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Ransom (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,992 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A violent crime brings together four lives in Danielle Steel’s sixtieth bestselling novel, the story of a mother’s courage, a family’s terror, and a triumph of human strength and dignity in the face of overwhelming odds. Outside the gates of a California prison, Peter Morgan is released after four long years and vows to redeem himself in the eyes of the young daughters he left behind. Simultaneously, Carl Waters, a convicted murderer, is set on the path of freedom with him. That night, three hundred miles south in San Francisco, police detective Ted Lee comes home to a silent house; for twenty-nine years, he has been living for his job—and slowly falling out of love with his wife. Across town, in an exclusive Pacific Heights neighborhood, a mother tries to shield her three children from the panic rising within her. Four months after her husband’s death, Fernanda Barnes faces a mountain of debt she cannot repay, a world destroyed, and a marriage lost. Within weeks, the lives of these four people will collide in ways none of them could have foreseen. For Fernanda, whose life had once been graced by beautiful homes, security, success, and stunning wealth, the death of her brilliant, brooding husband was already too much to bear. She simply couldn’t imagine a greater loss, until a devastating crime rocks her family to its core—and brings Detective Ted Lee into her life. A man of unshakable integrity, Lee will soon become the one person who tries to save Fernanda’s family from a terrifying fate. Fernanda must draw on a strength she never knew she had. Racing against time in the underbelly of the criminal world, buffeted by the dark side of power, and unmoored by loss and betrayal, no one can predict where this tragedy will take them. Danielle Steel brilliantly explores the collision of a shocking crime with the ordinary lives of its victims in a novel that mesmerizes from start to finish. Ransom is at once a riveting evocation of life’s inexplicable turns of fate and a testament to the human will to survive.
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"When I first started this book, I stopped reading it on the 2nd page. It seemed boring to me, and since I had one of the older versions of the novel, the cover wasn't very interesting to me either. But when I decided to give it a 2nd chance, I got more into it, and it turned out to be a great book! So just a warning, don't be fooled by the boring looking cover (if you have an older version) and the beginning may seem kind of boring, but once you get more into it, its a great story. Also in the summary they talk about a love story- it makes up a miniscule potion of the book, maybe the last 3-5 pages. So those who are looking for a love story, look elsewhere, and those who are looking for a fast-paced novel about the kidnapping of a little boy- this is definetly the book for you!"
— Elisa (4 out of 5 stars)
Ransom Listener Reviews
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" Great book...and an easy read! "
— Melissa, 2/19/2014 -
" listened on CD. Enjoyed it throughly but wished the mother and detective's relationship explored more rather than the book ending as it did. "
— Lynn, 2/12/2014 -
" Another good read. Lots of drama, tons of suspense, and good romance. "
— Dottie, 2/12/2014 -
" I really liked this book. It really kept me interested. Not sure if it is one of those you would want to read again... but it was a good story line and well written. "
— Andrea, 1/28/2014 -
" This is another great suspenseful romance novel of Danielle that I tried to read twice a few years ago and glad I finished it this time around. It had action, drama and tons of suspense. A good read. "
— Kristen, 1/24/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book about a very powerful woman in the magazine industry who falls in love and does things that are not the normal for her and ends up getting hurt. She gives up everything, moves away and ends up getting what she's looked for all along! "
— Tara, 1/23/2014 -
" Not what I was expecting - I have not read Danielle Steel since High School and I was curious. It was better then I thought it would be! "
— Simone, 1/15/2014 -
" I didn't like the story line so much. It wasn't too bad but it's just not my type of book I guess "
— Lejla, 1/8/2014 -
" The book was okay I really liked The Ranch by Danielle the most but this one was okay. It is about a group of guys who get out of prison and take this woman's son in order to get her money. "
— Gabrielle, 12/26/2013 -
" This was a fun easy read about a kidnapping of a boy in a wealthy family. Typical kidnapping story and happy ending. Good read. "
— Phillipylorna, 12/22/2013 -
" Not really a big fan of Danielle Steel's work, but some feel the need to get her books for me to read. This book is no exception. It lacked any kind of suspense and you pretty much knew what was going to happen before it did. Big disappointment. "
— Michelle, 12/16/2013 -
" I just listened to this book and it was pretty good. It's about a family who are very wealthy and are targeted for a kidnapping. The good guys win as always! And there is an underlying love story too! "
— Kasi, 12/15/2013 -
" Awful. Boring. Repetitive. Do. Not. Read. "
— Dvir, 12/11/2013 -
" pleasant suprise.... it kept me on the edge of my seat while laying out a sweet love story "
— Laura, 12/2/2013 -
" Good story but not so believable as som of Danielle Steels other books. "
— Katherine, 10/7/2013 -
" Another great book by Danielle Steel. I have yet to read a book she's written that I haven't really enjoyed! "
— Laurie, 9/30/2013 -
" The book made me feel sad, angry and happy. "
— Dianne, 4/19/2013 -
" Didn't like it much just finished it to see how they resolved it! "
— Janet, 1/22/2013 -
" Ransom is the first Danielle Steel novel I've read in a long time. Of course, I like it, though I wasn't happy with the ending. Kinda frustrating but not bad. :) "
— Cherry, 1/14/2013 -
" One of my favorite Danielle Steel mystery books so far. It definately kept me hooked and fighting for the characters. "
— Sarah, 12/29/2012 -
" Great to read in Spanish. Horrible story line and nary a kiss until the last chapter! Cheated out of some good smut. "
— Anne, 11/3/2012 -
" It started out slow for me. Too many characters at once, but I kept reading and about 1/3 of the way thru, the story started to pick up. I was hooked after that. Couln't wait to see what happens to the little boy and his mother. "
— Kris, 10/1/2012 -
" The best Danielle Steel I've read! "
— Manasi, 9/18/2012 -
" Man... this book took me SO long to finish. I don't know if its cause its summer or this was not at all like other DS books. It wasn't crammed full of romance and love. It did have a good story behind it, but when I read DS I expect lots of love :) "
— Jennie, 4/23/2012 -
" This is actually one of my favorite books I have read from Danielle Steel...It is more complex than most of her books and you have to pay more attention at first to get how all the different characters tie together. It's a true book of love, redemption and sacrifice. I really liked this one. "
— Kristi, 2/3/2012 -
" This Danielle Steel was a bit different. Yes, there was the nice little romance in the end, but I like the fact that with this book, there was a rather different approach. Personally, I thought the actual kidnapping was a bit off, but the rest of the story appeared to have flown well. "
— Stasha, 1/20/2012 -
" Easy read. Predictable plot line though. Characters a little bland. It's okay. A good by the pool book or beach book. Good for teens to adult. "
— cpr, 11/5/2011 -
" Danielle Steel a classic story that only she can! "
— Josh, 10/27/2011 -
" A good book. It was a bit hard to get into initially, but then it grabbed me and kept me until the end "
— Marianne, 8/31/2011 -
" I picked this up in a used bookstore and I'm so glad I didn't pay any more than I did. Steel's books have become so formulaic that it feels like reading the same story over and over with different names and different locations. I think I'm done with Danielle Steel. "
— Karen, 6/24/2011 -
" The best Danielle Steel I've read! "
— Manasi, 6/20/2011 -
" listened on CD. Enjoyed it throughly but wished the mother and detective's relationship explored more rather than the book ending as it did. "
— Lynn, 5/12/2011 -
" Easy read. Predictable plot line though. Characters a little bland. It's okay. A good by the pool book or beach book. Good for teens to adult. "
— cpr, 3/25/2011 -
" The last of the Danielle Steele left from my MIL's house!<br/><br/>Although I don't care for her style of writing, the story behind it was engaging. "
— Christine, 8/1/2010 -
" A good book. It was a bit hard to get into initially, but then it grabbed me and kept me until the end "
— Marianne, 5/9/2009 -
" I really liked this book. It really kept me interested. Not sure if it is one of those you would want to read again... but it was a good story line and well written. "
— Andrea, 4/15/2009 -
" This was a fun easy read about a kidnapping of a boy in a wealthy family. Typical kidnapping story and happy ending. Good read. "
— Phillipylorna, 12/19/2008 -
" I just listened to this book and it was pretty good. It's about a family who are very wealthy and are targeted for a kidnapping. The good guys win as always! And there is an underlying love story too! "
— Kasi, 6/30/2008 -
" Another good read. Lots of drama, tons of suspense, and good romance. "
— Dottie, 6/13/2008 -
" This is another great suspenseful romance novel of Danielle that I tried to read twice a few years ago and glad I finished it this time around. It had action, drama and tons of suspense. A good read. "
— Kristen, 5/17/2008 -
" Started this to have to read "at work"...shhhh!! It's hard to hide a hardback under a stack of office papers but a paperback is easy!! Not the greatest but it's "ok". Kinda predictable, but Steele usually is. "
— Carrie, 3/21/2008 -
" Danielle Steel a classic story that only she can! "
— Josh, 2/13/2008 -
" One of my favorite Danielle Steel mystery books so far. It definately kept me hooked and fighting for the characters. "
— Sarah, 12/20/2007
About Danielle Steel
Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world’s most popular authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include many acclaimed novels. She is also author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children’s books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
About Ron McLarty
Ron McLarty is a veteran actor of television, film, and stage as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator. He has more than 100 television appearances to his credit, including as a series regular on Spencer for Hire and Law & Order. His film career began in 1977 with a performance in The Sentinel and continued with such films as The Postman, Flamingo Kid, and, most recently, How Do You Know? His stage credits include Broadway and other productions. He has narrated more than 100 audiobooks, earning nine Earphones Awards and recognition by AudioFile magazine as a Best Voice in Mystery & Suspense in 2009 and 2010. He has twice been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Awards and then won the award in 2001 for Best Mystery Narration. He is also an accomplished playwright and an acclaimed novelist.