After his children are abducted in an effort to influence an upcoming case he’s ruling over, every parent’s worst nightmare becomes a reality for Judge Scott Sampson in Brad Parks’ latest conspiracy thriller, Say Nothing.
Wednesdays are the one day each week that Judge Sampson picks up his children, twin six-year-olds Sam and Emma, from school. Typically, that burden falls onto either his wife, Allison, or their nanny, Justina. But Wednesdays are his day with them, and the trio has made a habit of going swimming at the local YMCA and hanging out until Allison gets home from work. So when the Virginia-based federal judge suddenly gets a text message from his wife stating that she’s picking up the twins to take them to a doctor’s appointment, he broke his routine and headed home to wait for them.
That evening, Allison Sampson came home, but she was alone. The kids weren’t with her, and she claimed to have never sent her husband a text message about any doctor’s appointment. Seconds later, their world was turned upside down.
Suddenly, the judge’s phone rang and a mysterious voice told him that if he ever wanted to see his kids again, he would do nothing. More importantly, he was to say nothing. Not to the police, not to his staff at the courthouse, nobody. Before the call was disconnected, the judge was told to keep his phone on because further directions would be given shortly.
The following day, Judge Sampson got a text message just before taking the bench, instructing him to rule against the state and release Rayshaun Skavron. Skavron, a career criminal who was popped for possession of five kilograms of heroin with intent to distribute, should be going to prison for the rest of his life. But, like any parent would do to get their children back, the judge never blinks twice at the demand.
After hearing the closing arguments, Skavron was shown leniency by Judge Sampson and walked out of the courthouse a free man.
In the aftermath of the shocking ruling, the judge finds himself answering not only to the press, but also to political enemies who took a special interest in the case of State vs. Skavron. Worse for Scott and his wife, though, is that the Skavron decision was just a test to see if Sampson would play ball. Now that he demonstrated a willingness to do whatever it took to get his kids back, it’s game on.
Desperate to see his kids returned home safely, Scott Sampson starts trying to figure out who’s manipulating him–an action that is met with swift consequences. Meanwhile, Allison lets more slip than she should have to her tight-knit family, who all have their own ideas on how to best handle the situation, complicating matters even further and causing more tension between the struggling, stressed-out couple.
Eventually, the judge is issued a chilling set of instructions, which could have far greater implications than he ever could have fathomed when the entire nightmare first began. As he tries to navigate through this hell-on-earth scenario, the judge realizes that the kidnappers must have inside help from someone who knows him–causing him to question everyone from his family to his co-workers and anyone in between.
With the deadline looming for the judge to follow the received instructions, his children in line to suffer the consequences should he stray from their captors’ demands, Scott Sampson is running out of time. And in the end, saving his kids could cost him everything else…
Written with the perfect blend of Harlan Coben’s trademark suspense and a Joseph Finder-like conspiracy, Brad Parks’ Say Nothing will leave readers completely speechless. If you’re searching for the next unputdownable thriller, here it is!
Book Details
Author: Brad Parks
Pages: 448 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1101985593
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: March 7, 2017 (Order Now!)