Little by little, stop after stop, three-year-old Danny Becker wanders further from his inattentive, overworked dad on a San Francisco subway car. In the rush of people stepping onto and off the train Danny is bumped to the platform when the doors close behind him. Strange, strong hands carry him away.As the train leaves the station, Danny’s frantic father searches the moving car in vain.Danny … vain.
Danny Becker’s abduction evokes the unsolved murder of a toddler, Tanita Donner, the previous year, resurrecting the city’s anguish.
Tom Reed, a disgraced reporter with The San Francisco Star, pursues the new abduction. But he is tormented by the fear that he may have caused the suicide of an innocent man suspected of murdering Tanita Donner a year ago. His editor wants him fired. His wife has left him to wrestle with his demons. His life coming apart, the Danny Becker story is Reed’s last chance at redemption.
The lead investigator on the Donner case is one of Reed’s only remaining friends, San Francisco Homicide Inspector, Walt Sydowski, an outstanding detective and lonely widower haunted by the fact he cannot solve the girl’s heartbreaking death.
Both men grapple with the past while they race the clock to learn the truth behind the nightmare that has descended on the Bay Area.
IF ANGELS FALL, is the first book of the award-winning five-book Tom Reed – Walt Sydowski series. It is followed by COLD FEAR, BLOOD OF OTHERS, NO WAY BACK and BE MINE.
Rick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row in Montana and Texas, flown over L.A. with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He’s also reported from the Caribbean, Africa and Kuwait’s border with Iraq. His true-crime freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Telegraph (London, U.K.), Reader’s Digest, Penthouse, Marie Claire and The South China Morning Post, (Hong Kong). He has written more than 20 crime fiction thrillers that have been published in nearly 30 countries.
His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Louise Penny, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper.
The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.”
more
Wow! What a ride.
Suspenseful. Well written police procedural with an inside look at the world of journalism.
Peoples minds have some scary presumed realities that an affect others as they try to carry out their story
Even though I could hardly stand to read about child abductions, it was a book that gave me an insight into the minds of some deranged individuals who target innocent children. These kind of crimes actually occur in real life and it makes you think about never letting your little ones out of your sight!
I haven’t read a book by Rick Mofina yet that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed and I been following him since his beginning in 2000. All his books are very well written, page turners on the edge of your seat books. Love them all and highly recommended!
The first in a series, the plot carries the book all the way through to a successful conclusion. I don’t like series with non ending books. Not fair.
The characters become more developed in later books but even in the debut novel they are rounded and detailed. Good command of the Engligh language, not too wordy, a fun and easy read.
While the book is certainly suspenseful, I thought the reporter, Reed, was for sure not taken very seriously when investigating Keller. I found that a little unrealistic.
Couldn’t stop reading this story.This is an earlier story in the Tom Reed.Tom is a crime report a S.F.Bay area.Mr Molina has created an intriguing character in Tom Read.I have read several in the series.This story was the most personal and tragic story for this character.
This was such a great buy sad story that you will totally get caught up in. I had to stay up until 2 am to finish reading the book. Rick Moffina as always is such a great writer and I am still thinking about this book as it left quite an impression.
Rick Mofina is a master wordsmith and writes excellent crime novels. He seamlessly introduces characters throughout the book and each add to the story and serve a purpose. Through his writing Mofina can tell more in two sentences than most can in a complete book.
Well developed characters some sympathetic and others creepy as hell. A good read.
Wonderful book with a plot that grabs you from the start and won’t let go. The main character is a journalist whose job has placed a huge strain on his marriage. Now he is covering a story about a monster who is stalking and kidnapping children. As he races to try to find the truth about someone he recently met who seems to match the profile and …
Rick Mofina has written a heart stopping thriller. From the first page, the action drags the reader along, compelling me to continue. At first it seemed that a murder committed a year (Tatiana Marie Donner, aged two) is linked to the disappearance of Danny, a three year old who gets separated from his dad on the BART in San Francisco. As the story …
Realistic story, characters, and a real page turner. You are kept on the edge of your seat from start to finish. This is the first in a series, please read in order. Looking forward to the next book. Highly recommend!
If Angels Falls is the first book in the Tom Reed series. Each book in the series is a great standalone book and you don’t have to read them in order although it might enhance your reading experience. I’m never disappointed with any of this author’s work. This book grabbed me from page one. One child’s abduction evokes the unsolved murder of a …
I love spending an afternoon with him.
Utterly disturbing, but couldn’t put it down. Based on what could (and does) easily happen. Parent’s, read with caution!
Exciting to the very end
Love to read about places I have lived.
Simply put “If Angels Fall” is like most of Mofino’s books – a real page turner that is very hard to put down. He takes you from one dramatic situation to another carefully spaced throughout the story. I have not tired of his offerings and will read on.