October 26, 2020
Despite the title, Rebecca and Brian Unsworth, the protagonists of this cinematic standalone from Edgar winner Berenson (the John Wells spy novels), aren’t that powerful: she works in counterterrorism for the FBI; he works in software at the NSA. But they have access to power, which they’ll need when their 19-year-old daughter, Kira, is kidnapped while the family is on vacation in Barcelona. The setup nods to the well-worn Taken movie franchise, but the focus is more on the parents and how their career and personal trajectories brought them to the fateful night in Spain. Career-obsessed Rebecca traded a lucrative job as a lawyer to join the FBI; Brian parlayed a knack for computers into a job with the NSA. Kira’s kidnapping almost recedes into the background, though the teen’s resourcefulness provides some of the best scenes as the book explores the tensions in the marriage and why the daughter was snatched. Berenson writes with vigor and pace, and keeps the foreground plot humming along, but the long backstories undercut the immediate concern of Kira’s abduction. This thriller is tailor-made for the big screen. Agent: Bob Barnett, Williams & Connolly.