Lori loved to travel and went all over the globe, yet, her husband would never fly anywhere. She loved her husband, Bryan Bennett, as much as she did when she first married him and vowed to keep his secret fears safe. But when Bryan's boss hosts a special dinner to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary and dangles a very appealing trip to Reykjavik, Iceland in front of them as a lure to appease an important new client, Lori has to struggle to hold in her disappointment with Bryan when he flatly turns the trip down. Her secret was that she really wanted to experience the joy of traveling with her beloved husband.

Bryan is a specialist in hostage and kidnapping processes for the Odysseus Institute and is a highly intelligent and perceptive man. He is fully aware that Wally knows Lori's happiness is his weakness; however, he isn't prepared to tell him about the shocking and devastating experience he suffered when he was five years old that left him with massive and debilitating panic attacks when in confined spaces. But as Lori's disappointment gnaws at his heart, he decides that maybe this is the time to grapple with his fears. After all, Iceland is not a hot spot and what could go wrong?

Seeking treatment from a renowned anxiety disorder specialist, Dr. Zeta Parkington, an unrepentant smoker and emeritus professor at the University of Washington, he is not impressed with her advice. But when the unthinkable happens, will her theory help keep him from falling apart?

Aaron Elkins has delivered an action packed psychological thriller that powerfully and irresistibly pulls you smack dab in the middle of this dramatic story about the experiences of people involved in hostage and kidnapping situations and both the real and perceived fears they need to face. Elkins' writing is clear and easy to follow. It is filled with vivid descriptions of places in Iceland and his characters are strongly drawn with just enough small vagrancies to make them realistic and not stereotypes. Reading this amazing book is definitely a much more intriguing and insightful way to learn survival tips, handling fear, and ways to avoid being kidnapped than any technical manual that Bryan writes. Beware -- just when you think you got it covered, be prepared for the unexpected and surprising ending!

Book Summary

Aaron Elkins has been hailed as "a master" (The Dallas Morning News) for his Edgar(r) Award-winning Gideon Oliver mysteries. Now, in an original new novel, he illustrates how quickly everything can go wrong when you ask: What's the worst that can happen?

For Bryan Bennett, designing hostage negotiation programs is the perfect job-as long as he keeps a safe, theoretical distance. What he can't do is deal directly with kidnappers or their victims, as a result of his own abduction and imprisonment as a small boy.

Thirty-some years later, intense nightmares still plague his sleep, and a fear of enclosed spaces prevents him from attempting to travel. So when Bryan's boss asks him to fly to Reykjavik, Iceland, to teach his corporate-level kidnapping and extortion seminar, he automatically says no.

But the CEO of GlobalSeas Fisheries, Inc. has specifically requested Bryan-or no one else. Bryan finally relents...

For decades he's treaded gingerly around the edges of his deepest terrors. Now, on this trip, Bryan's taken hostage again and must face his fears full-on. Will he realize that in this battle of will and nerve, he is his own greatest enemy? Or has this fight already been lost, years and years ago?