Saving Sophie: A Novel (Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart)

.I loved Once We Were Brothers and did not think the author could top his first novel but he has with Saving Sophie. This is a fast paced book that has you jumping from Chicago to Hawaii and spending most of the novel in the middle east. The first book centered on good versus evil and this one takes evil a big step forward. I have a question? Why are there only 8 reviews prior to mine when the internet is filled with them?
As you know Sophie is six year old child who loses her mother to an insidious disease that kills her quickly. Her father is grief stricken and Sophie and he are bonded by their love. The grandparents who live in Hebron which is a hotbed for terrorists kidnap the child and try and brain wash her into believing her parents did not love her. Jack, the tormented dad steals millions of dollars in his effort to pay off the evil grandfather and get his child back. You think Nazis are evil? You have not met the grandfather and his cronies. They take it even farther if possible. This book is less sentimental than the debut novel and keeps you riveted to the novel. Being a cynical New Yorker I thought nothing could shock me but the ending of this book blew my socks off! their are Russian baddies, American bad guys, and the worst-the mad tyrannical doctor who has hatched a plot to rid the Arab world of Jews with germ warfare but he takes it a step further than you thought possible. Liam and Catharine are back from the first book but you don't see too much of Catharine in this novel. There is a fast talking too brave for her own good spy who has her own agenda. NO spoilers. She spends a good part of the book with the Liam in the middle east to try and foil a plot to kill off thousands of Israelis but also to supposedly save Sophie. She is a loving little girl who adored her parents and is clinging to the hope that her daddy will come and get her while the psychotic terrorist grandfather keeps drumming into her mind that her father does not want her anymore. there was one bugaboo and that was all the history the author wrote into the book. As a Jew I was glad I now have a better knowledge of the birth of Israel and all that has happened since WWI-but-I think he could have cut the lesson short a tad. Once I made it through the novel took off like a rocket with more twists and turns than a roller coaster. their are evil Russians and Americans. Saving Sophie had me riveted right to the shocker of an ending. I love this author and was relieved he will have a third book coming out next year. I have to give Saving Sophie two big thumbs up. Warning: there is more violence here than in his previous tome. This is not for the faint hearted. Sit back....make some popcorn....and enjoy.

Not as good as Balson's other two books.

I suggested the title to many people on Twitter who were looking for book suggestions even before I finished reading it I was so enthralled.

I enjoy complexity in anything that I read, and I got a good dose of that with how Bolson gave detailed explanations of the legal aspects of the criminal acts that had taken place throughout the novel--from kidnapping to embezzlement. I also have to give him credit for creating a deliciously frustration relationship between the reader and the fictional characters based upon the meaning of "bags". I LOVED/HATED THAT! ^_^!

I liked that Jack was a father willing to do whatever it took to get his daughter back. This character and context reminded me of movies like John Q, which I love to watch.

I appreciated hearing what was going on in Jack's head related to his struggle with moving on with his life versus honoring the memory of his dead wife, whom he cherished.

While I'm all for being positive an upbeat, Marcy was a diabetic character, in my humble opinion. There's nothing wrong with holding out hope--that's necessary in situations like this, even--but constantly using cliches like "It'll all work out" or "Everything happens for a reason" just made her come off as naive and shallow.

I was dumbstruck by Jack's willingness to allow visitation to Sophie's grandparents. Jack came off as having very little basic logic when it came to dealing with people. If someone has disowned the woman you love and rejected the very idea of your child with her, never shown any interest in forming a relationship (even a contentious one!) with said child, then suddenly has the time, funds, and motivation to fly to the other side of the planet just to try to lie about you being an unfit parent in order to get custody of their grandchild from a child who "unforgivably" "turned from Allah", what would make you think giving them visitation rights would be a good idea? Especially unmonitored! I agree with Jack when he described his decision as having "failed Sophie."

Overall, it's a quick, fun, entertaining read that will invoke various positive and negative emotions in you. Pick it up and enjoy!

excellent read..........can be enjoyed by all who are interested in reading about the German / Jewish situation during the war