What Happened To The Bennetts
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- Create Date：2022-03-30 21:21:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lisa Scottoline
- ISBN：B0989C7X7L
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Summary
How far would you go to save your family？
In this heart-stopping novel by #1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline， a suburban father must answer that question when a botched carjacking places his family in the crosshairs of ruthless criminals。
Jason Bennett is a family man and an elite court reporter--so good at his work that he was once selected to cover legal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay。 One of his skills is the ability to read lips， which his fourteen-year-old son calls his "superpower。" But his life takes a horrific turn when he is driving his family home from his teenaged daughter's lacrosse game， and he notices a pickup truck tailgating and cutting off their new Mercedes。 Two men jump from the pickup， brandishing weapons， and demand that Jason turn over the Mercedes。 He complies， getting his family and their dog out of the car。 But when the dog leaps at the carjackers， one of their guns goes off。 Jason hears a scream behind him， and his daughter falls to the street。 Then there's another gunshot， as one carjacker shoots the other point-blank， killing him。 The killer runs back to the pickup truck and drives away， leaving Jason to watch his daughter die。
In his blinding grief， Jason receives a visit from the FBI。 The agents inform him that the two carjackers work for a dangerous criminal organization distributing opiates in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware。 The family must enter the witness protection program， or WITSEC。 Hiding away， the family crumbles--and Jason begins to lose faith that the government is taking care of them at all。 Jason sneaks out one night and discovers a startling fact that throws into doubt everything the government has been telling him。 He takes matters into his own hands to save his family and bring his daughter's killer to justice， risking his life in the process。 By the shocking end of the novel， Jason discovers a new definition of himself， shedding not only the identity the government has given him， but the one he was born with。
Jason Bennett is a family man and an elite court reporter--so good at his work that he was once selected to cover legal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay。 One of his skills is the ability to read lips， which his fourteen-year-old son calls his "superpower。" But his life takes a horrific turn when he is driving his family home from his teenaged daughter's lacrosse game， and he notices a pickup truck tailgating and cutting off their new Mercedes。 Two men jump from the pickup， brandishing weapons， and demand that Jason turn over the Mercedes。 He complies， getting his family and their dog out of the car。 But when the dog leaps at the carjackers， one of their guns goes off。 Jason hears a scream behind him， and his daughter falls to the street。 Then there's another gunshot， as one carjacker shoots the other point-blank， killing him。 The killer runs back to the pickup truck and drives away， leaving Jason to watch his daughter die。
In his blinding grief， Jason receives a visit from the FBI。 The agents inform him that the two carjackers work for a dangerous criminal organization distributing opiates in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware。 The family must enter the witness protection program， or WITSEC。 Hiding away， the family crumbles--and Jason begins to lose faith that the government is taking care of them at all。 Jason sneaks out one night and discovers a startling fact that throws into doubt everything the government has been telling him。 He takes matters into his own hands to save his family and bring his daughter's killer to justice， risking his life in the process。 By the shocking end of the novel， Jason discovers a new definition of himself， shedding not only the identity the government has given him， but the one he was born with。
Reviews
Gail Simmons
，
Wow！Wow！ This book wad amazing！ I couldn't read it fast enough！ I have read everything ever written by Lisa Scottoline， but this was the best ， yet Wow！Wow！ This book wad amazing！ I couldn't read it fast enough！ I have read everything ever written by Lisa Scottoline， but this was the best ， yet 。。。more
Jeanna Bosick
，
This book was a suspense ride from the word go。 I ended up reading this in one day because I couldn’t put it down。 The story is from Jason’s perspective and him trying to deal with what all life has just thrown at him。 When it rains it pours。 The chapters are broken into shorter sections which I liked and there weren’t that many cliffhangers between chapters。 The characters were all likeable and very relatable。 I enjoyed the real conversations between the characters and had a genuine feeling for This book was a suspense ride from the word go。 I ended up reading this in one day because I couldn’t put it down。 The story is from Jason’s perspective and him trying to deal with what all life has just thrown at him。 When it rains it pours。 The chapters are broken into shorter sections which I liked and there weren’t that many cliffhangers between chapters。 The characters were all likeable and very relatable。 I enjoyed the real conversations between the characters and had a genuine feeling for each of them。 This book is fast paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat。 Buckle in and enjoy the ride。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
This was a fast-paced， engaging read。 The story pulled you in from the first few pages。 I do have to say the events became a tiny bit unbelievable toward the end--not that they could happen， just the quickness that it happened--but overall this was a really good read。 A nice mix of characters。 Some good character development。I would recommend this to others。I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。
Diane Saul
，
Jason and his family are carjacked and the teenage daughter is killed， so is one of the carjackers。 They are put into witness protection because the Father of the dead carjacker is a major crime boss who thinks his son was murdered by the Father。 The family’s grief is evident in the book and they are also having to come to terms with leaving their life behind。 There are a lot of twists and turns in this book， everything is not as it seems。 The second half of the book is non stop action。 Thank yo Jason and his family are carjacked and the teenage daughter is killed， so is one of the carjackers。 They are put into witness protection because the Father of the dead carjacker is a major crime boss who thinks his son was murdered by the Father。 The family’s grief is evident in the book and they are also having to come to terms with leaving their life behind。 There are a lot of twists and turns in this book， everything is not as it seems。 The second half of the book is non stop action。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。 。。。more
Alicia
，
This is by far the most conflicting review I have ever done so… bear with me。 Sorry it’s so long。 I love Lisa Scottoline but， man I WASN’T READY！ This book arrived at my house the same day my in laws did and I’ve never been so happy to have readers in my family。 I got to spend time with them but I also got to read without guilt。 This is unputdownable！！！！ Lisa Scottoline has a habit of keeping my on the edge of my seat from start to finish and man she can mess with my emotions。 （Hard to do） I don This is by far the most conflicting review I have ever done so… bear with me。 Sorry it’s so long。 I love Lisa Scottoline but， man I WASN’T READY！ This book arrived at my house the same day my in laws did and I’ve never been so happy to have readers in my family。 I got to spend time with them but I also got to read without guilt。 This is unputdownable！！！！ Lisa Scottoline has a habit of keeping my on the edge of my seat from start to finish and man she can mess with my emotions。 （Hard to do） I don’t want to say too much because there are so many twists， I don’t want to give anything away。 ⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️Now， this honestly would have been a 5 star book for me EXCEPT， there were THREE different occasions where someone had cancer。 🤔 Here goes my ted talk。For the love of all things holy， why。 Three different characters。 Breast cancer， pancreatic cancer， throat cancer。I am sensitive to cancer because my dad died of it， and while the book didn’t go into extreme detail of any of these （which would have led to a dnf） I felt it was excessively used。 I know cancer is everywhere。 But， come on。 Give characters something else。 There are so many different ailments that can cause death。 And by no means am I the only one who is sensitive to this topic。 If it had been once， I wouldn’t have mentioned it。 Despite the fact that having book after book bring it up， it happens。 🤷🏻♀️ But three times ultimately took away from my love for this one。 。。。more
Sherry
，
Lisa Scottoline is one of my go to authors and this book reminded me why。 It has everything。 A family drama， a who can you trust plotline， suspense and at times quite thrilling。 While billed as a thriller， you will be disappointed if that is all you expect。 It does deliver， but only in the second half of the book。 The roughly first half of the book sets up the story and characters and the second half takes you on a wild ride with twists and turns。Jason Bennett and his family are involved in a tr Lisa Scottoline is one of my go to authors and this book reminded me why。 It has everything。 A family drama， a who can you trust plotline， suspense and at times quite thrilling。 While billed as a thriller， you will be disappointed if that is all you expect。 It does deliver， but only in the second half of the book。 The roughly first half of the book sets up the story and characters and the second half takes you on a wild ride with twists and turns。Jason Bennett and his family are involved in a tragic accident that gets them put into witness protection。 While driving home from their daughter’s Lacrosse match she is shot in a random car jacking by some big time criminals。 You get to spend a bit of time knowing and liking the Bennett family and those protecting them。 And very slowly find out about the guys that shot her and how the two paths crossed。。I don't want to give too much away， but every time I thought I had it all figured out， there was a new wrinkle I did not expect。 Scottoline is masterful in her layers of plot。 I really enjoyed this latest installment。 。。。more
Sara Kiplinger
，
I love anything by this author and this one is no exception。 The story starts out action-packed and keeps it up throughout。 A terrible family tragedy results in the family being put into Witness Protection; but， when the dad isn't happy with how things are being handled， he takes matters into his own hands。 Crime organizations， kidnappings， murder， and more are packed into this novel。 It will suck you in and make you want to finish it to find out what happens。 Great choice for mystery and thrill I love anything by this author and this one is no exception。 The story starts out action-packed and keeps it up throughout。 A terrible family tragedy results in the family being put into Witness Protection; but， when the dad isn't happy with how things are being handled， he takes matters into his own hands。 Crime organizations， kidnappings， murder， and more are packed into this novel。 It will suck you in and make you want to finish it to find out what happens。 Great choice for mystery and thriller/suspense readers！ 。。。more
Donna
，
What Happened to the Bennetts would make an excellent suspense/action movie。 This story starts off with excitement within the first few pages， and the story takes off from there。A family is placed in the witness protection program because they witness and are part of a tragic incident。 Part One of the story tells of the upheaval and sorrow they endure as they're entire lives change。 Part Two is much more explosive overall， and tends to run a little toward an unbelievable vigilante style， but it What Happened to the Bennetts would make an excellent suspense/action movie。 This story starts off with excitement within the first few pages， and the story takes off from there。A family is placed in the witness protection program because they witness and are part of a tragic incident。 Part One of the story tells of the upheaval and sorrow they endure as they're entire lives change。 Part Two is much more explosive overall， and tends to run a little toward an unbelievable vigilante style， but it was still a great read。 I do hope this comes out in movie form; it's perfect for the screen。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exhange for my honest opinion。 4 stars 。。。more
Gail Herrmann
，
So good， read it nonstop today！ A family drama and thriller in one。 A family， more specifically the Dad taking on the political system and the drug organization in search of justice。 Sad at times， exciting at others。 The story kept me on the edge of my seat。 I highly recommend。
Mallory
，
I have loved Lisa Scottoline’s books and that has has ventured into several genres。 This wasn’t what I was expecting when I requested it （fully without reading anything about it， just based on her as the author） but it was a fun and while ride。 I did think it dragged unnecessarily at places， but overall I enjoyed it。 The Bennetts are a normal family when Jason （dad） Lucinda （mom） Allison （daughter） and Ethan （son） were carjacked but it ended poorly with Allison dead and the rest of the family be I have loved Lisa Scottoline’s books and that has has ventured into several genres。 This wasn’t what I was expecting when I requested it （fully without reading anything about it， just based on her as the author） but it was a fun and while ride。 I did think it dragged unnecessarily at places， but overall I enjoyed it。 The Bennetts are a normal family when Jason （dad） Lucinda （mom） Allison （daughter） and Ethan （son） were carjacked but it ended poorly with Allison dead and the rest of the family being whisked off to the witness protection program。 But the program comes with some big costs and they don’t disappear quietly with all of their community connections。 This story is a bit thriller and a bit family drama。 It could have been a little shorter with some editing， but altogether it was an enjoyable story。 。。。more
Susan
，
All I can say is Wow！ This was an intense read and one I couldn't put down。 Even the slow parts were intense。 What would you do if your family life suddenly turned upside down？ Jason finds out one night when his family is carjacked， his teen aged daughter is shot dead and the shooter then kills his partner in crime。 When the identity of the dead carjacker is known the FBI put Jason， his wife and son into witness protection。 So a suddenly broken and grieving family has to leave everything behind All I can say is Wow！ This was an intense read and one I couldn't put down。 Even the slow parts were intense。 What would you do if your family life suddenly turned upside down？ Jason finds out one night when his family is carjacked， his teen aged daughter is shot dead and the shooter then kills his partner in crime。 When the identity of the dead carjacker is known the FBI put Jason， his wife and son into witness protection。 So a suddenly broken and grieving family has to leave everything behind in order to survive。 Jason soon starts to distrust those who are protecting them and he sets out to right the wrong done to them。 He wants those who killed his daughter to pay - big time。 Buckle up for a thrilling read。I have been a long time fan of Lisa Scottoine。 Her strong female characters and skill at writing legal thrillers has never disappointed me so when I saw she had a new book coming and that the main character was a grieving father - well I had to have a copy。 It was a long read at 400 pages and would have improved a bit with fewer pages but that's not in any way a negative when I got such an edge of my seat， stay up past my bedtime read。 Like I said， Wow。My thanks to the publisher G。 P。Putnam's Sons and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Mary G。
，
Pub date: 3/29/22Genre: thriller In one sentence: A carjacking leads a father on a dangerous quest for justice。This book started out so strong for me - by the first chapter， I was hooked。 I've read a lot of slow burn thrillers lately， but this one goes 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye。 I didn't love the second half of the book quite as much of the first， but I still found Jason's investigation compelling。 This is a solid thriller with some twists I didn't see coming， and I think thriller fans will Pub date: 3/29/22Genre: thriller In one sentence: A carjacking leads a father on a dangerous quest for justice。This book started out so strong for me - by the first chapter， I was hooked。 I've read a lot of slow burn thrillers lately， but this one goes 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye。 I didn't love the second half of the book quite as much of the first， but I still found Jason's investigation compelling。 This is a solid thriller with some twists I didn't see coming， and I think thriller fans will enjoy it！Thank you to G。P。 Putnam's Sons for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Christine
，
I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline， both her legal thriller series， and her standalones。 However， I just didn't connect with What Happened to the Bennetts。 The first part of the book sets up the story about a family who goes through an unimaginable trauma and how they try to adjust to their new life。 Much of it is very depressing， although the information about the Witness Protection program and how it wasn't suited for this innocent family is interesting。 The second part of the book becomes too I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline， both her legal thriller series， and her standalones。 However， I just didn't connect with What Happened to the Bennetts。 The first part of the book sets up the story about a family who goes through an unimaginable trauma and how they try to adjust to their new life。 Much of it is very depressing， although the information about the Witness Protection program and how it wasn't suited for this innocent family is interesting。 The second part of the book becomes too complicated and over-the-top with an average dad taking on organized crime and political conspiracies almost single-handedly。 The things that occur get harder and harder to believe as the story progresses。 I like the way things turned out in the end， but didn't enjoy the whole journey it took to get there。 I remain a fan of Scottoline， but prefer other books she has written to this one。 I would rate it 3。5 stars。 I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Putnam/Penguin books。 An advance copy was provided to me at no cost， but my review is voluntary and unbiased。 。。。more
Sharon May
，
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/GP Putnam's Sons for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by an all-time favorite， must-read author - Lisa Scottoline。 Another 5 star read of course！Coming home from their daughter's lacrosse game， a carjacking goes horribly wrong and the Bennett family will never be the same。 The next thing they know， the FBI is at their door explaining that the suspects were part of a drug-cartel and that the Bennett's are in danger。 They must become pa Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/GP Putnam's Sons for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by an all-time favorite， must-read author - Lisa Scottoline。 Another 5 star read of course！Coming home from their daughter's lacrosse game， a carjacking goes horribly wrong and the Bennett family will never be the same。 The next thing they know， the FBI is at their door explaining that the suspects were part of a drug-cartel and that the Bennett's are in danger。 They must become part of the witness protection program。 But that starts a whole different chapter of trouble for the family。From the opening paragraph， this book will grab hold of you and won't let go。 It's a tense， pulse-pounding thriller that shows how an average family can get swept up into events that are out of their control。 As always with Scottoline's books， the characters become real and you feel for all of them。 Highly recommended - don't miss this thrill ride！ 。。。more
Marissa Klurstein
，
Five full stars。 So far， this is my favorite book of the year。 A bona fide page turner， a moving love story， a tale of family， and a lesson in justice all in one。 It's so much more than the synopsis gives it credit for。 Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher， Penguin Random House， for an ARC in exchanged for an honest review。 Five full stars。 So far， this is my favorite book of the year。 A bona fide page turner， a moving love story， a tale of family， and a lesson in justice all in one。 It's so much more than the synopsis gives it credit for。 Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher， Penguin Random House， for an ARC in exchanged for an honest review。 。。。more
Tracy
，
Story about a family who goes into witness protection after they are carjacked。 I enjoyed the beginning but halfway through it shifted from the family to the dad chasing down the bad guys and I stopped enjoying it so much。 I finished it， but I'm not ever sure why。 Story about a family who goes into witness protection after they are carjacked。 I enjoyed the beginning but halfway through it shifted from the family to the dad chasing down the bad guys and I stopped enjoying it so much。 I finished it， but I'm not ever sure why。 。。。more
Kelly Hooker
，
Thank you @putnambooks & @prhaudio for complimentary copies of this book。____________________________𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗦 packs a huge punch within the first few chapters。 The Bennett family is faced with tragedy when they are involved in an assault on the side of the road。 They are forced to enter the witness protection program for their safety。The story truly hits the ground running and my heart was in my throat for the first 40% of this book。 I was on track for a five star reading ex Thank you @putnambooks & @prhaudio for complimentary copies of this book。____________________________𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗦 packs a huge punch within the first few chapters。 The Bennett family is faced with tragedy when they are involved in an assault on the side of the road。 They are forced to enter the witness protection program for their safety。The story truly hits the ground running and my heart was in my throat for the first 40% of this book。 I was on track for a five star reading experience。。。。。I love to go into books blind， but I think it may have hampered my enjoyment in this case。 Here’s what I wish I knew: the second half of this book reads like a Liam Neeson action thriller。 It’s Jason Bennett against the world and the train went off the tracks in the midst of the blaring gunshots and nonstop gritty action。 Had I known this was the turn the story was going to take I think I would have enjoyed it more。The plot became convoluted with a wide array of characters that I got to know only on a surface level。 I also had a hard time understanding the motivation behind some actions of key players。🎧 I inhaled this book with a combination of print and audio。 The audio was wonderfully narrated by Eduardo Ballerini who captured the emotion of tragedy so well。 The second half of the book might be better suited to print for ease of following the storyline。Overall， this was an entertaining read with an incredible start， but I wish the second half of the book had gone a different direction。 If you’re in the mood for a cinematic action thriller this might be the book for you！𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 3。5 ⭐️ （𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙）𝗣𝗨𝗕 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: March 29， 2022 。。。more
Sheri P
，
3。5 stars for me for this thriller。This is my first Lisa Scottoline book so I’m not sure if this is typical for her stories。 The opening of this book was suspenseful and quite intense。 It kept me reading late into the night。Then about 1/3 in， the story sort of went past believable for me and while it was still interesting it seemed quite far-fetched and I found it hard to stay invested。 I did like Jason and Don’s characters the best。 I would read another book by this author。 Thank you to the pub 3。5 stars for me for this thriller。This is my first Lisa Scottoline book so I’m not sure if this is typical for her stories。 The opening of this book was suspenseful and quite intense。 It kept me reading late into the night。Then about 1/3 in， the story sort of went past believable for me and while it was still interesting it seemed quite far-fetched and I found it hard to stay invested。 I did like Jason and Don’s characters the best。 I would read another book by this author。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy。 。。。more
Sarah Wade
，
Thank you to Putnam for sending me a copy of this one。 You can find this one on shelves this coming Tuesday。I didn’t love this one。 The writing felt very over explanatory to me。 I don’t know if it was the main character I hated or just the name dropping of brands and too much fluff。 The story was fine and I probably would have loved it if some things were left out。 Sorry to say I cannot recommend this one。Jason Bennett is a suburban dad who owns a court-reporting business， but one night， his lif Thank you to Putnam for sending me a copy of this one。 You can find this one on shelves this coming Tuesday。I didn’t love this one。 The writing felt very over explanatory to me。 I don’t know if it was the main character I hated or just the name dropping of brands and too much fluff。 The story was fine and I probably would have loved it if some things were left out。 Sorry to say I cannot recommend this one。Jason Bennett is a suburban dad who owns a court-reporting business， but one night， his life takes a horrific turn。 He is driving his family home after his daughter’s field hockey game when a pickup truck begins tailgating them， on a dark stretch of road。 Suddenly two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason， demanding the car。 A horrific flash of violence changes his life forever。 Later that awful night， Jason and his family receive a visit from the FBI。 The agents tell them that the carjackers were members of a dangerous drug-trafficking organization – and now Jason and his family are in their crosshairs。 The agents advise the Bennetts to enter the witness protection program right away， and they have no choice but to agree。 But WITSEC was designed to protect criminal informants， not law-abiding families。 Taken from all they know， trapped in an unfamiliar life， the Bennetts begin to fall apart at the seams。 Then Jason learns a shocking truth and realizes that he has to take matters into his own hands。 。。。more
Kim Fox
，
I loved this book！ Well， once I got past the initial shock of the first scenes， then I loved it。 I will admit， I almost put this book down and walked away， but the last book I read by Lisa Scottoline was an amazing WWII historical fiction novel， so I gave this one a chance and kept reading。 I am so glad I did。 I loved the fast paced， action packed rhythm of this book！ Every time that I thought I figured out which way the story was going， the author threw a curve and off we would go in another di I loved this book！ Well， once I got past the initial shock of the first scenes， then I loved it。 I will admit， I almost put this book down and walked away， but the last book I read by Lisa Scottoline was an amazing WWII historical fiction novel， so I gave this one a chance and kept reading。 I am so glad I did。 I loved the fast paced， action packed rhythm of this book！ Every time that I thought I figured out which way the story was going， the author threw a curve and off we would go in another direction。 Such a great book！ 4⭐Thank you to NetGalley， G。P。 Putnam's Son's and Lisa Scottoline for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Janie Hickok Siess
，
What Happened to the Bennetts gets off to an explosive and tense start on the very first page。 Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline's inspiration for the story came from being tailgated， an experience that caused her to wonder what could happen should being followed serve as the prelude to a carjacking。 She opted not to speed up because she was enjoying the drive in a wooded area of Pennsylvania， near her home。 So as the story opens， the Bennetts， an unremarkable American family living in southeas What Happened to the Bennetts gets off to an explosive and tense start on the very first page。 Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline's inspiration for the story came from being tailgated， an experience that caused her to wonder what could happen should being followed serve as the prelude to a carjacking。 She opted not to speed up because she was enjoying the drive in a wooded area of Pennsylvania， near her home。 So as the story opens， the Bennetts， an unremarkable American family living in southeastern Pennsylvania。 Jason operates his own court reporting business and his wife， Lucinda， is a photographer。 They are en route home from daughter Allison's soccer game in Jason's recently purchased Mercedes。 Allison is in the back seat with her younger brother， Ethan， and the family dog， Moonie， when Jason notices a pickup following their vehicle too closely on the single-lane road that winds uphill through the woods。 Like Scottoline， Jason has no room to maneuver his vehicle over in order to permit the pickup to pass。 Also like Scottoline， Jason does not want to accelerate， because he feels he has a right to drive as he sees fit。 He resists his family's urging to speed up and "smoke" the pickup with his powerful new car。 Eventually， though， he relents and as he accelerates， so does the pickup， passing the Bennetts' car， pulling in front of it， and then stopping， blocking the road。 Two men jump out of the pickup， brandishing weapons， and inform Jason， "We're taking the car。" The carjacking ends tragically。Reeling， the Bennetts return to their home after meeting with local authorities， who theorize that the carjackers were looking for a getaway vehicle after committing a double homicide。 And the Bennetts were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time。 They are shocked to find FBI agents on their doorstep at 3:15 a。m。 Agents Dom Kingston and Michael Hallman explain that the two assailants were members of GVO， a crime syndicate that distributes and sells opiates， and had just killed two retail-level drug dealers in the organization。 The Bennetts are now in the cross-hairs of GVO。 Because their lives are in danger， they need to enter the witness protection program for their safety and well-being。 Immediately。 Scottoline effectively relates the story from Jason's point of view， utilizing a first-person narrative。 The FBI explains to the family that they will be under the watchful eyes of the FBI twenty-four hours per day in a safe location， but "there can be no communication" with their family， friends， employees， neighbors or friends。 Lucinda's inability to continue caring for her mother， who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and resides in a care facility， is particularly distressing。 They will not even be permitted to attend a close family member's funeral。 They must simply vanish。 After a family meeting， they reluctantly come to the conclusion that， although the FBI cannot force them to enter the program， they do not really have any other option。 Jason explains， "We left our lives in silence。 。 。 。 We'd had fifteen minutes to pack， 。 。 。 Deep inside me was the most profound sorrow I had ever known， one that had settled in， unpacked， and took up residence。" Scottoline was surprised to learn that the FBI would probably hide the Bennetts somewhere in Delaware。 Jason shares Scottoline's shocked reaction when he learns he and his family are being transported to the Delaware coast， just outside a beach town that is largely deserted during the off-season。 The safe house is adjacent to a saltwater tidal marsh and the surrounding houses are mostly vacation homes， closed until the summer season begins。 Agents Kingston and Hallman （affectionately known as Wiki， because of his encyclopedic knowledge about many topics） reside in a smaller home on the same lot that houses their command center。 Jason quickly learns there are cameras mounted everywhere， including in the trees， and the agents will maintain round-the-clock surveillance as part of their "Babysitter's Club" assignment。 Jason soon bonds with Dom （Agent Kingston） as they jog together and Dom explains the circumstances that prompted him to transfer out of an undercover assignment。 Most importantly for purposes of Scottoline's tautly-crafted story， Jason gradually comes to trust Dom， believing that the agent's only priority is keeping him and his family safe。The marshlands surrounding the safe house are dark， slippery， and mysterious， and Jason relates how any solid ground he once felt beneath his feet has been ripped away from him。 But he is determined to keep his family safe， no matter the cost。In the absence of facts， the Bennetts' friends， neighbors， and business associates begin speculating about what has become of them。 They take to social media to commiserate and seek answers， and Lucinda's best friend lodges a missing persons report with the police。 Rumors and theories swirl， and Jason discovers a website maintained by an amateur sleuth who bills himself as "America's premier citizen detective。" He is convinced that Jason murdered his family and went on the run， which only adds to Jason's misery 。 。 。 and determination。Scottoline compassionately describes the emotional devastation that Jason and his family feel about the prospect of leaving their lives behind and starting over in every conceivable way。 It is especially difficult for young Ethan， who keeps asking about his friends and when they will be going home。 Lucinda came from a well-off family， but Jason had a modest upbringing on a farm near Hershey， Pennsylvania。 Jason completed one year of law school before dropping out for financial reasons。 In combination with what he has learned during his years as a court reporter， he knows more about legal procedure than most non-lawyers。 But the one topic that has never come up during all of the depositions he has transcribed is the witness protection program。 He quickly discovers that it was not really designed to shelter innocent witnesses to crimes。 Rather， most of the "applicants" are criminals who have entered into plea agreements under the terms of which they provide evidence against other perpetrators in exchange for the opportunity to slip into the kind of new lives Jason and his family want no part of。 So even though they have been warned about engaging in any online behavior that might reveal their whereabouts and jeopardize their security， Jason utilizes his legal prowess to begin researching the carjackers and their connections to other criminals， especially GVO。 And decides that he and his family are not going to simply give up their lives and relationships。 Jason is bent on unraveling the mystery so that his family's attackers and anyone with whom they conspired can be brought to justice 。 。 。 and the Bennetts can reclaim their lives。At that point， Scottoline takes readers along as Jason undertakes a rogue， action-packed search for the truth and to ensure that justice is served。 His dangerous journey is filled with shocking revelations -- some heartbreaking -- along with surprising plot twists， and numerous near-misses。 Scottoline introduces a cast of intriguing supporting characters along the way， both friend and foe， as she gradually reveals that what initially appeared to be a random carjacking was anything but。At its core， What Happened to the Bennetts is a richly emotional rumination on marriage， parenting， betrayal， and forgiveness。 Scottoline illustrates that Dylan Thomas was， to a certain extent， right。 If you are able to go home again， you will find that home has most changed during your absence。 But more importantly， you will definitely have changed。 So after all that they have lost， and everything they have endured， the Bennetts cannot simply return to their home and pick up where they left off。 The Bennetts are fully developed and relatable characters who are yanked by tragedy out of the sameness and complacency of their very ordinary day-to-day existence。 Circumstances force them to address their assumptions， the things they have taken for granted， and evaluate whether their marriage can and should survive the mistakes they have made。 Ultimately， Scottoline says the book is about both "the triumph of an individual and also the triumph of a family when they work together to deal with the most horrible thing they can imagine happening to them。"And what is better than a relentlessly fast-paced， nail-biting， and deeply moving story about family， love， and justice？ If told by the incomparable Scottoline， absolutely nothing。 What Happened to the Bennetts is Scottoline at her best and that is very good indeed。 It is thoroughly engrossing， entertaining， and thought-provoking。 Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book。 。。。more
Debbie
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Lisa Scottoline - I haven't read her in YEARS but used to love her books。 Honestly， I picked this book up and started it multiple times。 It starts off with a family - The Bennetts - being carjacked。 Things take a turn and their teenage daughter is killed。 The grief early in this book is overwhelming， and it took me a few gos to get going in this book。I kept going and then 。。。 What Happened to the Bennetts？ They disappear， their house burns down， Jason's business also burns down， Lucinda's busine Lisa Scottoline - I haven't read her in YEARS but used to love her books。 Honestly， I picked this book up and started it multiple times。 It starts off with a family - The Bennetts - being carjacked。 Things take a turn and their teenage daughter is killed。 The grief early in this book is overwhelming， and it took me a few gos to get going in this book。I kept going and then 。。。 What Happened to the Bennetts？ They disappear， their house burns down， Jason's business also burns down， Lucinda's business/studio if vandalized。 Rumors fly。 Their friends post on social media wondering what happened。 All this time， no one is aware that the daughter was killed。 And the family is in witness protection。 A reporter catches wind and decides Jason murdered his family and runs with it。I will say， the slower start lets you get to know the characters well。 About halfway there is a big twist that hurdles the story into more of a thriller/mystery。 And from there on the action never stops。 I was surprised by much of what happened。 And don't want to say much more so as not to spoil the storyline！Thank you to Putnam for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Steve
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Jason Bennett and his family are returning home from his daughter’s lacrosse game。 They realize they are being followed by a dark pickup truck which suddenly passes them and then forces them to stop。 Two men exit the truck and demand the Bennett’s car。 But then everything goes haywire， a gun discharges and kills his daughter and then one of the carjackers shoots the other。 Enter the FBI who insist that the Bennetts immediately enter the witness protection program as the carjackers were associate Jason Bennett and his family are returning home from his daughter’s lacrosse game。 They realize they are being followed by a dark pickup truck which suddenly passes them and then forces them to stop。 Two men exit the truck and demand the Bennett’s car。 But then everything goes haywire， a gun discharges and kills his daughter and then one of the carjackers shoots the other。 Enter the FBI who insist that the Bennetts immediately enter the witness protection program as the carjackers were associated with a drug trafficking organization。 The first half of the book dealt with the murder and the ensuing problem of the Bennetts being in the witness protection program - isolated， unable to talk to friends or family， even missing their daughter’s funeral - became almost tedious to me， but then the story changed as you learn why the Bennetts were forced to disappear。 At that point， the book became almost unputdownable with plenty of twists and plenty of action。 Lisa Scottoline is a top writer in her genre and this book is a good addition to her bibliography。 Thanks to G。P。 Putnam’s Sons and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of this book。 。。。more
BOOKSTORM PODCAST
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An edge-of-your-seat mystery， that will light a fire in every reader's heart！ You will fight for your life beside the regular dad， Jason Bennett， as he exposes corruption， secrets and lies！ And before this book is finished， you will long to become Jason， as crisis turns an average guy into a fearless， stealth investigator who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth！ Lisa Scottoline makes us believe in ourselves， our families， and the hope of justice！ An edge-of-your-seat mystery， that will light a fire in every reader's heart！ You will fight for your life beside the regular dad， Jason Bennett， as he exposes corruption， secrets and lies！ And before this book is finished， you will long to become Jason， as crisis turns an average guy into a fearless， stealth investigator who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth！ Lisa Scottoline makes us believe in ourselves， our families， and the hope of justice！ 。。。more
Anna
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A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I have never been a huge fan of Scottoline's fiction， but once it a blue moon give it a go because I absolutely adore her memoir series。 She's relatable， hilarious， and oh so casual - the kind of chick I would love to hang out with。 Since it's been a while， I decided to request the ARC for her latest， which unfortunately reaffirmed my feelings about her brand of fiction。 It's just super corny。 Decent for the first por A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I have never been a huge fan of Scottoline's fiction， but once it a blue moon give it a go because I absolutely adore her memoir series。 She's relatable， hilarious， and oh so casual - the kind of chick I would love to hang out with。 Since it's been a while， I decided to request the ARC for her latest， which unfortunately reaffirmed my feelings about her brand of fiction。 It's just super corny。 Decent for the first portion （although not great） but with part 2， the downward spiral accelerated and things just went haywire。 Almost too perfect dad， incredibly passive and non-confrontation man suddenly going rogue assassin and taking on a drug cartel while eluding the FBI？ I just can't go there。 My apologies to Lisa。 。。。more
Laura Scheer
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What Happened to the Bennetts is a fast paced， action-packed ride that was fairly entertaining from the very beginning。 Jason Bennett & family are on the way home from their teen daughter's field hockey game when a car-jacking occurs and goes horribly wrong。 Things take off fast and the family is ushered into the witness protection program。 Overall， while entertaining， I didn't find it to include the substance and depth that would bring it to a more enjoyable level for me。 The atmospheric detail What Happened to the Bennetts is a fast paced， action-packed ride that was fairly entertaining from the very beginning。 Jason Bennett & family are on the way home from their teen daughter's field hockey game when a car-jacking occurs and goes horribly wrong。 Things take off fast and the family is ushered into the witness protection program。 Overall， while entertaining， I didn't find it to include the substance and depth that would bring it to a more enjoyable level for me。 The atmospheric details were almost too descriptive but the character development was a bit shallow for me。 If you enjoy books more for the action， you will likely love this one。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the early release copy in exchange for my honest opinion。 What Happened to the Bennetts will be released on 3/29。 。。。more
Carrie
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What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline is an adrenaline fueled thriller novel。 The story in What Happened to the Bennetts is one that is filled with over the top action told in a fast pace way as it answers just how far this one man will go for his family。The Bennetts are your average family surrounded by their suburban friends and neighbors。 Jason Bennett is driving one night as his family is traveling home from their teenage daughters game they notice a truck following along， a littl What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline is an adrenaline fueled thriller novel。 The story in What Happened to the Bennetts is one that is filled with over the top action told in a fast pace way as it answers just how far this one man will go for his family。The Bennetts are your average family surrounded by their suburban friends and neighbors。 Jason Bennett is driving one night as his family is traveling home from their teenage daughters game they notice a truck following along， a little too closely。 The next thing they know that truck swerves in front of them and they are confronted by carjackers。 Things go south when the family dog gets loose and their daughter is then being rushed to the hospital and before they know it the FBI is involved and they are taken into protective custody。What Happened to the Bennetts is not the first book I’ve read by author Lisa Scottoline so I had a good feeling that I would enjoy this one when I picked it up。 With such an intense start to the book I couldn’t help but become completely intrigued with how and where the rest would take me。 Pulse pounding is definitely a good descriptor for this one as it doesn’t slow down the entire ride。 For me some of the action was a little over the top but fans of an adrenaline thriller should love this one。I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley。For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews。com/ 。。。more
Cheyenne Smidt
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You can't go wrong with a Lisa Scottoline novel， am I right？ Of course I'm right。 This book started off with a bang （pun intended） and only kept going from there。 There are some books that truly make you feel like you're on the edge of your seat， like you finally understand the meaning of that phrase。 This is one of those books。 All the twists and turns kept me up half the night。 Many chapters end on cliffhangers and I have to admit that I LOVE that。 Makes me never want to put it down。 What happ You can't go wrong with a Lisa Scottoline novel， am I right？ Of course I'm right。 This book started off with a bang （pun intended） and only kept going from there。 There are some books that truly make you feel like you're on the edge of your seat， like you finally understand the meaning of that phrase。 This is one of those books。 All the twists and turns kept me up half the night。 Many chapters end on cliffhangers and I have to admit that I LOVE that。 Makes me never want to put it down。 What happened to the Bennetts kept my interest from page one and I've been in quite the slump lately so that really says something。 I don't want to repeat the blurb because you can read plenty of that in other， more detailed reviews。 So I'll just finish by saying that I definitely recommend this book to all my fellow suspense and thriller fans。 You won't want to miss this one！ I've read some reviews that say the book is a bit unrealistic。 But to be honest， isn't that part of the fun of reading these thrillers or action books？ I know it is for me。What happened to the Bennetts comes out March 29th， 2022。 Mark your calendars！I also want to say a special thank you to the publisher， Penguin Random House/G。P。 Putnam's Sons， and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this awesome book！ 。。。more
Nicola
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I think this book should be called “What Didn’t Happen to the Bennetts。” What a wild ride…。a family disappears and no one knows where they are。 Rumors start to spread around。 What secrets are being hidden？ Who can you trust？I have to admit I had to keep reading late into the night so I could see what ending the author was delivering。Action filled to the brim！Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review。 All opinions expressed are m I think this book should be called “What Didn’t Happen to the Bennetts。” What a wild ride…。a family disappears and no one knows where they are。 Rumors start to spread around。 What secrets are being hidden？ Who can you trust？I have to admit I had to keep reading late into the night so I could see what ending the author was delivering。Action filled to the brim！Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Nancy L
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