Out of Sight

Amy Cornwall #1

by James Patterson

The Sunday Times bestsesller. Also published as The Cornwalls Are Gone in the US.

After a harrowing tour in Afghanistan, intelligence officer Amy Cornwall is eager to return home to her husband and their young daughter. But as soon as she steps into the house, she knows that something is terribly wrong.

HER FAMILY IS MISSING

The kidnappers leave a message: if she wants to see her husband and daughter alive again, Amy must complete a near impossible task...and she has 48 hours to do it.

SHE'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BRING THEM HOME

Alone, afraid and officially AWOL, Amy will sacrifice everything to find her family – her career, her reputation, maybe even her own life...

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

368 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2019

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-paced thriller that even thrilled for a little bit. Wowser.

Frankly, if I had such nosy neighbors as that flowery-top wearing Shirley Gaetz gal, I would be tempted to strangle them. Imagine a neighbor who would inform anyone of anything you did: when you came, when you went, what kind of bag you were holding, how you looked like, etc… Maybe she should try to undertake some crocheting to get her mind away from neighbor-watching? It mush be an incredibly maddening experience.

Q:
Hard to explain, but the moment after I open the door, I know the place is empty and my loved ones are in trouble. (c)
Q:
“Let’s just say one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, and leave it at that.” (c)
Q:
It’s times like these when the tiny discouraging voice inside of her says, Babe, this is the real Army. You’re nothing but a cop in a pretty uniform. (c)
Q:
This is what my supposed betters call flyover country, even though the people in that part of the country pump the oil, grow the food, and mine the ore.
My supposed betters should hope they never band together and go on strike. (с)
Q:
For some reason my overworked mind flashes back to the history of the Israeli-Arab war of 1967, the one called the Six-Day War. It was small Israel versus twelve Arab nations, and instead of waiting around to get slaughtered, the Israelis conducted a preemptive strike. Before the jets flew and the tanks rolled, an Israeli armored-division commander said, Each unit will push forward as fast as it can. Pay no attention to your flanks. Give no thought to resupply. If you lose nine tanks out of ten, keep advancing with the tenth. Stop for nothing.
Right now I’m my own unit, Task Force Cornwall, and I’m stopping for nothing. (c)
Q:
As an intelligence officer, I need to deal with facts and figures. Making assumptions is forbidden. So are most educated guesses. (c)
Q:
Antonio doesn’t like Pepe because a month ago, Pepe found Jesus Christ and is now studying the ways he can save his soul. Slim and well-groomed Pepe says based on what he’s done and what he will be doing, he hopes if he knows enough about Jesus, his soul might be saved after all when his time eventually comes. (с)
Q:
He sits there, slowly lowers his hands, and mutters a long, nasty string of expletives, and Rosaria says, “I never knew who my mom was, so that’s a waste of breath.” (c)
Q:
“Fantastic,” he says. “By the way, thank you for your service.” (c)

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In their latest collaborative effort, James Patterson and Brendan DuBois offer readers an interesting thriller with elements of suspense throughout. The authors build on a great story and keep the action high throughout. This is a collaborative effort well worth praise, something that cannot always be guaranteed when Patterson’s name appears on the cover!

Amy Cornwall is part of Army Intelligence and has a keen sense of foreboding. When she arrives home to discover that her husband and daughter are missing, her panic boils over. Worried about the worst, Amy is contacted by the kidnappers, who offer up a plan to have her collect a man in a small Texas town before delivering him and getting her family back. Not caring about the consequences, Amy goes AWOL from the Army and leaves her Virginia home to trek across the country.

While on rural roads, she encounters a few troopers and her paranoia almost turns her into a murderer, wanting to get her family back above all else. This sense of determination drives her ti do whatever it takes to bring her family back together.

Meanwhile, the ragtag group of kidnappers seem clueless to the larger plan and bide their time, keeping Tom Cornwall and his daughter in relative discomfort, at least until they are told otherwise. Unsure if Amy is coming, Tom can only wonder what’s led him to be held captive and whether this could be in retaliation to something Amy did while deployed. Amy makes her way across the country and takes matters into her own hands, killing people to secure the target, but is then sent on another wild goose chase, with local police and the military tracking her down for their own reasons, as the Cornwalls remain separated in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. A page-turner if ever there was one, Patterson and DuBois offer up a wonderful story that is full of entertainment until the very end.

Patterson novels are always a gamble, particularly when one never knows what awaits them. I have come to discover that collaborators can make all the difference,. Working with Brendan DuBois, James Patterson has crafted a wonderful piece that pulls the reader in and does not let go. Amy Cornwall, an Army vet, has much going for her, though there is a cloud looming over her from time overseas. She tries to put that in the back of her mind when she is forced to find her family without tipping anyone off to what’s happened. Gritty and determined to find success, Amy heads out on a mission whose end game is more important than anything else she has done in her life. Unsure of the rationale, Amy is determined to get to the root of the issue, letting that fuel a fire within her as she treks out to save those who matter most. There are a few other characters whose presence greases the wheels of the story, propelling it forward and keeping the narrative moving. Patterson and DuBois offer up wonderful plots to keep the characters working in harmony, those sometimes out of sync with one another. While the theme of the story may not be unique, its delivery is one that the reader will enjoy through to the very end, as they wonder what has led to this cross-country chase and who is pulling the strings. A great addition to Patterson’s vast library of thrillers, with much thanks to Brendan DuBois for keeping things on track.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and DuBois, for this great novel. Whether we see Amy Cornwall again or this was a one-off, the book is sure to be talked about for a good while yet!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the first half much better than the second. The longer this story went, the lower the rating dropped with a barely adequate end. 5 of 10 stars

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful military spy type thriller. Army Intelligence Officer Amy Cornwall comes home to discover her husband and child have been abducted from her home in Virginia. There’s a burner phone on the table with instructions. She is to go to a prison and free a terrorist. If she tells anyone what she has been ordered to do, they die. Now Amy has to figure out a way to find her husband and daughter before the terrorists’ clock ticks down, while her captive family fights to free themselves. I enjoy this particular Patterson/ghostwriter team for their fast-paced writing and clean style. Some surprising revelations about Amy and her husband Tom Cornwall, and lost of twists and turns. I think Special Investigator Rosario Vasquez was my favorite!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Cornwall, newly home from Afghanistan and sights she’d rather leave behind, knew as soon as she set foot inside her Virginia home that there was something very wrong. Her husband Tom should be waiting for her, along with their ten-year-old daughter Denise. But the house was silent; no cooking smells, no playing sounds, just cloying silence. When Amy found the note, she knew she was about to do something that could end her career, but that didn’t bother her in the least.

With only forty-eight hours to do as she was ordered or her family would be killed, Amy was on the clock. Racing across the country, searching for answers and with the Army searching for her, Amy knew she would do what she had to – even if it meant killing. But would it be a futile exercise? Who would die in this game of cat and mouse?

Out of Sight is the 1st in the Amy Cornwall series by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois; it was brilliant! With Patterson’s usual short, choppy chapters, the pace was electric, the action full on. Amy Cornwall is a tough, determined and gritty character and I’m really looking forward to reading the 2nd in the series. A highly recommended thriller.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced and action packed! I’m hoping to hear more from the Cornwalls.

[Natalie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ an absolutely average read...again I’m in the minority with this opinion but this collaboration is not one I’m going to prioritise reading again. I also can’t ‘go with the masses’ as there are some excellent novels out there at the moment and even my library copy felt like an injustice to the better writers I could’ve invested time on. I know names sell but...

The plot is highly generic, the characters are soap-opera bland and the action is standard fodder. Thriller...not even close.
Sorry folks, I just can’t recommend this one!

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mediocre effort, where suspension of disbelief is required. Amy Cornwall is a Army intelligence officer facing prosecution for the death of an Afghan prisoner in custody. She goes AWOL for the hearing when her husband Tom (a writer) and their 10 year old daughter Denise are kidnapped. Amy is told she must go to Texas to rescue a hostage to trade for the safe return of her family. Dodging obstacles along the way, including an Army CID sent to bring her in, she manages to rescue an old man from three Mexican cartel enforcers, and has to bring him to Florida for an exchange. Bit by bit Amy pieces together the reasons for her family's involvement, with the final piece of the puzzle mysteriously revealed by the hostage, who says nothing until the final showdown.

Co-author Brendan DuBois' Lewis Cole series is WAY BETTER than this.

[John (Just bought an Oculus 2 VR, so less time to read these days!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this ARC of this one because the plot really intrigued me. It did not disappoint...what a ride, with so many twists. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, never wanting to put it down. Highly, highly recommended.

[Michelle ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is more like it- James Patterson that is. This book is definitely more like we’ve come to expect. I would not say it was one of his best works ever but it was definitely better than some of the more recent things I’ve read from Mr. Patterson. There were many times I felt I was reading one of his “Private” novels. Maybe that’s why the story felt more like his work. Overall I see 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[John (JC) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well…this is the beginning of our adventures with Amy Cornwall. I must confess, I read the second in this series first. After doing this I purchased the first in the series and was pleasantly satisfied. She is a formidable woman, tough when needed, sensitive to her actions and still puts family first. I predict to be a very enjoyable ride through this series.

[JR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun cat and mouse book. the first in the series of Amy Cornwalls, a badass army agent who will do everything she can to save her kidnapped family. The ending kind of surprised me, thinking we would get a continuation into the next book in the series but I was horribly wrong. Can’t really go wrong with Patterson and agents gone rogue. It’s kind of his thing….lol

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here I am. That an interesting yet difficult book to read. Not my favorite of his writing. Within entering the front door, Amy, the protagonist says home is empty and my husband and daughters are missing. As a US Army Captain, assigned to the Military Intelligence Command, I have years of training and battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan in evaluating patters, scraps of information, and bits of communication.

So, here I am on the ground floor, revolver still in both hands, still looking, hunting evaluating, and a new smell, we hadn't noticed before. A scent of fear, sweat and terror. I don't know about you, I really had my scarry hat on. There would be something there I missed earlier when I passed by, from special meals made, helping my daughter with her homework, special holidays, etc.

The Book goes on and on. The father and daughter are separated from their Wife & Mom in the airforce. During the story. It becomes very intense and there is a lot of physical abuse they are called to bear. I'll finish my review shortly.

The book continues with the story of Amy Cornwell and her quests for her missing husband and daughter. Amy is an intelligence officer and in her career, she has seen many haunting signs but none as chilling as the one she sees at her home in Virginia. When Amy returns home from an assignment in Afghanistan, she is shocked to find it empty. Her husband and daughter are nowhere to be found. Soon she gets a call from the kidnappers who give her an ultimatum of locating and liberating a captive, whose name is not given, within a short 48 hours failing, her husband and 10 year old daughter will be killed. Hugely eager to get them home alive, Amy is ready for just about anything. As time moves on, she needs to find out just who those kidnippers are, and why is she sent on this mission of finding and liberating an unnamed captive.

[Gerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another ho-hum Patterson novel with a crazy unbelievable plot. My background and family history in law enforcement and military may have had too great an influence on my feelings about this story but oh my gosh entire plot was convoluted. I used to be a huge Patterson fan so know he can do much better. BTW….am I the only reader who noticed and is now commenting on more than a few misspelled words and a few facts that were simply incorrect? Has editing gone downhill as much as his writings? A lot of readers will and have already really liked this book; however, if you’re looking for a read with substance, well developed characters and a strong story line that one can believe, you’ll not find it here. Giving the book 2 stars only because it’s a bit better than The Chef and Liar, Liar.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and found it was very entertaining. The audiobook used a male and female voice which helped get you interested and on the edge excited about events. If you’re in for an adventure-listen to this book

[Christine D]

This wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.
I feel like this plot has been done multiple times before.
I skimmed a lot of it. And I didn't feel guilty about doings so.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast-moving book. It kept me interested through the whole book.

[Judy Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non stop action that had me holding my breath and racing to the end . Can’t wait to read Book 2 Countdown. After I catch my breath that I’d

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m going to keep this one short. First, this was a great story that was engaging, well-crafted and edgy. The problem? EDITING. For the love of all things holy, can’t Patterson afford the very BEST editors? Misspelled words, poor punctuation and incorrect facts are scattered throughout. I’m unsure whether this was a result of NO editing, a release of the wrong draft or Kindle translation issues, but it made for a disappointing experience.

[Rick Molitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good thriller. It moved quickly from the start. The story was a fairly good one and the characters were good. I would recommend it for a nice, quick read.

[Helen Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book read like an action movie! I loved the two strong female lead characters!

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

audiobook Edoardo Ballerini's narration is right on. However, the female narrator doesn't get close to portraying two military officers.
Patterson Writing Cabal scores a "Maggie's Draws" with this one. It had some parts, but the result was similar to building a bridge from both shores without a laser or any other measuring device.

[Dave Packard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audible edition which had both male and female narrators - the narrators switched depending on POV, so it heightened my interest in the book. This is a page turner, much as other Patterson books I have read so I blew through it quickly and had a great time doing it!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first in the Cornwall series,(I hope there will be more to come). I thought it was a good, very exciting book. A lot of people I know refuse to read any of Patterson’s books anymore, thinking he gets the credit when actually a coauthor has written the book. I, for one, read all of his books. Sure a coauthor may write a substantial amount of the book, but Patterson definitely contributes. James Patterson’s name on a book definitely draws attention to the coauthors name, and helps that authors career. Because of seeing a coauthors name I have discovered some excellent authors whom I may never have found without Patterson’s name.
This is a very face paced, exciting ride with Army Captain Amy Cornwall in the drivers seat. Her husband and daughter are kidnapped and she has exactly 48 hours to save them. We go on a road trip with Amy from Virginia to Texas to Florida, and we never find out the why until near the end of the book.

[Ivana Richards · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, I gave up with 100 pages to go. This is a very tedious book from an author ( I'm sad to say) is getting worse with every book. If any of the characters were remotely interesting it'd help, but they aren't. There are also pointless sections ( rescuing a family from drowning etc) that only serve to add to the page count, and to add to that, it's badly written. Apart from the WMC and Cross novels I'm giving up on Patterson which is a shame as he was really good when he started - now he's just releasing any old rubbish purely because he can.

[Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patterson sent out a note supporting his latest book and it’s protagonist, Amy Cornwall. I wanted to dislike it after that self advertising, but I couldn’t. It is one of his better thrillers of recent publication. So yes, I affirm, it is worth your time. Enjoy!

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent thriller with lots of actions. I like the characters and probably will read another if it becomes a new series.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a mixed review as I started it on audio & then decided to finish it in hardcover print format.
---also published under the title: the cornwalls vanish
From what I can tell, it's the same story, there may be some updated editing in the 2nd form of the book but I'm not sure.

As with all thrillers of this genre, there are a lot of characters & many events happening concurrently. B/c I'm from the DMV area, I liked listening to a book that takes place locally. (shout out to Ft. Belvoir!)

Amy Cornwall is an Army officer w/special training who's family has been kidnapped. Her husband also has skills so who does this relate to; her or him? Their young daughter is also in the mix which complicates matters.

This was to continue on my Patterson binge listen and recommended by a GR/book group pal.
Unfortunately, I didn't like it.

I felt it overloaded my senses. Too many characters & events: kidnapped family, CID investigation, chase, being AWOL, corruption, secrets, cover-ups, etc...
Just too much going on.
I also wasn't too keen on the characters so I had trouble getting into it. I got frustrated listening to the story on audio so I switched to print format as I knew I could skim read the rest.
On the positive side, I did want to know how it ended so the writers did keep my sense of suspense that way.

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. Patterson’s books are almost always fun. This one was no exception. Amy Cornwall is a great character with a lot of potential. I never picked this up until I saw that a second in the series was about to be released. I really shouldn’t have waited so long.

It was hard to believe in many instances but let’s be honest, being hard to believe is very important in a good thriller. The mystery was clever, too. I definitely won’t wait long to read the second Amy Cornwall book.

[William Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast paced, page turning thriller. Love the cast of characters and the plot was super. There were enough twist and turns to keep you guessing who were the good guys and who were the bad guys.