Three Weeks To Say Goodbye (2024)

Oh, lord. The plot was predictable, the whole thing was so cliche it made me want to throw it out the window. The writing was terrible. The characters nothing more than stereotypes. You have an evil super powerful judge and his sociopathic gangster son, the beloved gay best friend of the family, the loyal family dog (guess what happens there), the burned out alcoholic cop friend, the very moral but sexy beautiful wife who is a saint of a mother, Uncle Jeter the big hearted thug who will pound your enemies for you, and the strong protective husband who is crazy in love with his wife. Ugh. Even baby Angelina, who spends all of her time either sleeping (so the adults can talk) or "gurgling happily", smiling and laughing, charming everyone (strangers included) and displaying delightful behavior that is not normal for a baby under a year old and waaaaay too cute. I don't even want to finish this review. I am still too annoyed.

THREE WEEKS TO SAY GOODBYE (Thriller-Jack and Melissa McGuane-CO-Cont) - Poor
Box, C.J. – Standalone
St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2009, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780312365721

First Sentence: It was Saturday morning, November 3, and the first thing I noticed when I entered my office was that my telephone message light was blinking.

Jack and Melissa McGuane finally have the child they longed for having adopted Angelina nine months ago. Their dream has become a nightmare as they are told the baby’s father never signed away his parental rights. It’s not, they find, the boy who wants the child, but his father.

Judge John Moreland is wealthy, powerful and very connected in Denver and beyond. What he wants, he generally gets, and he has the law on his side. It is clear there is no way Jack and Melissa and fight Moreland within the system. With the help of two of his childhood friends, they find the son runs with gang members, the Judge is not as upstanding as he appears and the combination is very dangerous.

It is so frustrating when you are a fan of an author’s writing, and then they disappoint. Box is a very good writer. His style was there; the ability to draw the reader in from the beginning, increasing the tension with every step and bringing it to a dramatic climax. The sense of place was strong and the dialogue worked.

What let me down; was the plot and the characters. Hackneyed and ludicrous are words that come to mind for the plot. The story was so contrived and I knew where it was going every step along the way. There were no surprises. The characters were black or while; there were no shades of gray at all.

They only thing that remotely saved it for me was the last chapter. If you are looking for an airplane book to distract you for a few hours, this will do. If you are expecting something up to Box’s usual standard, I expect you will be very disappointed.

Fast-paced and exciting but somewhat unlikely characters and the final scene highly unlikely - also the English was lacking in places. Also it really annoys me when people write about babies or toddlers without ever having met one or done any research - as here we have a walking talking nine month old... However I finished it in a day so that's something.

I so wanted to like this book more. I think if the characters were fleshed out a bit more it would be a wonderful book. It was not at all believable but I didn't care about that part. I mean it's a story. :)

This is not C.J. Box' best effort but it was still okay. I am looking forward to "Big Sky" based on characters from his book with Cody Hoyt and Cassie Dewell !!!!!! coming out soon.

I read this book in one sitting, from 8pm to midnight, even though the story wasn't really good. I liked the premise, a young couple has adopted a baby, only to learn that the teenage father never signed away his parental rights. The young man's father decides his son needs to own up to his responsibility, and they want the baby. But there's something off about the man and his son, and the child might be in danger.

As I read, the danger facing the child seemed contrived. Instead of working through the legal system, the adoptive parents try to buy off the kid, which doesn't work since his father is a wealthy federal judge. So then they hire a crazed mountain man, the uncle of one of their best friends, as a hit man. Another friend tries to dig up dirt through his network of society friends, and is later beaten to death for his involvement. As it turns out, the judge is involved in a convuluted blackmail scheme with a pedophile, and the baby is part of his payoff. The situation comes to a head during the exchange- baby for incriminating evidence, and the adoptive father is there with his cop friends to save the day. Really?

It’s all too much.

A couple discovers they have to give up their adopted baby because the birth father did not sign away his parental rights. Interesting premise. Then it all falls apart.

Don’t worry, no spoilers here: The birth father turns out to be a teenager – but not any kind of teenager; a dark brooding teenager. But not any kind of dark brooding teenager; a dark brooding teenager who doesn’t “get along with dogs”, has a suspicious past, has gang ties and is the son of a judge. But not any kind of judge; a super powerful Federal judge. But not any kind of super powerful Federal judge; a sinister super powerful Federal judge with secrets to hide…

The psycho-teen taunts and spooks the family with his strange behaviours, warning them that they had to “keep him happy” or he won’t sign the papers saying things like “I own you now”…

So, the parents decide to “do everything they can to save their child”, start their own investigation and high octane action ensues, twists and turns and murders and intrigue and double crosses…ARGH! ENOUGH! it was just too over-the-top for me.

Hard to read in places since it involves custody of a young child. Overall it is a tense and suspenseful ride. Clues are drip fed to the reader and you will be on the edge of your seat. The author maximizes the impact of telling a story from a first-person perspective with heart pounding details that will keep you coming back for more.

I like this a lot although after 50% it got a bit unreal.

Jack and Melissa McGuane try having a baby. They can't. They adopt Angelina. Nine months after bringing her home, they receive news that the biological father wants his daughter back. The McGuane's find out the last thing Angelina's birth father has for his daughter is love. Jack and Melissa will stop at nothing to protect their child.

As an adoptive father myself, this story takes on a personal tone. I can't imagine anyone of my nine adopted children would be taken away from us. The closest we came to an understanding that was during an adoption process. The two kids we were adopting had been with us for over a year. We almost weren't able to adopt.

Very good story. I felt the tension. Sensed the pain. Experienced the pain. The ripping of the heart was in every scene. Gripping all the way until the end.

Jack and Melissa McGuane have spent years trying to have a baby. Finally their dream has come true with the adoption of their daughter, Angelina. But nine months after bringing her home, they receive a devastating phone call from the adoption agency: Angelina’s birth father, a teenager, never signed away his parental rights, and he wants her back.

This premise takes off with a bang. The book shows that when their kids are involved parents will stop at nothing to protect them.

Most of the book I would have given 4 stars but moments of sheer unbelievability disappointed me. I still can't wait for C.J. Box's next book!

Another fast paced, edge of your seat thriller by C. J. Box. I absolutely loved his book "Blue Heaven" and was anxious to read this one. "Three Weeks To Say Goodbye" did not disappoint. The story keeps moving along and you never know what is going to happen next. This story would make a great movie too. I've enjoyed both of his "stand alone" books so much, I may have to read his others that are part of a series. I highly recommend this book.

I'd probably bump this up to 2.5 stars, but this book just didn't work for me. I loved Blue Heaven, and i think I was expecting something similar. I think authors make their antagonists more interesting when they have realistic (but flawed or bad) motives. The cops in Blue Heaven were bad guys, but bad guys that grew cold and cynical and ugly over the years. The bad guys in Three Weeks were just...evil. Evil for no particular reason except that they were, I don't know, born that way? And that made the story infinitely more tedious to me. The writing didn't flow as easily either--it just felt choppy and ungainly.

Jack and Melissa McGuane have adopted a baby. At 9 months old, she's the love of their life, until the agency says Whoops! Sorry for the screw up! The teenage father didn't sign the adoption papers! 18-year old Garrett, who I think is your standard teen sociopath, gets his father, a Federal Court judge, involved in this mess and he tells the McGuanes they have, you guessed it, Three Weeks To Say Goodbye to baby Angelina. But of course, both the baby daddy AND his father are not what they seem (cue mustache-twirling evil), and Jack needs to take them down before they take away his baby. In 3 weeks. Hopefully without killings someone in a fit of rage and going to jail. And then there's a subplot regarding Jack's job that is somewhat related, but mostly uninteresting, and I just couldn't get too attached to anyone in particular. Which was too bad, because I totally wanted to! But I couldn't! So, blah.

You both crave to complete your family with a baby, it’s never happening so you adopt, your lives are complete and happiness is with a capital H……
And then you find out the father of your child never actually signed the papers and his Dad wants the child, and he’s a Federal Judge and he is ( and to the letter of the law ) giving you three weeks and then you have to hand her over
What follows is a gathering storm of a story, hectic, full and chaotic with boundless energy that does not stop, and it was good, frantically good with a host of peculiar and in some cases rotten as they come characters, at times very American in Its dialogue, not a criticism, it’s an American author…and an author I immediately went to look up all previous books
This book hit a lot of personal notes and I was invested more than even I usually am when reading
Brilliant

This is probably more 3.5 stars. I did like this book, the subject of it though is hard to read without getting very angry and worked up. I spent most of the book feeling tense and hoping that my guesswork would be incorrect.
I will be looking for more by this author

ridiculous. don't even think about reading this !

If you watch Big Sky, this is the book that features Cody who was killed off in the first episode. Instead of Montana, the story is set in Colorado. In addition to Cody, it features Jack and Melissa, a couple who refuse to believe their daughter Angelina could be taken away and will do anything to keep her from her biological father and his family.
It will be interesting to see if any of the characters from this story make appearances in other or future C.J. Box installments.

CJ Box is a good writer, but this one just didn't have it. After adopting a child, a couple finds that the father never signed the release papers.

Then everything becomes because of course!

The father is a psychopaths, because of course he is.

The grandfather is a powerful judge, also a psychopath, because of course he is!

It all just snowballs like that until suspension of disbelief just crumbles.

Not Box's best.

I was a bit worried it was going to be a lot of talk about having kids and alienating me who doesn't want any and can't relate to the parental instinct. Luckily, it's sort of just mentioned here and there, I understand that the McGuane's love their daughter, and I don't have to know more than that.

There are some decisions plot-wise that I'm a bit irked by. Primarily Brian, he's getting the really short end here, and serves very little other purpose, he doesn't even get the honor of furthering the plot.
Also, Jeter Hoyt? Only serves to prove how desperate they are, but adds nothing else.
And the big finale is sort of held together with a hope and a prayer, but I guess it works.

But in the end it's a fast-paced, high-adrenaline story that makes you feel the stakes.

Jack and Melissa McGuane experience every adoption family's worst nightmare when just their nearly nine-month-old daughter is about to be declared legally their child, the birth father shows up and demands her back. Seems that his father, a powerful federal circuit court judge wants to teach the young man a lesson about responsibility. Or so he says upon first meeting the McGuanes and giving them a three week deadline to turn over Angelina to them. (He will, of course, compensate them for the costs of adopting the child and offers to help them find another baby to adopt).

The father is a well connected political figure in the Denver community, leaving the couple on their own quickly. Their lawyer dumps them (he doesn't want to cross the powerful, rising star judge) and every avenue they pursue comes up empty.

But something sinister is going on. The son shows up with his gang-banger friends to watch the Broncos/Raiders game and is taking an unusual interest in Melissa. The McGuanes, with the help of Jack's two best friends, slowly begin to delve into what the real motive for the Judge's sudden interest in their daughter is and why he's willing to use all his influence to make sure he gets the baby back.

The first half of C.J. Box's "Three Weeks to Say Goodbye" reads like every adopted parent or family member's worst nightmare. Box paints a picture of a couple desperate to be parents and who have mortgaged their present and future to adopt Angelina. Add to it the bonds created in the eight plus months they've been parents to Angelina and you've got a truly nightmarish scenario unfolding. And that's before the couple begins to get the vibe that something else is unfolding here--something far more sinister and connected to several of the other subplots of the book.

In fact, there's no such thing as a subplot in this book. All of the threads running through the first 50 pages all come home to roost in the final pages of the story, each with a varying degree of believability. Described by one reviewer as an elaborate "revenge story," "Three Weeks," is sort of that and sort of a suspense thriller. It's got a lot of promise and an intriguing hook. I'm just not sure it necessarily earned its ending after the final page was turned.

As I said before, there are no loose threads here. And while some things unfolded in a different manor that I originally guessed, a lot of the revelations in the final pages didn't necessarily come as a huge surprise.

What I was left with is mixed feelings. The first half is a fun, engaging pop-corn novel. But like many big budget Hollywood thrillers, the story tries too hard to keep piling on twist after twist, moment after moment in the second half and ends up losing a lot of the early momentum from the novel's first half. Overall, not a terrible book but not a great one either.

Edge-of-your-seat reading at its best. Jack and Melissa McQuade adopt a child, a daughter named Angelina, after approval from the birth mother and the appropriate agencies. Several months later, the birth father is demanding custody, buoyed by the insistence of his overbearing father. The father is a well-connected judge with aspirations to serve on the Supreme Court. His son, on the other hand, is a scary and dangerous wannabe gangster. Despite all that, the law is clearly on their side. The couple is given three weeks to hand Angelina over. Needless to say, they will try everything in their power to hold onto their daughter. The question is, how far would you go to save someone you love?

This book was fantastic. It had my attention from page one. The characters are lovable and you are easily drawn into their dilemma. Imagine someone coming to take your child away in three weeks! Wow!
There were parts where I wanted to cry and parts I just got mad about.This is a very quick read and I'm glad I found it. I'll be reading more by CJ Box!

First book by this author read at the suggestion of GR friend. Very good!! Will read more. Baby Angelina daughter of Melissa & Jack was so moving. I hope there's a sequel.

Jack and Melissa McGuane are parents of a nine month old girl named Angelina whom they adopted. Angelina’s birth mother signed the release papers but the birth father didn’t because he couldn’t be found.
The McGuane family are suddenly thrust into the center of an emotional hurricane when a young Garrett Morland appears. He’s Angelina’s birth father and wants custody of his daughter even though he doesn’t have a job and is really not interested in being a caring father. To complicate matters further, Garrett’s dad is John Morland, a well known and respected judge who is helping Garrett with all the relevant legal matters because he has his own agenda which involves making Angelina part of the larger Morland family.
Needless to say, Jack and Melissa decide to fight the Morlands so that their beloved Angelina is not given up to a low-life like Garrett. They make a plan and one of their first steps is to learn more about Judge Morland. Jack gets a seat during a criminal trial against a man named Aubrey Coates who is accused of kidnapping and murder of a five year old girl named Courtney Wingate. The police detective who is testifying for the prosecution is one of author C. J. Box’s regular characters, Cody Hoyt. We’ve seen Cody in other novels, notably The Highway and Back of Beyond. Cody has a rough time on the witness stand, thanks to rulings by Judge Morland about his mishandling of evidence.
Jack must make a business trip to Berlin and, while he’s there, the McGaune’s dog Harry is viciously poisoned. Garrett Morland is the likely suspect. When Jack returns, the family joins forces with Cody and they make a trip to Montana to meet with Cody’s uncle Jeter Hoyt. Jeter packs a lot of hardware when he comes to Denver. He shoots up the Zuni saloon and manages to kill several gang members but the intended target, Garrett Morland escapes.
The forces of law close in on the McGuane family in a tension filled ending to this family drama.

I had recently read and really enjoyed CJ Box's Blue Heaven (4star rating) and came across this book after checking out Box’s other work. I wasn’t impressed with this story. Initially, it came across as a story about a birth father wanting his child back after the baby was already legally adopted. However, the underlying theme was a common one: a rich and privileged family using their money, power and high-priced lawyers to mangle the laws and courts, to suit their agendas.

I feel compelled to disclose that I have had friends and relatives who after legally adopting a child were faced with legally fighting a birth parent for custodial rights. Personally, it doesn’t matter to me what any of the parents want, for me, it is all about what is best for the child and who is best capable and suitable to raise the child, whoever that may be.

From pretty early in the story, I wasn’t inclined to think any of the MC’s were exhibiting very good parental skills and practices. From the moment the birth father was introduced, Box had presented him as a pretty sleazy scumbag - a 17yr old @$$#*!& punk who hung out with criminal gangb*ngers who didn’t give a $#!& about the baby or being a father. Box then proceeded to have the adoptive parents behave like a couple of morons by inviting these scumbags into their home with their child. GOOD GRIEF!!!!! None of these people should be allowed to care for a baby let alone raise one.

Box proceeded to reveal that the birth father was mysteriously sent out of the country, has issues with animals, a dead mother, a stepmother who doesn’t appear to want anything to do with him and he constantly LEERED at the adoptive mother every time he saw her. At about the 15% mark, I almost DNF’ed the book after the birth father’s bizarre reaction to the adoptive parent’s pet dog, Harry. It became pretty obvious that all would not end well for poor Harry. I can read about all the murder and mayhem in the world but crimes against children, and don’t even get me started on crimes against babies and animals is just too much for me.

Shortly thereafter, the adoptive parents got an offer of help from a rich and connected friend and this restored just a smidgen of hope for the adoptive parents – but not much. They still seemed kind of stupid to me and I still thought that they were so ill equipped and unprepared to take care of a baby. Once again (at the 30% mark), I almost DNF’ed it again when it was revealed that the birth father was an up and coming, wannabe Columbine Shooter. Then there was the adoptive parents and their stupid friends who all started talking about the ways their friend, Cody (Denver cop) can commit crimes without incriminating himself. UUUGGGHHH!!!!! SERIOUSLY?????

By around the 40% mark or so, when the adoptive parents and their friends started acting like a ridiculous version of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew, I’d had enough and gave up and DNF’ed it. This book seemed to have missed some the really great storytelling skills and abilities that CJ Box had displayed in Blue Heaven. I've also heard really good things about his Joe Pickett series and I'm thinking I may check that out before I make any decision to write off Box as an author whose work I'm not interested in.

Jack and Melissa adopt a baby girl only to find out weeks before the adoption is finalized that the birth father, who happens to be a teen never signed off on the papers to give up is rights to the baby. Jerrod, the birth father is not really interested in keeping this baby, but his father, a judge in Denver, decides that Jerrod needs to be responsible and take care of the baby. Jack and Melissa are given 3 weeks to say goodbye to Angelina by Jerrod's dad, of course they don't want to give this baby up and lots of things happen during that 3 weeks. This book will have you rooting for Jack and Melissa, this is a really good book.

it could happen - if the adoptee's don't both sign the papers no matter how long the adopters have the child, she or he can be returned. Sinister judge and sociopathic son decide after 14 months the baby is to be returned to them. The adopters, a young, happy couple who dote on the baby are crushed and as time goes on learn horrible things about ugly facts concerning the welfare of their child if turned over to biological father. Scary...the countdown...

A very different C J Box book. This is a compelling story of young parents in an impossible situation.

Having adopted a son, I know what this couple was facing. Having a foster son for a year, I remember what it felt like when we were told our time was up.

Mr. Box has it exactly right.

This is a tough story with an incredible end.

Based on the reviews I’d read about this book, I did not have high hopes. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I found it hard to put down. Yes it is not a new plot, but it’s well done and the characters are likable...with the exception of the few you aren’t supposed to like. This was my first book by C. J. Box and I look forward to more.

Picture adopting an new-born child. For her first nine months, you and she have bonded. She is YOUR CHILD in all ways. Now picture receiving a phone call from the adoption agency informing you that the "birth father" want his child. This is where the story begins. There are many twists and turns in this story. Intrigue, murder, you name the crimes and it's in this book. Read it!