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[Following is a volunteer review of "Disappearance" by Julien Ayotte.]

Do you feel safe going about your daily activities? What if you knew that there could always be someone looking for you with horrible intentions? And that they probably want to kill you? The participants in the WITSEC (Witness Protection) program feel this kind of fear every day. They have to trust the US Marshals, who vowed to keep them safe with their very lives. For more information on what happens when they can’t, read Disappearance by Julien Ayotte.

The story centers on Paul O’Malley and Jason St. Clair, two US Marshals sent to find “The Phantom,” a man accused of killing two WITSEC witnesses and attempting the murder of a third. This “Phantom” was a very good liar and had even convinced his wife that he was a good man with a legitimate job. O’Malley and St. Claire enlisted the help of former FBI agent Harry Esten and current agent Sean Connors.

Harry and Sean did most of the initial legwork and computer work that was involved in locating the whereabouts of this man, but he was always one step ahead. O’Malley and St. Clair followed “The. Phantom“ and his wife all over this side of the world. Once the two fugitives decided to remove their residence from the US, they traveled all over the Caribbean, too. The couple went first to Honduras on a vacation, and then they made their decision to stay forever. Did the Marshals catch up with them? Did they get away clean? Did Harry and Sean make a real difference in the outcome? The answers to these and other questions can be answered by reading the book for yourself.

I really enjoyed that most of the chapters in this book were labeled with the location where they took place. This was extremely helpful since the action never stayed in one location for very long. I also liked the relationship between Harry Esten and his wife, Laura. They were extremely lucky to have found each other, especially given the circumstances of their meeting. There was really nothing that I did not like. There were very few errors and little profanity.

Because of these facts, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars. I believe that it was professionally edited and extremely well done. My recommendation would be to lovers of novels involving a suspenseful chase. It is not a mystery because we know the crimes’ perpetrator almost from the beginning, but it is very thrilling.

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Disappearance
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I don't know alot about US Marshals and how they do their jobs. It must be quite difficult and dangerous to pursue dangerous criminals. Human error allows for witness protection to be compromised. The witnesses that are hiding must always be on their toes and resourceful to protect themselves. This subject is intriguing. Thank you for your well-written review. I am adding this book to my bookshelves.

Gerry Steen wrote: ↑09 Sep 2024, 18:47 I don't know alot about US Marshals and how they do their jobs. It must be quite difficult and dangerous to pursue dangerous criminals. Human error allows for witness protection to be compromised. The witnesses that are hiding must always be on their toes and resourceful to protect themselves. This subject is intriguing. Thank you for your well-written review. I am adding this book to my bookshelves.

I’m glad you think you’ll like it.

Oh, I've always been curious about the WITSEC program, and this book promises to include some insights. I love a good suspense plot so I'm adding this to my list. Thanks for introducing it to me.

Stephen Christopher 1 wrote: ↑13 Sep 2024, 23:27 Oh, I've always been curious about the WITSEC program, and this book promises to include some insights. I love a good suspense plot so I'm adding this to my list. Thanks for introducing it to me.

This was a really good book. I hope you enjoy it!

From your review, this book seems to be action-filled and fast paced too. I enjoy crime thrillers and I believe I will like this one.
Thanks for the detailed review!

I also read this book recently and I enjoyed it overall, but grew frustrated with Paul’s character because there were times when he seemed to be very bad at his job for a person with such a high ranking and responsibility. Harry frequently suggests a course of action and Paul responds by saying something along the lines of, “of course we should do that, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it”. Thank you for sharing your insights, I believe you capture the book well!

I've always wondered about the details regarding witness protection. Though I haven't gone into it in detail and have often seen its curious face pop up on the occasional Hollywood depiction. You said it wasn't a mystery but you described it as such. It made me happy thinking how and if they caught 'the phantom'. It was an excellent review, well done!

WITSEC is such an interesting concept, and one that most of us will never have to worry about, which makes the program mysterious to us. I’m also interested in the inner workings of it, and I find stories about the people involved to be fascinating. It would just be so difficult and crazy to have to be part of it. This sounds like it could be thrilling! Thanks so much for another enjoyable review!

Jeff Kanda wrote: ↑26 Sep 2024, 12:01 From your review, this book seems to be action-filled and fast paced too. I enjoy crime thrillers and I believe I will like this one.
Thanks for the detailed review!

It is very good for what I like. If you enjoy this type of book then I suggest that you try it.

Julie Basil wrote: ↑27 Sep 2024, 21:35 I also read this book recently and I enjoyed it overall, but grew frustrated with Paul’s character because there were times when he seemed to be very bad at his job for a person with such a high ranking and responsibility. Harry frequently suggests a course of action and Paul responds by saying something along the lines of, “of course we should do that, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it”. Thank you for sharing your insights, I believe you capture the book well!

That’s a good observation! I did really enjoy the book, though.

Qwerty Writes wrote: ↑28 Sep 2024, 05:58 I've always wondered about the details regarding witness protection. Though I haven't gone into it in detail and have often seen its curious face pop up on the occasional Hollywood depiction. You said it wasn't a mystery but you described it as such. It made me happy thinking how and if they caught 'the phantom'. It was an excellent review, well done!

I just meant that it wasn’t a mystery in terms of knowing the perpetrator.

Alissa Nesson wrote: ↑30 Sep 2024, 09:32 WITSEC is such an interesting concept, and one that most of us will never have to worry about, which makes the program mysterious to us. I’m also interested in the inner workings of it, and I find stories about the people involved to be fascinating. It would just be so difficult and crazy to have to be part of it. This sounds like it could be thrilling! Thanks so much for another enjoyable review!

I’m so glad that you like my reviews.

I read this book, and the villain was my favorite character. Throughout the entire story, I hoped he would get away with everything. He was the most compelling person. The book was quite enjoyable, with a lot of action and good pacing. I share your opinion about the high rating.

A book with a thrilling chase seems to be the perfect add to a holiday reading list. Thanks for the review @Amy Luman.