Product Description

From bestselling author James Grippando comes the newest Jack Swyteck thriller, in a series that critics have called "riveting," "a winner," and "lapel grabbing." In Got the Look, Swyteck is up against a killer who's so fiendishly clever and diabolical that even Jack may have at last met his match.

FBI agent Andie Henning is tracking a ruthless kidnapper plaguing south Florida, one who's out to prove that all human life can be valued in dollars and cents. But at every turn, he has slipped through her net. This time he's taken the wife of one of the state's richest horse breeders and is asking a ransom of $1 million. The stakes go up when Andie finds the woman -- dead.

Enter Jack Swyteck. He has a new girlfriend, Mia, and life is good -- until she goes missing. Then Jack gets a one-two punch: he discovers that his lover is married, and her rich husband receives a ransom demand that pegs Mia as the kidnapper's latest victim. Worst of all, her husband knows all about the affair with Jack, and he decides to pay the kidnapper exactly what his cheating wife is worth: nothing. Feeling deceived, Jack at first resists getting involved. But as secrets unfold about Mia's strange marriage and mysterious past, Jack is in for a twisty ride that may bring him face-to-face with a madman.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #545325 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-01
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Attorney Jack Swyteck and his jazz musician sidekick Theo Knight josh, joke and kid, but unfortunately the case they're working—the kidnapping of Jack's girlfriend by a sadistic murderer—doesn't lend itself to humor. The disconnect of monkeyshines versus the grim, detailed torture of a helpless woman cripples this thinly plotted, disappointing thriller set in Grippando's familiar South Florida. The girlfriend in question, the gorgeous Mia Salazar, turns out to be (unknown to Jack) married. After she's been seized, her betrayed husband makes it clear that he has no interest in paying any significant ransom. This duty then falls to Jack, who, working with FBI agent Andie Henning (reprised from Under Cover of Darkness), frantically tries to find Mia. Though Jack and Andie are the proverbial oil and water, the results of this pairing are entirely predictable. And when the kidnapper is finally revealed, his identity is as unbelievable as the tortured reasoning that attempts to connect the many disparate plot elements. The chase scene at the end lends some much-needed firepower, but it's too little too late for anyone but the most diehard Grippando fan. (On sale Jan. 3)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
This fifth Jack Swyteck novel (following Hear No Evil, 2004) finds the Miami defense attorney head over heels in love with a captivating woman named Mia and in an uncharacteristically mellow mood, leaving him a prime target for the snarky humor of his best friend, Theo, a strapping ex-con. Then Jack is dealt a double blow when he finds out that his lover is married to a wealthy real-estate developer and that she has been taken captive by a sadistic serial kidnapper whose previous victim wound up dead. Stiffed by the cuckolded husband, the kidnapper moves on to blackmail Jack, demanding that he pay whatever he thinks Mia's life is worth. Jack is contacted by FBI Special Agent Andie Henning, a highly competent professional whose personal life is in shambles. As Andie and Jack try to work in tandem, with Theo watching Jack's back, the narrative shifts to incorporate Mia's terrifying ordeal at the hands of her captor. Grippando sets some of the novel's most gruesome scenes in some of Florida's most stunning settings, including an enormous aquifer, an underwater limestone labyrinth of interconnecting caves. Although his dialogue could use some work, Grippando has a great feel for pacing and writes highly effective, gripping action scenes that will leave readers in suspense until the final page. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Every woman will read Got the Look. . . and wonder." -- Barbara Taylor Bradford

"Never-ending suspense, romance and deceit form the backbone of this expertly plotted novel." -- Romantic Times

"Realistic characters worth caring about and tense chase scenes add to Got the Look`s intriguing tale." -- Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"Stunning revelations and a powerhouse ending." -- Orlando Sentinel

Customer Reviews

Faced-paced read
Jack Swyteck hasn't been really interested in any woman since his divorce. Mia Salazar changed all that. Jack actually may be falling in love with the stunning Florida woman.

But there's a problem in paradise. Mia neglected to tell attorney Swyteck that she is married to a wealthy and powerful man.

When Mia is kidnapped by a ruthless fiend, his ransom demand is simple: "Pay me what she's worth." Mia's husband found out she was having an affair with Swyteck and doesn't think she's worth anything. If Mia is to live, Swyteck will have to step in and save her.

Money's a problem though. Swyteck doesn't have any. But if he doesn't do something, Mia will die, just like another of the kidnapper's victims.

Grippando writes a fast-paced and scintillating read. The characters are interesting and the plot is a generally a winner. The only issue I had with the book was I found it difficult to believe that the kidnapper acted the way he did for the reason given. It didn't seem plausible.

Armchair Interviews says: You'll enjoy Got the Look and you'll want to read more of Grippando's titles.

Another good one...
I love the Jack Styweck series. I haven't read any other books by James Grippando, but I've read all in this series: THE PARDON, BEYOND SUSPICION, LAST TO DIE, HEAR NO EVIL and the latest, GOT THE LOOK. My favorite part of each book is Jack's friendship with Theo, an ex-con he represented and got released from death row years before. The banter between these two characters is always enjoyable and it provides a bit of comic relief to otherwise serious, dark stories. In GOT THE LOOK, there were a few parts that I felt dragged a little, but nothing that tempted me to put the book down. I've read all of John Grisham's books and if I have to choose between the two, I'll pick a Grippando book every time.

Another winner!
Having read all books in the Jack Swyteck series I am a bit surprised at some of the negative comments about this latest one.

Some readers complain that the identity of the perpetrator was a bit far-fetched. But what do you want from a thriller? Do you want to out-guess the author or do you want to enjoy the story? I found the story extremely satisfying at various levels.

Other readers say that they find the relationship between Theo and Jack unbelievable. But have they even read the previous books in the series? The relationship is firmly grounded in the past and thus connects two very different people in a wonderful relationship. For me, the relationship between Theo and Jack is not just a nice plot device but a central part of the atmosphere in the story. For instance, I really laughed out loud reading about their discussion over whether or not pancakes were macho enough to eat during a meeting with a local bonds man.

Just like all previous Jack Swyteck books, I enjoyed this one immensely because of the interesting story, the uncomfortable position Jack found himself in once again (poor guy), the way he manages to get out of the situation, the wonderful description of Miami and the Everglades that provide a lot of local color to the story and of course the hilarious humor of Theo. I've definitely become a Grippando fan because of these books and while impatiently waiting for the next Swyteck book I'm thankful that I still have Grippando's stand-alone thrillers to enjoy!

In my opinion, Grippando shows with Got The Look once more that he is one of the top legal thriller authors!