle's internal voice so that the characters quickly come to life. It's easy to fall in love with Michelle. Self doubt mixes with a savvy intelligence and mordant wit. At the same time, since we are restricted to Michelle's viewpoint, the reader is always left wondering how reliable her observations are. For example, she meets a 40 something free-lance pilot among the ex-patriots in Puerto Vallerta. Their lives become entangled long before she learns anything concrete about him. This is only one element in a plot that leads Michelle into increasingly dangerous situations. Murder, extortion, warring drug cartels, and high level bribery add to Michelle's trajectory of “bad luck.” Similarly, we are told early on that Michelle's husband, Tom, has recently died. However, the backstory of Tom and Michelle's life is doled out in fragmentary fashion as Michelle reflects on her present problems. None of the information is extraneous to the problems at hand. Its a well-executed way of maintaining reader focus.

This is Brackman's second book, and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. Once again she has created a wide assortment of characters, each with his or her own voice, and a trail of distrust and suspicion that mark an entertaining and exciting plot.(less)

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Apr 19, 2012 Richard Burger rated it 5 of 5 stars

After rocking us with Rock Paper Tiger, Lisa Brackmann has done it again, this time taking us to Puerta Vallarta, where our heroine Michelle finds herself trapped by forces beyond her control. It's a tourist's worse nightmare, being pulled over by the local police and thrown in jail for no reason. Things only get worse after that, as she is sucked into Mexico's world of drug trafficking and crime, including murder. The scene where she sees for herself what these criminals are capable of was deli...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Dana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Add to the mix a tightly woven plot, believable and unique characters, and one of my favorite villains of all times, and you have an excellent second novel by the author of Rock, Paper, Tiger. I like Brackmann's heroines because they aren't action heroines. They're normal people thrust into abnormal and dangerous situations and behave accordingly. To quote another review here because it so perfectly encapsulates my feelings:

"Ms. Brackmann has a knack of creating characters that have faced trauma...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Ramsey Hootman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Getaway is every international traveler's worst nightmare: inadvertently stepping into trouble in a country where you aren't familiar with the legal system and can't trust the local authorities.

Some (if not many) reviews of Getaway are going to accuse the protagonist of being "unsympathetic." What these reviews will actually mean is that the character of Michelle is not fulfilling the hysterical female stereotype. The reality is that some women are entirely capable of containing their emotional...more Getaway is every international traveler's worst nightmare: inadvertently stepping into trouble in a country where you aren't familiar with the legal system and can't trust the local authorities.

Some (if not many) reviews of Getaway are going to accuse the protagonist of being "unsympathetic." What these reviews will actually mean is that the character of Michelle is not fulfilling the hysterical female stereotype. The reality is that some women are entirely capable of containing their emotional responses and acting in a rational, level-headed fashion when confronted with extreme circumstances. Brackmann has succeeded once again in crafting a fully three-dimensional female lead who is neither an emotional wreck nor a kick-ass man with boobs; Michelle is an otherwise average housewife who summons the inner strength to survive an impossible situation without succumbing to a victim mentality. In a word? Refreshing.

As was the case with her first book, Rock Paper Tiger, Brackmann's prose is terse and carefully crafted, excellent without drawing undue attention. Her descriptions are pitch-perfect, and every once in a while I would find myself stopping to admire a line that captured some little detail just perfectly (the smell of the garbage dump, for instance). I don't usually read for setting, so it's rare for me to say that this book absolutely put me on the spot, and I loved it. Be warned: the first few chapters will leave your mouth watering for a margarita.

It's hard not to compare Getaway to Brackmann's first book, Rock Paper Tiger, so... I will. Both books are excellent and I would recommend them without hesitation. Overall, RPT made it onto my list of "best books ever" (ie five star reviews) simply because I'm more drawn to the Chinese setting, and I enjoyed the broad scope of the plot. Getaway is more narrowly focused, set in just one or two locales and concerning a limited cast of characters. So although it earns four stars for my
personal preferences, I think Getaway is the more perfectly crafted narrative. The plot is tight, had me turning pages compulsively, and I felt like I was "clued in" at all the right moments. The characters are all very memorable, and one especially freaked me out in a very visceral way. And the ending? Perfection. Truly.

I loved Rock Paper Tiger, but Getaway has proven that Brackmann is not just a one-hit wonder. Her books are now on my official "automatic-buy" list.(less)

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Apr 22, 2012 Kathleen rated it 1 of 5 stars

In Getaway by Lisa Brackmann, Michelle Mason has arrived in Puerto Vallarta for a solo vacation after the death of her husband. She seems to let margaritas take over her decision-making ability, and is about to spend the night with handsome Daniel, whom she met on the beach. This decision leads to a break-in to her hotel room in which Daniel is shot. After their cell phones get switched, Michelle ends up spending the night in jail and loses her passport.
Getaway talks us in to the insular world...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Kai rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Getaway is definitely a getaway. The character Michelle was running away from the mess that her deceased husband has left her in. When her husband died, he left her in a very messing financial situation and a scandal. Michelle decided to go to Puerto Villarta (a trip that she and her husband had planned before he passed away) to figure what to do since they lost the house and have no money.

She met Daniel and by associating with him for one brief moment introduced her into a war among the drug ca...more

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About Lisa Brackmann

Lisa Brackmann has worked as an executive at a major motion picture studio, an issues researcher in a presidential campaign, and the singer/songwriter/bassist in an LA rock band. She still takes pride in her karaoke-ready repertoire of bad pop hits and an embarrassing number of show tunes. A Southern California native, she lives in Venice CA, and has lived and traveled extensively in China.

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