“I knew my life would forever be divided into Before and After.” Lisa Scottoline, What Happened to the Bennetts.
The Bennett family is on their way home from 15-year-old Allison’s lacrosse game when a pickup truck tailgates them on a dark stretch of road. They are forced to stop, and two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason, demanding the car. What happens next will change their lives forever.
Later that night, Jason and his family receive a visit from the FBI. The agents tell them that the carjackers are members of a dangerous drug-trafficking organization, and Jason and his family are now in their crosshairs. The agents advise them to enter the witness protection program immediately, and they have no choice but to agree. Taken from all they know, trapped in an unfamiliar life, the Bennetts begin to fall apart at the seams.
I love a good thriller after a heavy read, and this one filled the bill. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to leave your entire life behind to enter the witness protection program. The Bennett family abandons everything familiar—family, school, friends, a successful business—to begin a new life, with a new name, in a new city. At first they stubbornly refuse, but once they are in the organization’s crosshairs, they agree to be whisked away. The poor Bennetts are met with one catastrophe after another until Jason takes matters into his own hands.
I supplemented the eBook with audio, which in this case was ideal. I listened to it while cleaning the house, which I abhor, and it was interesting and entertaining. Had I only read it, some of the writing would have driven me crazy. Author Lisa Scottoline loaded her novel with good guys, bad guys, secrets, twists and turns, and the escape was riveting. What Happened to the Bennetts is perfect for fans of John Grisham, Harlan Coben, Wanda M. Morris, and Gregg Hurwitz. 4 stars.
Published Date: March 2022
Genres: Thriller, suspense
Read-alikes: The Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen; Killer View by Roy Johansen; The Island by Adrian McKinty; Never Far Away by Michael Koryta.