Good suspense, slick plot, excellent evocation of place. King delivers again with Max Freeman and a climax unique among the many mysteries I have read. Good fun delivered in a succinct, tightly woven package. Highly recommended. ( )

Very awesome! I'll have to work my way through this series ( )

Don't Lose Her, by Jonathon King, is set in Southern Florida. The story opens with Diane Manchester, a US federal judge, hearing the case of a Colombian cartel leader. She calls for a lunch break and the defendant agrees and expresses his wish for her and her baby's good health. Was this a thinly veiled threat? On Diane's way to lunch she is kidnapped. Her husband asks his private detective friend, Max Freeman, for help with finding his wife. Max immediately embarks on his investigation because time is of the essence as Diane is eight months pregnant.
The story is told by Diane, Max and one of her kidnappers which brings depth to this fast paced story. While there is no shortage of possible suspects, the reason for the kidnapping is not immediately clear. No calls demanding ransom or a prisoner release are received. Who would do this and why?
Well drawn characters, solid prose ,a suspense filled plot and a surprise ending make this book a great read.

I received this book free of charge and I give this review of my own free will. ( )

"Don't Lose Her" is the latest in the Max Freeman series. Diane Manchester, pregnant wife of Max's employer, Billy Manchester, is kidnapped by persons unknown. Billy asks Max to get her back. Good plot but the actual story is very short. Mr. King bulks it up using three different POV: Max, Diane and Rae, one of the kidnappers. I skipped though the book, mostly reading the Max bits.

I received a review copy of "Don't Lose Her" by Jonathon King (Open Road Integrated Media) through NetGalley.com. ( )

U.S. District Judge, Diane Manchester is abducted just prior to her determination on the case against a Colombian drug lord. Complicating matters is that Diane is age forty-three and eight months pregnant with her first child.

Max Freeman, private investigator, and former Philadelphia cop, works for Diane's husband, Billy, a black lawyer from Philadelphia who prefers to remain behind the scenes, juggling law and investment work.

No words are uttered by Diane's abductors. Her head is covered and she can't see the people who are holding her captive.

Officials are perplexed because there is no follow-up ransom demand. Since Diane was working on the case of the Columbian drug lord, Max speculates that it might have a connection with that.

With funds and input from Billy, Max looks into Diane's prior cases. Billy gives Max the details of the most likely cases where Diane sent a person to prison and now that person's sentence is over and they might be free from prison and want a revenge kidnapping.

The premise of the story is sound but Diane isn't permitted to talk to the people who abducted her, and they don't talk to one another in her presence. Author Jonathan King fails to create a sympathetic character. Even though Diane is eight months pregnant and worried about her child, the reader will find it difficult to relate or sympathise with her or her wealthy husband.

One minor character, one of Diane's abductors, is a young woman and she feel remorse for abducting Diane.
This character is sympathetic as we share her thoughts as Diane attempts to communicate with her about the baby.

The middle section of the story was slow and the conclusion was a surprise, perhaps too much so without sufficient foreshadowing. I enjoy the work of Jonathan King and will look forward to his next novel. ( )