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    Takeover
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    Takeover
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    Takeover
    Ebook350 pages6 hours

    Takeover

    By Lisa Black

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    In the tradition of Kathy Reichs and Jeffery Deaver, a talented novelist introduces a gutsy forensic investigator caught in the middle of an explosive crisis

    Early one Thursday morning, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean is called to the scene of a gruesome murder. The body of a man has been found on the front lawn of a house in suburban Cleveland, the back of his head bashed in. Although it's not the best start to her day, Theresa has been through worse. What unfolds during the next eight hours, though, is nothing she could ever have imagined.

    Downtown at the Federal Reserve Bank, her police detective fiancé is taken hostage with six others in a robbery masterminded by two clever criminals. When she arrives at the scene, Theresa discovers that the police have brought in the city's best hostage negotiator: handsome, high-profile Chris Cavanaugh. He hasn't lost a victim yet, but Theresa wonders if he might be too arrogant to save the day this time around.

    When her fiancé is injured, she seizes the opportunity to trade places with him. Once on the inside, she will use all her wiles, experience, and technical skills to gain control of the situation. But what initially appears to be a bank heist turns into something far more complex and deadly, and Theresa must decide how much more she is willing to sacrifice in order to save the lives of innocent people as well as her own.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061835506
    Unavailable
    Takeover
    Author

    Lisa Black

    Lisa Black is the author of several thrillers, including the Theresa MacLean series and the Gardiner and Renner series. A latent fingerprint examiner and crime scene investigator, she is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and has testified in more than fifty homicide trials. Native to Cleveland, where she worked for the coroner's office, she currently resides in Cape Coral, Florida.

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    Reviews for Takeover

    3.5/5

    93 ratings19 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Dr. Kay Scarpetta has some competition. Lisa Black has introduced Theresa Mac Lean, a forensic scientist.Terry and her fiance are at the scene of a brutal murder. Mark Ludlow a bank manager has been murdered at his home and his body left in the bushes.Paul goes to Mark's bank to question people there and becomes a hostage when robbers hold up the bank.Patrick Cavanaugh is the hostage negotiator. Paul sees the robbers about to injure another hostage and identifies himself and attempts to stop them. He is badly wounded.Theresa volunteers to drive the robbers get away car to the bank's doors and exchanges herself for Paul so he can get medical attention.Anothe hostage is permitted to go upstairs and get more money that is stored there. This is Mark's wife and the robbers hold her son to make sure she returns. She tells Patrick that the robbers will kill the hostages if the cops come after them.Black has the talen to keep the reader's attention in this tightly woven story. Theresa Mac Lean and Patrick Cavanaugh are well drawn characters and Theresa is a heroic woman. She uses her knowledge of forensics to help with the case and doesn't give boring details of how she comes up with her conclusions.The hostage drama was too lengthy and what happens to the brother of one of the robbers was illogical. Black's plot twist at the story's end was very well done and a complete surprise.Recommended.
    • 3/5
      ebook borrowed from Clevnet, read on my nook.

      I always like to read real local authors (like Les Roberts). Ms. Black is much more fast-paced and realistic. Still reads a bit like a Cleveland travel brochure with murder and mayhem thrown in.

      I couldn't predict the ending, although i didn't really try. I read the majority of the book while I was in the hospital (Cleveland Clinic, lol keepin' it local), and it managed to keep my focus.

      I'll read the next one, but I think if it weren't based in Cleveland it would seem just above average. I like being able to recognize landmarks and be able to picture the scenes in the novel.

      Some quotes I liked from the book:

      "A survey of large cities with good self-esteem would not have Cleveland in the top 10. Or 50."
      pg.103

      "He had never thought of himself as an ambitious man. But then, most humans didn't think of themselves as carnivores until they spy a perfectly grilled filet mignon."
      pg. 126
    • 5/5
      Lisa Black's novel Takeover is definitely a page turner. It was masterfully written. I was very glad to read a suspense novel where I couldn't guess every move before it was made
    • 3/5
      Good start to a new series. This book could have been an episode of the Canadian TV series FLASHPOINT. Most mystery/thriller novels I read are about a crime being solved -- this one is about a crime being committed, in real time, and was thus very hard to put down.
    • 3/5
      I like Lisa Black's book they show her backgound in Foresics science. I like the character's but I wish she would spend more time with them in the book.
    • 4/5
      Theresa MacLean, forensic scientist, and her fiance, police detective Paul Cleary, are working the same case of a man found dead in the bushes in front of his home, while his wife and two-year old are nowhere to be found. Theresa goes off to take forensic details of the body at the hospital while Patrick goes to the Federal Reserve bank, where the man worked, to interview his coworkers. Patrick hardly steps foot in the place when two armed robbers takeover the bank and hold the people on the first floor hostage, including Patrick who pretends to be a bank worker while covering his gun so as not to alert the robbers to his police status.What ensues is a page-turning, thrilling story of hostages, bank robbers with a plan bigger than anyone can imagine, professional negotiations and the terror involved in dealing with ones loved one in a hostage situation.Very well written in a face-paced narrative with an unpredictable and not necessarily happy ending. Though I did guess one of the major twists fairly early on it didn't hamper my enjoyment of watching the plot unfold. A quick read, I read it in 24 hours, and a satisfying book for fans of suspense novels.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a suspenseful, page turning thriller that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. The twists and turns of the plot keep the reader engaged all the way through. I especially liked the main character, Theresa, and hope we see more of her in the future.
    • 4/5
      Lisa Black’s first novel - Takover - takes place in Cleveland and opens with the grisly murder of a man found outside of his home. Forensic scientist Theresa MacLean doesn’t have any reason to believe this will be different from any other murder she has investigated until she gets word that a hostile takeover of the Federal Reserve has occurred. To make matters worse, Theresa’s fiance Paul is one of the hostages being held. From this moment forward, the book is nonstop suspense and thrills.Black develops her characters with a sharp eye to detail, and Theresa MacLean is a worthy heroine who uses her intelligence and courage to help uncover the secrets of the case.Black’s professional background as a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences with a certification by the American Board of Criminalistics adds authenticity to her writing which is in the tradition of Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell.I liked this book for its tension and fast-paced plot. It is a quick read which kept my attention. Black left the ending open for a sequel…so I hope she is working on her second novel.Recommended.
    • 3/5
      This was a good and enjoyable read, but some of the characters felt wooden. Still, it kept the reader's attention right through until the last page and was full of action.
    • 3/5
      I feel like I must be one of the only people reading "Takeover" that didn't find it riveting. The story was okay. I figured out the plot twist very early on and found many of the interesting characters underdeveloped. For example, the main character's daughter is often referred to as difficult and hard to tell no - the entire time I felt like there was some inside joke I missed. I found this also to be the case with the main character's relationship with her grandfather, cousin and the last second relationship thrown in between her and the negotiator. I thought maybe this was a book in a series and I needed the benefit of an earlier novel...guess not. Perhaps I was missing pages.Good idea but I found myself feeling cheated. Couldn't an editor give Lisa this feedback? She has a great idea but could benefit from some experienced guidance so we don't find out 90% of the novel in the last 20 pages.
    • 4/5
      Lisa Black's debut is a tight, riveting thriller. The action moves smoothly from the crime scene to a dramatic hostage situation during a bank robbery. Tension mounts as one of the hostages is injured, and the twists and turns throughout the book make it hard to put down. Takeover's dramatic ending is surprising and high-impact. I recommend this to mystery lovers and will be looking for more by this author.
    • 4/5
      Lisa Black's first book is a good start to a promising career. Takeover has a good plot, interesting characters, things you read for in a thriller. At times I couldn't put it down while other times I had to stop and get my character relationship bearings. But, I think most anyone looking for a new author to read will find going to the bank with Ms. Black an interesting affair.
    • 5/5
      If Lisa Black’s aim was to keep me on the edge, she achieved her goal. The story begins on a hot humid June morning. Theresa MacLean, forensic scientist and her fiancé Homicide Detective Paul Cleary are working a case together, each intertwining thoughts of the upcoming wedding and murder.Ms. Black is a talented crime-fiction writer, moving from one scene to another creating an ebb and flow of suspense. I also like the way she develops and introduces her characters. There is no long description of Theresa up front, we continue to learn about her, and the other characters as the story unfolds. A tense, intriguing and enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      This was a good afternoon read, but not in the class with Patricia Cornwell, Stuart Woods or James Patterson. You do get involved very quickly once Paul is in the bank. Not realistic in the way that Theresa makes her way into the bank and her daughters location during negotiations, can not imagine that happening in the “real world”. Theresa is a character that can be developed, hope there is a sequel with more realism.
    • 5/5
      Make sure you have a full day to devote to this book, because it will takeover your time. From the first page to the last. When Theresa MacLean, forensic investigator, met the two detectives (one her cousin and the other her fiance) at the scene where a dead man has been found, no one had a clue of the trouble that lay ahead. They had know way of knowing that the death of the man they were investigating was connected to the robbery of the Federal Reserve! Paul goes to the bank to talk with the manager regarding the murder of his employee, only to be taken hostage with several others by the bank robbers. Luckily the robbers do not know Paul is a cop, until something happens that makes him shoot at them. In return, Paul is wounded. Can Theresa trust negotiator Chris Cavanuagh to save her fiance, or does she need to take matters in her own hands??? This is exactly what she does. She trades her life for Paul's. And in the mean time tries to figure out if this is just a normal bank robbery, is it an inside job - or is there something more sinister going on! Will Chris keep is perfect record of getting everyone out alive? This action packed thriller will keep you turning the pages deep into the night as secrets are revealed and time begins to run out. A little innuendo at the end will leave the reader hoping the author writes more featuring these great characters. A+
    • 5/5
      Lisa Black's Takeover did just that, it grabbed my attention, took over my free time, and I could not stop reading or thinking about it until I finished. Forensic scientist, Theresa MacLean, finds herself caught up in events that test her skills as a police scientist, mother, and fiancé. Black creates a compelling character and I look forward to following the development of her character in future books. The reader also meets Paul, her fiancé, her daughter Rachael, and cousin Frank. Each hold the promise of future complexities around which more intriguing mysteries can be built.Hostage negotiator, Chris Cavanaugh, borders on a cliché, but his character becomes more interesting as the story unfolds. Cavanaugh's assistant, Jason, and several characters in the police lab are supporting characters that each hold their own promise of further development.Takeover is among the best first mystery novels that I have read over the past ten years.
    • 4/5
      Takeover grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the final pages. Theresa MacLean, a forensic scientist, is at a murder scene with fellow cops. The investigation leads to the federal reserve bank, where Theresa's fiance', Paul, has been taken hostage, along with seven other people. The police call in the city's top hostage negotiator, Chris Cavanaugh. Theresa is put off by Chris's cocky, arrogant attitude. When Paul is shot, Theresa uses an opportunity to trade herself for him. As the negotiating continues, it becomes clear, Chris Cavanaugh has his work cut out for him. The tense suspense never lets up as more and more comes to light about the personal lives of some of the hostages and the robbers. Lisa Black's book is being compared to Jeffrey Deaver and Kathy Reichs. I have not read either of these authors, but I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it. I will definitely be watching for future books from this author.
    • 5/5
      I received an advanced copy of the book through the Early Reviewer program. I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down! It has a great female character in a forensic role that is thrust into a bank robbery and hostage situation where she is out of her element. But she is able to use her instincts and her experience to help resolve the situation. I look forward to reading more of this author and hopefully this character. Definitely one of the best 'first novel' mysteries I've read in a long time.
    • 3/5
      Lisa Black’s crime novel, Takeover, is a quick read. I say “quick” because I found that I could not put it down. Black has crafted a plot that, instead of plodding along predictably from “bad guy robs bank and takes hostages” to “bad guy acquiesces to the police negotiator and hangs head in shame”, contains unexpected twists. The subtheme of family: past, present and future runs through the storyline. The relationships between characters have the potential to be developed into a satisfying series.