BOOKS	THE PLANTATION Buy The Book If you’d like to buy a signed copy of The Plantation, please click HERE. (Unfortunately, because of taxes & shipping, this offer is only available for U.S. orders.) However, The Plantation is also available from these internet bookstores: U.S. — Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or local independent store. U.K. — Amazon UK
Sword of God
Sign of the Cross
The Plantation
CHRIS
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EVENTS
F.A.Q.
GUESTS
NEWS
PHOTOS
	Synopsis A ski instructor disappears in the secluded mountains of Colorado. Hours later, a pregnant woman is grabbed in a crowded hospital and smuggled past security without a hitch. Two places, two incidents, a single motive. And so it begins…. One by one, in cities across America, people of all ages are taken from their homes, their cars, their lives. But these aren’t random kidnappings. They’re crimes of passion, planned and researched several months in advance, then executed with a singular objective in mind. Revenge. Ariane Walker is one of the victims, dragged from her apartment with few clues to follow. The police said there’s little they can do for her, but that isn’t good enough for her boyfriend, Jonathon Payne. With the help of his best friend, Payne gives chase, hoping that a tip about New Orleans somehow pays off. Together, the duo slowly uncovers the mystery of Ariane’s abduction and the shocking truth behind the South’s most violent secret: The Plantation.
	Reviews James Patterson, #1 national bestselling author— “The Plantation is a rip-roaring page-turner with an ingenious idea. No reader will easily forget it.” Nelson DeMille, #1 national bestselling author— “Wear your running shoes when you read The Plantation. This is the most action-packed, swiftly paced, and tightly plotted novel I’ve read in a long time.” Lee Child, bestselling author of The Hard Way— “Excellent! High stakes, fast action, vibrant characters, and a very, very original plot concept. Not to be missed!” From Midwest Book Review— “Kuzneski is a talented and passionate writer whose tightly paced plots, intense characters, and excruciating detail produces a book guaranteed to make the reader squirm even as it mesmerizes us. His action is nonstop; his love story is tender and fresh; and the moral circumstances of the story are accurate and educational, no matter how painful it is for us to take in . . . The Plantation is not only a smash beginning for this versatile and knowledgeable wordsmith; it is the advent of a career that will rival the masters who helped put him on the map.” James Rollins, bestselling author of Black Order— “Chris Kuzneski displays a remarkable sense of suspense and action in The Plantation. A riveting ride from start to finish as an ex-Special Forces soldier searches for the kidnappers of his girlfriend, leading to an international man-hunt that will leave readers breathless and up much too late. Don’t miss it!” Douglas Preston, bestselling author of The Codex— “The Plantation is a powerful read with a great plot twist. Right from the opening scenes the book takes off, and all I can say is, hang on for the ride. This is quite a first novel. I'll be very curious to read the next one.” Ridley Pearson, bestselling author of Parallel Lies— “The Plantation works! Chris Kuzneski has what it takes. Read it and reap.” From Pohla Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette— “The concept is chilling . . . The book has what it takes to be optioned by Hollywood.” Martin J. Smith, bestselling author of Straw Men— “The Plantation is scary good, and Chris Kuzneski is a writer to watch. The chase starts on page one and doesn’t stop until Kuzneski has wrung you dry.” John Westermann, bestselling author of Exit Wounds— “The Plantation is a smartly plotted thriller by a fresh new voice.” From Regis Behe, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review— “The Plantation is at heart an old-fashioned thriller. Kuzneski’s lead characters, Jon Payne and D.J. Jones, are updates on buddy teams such as Starsky and Hutch, or detectives Riggs and Murtaugh of Lethal Weapon fame.” Molly Martin, author of The Inspector’s Wife— “Kuzneski has a certifiable talent for blending together crisp dialogue, credible characters, and scenes of immense depth. Combine the twists and turns of a Stephen King chiller with William Manchee’s flowing dialogue and eye for detail, and you will have some idea of the scope of Kuzneski’s writing power . . . This action-packed thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat as you race from opening paragraph to the last page of the book.” Thom Racina, bestselling author of Snow Angel— “The Plantation is powerful stuff. It's a gripping novel that smells of gunpowder and reeks of heroism, with a beautiful girl, some crazed characters, and lots of sadistic revenge . . . Wow! Chris Kuzneski has written a sick, sensational yarn. I can't wait for the next one.” From M.S.C. Book Review— “I have to start off by saying that I loved The Plantation. I was breathless wanting to read every last word slowly so I wouldn’t miss a single thing. When I reached the ending, it was phenomenal, everything was all tied up into a nice tight bow. This is one of those books that I couldn’t stop thinking about how awesome that it was. Thank goodness that Mr. Kuzneski is working on another Jonathon Payne novel. Three cheers.” Phillip Tomasso III, bestselling author of Tenth House— “Gripping and frightening. Chris Kuzneski’s first novel, The Plantation, is thrilling from beginning until the end. His smooth and easy writing style, his crisp and witty dialogue, and his genuine talent for setting and pace blend together to create one of the most unnerving books I’ve read in a long time.” Lee Meadows, bestselling author of Silent Suspicion— “A mile-a-minute page-turner . . . Chris Kuzneski clearly joins the ranks of Nelson DeMille, James Patterson, and Tom Clancy as authors who define the ‘thrill’ in thriller!” From Fred Phillips, The News Star (Monroe, LA)— “The Plantation is a well-paced novel that flows easily from scene to scene. Kuzneski has gotten his career off to a promising start. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.” James Tucker, bestselling author of Tragic Wand— “A graphic tale of revenge and torture that becomes more sinister with each turn of the page.”  From Luke Croll, Murder Express (England)— “I am rarely so effusive about a first novel, but The Plantation is undoubtedly deserving of my praise. I enjoyed it from start to finish and I feel that all thriller fans will do so too. Jack Higgins look out, there is a new kid on the block!” Sarah Lovett, bestselling author of Dantes’ Inferno— “Mr. Kuzneski is a talented new writer . . . The Plantation hits the mark!” From Robyn Glazer, reviewer for Mystery News— “The Plantation is the kind of book that can skyrocket an author’s career. The writing is crisp and never falters . . . I absolutely loved this book!” From the Bastulli Mystery Library (Rome, Italy)— “The Plantation is an exciting and interesting book. We are looking forward to the new Jonathon Payne novel.”
	Excerpt Chapter 1 Thursday, July 1st Icy River, Colorado (122 miles southwest of Denver, CO) Robert Edwards hurdled the fallen spruce but refused to break his frantic stride. He couldn’t afford to. They were still giving chase. After rounding a bend in the path, he decided to gamble, leaping from the well-lined trail and opting for the dense underbrush of the forest. He dodged the first few branches, trying to shield his face from their thorny vegetation, but his efforts were futile. His speed, coupled with the early-morning gloom, hindered his reaction time, and within seconds he felt his flesh being torn from his cheeks and forehead. The coppery taste of blood soon flooded his lips. Ignoring the pain, the 32-year-old struggled forward, increasing his pace until the only sounds he heard were the pounding of his frazzled heart and the wheezing of his rasping breath. But even then, he struggled on, pushing harder and harder until he could move no further, until his legs could carry him no more. At that point Edwards turned and scanned the timberland for any sign of his pursuers. He searched the ground, the trees, and finally the dark sky above, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Anything. He had no idea where they’d come from—it was like they’d just materialized out of the night—so he wasn’t about to overlook anything. Hell, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d emerged from the underworld itself. Their appearance was that mystifying. When his search revealed nothing, he leaned against a nearby boulder and desperately fought for air, but the high altitude of the Rockies and the blanket of fear that shrouded him made it difficult to breathe, nearly impossible. In time, though, the pungent aroma of the pine-scented air reached his starving lungs, and they instantly quivered with delight. “I . . . made . . . it,” he whispered in between breaths. “I . . . fuckin’ . . . made . . . it.” However, his joy was short-lived. A snapping twig announced the horde’s deliberate approach, and without hesitation Edwards burst from his resting spot and continued his journey up the sloped terrain. After an ascent of a few hundred feet, the Colorado native reached level ground for the first time in several minutes, and he used the opportunity to regain his bearings. He studied the acreage that surrounded him, looking for landmarks of any kind, but a grove of bright green aspens blocked his every view. “Come on!” he grumbled. “I . . . can’t . . . believe . . . this!” With nothing to rely on but instinct, Edwards turned to his right and sprinted across the uneven ground, searching for something to guide him. A trail, a rock, a bush. It didn’t matter as long as he recognized it. Thankfully, his effort was quickly rewarded. The unmistakable sound of surging water overpowered the patter of his own footsteps, and he knew that could mean only one thing: Chinook Falls was nearby. Edwards increased his speed and headed for the source of the thunderous sound, using the rumble as a beacon. As he got closer, the dense forest that had concealed the dawn abruptly tapered into a grass-filled clearing, allowing soft beams of light to fall across his blood-streaked face and the crystal-clear water of the river to come into view. It wasn’t much, but to Edwards it was a sign of hope. It meant that things were going to be all right, that he had gotten away from the evil presence in the woods. While fighting back tears of joy, the athletic ski instructor scurried across the open field, hoping that the campground near the base of the falls would be bustling with early-morning activity, praying that someone had the firepower to stop the advancing mob. Regrettably, Edwards never got a chance to find out. Before he reached the edge of the meadow, two hooded figures dressed in black robes emerged from a thicket near the water’s edge, effectively cutting off his escape route. Their sudden appearance forced him to react instantly, and he did, planting his foot in the soft soil and banking hard to the left. Within seconds he’d abandoned the uncovered space of the pasture and had returned to the wooded cover of the nearly impenetrable forest. It took a moment to readjust to the darkness, but once he did, he decided to mount the rocky bluff that sat before him. After reaching the top of the gradient, Edwards veered to his right, thinking he could make it to the crest of the falls before anyone had a chance to spot him. At least that was his plan. He dashed as quickly as he could, focusing solely on the branches that endangered his face and the water that surged in the distance, which prevented him from seeing the stump that sat before him. In a moment of carelessness, he caught his foot on its moss-covered roots and instantly heard a blood-curdling snap. He felt it, too, crashing to the ground like a truck with a missing axle. But he wasn’t done yet. In a final act of desperation, Edwards struggled to his feet, tried to pretend like nothing had happened, but the lightning bolt of pain that exploded in his tattered limb was so intense, so agonizing, he collapsed to the ground like a marionette without strings. “Shit!” he screamed, suddenly realizing the hopelessness of his situation. “Who the hell are you guys?!! What do you want from me?!!” Unfortunately, he was about to find out. (All Rights Reserved) © 2004 by Chris Kuzneski, Inc.