I usually can't put down a James Grippando novel but I found this one to be rather tedious! This book is about a financial Ponzi scheme in which powerful people lost lots of money and the characters who try to find out where the money went. Not one of my favorites! ( )

good author

This was my first James Grippando book and I was intrigued by the blurbs on the book jacket. The story basically was a good one but it was dragged down by the woodeness of the characters and their dialogue. I was really disappointed and probably will not pick up another of his books for a while. ( )

Bleh, boring and Jonathan Davis' narration doesn't help. Half the characters sounded stoned. ( )

I previously read and liked (not loved) Grippando's When Darkness Falls, so I thought I knew what I was getting into when I picked up Need You Now. I expected an engaging mystery with decent characters who make logical choices. In other words, my expectations weren't too high. Boy was I disappointed! This thing is a mess. Cardboard cutout characters, unbelievably convoluted plot lines, and cliche after cliche.

There's a fad among popular authors these days to re-release their earlier works once they have established an audience. Recently I read a newly-released early Harlan Coben book where the author actually apologized to the reader in the intro, basically saying, 'please forgive me, this isn't my best work, but isn't it fun to see how I've grown?' That's what this book reminded me of: a book written by an author who will, with some seasoning and lots of practice, eventually be ready for prime time. Unfortunately, this is the latest product from an author with at least a dozen other published books.

Bottom line: if you are already a fan, you'll probably think this isn't his best work, but think I'm too harsh. If you aren't already a fan, save yourself the time and pick another book to read. ( )