The Perk (53 page)

-
Chicago Sun-Times

"The plot setup is as convoluted and intricate as
anything in recent memory, an inverted morality tale that equals some of the
best work of legal thriller writers Scott Turow, Lisa Scottoline or John Grisham."

-
BookPage

"Gimenez's stunning debut is easily one of the most
provocative legal thrillers to come along in awhile… . This is a must read,
inspiring and delicious."

-
New Mystery Reader Magazine

" 'The Color of Law' is more than just a highly
readable legal thriller. It's also a blistering attack on both the legal
profession and super-rich Texans in Dallas … It's a tasty plot—big money,
political intrigue, sexy wives, precocious little girls—but the novel would be
a lot less fun without Gimenez's scathing portrait of the city and its most
powerful citizens."

-
Washington
Post

"This debut novel takes the best from Grisham, Meltzer,
et al – and adds yet more to make this one of the best legal thrillers I have
read for some time."

–
CrimeSquad.com

"Gimenez maintains a rhythm that keeps pages turning
long past bedtime."

-
Austin American-Statesman

"The book starts fast and never slows down."

-
Houston Chronicle

"Gimenez's debut has plenty of twists and flashes of
humor. A promising, distinctive new voice."

-
Kirkus Reviews

"Gimenez does a fine job with the plot; lots of twists
and the courtroom scenes are great."

-
Globe and Mail

Best-seller lists

No. 6, Australia

No. 8, Ireland

No. 14, UK hardback

"A cracking read."

-
The Times
(UK)

"Pulse-pounding narrative."

–
Booklist

"Gimenez has written a startling, multilayered thriller
in which complex characters and a fast-moving plot grab the reader immediately.
Smart dialog and a spunky Gracie, who never loses her cool, make for a
memorable read that twists and turns until the final, cinematic
conclusion."

-
Library Journal
(starred review)

"
The Abduction
was the best suspense/thriller
book that I read in 2007. I repeatedly recommended it to friends. Each person
who I shared it with wrote or called after reading it to tell me how they too
were talking it up to others as their favorite book of the year. It has a
great plot, strong characters, and a story that never lacks for action."

– Carol Fitzgerald,
Bookreporter.com

"After the stunning success of a first novel, there's
always the question if the author can do it again with the second and,
fortunately, in this case, Gimenez not only surpasses his own preliminary
standards of excellence, but those of the entire genre. Not only does he offer
up an adventurous plot that races forward at a breakneck speed filled with a
cast of multi-faceted and poignantly drawn characters, but he also puts forth
some concepts and questions that provoke and compel the reader's consideration
long after the last page is turned… . But perhaps most notable of all might
just be this book's ability to elicit just about every emotional response
possible from the reader. Whether it's laughter or tears, dread or
anticipation, be prepared to feel
something
while reading this glorious
adventure that only seems to gain momentum with every page… . Ultimately, a
forceful, exhilarating, and effervescent read of faith and redemption, loyalty
and love, truth and purpose, and one that unreservedly qualifies as one of the
best to come along this year."

-
New Mystery Reader Magazine

"Caution: don't start this book unless you have time to
finish it—I could not put it down.  After his excellent debut,
The
Color of Law
, Gimenez just knocks it out of the park with his sophomore
effort… . These characters are so well drawn that it becomes incredibly
easy to suspend your disbelief and get completely caught up in the story. 
I loved the tough-as-a-tiger mom, and the special bond between Gracie and her
retired Green Beret grandfather was especially touching, all of which helped
ratchet up the suspense even more. 
The Abduction
is one of the
best thrillers of the year."

-
The BookBitch

"THE ABDUCTION is much more than a scaled-down version
of
Commando,
however. While stuffed to its considerable brim in action,
it is as much about relationships as strategy. Gimenez skillfully weaves the
narrative while creating a tantalizing mystery—the 'why' of Gracie's
abduction—that will keep you guessing until almost the very end. There are
secrets and excitement and just about everything you would ever want from a
reading experience."

-
Bookreporter.com

"There are times when life gets so overwhelming that
even a good book can't keep your mind from wandering. That's when you need a
super-riveting read like this to take you away. It's a tale with a normally
hard-to-take premise—child abduction. But in the hands of bestselling author Mark Gimenez, it becomes a tale of humanity, heroism, and hope, with complex characters who jump
off the page. Boy can this guy tell a story!"

-
Book-of-the-Month club

"Gimenez not only gives readers crackerjack plotting,
captivating style and adrenalin-laced pacing, he injects deep insight into all
his characters, from shattered father John, to his tightly controlled wife
Elizabeth—and how Gracie's kidnapping forever changes their lives. The story,
however, really belongs to Ben Brice, whose search for redemption propels this
gripping and emotionally complex thriller to a surprising and thoroughly
satisfying conclusion. If there's one thriller you read this fall, make it
The
Abduction
—it's impossible to put down."

-
BookLoons

"A top-of-the-line thriller … Impossible to put
down, the book is a nail-biter from beginning to end, as a family's dark
secrets emerge during the worst event of their lives."

-
Romantic Times

“
The Abduction
is fast-paced and truly impossible to
put down. It is also by far one of the best thrillers I have read in a long
time.”

–
Wichita Falls
Times

"Gimenez's writing is explosive, fast-paced, and filled
with unexpected plot twists that keep readers guessing right up to the last
page."

-
Houston
Press

"Another explosive thriller that is impossible to put
down… . Plenty of twists and turns, and a plot that keeps you guessing
right until the end.  Definitely not one to miss."

-
CrimeSquad.com

"You'd better start this one early in the evening,
because you'll be reading it into the wee small hours of the morning—it's
riveting."

-
Durbs.co.za
(South Africa)

Best-seller lists

No. 8, South Africa

No. 10, Ireland

No. 11, Australia

No. 13, UK paperback

"
The Common Lawyer
 is about an overpowering
need to right a shocking wrong, and it contains violence, romance and some
heart-warmingly managed ethical dilemmas … The pace is perfect; the style
clean and transparent; the emotional manipulation, effective; and you can see
the film from here.  It will entertain many people."

-
Times Literary Supplement
(UK)

"Mark Gimenez writes colloquially smart dialogue but
plots like an old master."

-
The Australian

"
The Common Lawyer
 is an addictive, compulsive
read. With an interesting, flawed protagonist who matures as the novel
progresses, a cast of well-drawn and diverse characters, and a great plot (not
to mention the unexpected twist at the end), this is a must-read novel. 
Highly recommended, 
The Common Lawyer
 will keep you reading
into the night."

-
Civilian-Reader
(UK)

Best-seller lists

No. 7, South Africa

No. 8, London
Sunday Times
hardback

No. 11, Ireland

No. 14, UK paperback

"Some critics are calling the Texas-based lawyer Mark Gimenez 'the next Grisham'—but I think that's far less than fair. This, his fifth novel
and the second featuring attorney A. Scott Fenney, shows he's now better than
the one-time master of the American courtroom drama. For my money, Grisham has
grown stale over the past five years while Gimenez has gone from strength to
strength. If you doubt me, sample this cracking thriller which sees Fenney
defend his former wife against the allegation that she killed the man she left
him for, millionaire golf professional Trey Rawlins… . This is one of the
best legal thrillers since Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent in 1987 …
Superb."

–
Daily Mail
(UK)

"Brilliant writing, masterful plot and all the thrill
of the courtroom in one. Grisham, step aside."

–
City AM
(UK)

"Gimenez has set his bloody murder trial
Accused
against the background of a failed marriage, single-parenting issues and male
infidelity… . This mix of family values, sex, sleaze and intrigue holds
together in a gripping read with unexpected twists that ranks with anything
Grisham has done in years."

–
The Times
(UK)

"Gimenez writes smart vernacular dialogue, hip and
street-wise, with a nice line in social commentary, and his plotting leaves the
over-rated John Grisham in his rear-vision mirror."

–
The Australian

"Courtroom drama at its finest… . Great ending,
too."

–
Perth
Now
(Australia)

"Gimenez's latest novel
Accused
is classic
Grisham at his best."

–
Gisborne Herald
(New Zealand)

"A great read… . Gimenez is a thriller writer of
quality."

–
Oamuru Mail
(New Zealand)

"You'll be handcuffed and imprisoned from the first
page."

–
Joburg.co.za
(South Africa)

"If you enjoy suspense and a fast-paced courtroom
drama, this one's for you."

–
Foschini Club Magazine
(South Africa)

"
Accused
is an
engaging and character-led legal thriller. Gimenez's dialogue and prose are as
fluid and natural as we've come to expect, and the pacing of the plot will keep
pulling you along. When we're finally brought into the court-room, the author
actually makes it gripping and tense, even though we've been following Scott
and his team's investigation every step of the way.
Accused
, therefore,
offers the reader everything they could want from a thriller, and is a very
satisfying read."

–
Civilian–Reader
(UK)

Gimenez's plots are driven by surprises and
twists, while the stakes are much higher than what one can possibly imagine at
the beginning of the book. What's more, the Texan lawyer, A Scott Fenney, grips
our interest with his mind games, and we are compelled to turn one page after
another to discover where the story is headed. Gimenez is in good form in
Accused. He is equally good in the companion book, The Color of Law.
Unputdownable for those who love the genre."

–
The Times of India

LEARN MORE ABOUT MARK'S BOOKS AT

www.markgimenez.com