29 Seconds hooked me right from the start. Hawthorne is such a lech - and the writing was so expressive it made my skin crawl to think of him.
This book is one that puts the reader in situations that makes you feel a little uneasy - and to really cheer for Sarah, the young mom and professor working so hard.
Sarah is a smart, strong female lead that you can’t help but want her to come out of this unscathed.
I was a bit unsure of why the book needed to be separated into three parts - it didn’t seem necessary to me. It could have been separated only by time and achieved the same effect. Otherwise, a fun read that I would recommend!

This book was a clever story with an even more clever twist....I enjoyed the heart pounding scenes that had me on the edge of my seat...

Very intriguing premise. You think the story goes in one direction and then does a 180. Great twists that I did not see coming. I will say at times the dialogue was repetitive and I did not care for the few political comments but overall very well done and I enjoyed it. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

The story kept you guessing. Just when you were sure you knew, the next twist would change everything. Nice to see good interaction between family members.

Who is worse, the agressor or the revenge taker? These are the opposing sides the author brings to us with a good deed, a willing benefactor and what is right or wrong. Professor Alan and Sarah play your protagonists here and the Russian mafia makes an appearance. All in "29 Seconds". Good read.

It was good even if my copy was free from NETGALLEY

I struggled to be drawn into this novel. I love the idea, and the story was interesting, but it felt lacking in subject; I had no real drive to keep me interested. I kept on, simply because I wanted to see what would happen- and I was completely surprised by the end! The first half of the book felt lighthearted and slightly unconvincing, the characters just placeholders instead of story movers.

I enjoyed the twists and surprises at the end, as well as the secrets not drawn out during the excitement, but explained afterward. I also enjoyed the way this novel approached the topics of over righteous men and the power they attempt to convey toward their womanly counterparts. Alan Hawthorne has the most convincing character development, and I hate him (which is a good thing LOL)

The end of this novel will definitely stick around! I can’t wait to share it when it comes out!

Wow! I just really liked this book so much that i read the whole book in a day which i rarely do! It was very suspenseful and I just couldn't put it down until I finished. Don't start this book on a day you have lots to do because you most likely won't get anything done. I loved Lies by T.M. Logan and I also love this book. This is one of my new favorite authors. I loved the protagonist Sarah and felt very sympathetic to what she was dealing with. Sexual harassment in the workplace is a timely subject. I love the catchy name of the title - 29 seconds - I loved how it fit into the storyline. 5 stars!!! I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

This was a quicker read than I'd thought it would be. It was more or less enjoyable but I didn't find it overly interesting or intriguing and not really what I thought it would be. The main villain in the book was kind of over the top in his evilness in a way that I didn't find overly realistic. Like more of a caricature of the same kind of asshole you would find in real life.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Sarah, you definitely fooled me. Sarah is the main character in this second outing by T.M. Logan. Clever girl that Sarah. The book had a strong opening with Sarah saving an important man's little girl from danger -that same important man gives Sarah the chance to off someone-anyone. Anyway, then the plot dragged a bit up until the last quarter of the book where I felt that I had expected too much of this story and I would end up disappointed in the ending. But, POW, then the last bits --and it winds up being more than satisfactory. T.M. Logan draws you in to Sarah's tale. She is basically on her own with her two small children as her idiot actor husband has left her to be with another woman. Thank goodness she has her Dad and a good friend Laura to help when she needs it. Unfortunately, she has a job at the university where she is at the mercy of Prof. Alan Lawson and as the tale unfolds you will definitely begin to loathe that creep. I definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys suspense.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear forever.
The temptation appalls and intrigues Sarah. Because the name that comes to mind is the name of the boss who has been making her life a living hell.
Will she take the “easy” way out, or can she find another way to escape the clutches of her harasser.?
What would you do in her place? Would you sell your soul to the devil? And what cost would you pay if you did?

Wow. This was an intense novel. Sarah is being sexually harassed at work. The harasser has gotten away with this for years with other women. After saving a child from kidnapping, the child’s father offers her a deal. One name and one 29 second phone call and her problem is gone. Will Sarah make that call?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Would you make that call? Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

thank you St. Martins Press for an advanced copy of 29 Seconds by T.M. Logan. This book is available on September 10 2019.

This is the second book I've read by T.M. Logan and like Lies, this one is excellent too.
I couldn't put it down and the pages turned so easily. This book has well developed characters, awesome plot, unpredictable, twisty, entertaining, and a page turner. You could easily read it in one setting.

What would you do if you had one wish and it could come true. Sarah had 72 hours to think about it and it only took 29 seconds to make it happen. This book is about sexual harassment and one big decision. What does she pick?

29 Seconds refers to the length of a phone call which is central to the plot of the novel. Unfortunately, said phone call does not take place until nearly midway, so unless you read the book summary the title is ambiguous. The first part of 29 Seconds deals with college professor Sarah and her sexual predator boss, with Sarah gamely trying to avoid his advances without compromising the tenured position she is in line for. These chapters are tense and disturbing on their own- and then things get really unpleasant. In a moment of desperation Sarah makes the call that would eliminate her problem, and the rest of the story deals with the myriad of possible outcomes to this act. Torn between wanting to secure a stable future for her two children-Sarah's husband Nick is out of the picture while he "finds himself" in the arms of another woman- and recognizing two wrongs don't make a right, 29 Seconds is as much a treatise on morality and responsibility as it is a suspenseful thriller. A few things don't add up-although the mysterious figure at the other end of line promises to "make someone disappear without a trace," the reality is almost comical in its execution; and while sexual harassment in the workplace is often dismissed as "boys being boys," Professor Hawthorne is so arrogantly boastful in his mistreatment of women it seems impossible such behavior would have been swept under the rug as it is here. But 29 Seconds is a quick read with short chapters and a steady pace. T. M. Logan's debut novel Lies was a commercial success in both the US and his native England, where 29 Seconds has already been published. Readers on this side of the pond will have to wait until September to decide for themselves if they could have made that fateful call.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Incredible, TM Logan does it again. This book was fast paced yet complicated and interesting. Cannot wait to see what the author writes next.

Sarah Heywood has the same dilemma all newly minted liberal arts PhDs have. Jobs are hard to come by. So your opening gig is as an overworked temporary instructor at a University. The main goal of every other similar person is to get promoted to the tenure track. So you accept every assignment be it academic, administrative, or professional service. All in the hope of getting on the good side of the boss. The Department Chair.

Alan Hawthorne is the golden boy of Queen Anne’s University. Respected by faculty, administration, and professional peers. Well published. Well connected. Has secured grants in the millions. Tall, blond, imposing baritone, handsome, rich, and stunning teeth, too. Even hosts a TV show on BBC.

And he’s a pig.

Arrogant. Condescending. A world-class letch. People who’ve known him since his days as a university student say he hasn’t changed a bit. Women who haven’t fallen for him are pursued until they finally succumb, by will or by force. Sarah is his latest target.

Sarah’s life hasn’t quite gone the way she’d hoped. As a student, she fell for the quintessential struggling actor, got pregnant young, and delivered her second child a couple weeks after defending her doctoral thesis. The actor has struggled and recently ran off to Bristol to chase artistic opportunities as well as an equally struggling actress. Good think her Father is around to help referee 8yo Grace and 5yo Harry.

After being delayed by the latest in a string of propositions by Hawthorne, Sarah has to rush to pick up the kids. Taking a traffic detour, she happens on what appears to be a grandpa walking his granddaughter. Until another car blocks the sidewalk and attempts to take the little girl. Sarah become enraged and rams the car and its driver, but the child disappears. A day or two later, Sarah herself is abducted and taken to a shadowy businessman. Guy by the name of Grosvenor.

Turns out the little girl was Grosvenor’s daughter and Sarah had indeed prevented an attempted abduction. Grosvenor wants to reward Sarah for her bravery, but she refuses. At a last resort, he plays his trump card. “Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear.” No one will know. It's what he's good at. Stunned, Sarah says she has no such name. Grosvenor tells her the offer is good for 72 hours. Gives her a throw-away cell phone with a single number programed in. All she has to do is open the phone and hit the 'Send' key.

In the next 72 hours, Sarah struggles with the offer and just what it might mean or entail. Then Hawthorne hits on her . . . again. This time he makes insinuations and implications of the consequences to come her way if she doesn’t bed him. Soon. And often. At his pleasure. At his command.

And the implication becomes reality. Budget cuts mean each department will have to make personnel decisions. Not only will she not be promoted to a permanent contract, she will probably be let go. And if let go, Hawthorne can make sure every university with an opening will know to steer clear of Sarah Heywood.

Livid beyond words, Sarah goes back and forth about whether to accept Grosvenor’s offer. The Faustian corner of her mind makes the call to this devil on the Thames. And when Hawthorne’s behavior starts to become out of character and he then does indeed disappear, Sarah’s guilt meter redlines. She now has to figure out how to live with herself, deal with the police and colleagues/friends, and whether what she’s done will actually affect her job, career, family, and the future.

But that’s far from the entirety of the book. The last third of the book is every bit as tense and shocking as was Fatal Attraction. This 2018 book is listed as a mystery/thriller, but I’d put it in the psycho-suspense bucket.

Trust me on this one. Pick up this book knowing these two things:

First, Logan pulls no punches in the politics and practices of the sexual power play. I am positive there are many examples that might ring too true and cause chills to anyone who might’ve experienced, or known of, similar situations. Hawthorne is pig. A disgusting despicable pig. That you’ll hate him is a testament to Logan’s skill. Just be warned.
Second, don’t expect to read a couple chapters here and there. YOU WILL BE HOOKED QUICKLY. A one to two sitting read. The story and its twists are wonderfully presented by Logan. Just don’t forget to breathe every now and then.


Oh, and how does the book's title fit in? That phone call to Grosvenor lasted . . . you guessed it . . . 29 seconds.

ECD

Sarah has worked hard. Spent many hours over time trying to find a permanent place in her organization. Alan Hawthorne, her boss, holds all the power when it comes to her success. This is especially difficult since he has a habit of sexual misconduct. The women on his team can either put out or their chances of progressing in they job is lost. He can also make it where no other college will hire them. Sarah is on her own. Then an incredible answer to her problem is set before her. Give one name to a certain person and that person will disappear. She is at a crossroads. Can she live with the knowledge that because of her one person's life is erased?
Remembering all the threats that Alan Hawthorne had threatened her with, she thinks the answer is yes. The repercussions are numerous and she could lose everything, including her children.
Can she make a bargain with the devil and still keep her soul?
Very well written. A surprising ending. Great characters. Definitely some you love to hate!!

Sarah is a young instructor at Queen Ann's University located near London. We meet her at the point of several crossroads in her life. First, her beloved husband has just taken a break from the marriage and gone away to have a fling with another woman. Second her appointment as a tenured instructor at the university is coming up for review. Without this status her place at the university becomes very tenuous as well as her ability to get another position if the current job is declared redundant causing her to lose that position.
The head of her department, and the one man holding the key to her promotion is Alan Hawthorne. Professor Hawthorne is renowned at the university, hosts a television show, and has managed to marry a wealthy woman that insures his job via her gifts to the school. Unfortunately Alan has a history of behaving inappropriately to women working at the university and insuring their sexual favors by holding their jobs over their heads. He has decided that Sarah is to become his next conquest and starts to demand that she satisfy his demands. Between her errant husband and Hawthorne Sarah has arrived at the end of her rope and does not know where to turn.
Fate suddenly lends a hand. Sarah finds herself in a position to fend off kidnappers from taking a young girl prisoner by her prompt action against them. The girl's father insists upon expressing his gratitude to Sarah and due to the coincidental fact that he is a crime boss is able to make her an offer that is strange, criminal, but arriving at a very appropriate time in her life. She is told that all she has to do is give him a name and that person will be made to disappear. Sarah now has a husband that has taken a vacation to be with another woman, and a supervisor that has make it clear that her continuance at her work depends upon how well Sarah fulfills his demands.
The situation is not as easy as it would appear and the novel creates the wonderful need to continue to devour the pages until completely read. The reader will change his or her mind several times as Sarah's thoughts go back and forth over what to do, and of course, who to do it to. A very engrossing novel and certainly one that assures that we will continue to seek out future books by Mr Logan.

This is a psychological thriller that will hook the reader from the first page to the last page. If you don't want to be up all night reading it, don't start it. Has twists you don't see coming and an unexpected ending--fast and fun read! Thank you NetGalley for an E=ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Predator

Sarah is a Ph.D. working at a local and prestigious England university under a male department head who is a lascivious sexual predator. I am talking a predator of Weinstein-esque proportions. His aggressive pursuit of Sarah is trauma-inducing and completely out of bounds. It is a strong nod to the Me Too movement and a hard look at predatory sexual harassment. This university VIP knows that he is beyond reproach in his importance to the academic circles which he presides over. When he is not actively demanding sexual favors, he is sabotaging her career. He makes Sarah’s life hell on earth.
Sarah has worked so hard to gain a permanent position at the university. She has paid her dues and is more than qualified but her boss dangles the carrot and lets her know in no uncertain terms what she must do to win that coveted spot. If she doesn’t go along, her position and entire career are in jeopardy. Sarah is a single mother of two young children. She feels trapped in every way.
After witnessing an extreme event, Sarah is offered the opportunity to actually make one person in her life disappear, permanently with no strings attached and no way for it to be traced back to her.
Things go terribly wrong for Sarah and she is ultimately faced with a decision to end her suffering once and for all and the realization that sometimes you have to get down in the trenches to fight.
Sarah starts out believing in a corrupt and dysfunctional. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone or ruffle any feathers but her refusal to stand up for herself time and again is frustrating. She is terribly naïve and trusting and has a habit of not being able to keep her mouth shut and trusting the wrong people. Some of her suffering is her own doing. In the end she does learn some hard lessons. In spite of the twist at the end, the story lacked sizzle.
BRB Rating: Skip It.