Mark Gimenez is nothing if not modest. The author says his first debut novel, The Color of Law, ย“did well.ย” Ah, Mark, it was a New York Times best-seller and a big hit in the UK. It also sold over 400,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into a dozen languages. Even for an ย“Aw, shucksย” Fort Worth boy, that at least counts as doing ย“very, very well,ย” donย’t you think?

Now the former lawyer is back again with another thriller, The Abduction. This time Gimenezย’s lead character is Ben Brice, a grizzled 60-year-old Vietnam vet who drinks himself to sleep each night. When his granddaughter is kidnapped, Brice leaps into action, his old soldier skills coming in handy. He suspects that ghosts from his past have come to haunt him and that his granddaughterย’s kidnapping is an attempt to make sure heย’s paying attention. He is ย— and that may not be such a good thing for the kidnappers. But getting his granddaughter back wonย’t be easy: Not only does Brice have to battle the kidnappers, he also has to find his way around his estranged son and the mob of FBI agents assigned to the case. Of course, none of that stops Brice from launching his own rescue mission.

Gimenezย’s writing is explosive, fast-paced and filled with unexpected plot twists that keep readers guessing right up to the last page. Early reviews of the book in the UK have called the book ย“impossible to put downย” and ย“definitely not one to miss.ย”

Fri., Sept. 7, 6 p.m.

This article appears in Sep 6-12, 2007.