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15 Seconds
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Henry Steadman is a successful Florida plastic surgeon on his way to deliver a keynote address at a conference when his world falls apart. Stopped by the police for a minor traffic violation, the situation escalates and he is pulled from his vehicle, handcuffed, and told he is under arrest. Several other police cars arrive and the questioning turns scary, but after it subs
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Sweetpoet65
I don't think the language (meaning foul and/or crude) was bad - I just finished the book and I can't recall anything shocking.
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Start your review of 15 Seconds
Good thriller.
You have to over look somethings, just read and enjoy it. Touching story, two dads and two daughters. One trying to blame everybody but himself about how his daughter turned out. Second dad is trying to save his daughter, but don't understand why his practice is in the pain clinic. Plastic surgeon, travels with doctors without borders. From do beginning you can guess the ending, hope won't be another blood killings. Perfect book for a long plane trip.
You have to over look somethings, just read and enjoy it. Touching story, two dads and two daughters. One trying to blame everybody but himself about how his daughter turned out. Second dad is trying to save his daughter, but don't understand why his practice is in the pain clinic. Plastic surgeon, travels with doctors without borders. From do beginning you can guess the ending, hope won't be another blood killings. Perfect book for a long plane trip.
Moderate Spoiler. I finished this book, as tough as it was to do. My opinion only; if you don't finish a book you should not review it. This book started with promise. The story outline was interesting, convoluted and clearly was going to continue to get complicated. Alas, I found the book to be filled with irritating errors. As an example; at one point, Dr. Steadman (the protagonist) has "only $60 in cash left" Previously, he had stopped using cards because he was being tracked by half the cops
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This is a great read from start to finish. High tension. Surprises. Emotion. Action. I will not spoil your read by revealing anything about the plot.
Andrew Gross is one of our best thriller writers and this one absolutely delivers. Is the plot less than 100% realistic, as some have complained? Maybe a little, but if you strap in and go with it, it's a great ride. I loved the characters and the plot was so fast-pasted I couldn't put the novel down for more than, say, 15 seconds. Highly recommend.
Yes, Andrew Gross has a way of making you turn pages. The trouble with "15 Seconds," though, is that you're turning pages - at first - to see what stupid mistakes Dr. Henry Steadman is making. For a character who's supposed to be reasonably intelligent, Henry makes some ridiculously bad choices early on, beginning with smart-aleck responses to a cop who's just pulled him over in Jacksonville, Fla., and going downhill from there. It makes the first half of the book exceedingly frustrating, but yo
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A doctor gets pulled over by a policeman in Florida. After sitting in the back of a police car for a while, a car drives by and shoots the officer. Of course, Doc pursues the real killer, and finds himself on the wanted list.
He's got to find the real killer before the police find him.
Generates some pretty good tension. Very entertaining.
He's got to find the real killer before the police find him.
Generates some pretty good tension. Very entertaining.
Jul 10, 2012
Kimberly Hicks
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Kimberly by:
Goodreads
Shelves:
read-on-kindle
What an adrenaline rush!!!! I haven't read a book with this much action since I read Dan Brown's The Davinci Code. OMG, this book was packed with edge-of-your-seat-nail-biting action!
When you think about 15 seconds, one wonders just how much can happen in that short amount of time span? Well I'm here to tell you, if you're Dr. Henry Steadman, 15 Seconds feels like a damn lifetime!
Poor Dr. Steadman, all he was trying to do was be the renowned plastic surgeon he had become--and be a loving father, ...more
When you think about 15 seconds, one wonders just how much can happen in that short amount of time span? Well I'm here to tell you, if you're Dr. Henry Steadman, 15 Seconds feels like a damn lifetime!
Poor Dr. Steadman, all he was trying to do was be the renowned plastic surgeon he had become--and be a loving father, ...more
May 23, 2012
Brenda
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
borrowed-from-library,
2012-release
When young Amanda, high on drugs, crashed her car and killed two innocent people, it was the start of a catastrophic chain of events that would ultimately affect many lives.
When Dr Henry Steadman stepped off the plane to head to his motel, then a round of golf with his good friend, Mike, before he was due to speak at a medical conference that evening, little did he know he was on a collision course with murder, revenge, tragedy and fear.
With Carrie's first day back at work as part of the police ...more
When Dr Henry Steadman stepped off the plane to head to his motel, then a round of golf with his good friend, Mike, before he was due to speak at a medical conference that evening, little did he know he was on a collision course with murder, revenge, tragedy and fear.
With Carrie's first day back at work as part of the police ...more
This is definitely a chilling thriller and one that kept my attention from start to finish. The story is intensive and I devoured it in no time. What a thrill ride this book offers.
It opens with a bang and then on it never lets up. Mainly told in first person narration and by giving us third person perspective not only Mr. Gross shows us how he is a maestro in balancing different point of views and also how his writing can masterful orchestrates sequenced leaps in time and able to manage revelat ...more
It opens with a bang and then on it never lets up. Mainly told in first person narration and by giving us third person perspective not only Mr. Gross shows us how he is a maestro in balancing different point of views and also how his writing can masterful orchestrates sequenced leaps in time and able to manage revelat ...more
Mar 29, 2020
Melodie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
5000-books-2020,
thriller
Henry Steadman is on his way to a conference to give a speech and play some golf. In seconds his life is turned on it's ear as he finds himself the target of a manhunt. How does this happen? He can't even remember the last time he had a traffic ticket! His life as he knows it is over, and a new abnormal takes over.
I was in the mood for a fast paced read. This one fit the bill. While it became clear early on what was going on, I was engaged and turning the virtual pages on my kindle with vigor. ...more
I was in the mood for a fast paced read. This one fit the bill. While it became clear early on what was going on, I was engaged and turning the virtual pages on my kindle with vigor. ...more
3.5 from me. Wow it is an adrenaline rush. I started reading at 12 midnight and finished at 2am. I just couldn't stop, a page turner definitely. Although the protagonists frustrates me with his panicked dialogues and actions, I persevere and push through till the end.
Mar 23, 2013
Jennifer
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
readers who don't mind underdeveloped characters
Recommended to Jennifer by:
no one
I bought this in the Dallas Airport, looking for something to pass the time on the plane ride home. Though I read it to the end, it drove me nuts and made me realize how well Harlen Coben actually does stand alones like this. So here's the set up. A successful plastic surgeon, Henry Steadman, has just flown down to Jacksonville. He's got his day all planned out--golf with a college buddy, an evening giving a talk at a Doctors Without Borders conference, and a nightcap with a certain lady who has
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To Deborah Jean, her mother’s words of caution were unnecessary. After all, “What can happen in fifteen seconds?” 15 seconds. 15 fateful seconds is all it took to wreak havoc and utterly destroy lives.
To nineteen year old Amanda, life was anything but easy, and is quickly spiraling downhill out of control. Her wretched dad always yelling, threatening; her uptight boss, asinine instructor, and two-timing boyfriend. And now, to top it all, she was going to be late to class again. Thank goodness s ...more
To nineteen year old Amanda, life was anything but easy, and is quickly spiraling downhill out of control. Her wretched dad always yelling, threatening; her uptight boss, asinine instructor, and two-timing boyfriend. And now, to top it all, she was going to be late to class again. Thank goodness s ...more
This is another outstanding thriller by Andrew Gross. I was interested to read that the catalyst for this story came from a true-life incident where Andrew Gross was wrongly detained and threatened by an over-officious law enforcement officer. Fortunately for Andrew Gross, his real-life incident had a significantly more benign result than the main character of this novel, Dr Henry Steadman, whose life spirals out of control after a similar roadside meeting with the law. Previously, a short drug-
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I won this in a recent Goodreads giveaway and couldn't believe my luck! I have won a number of good books but all by authors I had never heard of before. I was familiar with Andrew Gross through the books he has written with James Patterson and was quite eager to read his upcoming solo novel 15 SECONDS.
This book was a wonderful read. The story begins with a young woman named Amanda, a cosmetology student, in her blue Mazda on her way to school. She is whacked out on Oxycodin and Xanax and drivin ...more
This book was a wonderful read. The story begins with a young woman named Amanda, a cosmetology student, in her blue Mazda on her way to school. She is whacked out on Oxycodin and Xanax and drivin ...more
At the very beginning of this ‘edge-of-your-seat’ thriller, Dr. Henry Steadman is stopped for a traffic violation. This particular moment in his life is nothing more than a routine ‘pain-in-the-neck,’ but before he is sent on his way the officer who stops him is killed and the murderer takes off. Fate and timing being what they are, Dr. Steadman is now not only the one witness to the crime but he’s also the main suspect.
Steadman has just arrived in Fort Lauderdale in order to speak at a medical ...more
Steadman has just arrived in Fort Lauderdale in order to speak at a medical ...more
I tried to like this book. I really did. The book began like any typical thriller with the introduction of the main character and the protagonists. The author wasted no time diving into the action and here is where he lost me. The author did not give me enough time with the main character to grow a fondness for him therefore I was not able to encompass any empathy when bad things began to happen to the character. As things began to get worse for the main character I found myself not caring about
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Read this book via Goodreads First Reads, via my daughter in law. Let me preface my remarks by saying that I NEVER read this genre nor have I read this author. The cover notes state that he has written with James Patterson, whose books are IMHO sophomoric and written at about a 4th grade level, so I was reluctant to attempt this read. While I did not find it as bad as I find Patterson, and it was probably written at a 7th grade level, it is just not my type of book. Errors drive me nuts, and the
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I wanted to like this book, I really did. However, it just didn't make any sense. Zero, zip, zilch. I kept hoping the cops would just shoot the protagonist and get it over with. Only one person in this book wasn't totally annoying. Plus, I think I've seen a half dozen movie versions.
Won it on Goodreads and have started it. I'm about 60 pages into it and am hoping against hope that it gets better. So far, I'm disappointed.
This was one of the best books I've read by Andrew Gross. A true page-turner. If you love AG' s writing, then you will love this book.
Hi
First time reading Andrew Gross and I thoroughly enjoyed this book, tension. gripping and good twists, although it came together very well.
First time reading Andrew Gross and I thoroughly enjoyed this book, tension. gripping and good twists, although it came together very well.
Wow, that was hilariously bad. I really shouldn't let my three-year-old pick out my library books based on the color of the cover.
An interesting but but very familiar plot. Extreme repetition and unnecessary details took up about twenty five or thirty percent of the book in space.
I’ll start off with a PSA: You’ll want to make sure you can finish 15 Seconds in one sitting, because once you start it, you just have to know how this is going to end.
Now let’s get to the fun stuff!
Poor Henry. He’s driving around Jacksonville trying to find his hotel, when he’s pulled over. Before he can catch a breath from clearing up the misunderstanding, the cop’s shot dead. And Henry’s on the run for being a cop-killer.
Then his friend – the one he’s supposed to go golfing with, the one he ...more
Now let’s get to the fun stuff!
Poor Henry. He’s driving around Jacksonville trying to find his hotel, when he’s pulled over. Before he can catch a breath from clearing up the misunderstanding, the cop’s shot dead. And Henry’s on the run for being a cop-killer.
Then his friend – the one he’s supposed to go golfing with, the one he ...more
I do not think I have ever read one of the Patterson/Gross books, but they do seem to be reader favorites. I saw an ad for "15 Seconds" on Goodreads, so I thought I would give it a try. This is an action-packed book with two stories being told simultaneously. I usually like that and enjoy how the two stories are brought together as one. Henry Steadman is a doctor at a medical conference who gets pulled over for an ordinary traffic stop. What happens after that is far from ordinary. Henry is a wi
...more
Mar 17, 2012
Sara
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Someone looking for an adventurous fast read.
15 Seconds starts fast and keeps you hanging until the end. Young Amanda, high on Oxy, crashes her car killing an innocent mother and child. A few states away, Doctor Henry Steadman is roughed by cops while on his way to play golf. The officer is shot by a stealthy drive-by and the entire police force believes Henry is the murderer. When Henry turns to his only local friend, he finds him murdered as well. Page by page, Andrew Gross unveils how the two plots merge. The excitement cools down a bit
...more
When I first started this book, I was happy to have a "quick" read, something to fly through. And the first half of the book did not disappoint. Well thought out and interesting. 4 stars to the first half of the book. But after the midpoint, it was all downhill: predictable, trite, cliche, and groan-producing. In the beginning I was intrigued...what's really going on? But in the rest of the book, it was so banal, I thought Gross must have been in a hurry to finish. When i read his bio at the end
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Okay, the premise of this book sounded really exciting. Then I started reading it. It started out good enough. Then the writer insulted the average reader's intelligence by trying to get us to believe that a widely respected and semi famous plastic surgeon would leave the scene of a crime he didn't commit. The blunders this man makes is laughable. About 45 pages in, I had already figured out who the real culprit was (I won't spoil it, not that it's a book worth finishing but I digress...)
Glad I ...more
Glad I ...more
Implausible, predictable plot full of silly cliches. Incredibly poor, amateurish writing. Hardly the engrossing, action-packed, thriller that other people seem to have read. Needed a far more skilled editor and far more discerning publisher.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No closure on clinic and oxy distribution | 3 | 32 | Jan 11, 2013 06:44AM |
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hubby, cook, dad, thriller writer (The Blue Zone, The Dark Tide, Don't Look Twice, and coming soon... Reckless). Love to hear from and meet my fans! Hope you enjoy the newest release RECKLESS, coming April 27, 2010.
Looking forward to sharing my bookshelf with you all, and hoping to get some new reading suggestions!
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Hope to see you on the tour... ...more
Looking forward to sharing my bookshelf with you all, and hoping to get some new reading suggestions!
Become a Facebook Fan
Follow me on Twitter!
Hope to see you on the tour... ...more
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