The Prisoner

Soon after the narrator of this subpar thriller from bestseller Paris (The Therapist), Amelie, marries Ned Hawthorpe, “one of the most eligible men in England,” whose father is a billionaire philanthropist, she’s surprised in her bedroom by a kidnapper and driven off in a car to an unknown destination, where she’s imprisoned in a dark room. Ned has also been taken by their unidentified captors. Amelie wonders whether there’s more going on than a simple abduction for ransom, given that the Hawthorpes have expensive private security. Her suspicions of an unknown motive for the kidnapping and the involvement of an insider are enhanced given that the crime happened just three days after Ned’s primary protector was murdered, which should have elevated the threat level. Flashbacks fleshing out the nature of Amelie’s relationship with Ned, which is, inevitably, complicated, alternate with her desperate efforts to escape and learn the truth. Thinly drawn characters make relating to the lead’s plight difficult, and the eventual answers to why Amelie and Ned have been targeted come as a letdown. Hopefully, Paris will return to form next time. (Nov.)