Her first morning in Portugal, Ariel Price awakens, remembering fondly the night before, as she sees the clothing strewn about the hotel room. She and her husband, John, certainly had gone a little wild after dinner. She reaches over for him, but he’s not in the bed. She knows he has a business meeting today; that’s why they have come to Lisbon.

Feeling a little concerned, Ariel dresses and goes down to the front desk to ask if anyone has seen John. They haven’t. She checks the restaurant. He’s not there. Trying not to panic, she calls his cell phone. Again. No answer. Again. Something is wrong. But at the police station, they don’t seem to feel any urgency about John’s absence. After all, men have been known to keep secrets from their wives, and Ariel and John have been married for only three months. In truth, she doesn’t know much about her new husband. The police shrug it off.

"[T]his book doesn’t only have twists; it has smart characters with big secrets that, when uncovered, will leave you gasping."

After she gets the same response from the American embassy, Ariel begins to feel the tingling of real panic setting in. Then she gets the ransom call. Could this day get any worse? Not only are the kidnappers demanding a huge amount of money, they want it in 48 hours. To complicate matters, it's Fourth of July weekend; back home, everyone is celebrating, barbecuing, getting drunk, partying --- anything and everything but business. How can Ariel possibly scrape up any of the ransom money, let alone the amount these kidnappers have demanded? Not trusting the police to help (with good reason), she scrambles to find someone else to ask. Who can she call who has that kind of cash? She reaches out to her ex-husband, but she knows her only hope is the one person she doesn’t want to ask.

Meanwhile, the Lisbon police have their doubts about this American woman. Why is she so certain something is wrong? Her husband has only been out of touch for a few hours. They decide to look a little closer at her, to see if maybe she isn’t who she seems. Ariel does not act like an average housewife. By this point, she has stirred up a hornet’s nest of sorts with the call she made in order to get John’s ransom. In fact, now the CIA has started snooping around, too. While she attempts to dodge the prying eyes of the cops and the feds, the clock keeps ticking. Time is running out. Can she make the deadline before something happens to John…or, worse, the authorities shut her down?

Chris Pavone’s TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON will twist you into all kinds of knots. Ariel went from society lady to bookshop owner in a small town who is now racing against time and enemies to save her husband. She takes us with her on a high-speed chase through the streets of Lisbon and beyond. As she does, you’ll find yourself looking over your shoulder, too, especially in the dark alleys and sketchy neighborhoods. But this book doesn’t only have twists; it has smart characters with big secrets that, when uncovered, will leave you gasping.

If Ariel makes it through this ordeal to the other end, maybe life will be good. But that’s a big if. And there’s a lot standing in her way: powerful people, people she once trusted, even people she loved. She must find a way to attain some sort of peace. She deserves it. And you deserve to see if she makes it.