It is an extreme departure from the Carter Ross easy, even comical at times crime novel. (There is, of course, a shout-out to Carter Ross in the story, however.)The action is non-stop, gut-wrenching, and terrifying. It is disturbing not because of what happens but because of what might happen.

The Chilling Words No Parent Wants to Hear: Your Children Have Been Taken

Judge Scott Sampson is miffed when he receives a text from his wife telling him their twins have a doctor’s appointment, and she’ll pick them up. He looks forward to his time swimming with them on Wednesday afternoons. When his wife, Alison, arrives home, the horror begins. She didn’t pick up the twins. Then the phone call comes. The twins have been kidnapped.

The kidnappers don’t want money. They want to be able to control the Judge’s rulings. Scott and Allison are terrified. They’ve been told not to contact the police or tell anyone. They’re agreed that they’ll do anything to get the twins back, and so Scott puts his career and reputation on the line. But the nightmare is only beginning.

If you’re a parent, this book can be extremely hard to read. Parks does an excellent job showing how distraught the parents are and how, even though they love each other and want to support each other, their marriage starts to unravel under the strain.

The novel is filled with suspense and a serious look at the workings of the legal system. The courtroom scenes are vivid and done without too much legal jargon. The pace is fast and the twist at the end is a surprise. If you enjoy legal thrillers, you’ll enjoy this book.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

WHOA! I wasn't sure I'd be able to read this one - I have a tendency to avoid books about danger or damage to children, especially toddlers. I was sent the widget as a courtesy after agreeing to post a promotional piece about the book on my blog, and was not sure I'd actually read it. I wasn't familiar with Brad Parks beyond his name and reputation for legal thrillers - another category I don't tend toward, since I am a lawyer. But I thought I'd give it a look nevertheless, since the idea of the unbelievable "choice" facing Judge Sampson repeatedly teased at the corners of my mind despite myself.

Parks writes what I have come to think of as a standard best-selling legal thriller. That's not a slam or complaint. There's a bit of a formula that (to my mind) Scott Turow started years ago - the components include just-this-side-of-Everyman characters, wild twists and turns, just enough legal jargon to make the book feel authentic without so much that it loses anyone in the details, and solid and engaging (almost conversational) writing. Those are all good things - and if every successful legal thriller follows that formula, that's because it's a formula that works. But make no mistake, it can't be an easy formula to follow - most notably, I think, because of that last element, but also because of the second item I listed. There are so many books in this genre now, that it must be getting exceedingly more difficult to keep coming up with twists that feel original (or at least, original in their context and details) and surprising... And of course, writing in a strong, clear, concise, entertaining voice has always been much harder than it sounds. So formulaic concept aside, there is still a LOT of skill involved in crafting books like this one, and authors like Parks (or old-school Turow) deserve credit for not only doing it, but doing it repeatedly.

I'm glad I gave the book a chance. It's well-written and engaging - and absolutely horrifying. Our families are often our sources of greatest strength - and also, of course, our most profound weakness. The stark nature of every parent's worst nightmare - having their children taken - was devastating to read, as was the spiraling paranoia that I can only imagine inevitably follows in such a scenario. I found myself shouting out loud at the empty room and groaning in frustration repeatedly during the course of reading. I couldn't stop thinking about what I would do in such a horridly unwinnable set of circumstances. And I couldn't stop turning pages...

This book was crazy fantastic. I devoured it in one sitting it was so fast paced and mind blowing. It is the perfect blend of domestic, legal and psychological thriller and I was sucked in from the first pages until I closed the book. EXCELLENT.

How far would you go to protect your family? Say Nothing is a gripping psychological thriller that takes the reader on a journey through every parent’s worst nightmare.

When Judge Scott Sampson receives a text from his wife saying she will pick up their twins from school, he is disappointed because they’d miss their weekly Swim with Dad. It isn’t until Alison returns home alone and denies sending the text that it becomes evident something is wrong. Then the Judge’s phone rings and life as they know it is turned upside down.

Kidnappers contact the Judge to tell him he must do exactly as they say in order to ensure the safety of his children. The callers make it very clear-the Sampson’s are to say nothing.

The Judge is put to the test when he is told to follow the kidnapper’s instructions regarding a drug case he is presiding over. If he fails to do as instructed, his children will suffer the consequences. This is just the beginning of the kidnapper’s elaborate plan, and Scott and Alison will stop at nothing to save their children’s lives.

I love books that make me wonder what I would do if I were thrust into the character’s situation and I found myself wondering how I would react in this story. Say Nothing is an emotionally charged read full of lies, deceit, and terror. Brad Parks does an excellent job creating a suspenseful story that had me turning the (digital) pages as fast as I could. Some of the legal jargon did blow over my head, but it didn’t ruin the overall experience for me. The characters are well-developed and I had no idea who could be trusted. That ending left me with all sorts of emotions!

Great ingredients combine to make one great psychological and legal thriller. When Judge Sampson's six year old twins are abducted, he and his wife Alison will stop at nothing to get them back. They are cautioned by the abductors to say nothing all the while they are trying to influence the outcome of a high profile drug trial that the Judge is to rule on. Needless to say child abduction is a very difficult subject that tears at your heart even as it exposes cracks in the parents' marriage. There are twists that you won't see coming in this fast paced, tension filled page turner.

This is a terrific five-star thriller with darkness, humour, and depth from a very talented author who's not yet that well-known to the broader reading public on the European side of the Atlantic.

Brad Parks is an award-winning writer from the United States (he's the only author to ever win the Lefty, Shamus, and Nero Awards), and is extremely well-regarded over there. But this standalone, which steps away from Parks' books starring investigative journalist Carter Ross, is being touted as something of a UK 'debut'. Regardless, it's a cracking great read. I tore through it in an afternoon.

Judge Scott Sampson has a good life, but that's completely upturned when his wife returns home without their six-year-old twins one day. It was the Judge's turn to pick them up, but he'd got a text from his wife Allison saying she'd do it. Only she didn't, and says she never sent the text.

So who did?

Parks drops readers straight into an emotional maelstrom as Judge Sampson becomes wedged between the worst version of a rock and a hard place: the kidnappers don't want money, but for him to do whatever they want when it comes to an upcoming trial. Only, they haven't specified which one.

Judge Sampson has committed his life to law and justice, but that's exactly what he'll have to betray in order to keep his children alive. He's isolated and almost alone, unable to call on his friends in law enforcement to help. As strange details start to emerge, he's not even sure if he can trust his wife.

Parks does a stellar job creating edge-of-the-seat tension, deliciously toying with readers as the pages spin. He leavens the darkness with moments of humour and a good sense for character and family life, so it's not unremittingly dark or dwelling in nastiness. SAY NOTHING is a finely crafted thriller that ticks boxes across the board, and is a great introduction to Parks for European readers.

I was soldered to my seat, fully engaged throughout. Parks not only entertains, but makes us care deeply for the Judge and his family, razoring our emotions as well as our curiosity. Terrific.

This book grabbed you from the beginning and continued as a fast-paced thriller. The bad guys were easy to figure out early on but there wasn't a large cast of charcters to choose from. I gave this 3.5 stars on goodreads.

The first 100 or so pages had me hooked, but then the legal procedures took over.

Judge Scott Sampson lives a good life. He is happy at work and he loves his family and home life. Then one day, he gets a text from his wife saying that she will pick up their twins. When she gets home it's clear that she didn't pick up the kids and she didn't send that text. Then he gets a phone call. Someone has kidnapped the twins and Scott needs to follow what this man is saying including making certain court rulings. Scott feels helpless and soon begins to doubt everyone around him.

I loved the premise of the book. Well love is a bit of a strong word when talking about children kidnapping, but I liked wondering what would these people end up making Scott do since they have his children.

Unfortunately there was a lot of legal procedures that lead most of the novel. I got lost trying to figure out who was on what side of the court and who was involved and what they wanted. I ended up getting bored in the middle of the novel and then not really caring about the ending.

This book defines page turner. I found it well written with well crafted twists. In the end, I was correct about the ultimate culprit, but I was unsure multiple times in the last few chapters. Plausible, and wrenching - it's a great thriller with a bit of legal and scientific wrangling thrown. in.

Say Nothing is about the abduction a federal court judge's six-year-old twins and the manipulation of the judge's caseload by the kidnappers.

The short chapters kept the pace moving during the kidnapping and readers witness Scott's increasing mistrust of those around him. Unfortunately, I didn't have a connection with the characters, especially Scott. For a man who just lost his kids he didn't show enough emotion and came off as indecisive. I had a hard time believing that a man who usually holds so much power as a federal judge could be so easily swayed to 'say nothing' and do nothing to save his own young children. It didn't ring true for me and doesn't make for a strong thriller when the protagonist goes along with what the kidnappers want for most of the book. I wanted him to take charge and get his kids back but instead we are at the mercy of the kidnappers who are mere caricatures of villains.

The book is touted as a thriller and while there were a couple of suspenseful scenes ultimately the book lacked tension and solid characters. Instead, the focus is on Scott's court docket and how the kidnappers want to manipulate his upcoming court cases to their benefit. Legalese and court cases took over much of the book and may interest some readers but not this one. I wanted more suspenseful scenes with twists, not details about patents and court cases. At this point my interest waned drastically to where I struggled to finish the book.

The writing itself is okay but never drew me in and lacked the tension and well-rounded characters I had expected.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Dutton Books for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fast-paced, intense domestic legal thriller! Say Nothing reads like a blockbuster film keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The characters are complex and well-developed. You'll find yourself truly caring about what is going to happen to them. The story has plenty of twists and reveals throughout. It will actually keep you guessing right up to the end. There are a few red herrings. And the author thought to give us some chapters from the kidnappers perspective. If you are looking for an entertaining read that will keep you engaged, be sure to check out Say Nothing.

My preferred genre is crime/thrillers and SAY NOTHING by Brad Parks fit the bill nicely. I have never read anything by Brad Parks before but will surely remedy that in the near future.

Though I enjoyed the story and found myself anxious to return to my book whenever I had a free moment the story did not WOW me, seemed flimsy in parts. That said, Mr. Parks writing kept me enthralled, made me feel as if Judge Scott Sampson was telling ME his story. I thought Scott Sampson was a great character, flawed and human.

There were times this book was difficult to read, the kidnapping of children is a touch subject; I felt the pain of the family, this reflects the writing of Mr. Parks.

A very satisfying read, especially for readers of crime/drama.

Original, captivating and breathlessly exciting, this is a book that packs a massive punch.

The premise is simple but powerful. What would you do to save your children? How far would you go? Would you keep their disappearance secret? How would you and your wife cope? Would you pervert the course of justice to protect them?

All this and more is covered in this book which deals with the fate of a federal judge who has been placed in a near impossible position when his children have been kidnapped, and how he deals with the moral and practical dilemma and indeed with the help of his wife, sets out this horrendous situation.

Deceptively simple in its prose, the book packs a powerful punch and is deeply affecting.

Highly recommended.

Every parent with a baby or toddler has this one terrible, dark fear: that someone will take that baby. In Say Nothing, that horrific event is doubled when Sam and Emma, twin sons of Scott and Alison, are taken and the note that sends frozen tendrils of fear up their spines instructs them not to tell anyone. No police; no one at all can know. “Say nothing.” Thanks go to Net Galley and Dutton Penguin for the DRC, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The book came out last week and is now available for purchase.

This story takes off like a rocket. Scott Sampson is a Federal judge, and some devious criminals that know the family’s every habit snatch the children and send him a text message before either parent knows they are gone. Someone has impersonated Alison, swept by their preschool, and whisked the little ones away. How absolutely terrifying!

The purpose is soon clear: the kidnappers want to manipulate a major case on the Federal docket, assigned to Scott Sampson. Contacting police is out of the question. They’ve threatened to cut off their little fingers, one by one, and mail them to their parents.

Parks is a champ at building suspense. For me, the thrill is tarnished when I see a repetitive error—one many people won’t even notice—that has the effect of sweeping aside the curtain and showing me that the Great and Powerful Oz is just a guy in a chair. In this case, having had a judge in the family for many years and seeing the mistake in the text makes it hard to maintain the premise. You see, when one is in court, the judge is “The Honorable” and is addressed as “your Honor”; in private life, his employees, friends and family all call him John, or Mr. W---. We used to eat out with this man frequently, and there was always a little family eye roll and slight smile when the obsequious maitre d’ at a downtown restaurant where we often ate came dashing out to the valet parking area calling, “Oh, Judge W---! Judge W---! We have your table ready now!”

In private life, if you need a title, a Supreme Court judge is called “Justice Jones”. Everyone else is called “Mr. Jones” or “Ms. Jones”.

I try to push past this obstacle but the error is made often in the dialogue, and so the memory of my relative’s patient courtesy is always lurking in the margins of my perception of the story. The upshot is that for me, it really gets in the way.

That said, I like the pacing of this story, and the solution is elegant and plausible.

Recommended to fans of the author’s Carter Ross series.

This was a thrill ride mashup that included domestic drama, legal manueverings, financial shenanigans, political intrigue and a crime -- the kidnapping of a Federal Judge's 6-year old twins. Suspend any disbelief and just go with it!

Scott and Allison's lovely world comes crashing down on an ordinary day when they get a message that their twins have been taken. The demands -- do exactly what they are told, don't involve law enforcement and SAY NOTHING. As the tension ratchets and the stakes become higher, the couple's marriage starts to fray and husband and wife are asked to act normal while their lives fall apart. Who is behind this plot and why -- what is the endgame?

It was hard to put this one down. The characters were all too human and realistic, though there is a lot of action as well. You could feel the strain that Scott was under as he presides over an important case. Who can he trust? Things go from bad to worse as the days go by. I had a good guess at the beginning, probably because I read a lot of books in this genre, but the story was good -- told mainly from Scott's POV but also some chapters featured the kidnappers. This is a standalone and not part of any series. I liked it and I'll look for other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Dutton for the e-book ARC to review.

An intriguing premise; as the story line matures, the tension ratchets up to an almost unbearable level. This is a story not only about any parent's worst nightmare, but about deceptions spanning decades and the unraveling of the lives impacted by them. Well-written, well-paced and not easily forgotten. A must-read for fans of cliff-hangers; highly recommended.

This was definitely a fast-paced thriller and the author definitely created a great situation for mistrust among life partners. I got caught up in the story and in trying to put the pieces together. I won't say that this is the best thriller I have read, but it was gripping and action-packed. I quite liked the legal aspects of it; there were a lot of detailed explanations on court rulings and procedures and the duties of a judge that I found quite interesting, especially since I didn't know anything about it! The story does shift between the perspective of Scott and the kidnappers, which added a nice twist. Overall, this was a decent novel that had enough elements to keep me interested - but not enough for me to rave about.

I have read a number of thrillers featuring missing children. However, what stood out for me about this book is the fact that the MC is a judge. I was intrigued by the idea of villains controlling the decisions/actions of a judge. This book started out with a bang. Although, the blurb clearly states that the judge’s kids were kidnapped, I didn’t expect it to happen in the first pages so I was pleasantly surprised to see this happening right at the start of the book. The first chapter opens with the judge and his wife getting home after work only to realize that the kids are missing.

Tension builds from that first incident. The judge has to deliver specific rulings in order to get his kids back. I was nervous when I read about the first case and the expected ruling. My heart raced as I wondered what Judge Scott would do. It was evident that doing the right thing is important to him but his kids clearly mean the world to him. Tough choices. Right from the start, Scott and Alison truck me as very strong characters. They were facing their worst nightmare but so it was heartbreaking to see them going through that. This made them quite sympathetic too. I especially liked Scott. It was evident that he took pride in being a good dad and judge and although the villains had put him in a precarious position, he wasn’t going down without a fight.

Unfortunately, despite the strong start, the book slowed down for me in the middle. I found myself going through the pages, waiting for the plot to move forward. One of the main cases in the book has a scientific aspect. One thing about me is that I am terrible at Science (and Maths) so all the background information about the case felt like it was dragging the plot. Seriously, the story would have been just as good without it but that is just me. I am not saying that the sections were boring but I just wish that the fast-pace at the start continued all throughout. The slow chapters were few though so this wasn’t a major issue.

The final chapters were just as fast-paced and thrilling as the first ones. I kept guessing the identity of the villains until the reveal. I thought I had an idea about who they were but it turned out that I was totally wrong. The action at the end made me feel like I was watching this as a movie and not reading it. The ending was tragic but beautiful. After all the suspense and thrills, I didn’t expect the book to end up being so emotional but it was. A beautiful but befitting ending. I just wish that the wrap-up wasn’t so neat though.

I expected this book to be full of suspense and it was. The tension is maintained throughout. What I didn’t expect was to form such a connection with the MCs. I also didn’t expect the emotional roller-coaster that it turned out to be. The secrets and lies spiced up the plot and I enjoyed all the little twists. I definitely recommend Say Nothing by Brad Parks to all fans of mystery, crime and legal thrillers.