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Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite
Duncan Wagner's plans for revenge against his hated enemy, Win Booker, receive an unexpected boost when Win's son hitches a ride in Wagner's taxi. With his vengeful kidnapping scheme in full swing, Duncan attempts to extract as much as he can from the Booker family. However, one thing he didn't count on was having a cooperative victim; with eleven-year-old Gabriel Booker as his passenger, he hit the jackpot. Gabriel's childlike questions hide an impressive intellect, and in Duncan, he sees a potential partner. Expect sparks to fly when the cunning criminal and his supposedly naive victim try to work together in Christmas Ransom by Stephen V. Masse.
In Christmas Ransom, Stephen V. Masse combines suspense and humor to create an intriguing story filled with dark humor. Duncan's brief origin story and gradual exploration of his conflict with Win Booker display strong character development. Masse deliberately maintains a slow narrative pace while focusing on the evolving relationship between Duncan and Gabriel. The conversations between them begin as light-hearted and open, but as these unfold, a darker tone emerges that gradually pulls perceptive readers deeper into the plot. Masse uses these moments to heighten the suspense, skillfully injecting humor at pivotal points, such as the adult diaper face-off. These elements keep readers engaged until the final page. I enjoyed reading Christmas Ransom and believe crime genre readers will appreciate the unusual investigation surrounding Gabriel's disappearance just as much as I did.
