Countdown

Sara Driscoll

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Book cover for Countdown
Image for variant 9781496758323
Book cover for Countdown
Image for variant 9781496758323

Countdown

Countdown

Sara Driscoll

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Description

Following their terrifying ordeal as hostages of domestic terrorists, NYPD Detective Gemma Capello is back in the negotiator chair, while Detective Sean Logan, healed from injuries sustained saving Gemma's life, has resumed leading an A-Team tactical unit--just in time for their next challenge . . . perfect for fans of James Patterson and David Baldacci.

It's New Year's Eve, Manhattan is alight with celebration, and Gemma and Logan are hoping for a relatively normal night amid the revelry. But that hope is shattered by a 911 text from a luxury yacht somewhere in busy New York Harbor. Below deck, a college student working aboard is hiding from a hostage taker. The student reports that the crew was ordered to join the guests. Gunshots followed.

The yacht party, hosted by billionaire venture capitalist Lucas Horner, includes local government officials and some of the city's wealthiest, most influential people. Gemma and her team hypothesize that Horner, an infamously arrogant hustler, has burned someone financially--someone who now wants revenge.

Once the Aviation Unit identifies the yacht and its location, Logan and his team are transported through the brutal winter waters toward Liberty Island. Gemma finally connects with the hostage taker and learns of a cryptocurrency ransom demand--and a chilling execution plan if it's not fulfilled by midnight. But Horner is refusing to pay. And Gemma senses things aren't adding up--because beneath the unnerving scenario lies an even more twisted plan, layers of deceit--and a captor with nothing to lose . . .

About the Author

Sara Driscoll is the pen name of Jen J. Danna, author of standalone thrillers, the FBI K-9 Mysteries and NYPD Negotiators series, as well as co-author of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries. After over 30 years in infectious diseases research, Jen hung up her lab coat to concentrate on her real love--writing "exceptional" thrillers (Publishers Weekly). She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and lives with her husband and four rescued cats outside of Toronto, Ontario. You can follow the latest news on her books at SaraDriscollAuthor.com.

Critical Reviews

Praise for the NYPD Negotiators Series

"Pulse-pounding . . . Breathtaking panache . . . Driscoll approaches the potentially lurid material with admirable sensitivity, and maintains suspense throughout. Readers will clamor for the next installment." --Publishers Weekly on Lockdown

"What a rush this riveting, edge-of-the-seat thriller is! It is a fast-paced novel set in a jail on Rikers Island that demonstrates the author's talents with setting, dialog, excellent characters, and suspense that does not quit." --Open Book Society on Shot Caller

"Tense and tightly plotted, Exit Strategy pulls you in and doesn't let go. A compelling page-turner." --Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author, on the NYPD Negotiators series

"An energetic series launch . . . Convincing descriptions of New York City neighborhoods and police tactics, along with flashbacks full of Italian family lore, compensate for some stilted dialogue and heavy-handed action. Fans of contemporary police procedurals will hope to see a lot more of the capable Gemma." --Publishers Weekly on Exit Strategy

"A compelling, dramatic story while using the protagonist's family background as motivation. Readers who love the TV show Blue Bloods, with its family of cops, will relish this launch." --Library Journal on Exit Strategy

"The attention to detail, the psychological thought process of the police and antagonist, and the tidbits about an Italian family make for an interesting read. But the story is also riveting with its suspenseful, fast-action pace." --Crimespree Magazine on Exit Strategy

Publishing Information

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Pub date: 2026-04-28
Length: 240 pages

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