Product Description

From the number one New York Times bestselling coauthor of Judge & Jury and Lifeguard comes this electrifying solo debut, The Blue Zone.

Kate Raab's life seems almost perfect: her boyfriend, her job, her family . . . until her father runs into trouble with the law. His only recourse is to testify against his former accomplices in exchange for his family's placement in the Witness Protection Program. But one of them gets cold feet. In a flash, everything Kate can count on is gone.

Now, a year later, her worst fears have happened: Her father has disappeared—into what the WITSEC agency calls "the blue zone"—and someone close to him is found brutally murdered. With her family under surveillance, the FBI untrustworthy, and her father's menacing "friends" circling with increasing intensity, Kate sets off to find her father—and uncover the secrets someone will kill to keep buried.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23082 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-01
• Released on: 2008-01-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 400 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Having coauthored five bestsellers with James Patterson (Lifeguard, etc.), Gross makes a solo debut superior to his collaborative efforts, if short of the first thriller rank. His engaging heroine, Kate Raab, a medical researcher in the Bronx, is shocked when the Feds arrest her beloved gold trader father, Benjamin, and charge him with laundering money for a Colombian drug cartel. A hit team's attempt to kill the entire Raab family prompts all of them, except Kate, to start their lives anew in the witness protection program. Kate's choice, predictably, places her in continuing danger, even as she begins to suspect that her father's involvement with the narco traffickers was more deliberate and extensive than he's willing to admit. The secret revelations at the heart of the plot may strike some as a little far-fetched, and the details about the witness protection program fail to convince, but Gross shows sufficient talent for readers to want to see more from his pen alone. (May)
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Review
"Gross makes a solo debut superior to his collaborative efforts...[He] shows sufficient talent for readers to want to see more from his pen alone." -- -- Publishers Weekly

"Gross offers much that will please: an intriguing premise, shocking twists, a gripping plot, and a sympathetic female lead who faces heartrending dilemmas as she grapples with the truth. Highly recommended." -- -- Library Journal

"Real fear, real thrills, real suspense ... real good." -- -- Lee Child, author of The Hard Way

"THE BLUE ZONE is a tense and chilling thriller with a whole lot of heart." -- -- James Patterson

About the Author

Andrew Gross is the author of the New York Times and international bestsellers The Blue Zone and The Dark Tide, and coauthor of five number one bestselling novels with James Patterson, including Judge & Jury, Lifeguard, and The Jester. Gross lives in Westchester County, New York, with his wife, Lynn. They have three children.

Customer Reviews

A Big Letdown
I've read hundreds of thrillers, and was eagerly looking forward to THE BLUE ZONE, largely because I enjoyed two of the novels Andrew Gross wrote with James Patterson (JUDGE & JURY and LIFEGUARD). Unfortunately, Gross's debut as a solo author was a big disappointment for me.

This novel has two major problems. The first is its lack of good characterization. Nearly all of the characters in THE BLUE ZONE are stereotypes and lack personality. The heroine, in particular, is remarkably bland. Most of the dialogue in THE BLUE ZONE is trite and cliched. Most of the supporting characters are sketchy and underdeveloped. In the end, I cared for nobody in this book.

I might forgive this problem if the plot was decent. Unfortunately, the whole "witness protection" plot is far-fetched and lacks realism. All of the plot twists in THE BLUE ZONE are labored and overblown. I found much of the plot awkwardly structured, and I was more confused than enthralled by how all the events played out.

In short, avoid this book. There are far superior thriller writers out there -- Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Tess Gerritsen, Lee Child, Greg Iles, and Laura Lippman come to mind.

Outstanding Book!
Benjamin Raab has been a highly sucessful jeweler in New York. He has
a booming business in the diamond and gold trade. He is arrested by the
FBI for laundering money for a Columbian drug cartel. After he is released
from jail he comes home to his family. That night hteir home is riddled
with bullets by potential assassins. Raab decides to place himself and his family in the custody of WITSEC(witness protection program). Kate
the oldest Raab child decides to continue living her life in New York.
The Raab family is moved to the West coast and given a new address and a
new last name. Kate becomes nervous about seeing suspicious and strange
people. In the meantime Kate's father Ben dissapears. This triggers some
unusual events. Kate is now in mortal danger. Kate also learns some deep
secrets about her family and herself. There are many twists and turns before the book comes to an end. Do not miss this book. I also found Andrew Gross to be a very good author. I hope he keeps the good novels coming.

Thrilling
This was a wonderfully paced book. It called to be read in one sitting and was much better, in my opinion than any of the more recent Patterson books have been.