Thrillers & Suspense
![Lisa Scottoline - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_lisa_scottoline.jpg)
What Happened to the Bennetts
From #1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline comes a pulse-pounding new novel.
Your family has been attacked, never again to be the same.
Now you have to choose between law…and justice.
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.
Sometimes justice is a one-man show.
Your family has been attacked, never again to be the same.
Now you have to choose between law…and justice.
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.
Sometimes justice is a one-man show.
Editorial Reviews
Advance Praise for What Happened to the Bennetts
"Scottoline just keeps ratcheting up the pressure in what may be her most emotionally intense nail-biter to date."
-People
"A Must-Read Book"
-USA Today
"Just might be the best book Scottoline has ever written, a masterpiece of misdirection, where nothing is as it seems, and a scorching character study of a man at the end of his rope who's not about to go down without a fight."
-Providence Journal
"Explosive new complications in the most relentless of all her mysteries. A high-octane thriller whose hero is tossed into one impossible situation after another. Best started early in the morning."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Twisty, propulsive and exhilarating. From this novel's first pages, Scottoline caroms us into a heart-throttling journey as the Bennett family must navigate both urgent dangers and their own complicated pasts-all while the clock ticks. What Happened to the Bennetts left me dazzled and breathless."
-Megan Abbott, author of The Turnout
"An emotion-packed thriller that stabs at the core of family, betrayal, and justice. Scottoline drives the plot at breakneck speed and keeps readers turning the pages. A must read."
-Robert Dugoni, author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series
"Scottoline is at the top of her already masterful game in this gripping thriller about parental love. From its opening, heart-grabbing pages, What Happened to the Bennetts is compulsively readable, seamlessly delivering one blazing twist after another with relentless pacing. You won't be able to put this one down."
-Alafair Burke, author of Find Me
"In What Happened to the Bennetts, Scottoline thrusts the reader into one family's living nightmare-and their long, nail-biting battle to return to some sense of normalcy."
-Riley Sager, author of Survive the Night
"This heart-wrenching novel…morphs into a high-speed, action-packed thriller…Fans will get their money's worth."
-Publishers Weekly
"Scottoline's gift for crafting human connections is displayed here...setting this thriller apart from other sub...
"Scottoline just keeps ratcheting up the pressure in what may be her most emotionally intense nail-biter to date."
-People
"A Must-Read Book"
-USA Today
"Just might be the best book Scottoline has ever written, a masterpiece of misdirection, where nothing is as it seems, and a scorching character study of a man at the end of his rope who's not about to go down without a fight."
-Providence Journal
"Explosive new complications in the most relentless of all her mysteries. A high-octane thriller whose hero is tossed into one impossible situation after another. Best started early in the morning."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Twisty, propulsive and exhilarating. From this novel's first pages, Scottoline caroms us into a heart-throttling journey as the Bennett family must navigate both urgent dangers and their own complicated pasts-all while the clock ticks. What Happened to the Bennetts left me dazzled and breathless."
-Megan Abbott, author of The Turnout
"An emotion-packed thriller that stabs at the core of family, betrayal, and justice. Scottoline drives the plot at breakneck speed and keeps readers turning the pages. A must read."
-Robert Dugoni, author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series
"Scottoline is at the top of her already masterful game in this gripping thriller about parental love. From its opening, heart-grabbing pages, What Happened to the Bennetts is compulsively readable, seamlessly delivering one blazing twist after another with relentless pacing. You won't be able to put this one down."
-Alafair Burke, author of Find Me
"In What Happened to the Bennetts, Scottoline thrusts the reader into one family's living nightmare-and their long, nail-biting battle to return to some sense of normalcy."
-Riley Sager, author of Survive the Night
"This heart-wrenching novel…morphs into a high-speed, action-packed thriller…Fans will get their money's worth."
-Publishers Weekly
"Scottoline's gift for crafting human connections is displayed here...setting this thriller apart from other sub...
Readers Top Reviews
Maggie Deaton
While I am quite an eclectic reader of a number of genres, I have not been enamoured of legal/ law enforcement novels since the early days of Grisham and Baldacci... The later novels have been a bit heavy on procedure and light on character development, interaction, and empathy to my way of thinking. Well, Lisa Scottoline blows the lid off all those in this story of a happy family who has their life ripped wide open by a car jacking and shooting returning home from a high school sporting event with their family.... I cried several times while reading this book and became angry at some of the heavy handed injustices dealt out to the central characters. Be prepared to meet corrupt politicians, crooked law enforcement, "good bad guys", " bad good guys", and ordinary people who are true heroes.... I laughed, I cried, and I felt a gamut of emotions for these characters as they truly lived and breathed within this story. I will be following Lisa Scottoline's novels for a while in the hopes this trend continues as I thoroughly enjoyed this outstanding and emotional novel! Bravo, Ms. Scottoline!
LisaBMaggie Deato
I have read every book that Lisa Scott Scottoline has ever written and they never disappoint! I loved this book, yet at the same time I hated it! It's one of those books that makes you hold your breath during every chapter, wondering what's going to happen next, good or bad for the Bennetts. Jason, Lucinda, Allison and Ethan, will this family survive, will love be enough? Great read!
Eileen HuttonLisa
Have you ever thought about the ramifications of being in the Witness Protection Program? Jason Bennett and his family face the unthinkable when their beloved daughter and sister was killed during a carjacking. But it's about to get worse. The FBI shows up on their doorstep, telling them they witnessed a mob hit that was being pinned on Jason, and they were given minutes to leave everything they knew behind. When friends and family go to the press, rumors about their disappearance multiply. They can't tell their friends what really happened, or where they are. They cannot comfort his mother, in memory care housing. When Jason discovers that the FBI is actually protecting his daughter's murderer, he decides to take matters into his own hands, and get his family's lives back on track. Highly recommended. #WhatHappenedToTheBennetts #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors
Kindle Kindle K
I hate to write a negative review for an author whose books I look forward to. This novel started out as a "can't put down" (hence 2 stars instead of 1) and about halfway through became "I can't wait to just be done with this one". Even for fiction, some of the plot "twists" were just too unbelievable to make sense. I pre-ordered this one and now I wish I'd just waited for it to be available at the library.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
I glanced in my rearview mirror at the pickup truck, which was riding my bumper. I hated tailgaters, especially with my family in the car, but nothing could ruin my good mood. My daughter's field hockey team had just beat Radnor, and Allison had scored a goal. She was texting in the back seat, one of a generation that makes better use of opposable thumbs than any prior.
My son Ethan turned around next to her, shielding his eyes against the pickup's headlights. "Dad, what's up with this guy?"
"God knows. Ignore him."
"Why don't you go faster?" Ethan shifted, waking up Moonie, our little white mutt, who started jumping around in the back seat. I love the dog but he has two speeds: Asleep and Annoying.
"Why should I? I'm going the limit."
"But we can smoke this guy now."
We had just gotten a new car, a Mercedes E-Class Sedan in a white enamel that gleamed like dental veneers. Ethan said the E stood for his name, but I said Exorbitant. My wife and kids had lobbied for the car, but I felt like a show-off behind the wheel. I missed my old Explorer, which I didn't need a tie to drive.
"Dad, when I get my license, I'm gonna burn guys like him."
I heard this once a week. My son counted the days until his learner's permit, even though he was only thirteen. I said, "No, you're not. You're gonna let him pass."
"Why?"
"We have a right to enjoy the drive."
"But it's boring."
"Not to me. I'm a scenic-route kind of guy." I moved over to let the pickup pass, since Coldstream Road was a single lane winding uphill through the woods. We were entering the Lagersen Tract, the last parcel of woodland preserved by Chester County, where Nature had to be zoned for her own protection.
I lowered the window and breathed in a lungful of fresh, piney air. Thick trees flanked the road, and scrub brush grew over the guardrails. Crickets and tree frogs croaked a chorus from my childhood. I grew up on a dairy farm in Hershey, home of the famous chocolate manufacturer. I loved living in a company town, where the air smelled of sweet cocoa and corporate largesse. Everyone worked toward the same goal, even if it was capitalism.
"He's not passing us," Ethan said, bringing me out of my reverie.
I checked the rearview mirror, squinting against the headlights. Moonie was facing backward, his front paws on the back seat and his ears silhouetted like wispy triangles.
"Come on, Dad. Show 'em who's boss."
"That's well-established," I said. "Mom."
Lucinda was in the passenger seat, the curve of her smile illuminated by the phone screen. She was a natural beauty, with gray-blue eyes, a small nose, and dark blond hair gathered into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. She had been on Facebook since we'd left the school, posting game photos and comments. Great save by Arielle!!! Lady Patriots rock!!! Woohoo, Emily is MVP!!! My wife never uses fewer than three exclamation marks on social. If you only get one, you've done something wrong. Or as my father would say, You're in the doghouse.
Lucinda looked over. "Jason, speed up, would you?"
"You, too? What's the hurry?"
"They have homework."
"On Friday night? Have you met our kids?"
Lucinda smiled, shaking her head. "Whatever, Scenic-Route Kind of Guy."
"Aw, I feel so seen."
Lucinda laughed, which made me happy. I love my wife. We met at Bucknell, where she was an art major and I was a work-study jock slinging mac and cheese in the dining hall, wearing a hairnet, no less. She could've had her pick, but I made her laugh. Also she loves mac and cheese.
"Dad, listen to this." Allison looked up, her thumbs still flying. She could text without looking at the keyboard, which she called her superpower. "My friends just voted you Hottest Dad."
I smiled. "They're absolutely right. There's a reason I was Homecoming King."
"Dude, no. Never say that again." Allison snorted, texting. "We don't even have that anymore."
Lucinda rolled her eyes. "Allison, who came in second?"
I added, "Yeah, what troll came in second?"
Allison kept texting. "Brianna M's dad."
I scoffed. "Ron McKinney? Please, no contest. I got the bubble butt."
Allison smiled. "Stop...
I glanced in my rearview mirror at the pickup truck, which was riding my bumper. I hated tailgaters, especially with my family in the car, but nothing could ruin my good mood. My daughter's field hockey team had just beat Radnor, and Allison had scored a goal. She was texting in the back seat, one of a generation that makes better use of opposable thumbs than any prior.
My son Ethan turned around next to her, shielding his eyes against the pickup's headlights. "Dad, what's up with this guy?"
"God knows. Ignore him."
"Why don't you go faster?" Ethan shifted, waking up Moonie, our little white mutt, who started jumping around in the back seat. I love the dog but he has two speeds: Asleep and Annoying.
"Why should I? I'm going the limit."
"But we can smoke this guy now."
We had just gotten a new car, a Mercedes E-Class Sedan in a white enamel that gleamed like dental veneers. Ethan said the E stood for his name, but I said Exorbitant. My wife and kids had lobbied for the car, but I felt like a show-off behind the wheel. I missed my old Explorer, which I didn't need a tie to drive.
"Dad, when I get my license, I'm gonna burn guys like him."
I heard this once a week. My son counted the days until his learner's permit, even though he was only thirteen. I said, "No, you're not. You're gonna let him pass."
"Why?"
"We have a right to enjoy the drive."
"But it's boring."
"Not to me. I'm a scenic-route kind of guy." I moved over to let the pickup pass, since Coldstream Road was a single lane winding uphill through the woods. We were entering the Lagersen Tract, the last parcel of woodland preserved by Chester County, where Nature had to be zoned for her own protection.
I lowered the window and breathed in a lungful of fresh, piney air. Thick trees flanked the road, and scrub brush grew over the guardrails. Crickets and tree frogs croaked a chorus from my childhood. I grew up on a dairy farm in Hershey, home of the famous chocolate manufacturer. I loved living in a company town, where the air smelled of sweet cocoa and corporate largesse. Everyone worked toward the same goal, even if it was capitalism.
"He's not passing us," Ethan said, bringing me out of my reverie.
I checked the rearview mirror, squinting against the headlights. Moonie was facing backward, his front paws on the back seat and his ears silhouetted like wispy triangles.
"Come on, Dad. Show 'em who's boss."
"That's well-established," I said. "Mom."
Lucinda was in the passenger seat, the curve of her smile illuminated by the phone screen. She was a natural beauty, with gray-blue eyes, a small nose, and dark blond hair gathered into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. She had been on Facebook since we'd left the school, posting game photos and comments. Great save by Arielle!!! Lady Patriots rock!!! Woohoo, Emily is MVP!!! My wife never uses fewer than three exclamation marks on social. If you only get one, you've done something wrong. Or as my father would say, You're in the doghouse.
Lucinda looked over. "Jason, speed up, would you?"
"You, too? What's the hurry?"
"They have homework."
"On Friday night? Have you met our kids?"
Lucinda smiled, shaking her head. "Whatever, Scenic-Route Kind of Guy."
"Aw, I feel so seen."
Lucinda laughed, which made me happy. I love my wife. We met at Bucknell, where she was an art major and I was a work-study jock slinging mac and cheese in the dining hall, wearing a hairnet, no less. She could've had her pick, but I made her laugh. Also she loves mac and cheese.
"Dad, listen to this." Allison looked up, her thumbs still flying. She could text without looking at the keyboard, which she called her superpower. "My friends just voted you Hottest Dad."
I smiled. "They're absolutely right. There's a reason I was Homecoming King."
"Dude, no. Never say that again." Allison snorted, texting. "We don't even have that anymore."
Lucinda rolled her eyes. "Allison, who came in second?"
I added, "Yeah, what troll came in second?"
Allison kept texting. "Brianna M's dad."
I scoffed. "Ron McKinney? Please, no contest. I got the bubble butt."
Allison smiled. "Stop...
