Billion Dollar Ransom by James Patterson is a wild, fast-paced ride from start to finish. When four members of a billionaire’s family and a close friend are kidnapped simultaneously from different locations, FBI agent Nicky Gordon is put in charge of getting them back safely. As Nicky leads the task force, it quickly becomes clear that there's a mole on the task force, making it hard to know who she can really trust. The tension is nonstop, and the short chapters and quick action make it super easy to fly through.

If you love action, suspense, and constant twists, this book won’t disappoint. Patterson keeps you guessing all the way to the end, and just when you think you have it figured out, he throws in another surprise. The ending is especially satisfying, tying up all the loose ends without feeling rushed. It’s a perfect read if you're looking for something exciting that you can tear through in a day or two.

I enjoyed this thriller by Patterson and Swierczynski. It was fast enough paced to keep me interested and wanting to read. There were enough plot twists to keep the story moving along nicely. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy.

A billion-dollar ransom? Sounds ridiculous, until you factor in an entire family, taken at different locations by different people. Someone has been planning this for a long time, and it’s not anyone you will suspect!
James Patterson has written so many books, and I have never missed one. This one is in a class by itself.
The action starts right away and the tension and confusion are almost palpable.
Agent Nicky Gordon is in charge of this mess, which is made more difficult due to the man whose family was abducted. A billionaire who sounds an awful lot like someone we know today! Someone on her team is feeding info to the Mayor and to said billionaire.
The ransom demands are insane and complicated and something just isn’t adding up.
I read this straight through and then read it again. It is that good. I was honestly impressed with the details of the crime!
Excellent


NetGalley/ Little, Brown, and Company September 01, 2025

Billion-Dollar Ransom is a well plotted, fiendishly clever fast paced book that is a roller coaster of a read.

James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski make a formidable team that has you reading the book in one sitting and heaven help anyone that interrupts you. ( I should have walked the dog first).

Five family members get kidnapped simultaneously and FBI Agent Nicky Gordon and LAPD Detective Mike Hardy are on the case.

The kidnappers seem to be one step ahead of them at every turn.

Could there be a mole?

The kidnappers are known as numbers only : One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six and the kidnapping goes off without a hitch.

Until it doesnt.

James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski take the reader down a path full of twists and turns you dont see coming.

No matter how hard or cleverly I followed the cluess I was outwitted once again and could not guess the ending.

Grab your copy of Billion-Dollar Ransom and be prepared to read to the final page in one sitting .

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for a an outstanding riveting read The Billion-Dollar Ransom.

Absolutely riveting story of kidnapping and ransom that will leave you incredulous.
5 People from the same super wealthy family are all kidnapped and FBI agent Nicky Gordon is
the one who is supposed to connect all the dots and bring them all home alive.
The patriarch of the family hates law enforcement, especially Feds, and fights Nicky and her crew all
the way.
characters are impeccably defined and practically jump right toff the pages.
The plot is absolutely intriguing and the unique approach to multiple kidnappings, all occurring at the same
time, from the same family, is simply clever beyond comparison.
Superb mystery with an ending that you could not have seen coming.
Actually, should be 6 stars.

For those of us who love a good thriller, this is such a great pick! The authors take us through a kidnapping with a proposed ransom of a BILLION DOLLARS! So, we are watching a meticulously planned kidnapping of the wife and children of a billionaire. In charge of solving the caper is an appealing FBI agent, Nicole Gordon and her “partner “ Mike.
I was totally involved in the crime and the investigation, but I really found myself seeing the humanity of both criminals and law enforcement.

I highly recommend this as a terrific read. It won’t disappoint any Patterson fans!

Thank you Netgalley for this absolutely terrific book!

A fast entertaining read that’s full of surprises. Billionaire Schraeder family is kidnapped in three separate incidences., and Special Agent Gordon must find them before it’s too late.

Ambitious FBI Agent Nicky Gordon and LAPD Chief of Detectives Mike Hardy (more than just acquaintances) are assigned together on a major task force after 3 separate simultaneous kidnappings occur, all related to the mega-billionaire Randolph Schraeder.

Five victims are being held in 3 different locations.
The kidnapped Schraeders: 34 year old 5th trophy wife (and former Army Ranger) Elizabeth “Boo” Schraeder, snatched in Beverly Hills; 8 year old Finnegan and 9 year old Calvin Schraeder, taken off their school bus in Bel Air; 40-something sleazebag producer adult son Tyler Schraeder and 20 years younger “starlet” Cassandra Bart, forcibly removed from a Mexican resort.

Old man Randolph “there isn’t an obstacle in the world that money can’t overcome” Schraeder would rather use his own security firm, headed by James Haller and Virgil Tighe. Cooperation isn’t easy, and Nicky and Mike suspect there’s a mole in their ranks, since Schraeder’s team and the kidnappers know way too many details of the investigation. Also, since the elder Schraeder has been paying 40 million annually in premiums for Kidnapping & Ransom insurance, maybe this is a way to dump the recent wife and eliminate the pesky greedy son, plus get the insurance payout. Or maybe the top heir wants his father removed from the board and declared non compos mentis. It’s obvious dad might not be concerned about Tyler. In any case, someone was clever enough to pull off the abductions, presumably with some insider knowledge.

As usual, Patterson’s signature story structure is short chapters with multiple twists. There are a lot of characters involved, the Schraeder family, the multiple police agencies, and the very large kidnapping organization that self-names its perpetrators as One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six. Each kidnapper and abductee has his/her own backstory as well. This could have been messy, but Patterson and Swierczynski manage to tie up all the ends very neatly in multiple stages. The truly evil guys pretty much get their comeuppance — although the guy with all the money can still afford another billion dollar ransom demand. 4.5 stars!


Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO No eye colors were mentioned.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Lots of Mojave desert locations.

Thank you to Little, Brown, and Company and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!