If you loved
Taken 2
Film · 2012
If you loved Taken 2, you crave the visceral tension of highly trained individuals operating outside the law to protect those they love.
Books on the same thread
The Apostle
Brad Thor · Book · 2009
Explores: Hostage Rescue, Counterterrorism, International Intrigue.
Like Bryan Mills in Taken 2, Scot Harvath is a specialized operative who utilizes his lethal skill set to execute high-stakes hostage rescues through dangerous, international covert operations.
A Stolen Life: A Memoir
Jaycee Dugard · Book · 2011
Explores: child abduction, captivity, Stockholm Syndrome.
While Taken 2 focuses on the rescue, this memoir offers a harrowing look at the reality of captivity that Bryan Mills fought to prevent for his own daughter.
Double Or Die
Charlie Higson · Book · 2012
Shares a thread with Taken 2: Kidnapping.
This story mirrors the high-stakes pressure of Taken 2 by placing a protagonist in a race against time to save a kidnapping victim through dangerous, calculated maneuvers.
Pursuit of Honor
Vince Flynn · Book · 2009
Explores: Counterterrorism, Government Conspiracy, Black Ops.
Mitch Rapp shares the same vigilante spirit found in Taken 2, as he employs black ops tactics and uncompromising justice to hunt down enemies in a global thriller.
Series on the same thread
Person of Interest
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2011
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Surveillance State, Moral Ambiguity.
Just as Bryan Mills applies his CIA background to personal crusades in Taken 2, John Reese uses his specialized training to intervene in violent situations and deliver vigilante justice.
The Take
Martina Cole · Series · 2009
Explores: organized crime, ambition, power struggles.
The gritty intensity of Taken 2 is echoed here through the lens of organized crime, where the consequences of past actions dictate the dangerous present for those involved.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Graham Roland · Series · 2018
Explores: Terrorism, Political Intrigue, International Espionage.
Jack Ryan mirrors the transition of Bryan Mills from a desk-bound professional to a field operative, thrusting him into a global conflict that requires immediate, decisive action.
SPY x FAMILY
Series · 2022
Shares a thread with Taken 2: Espionage.
This series captures the tension of secret identities and protective instincts seen in Taken 2, blending high-stakes espionage with the complex demands of maintaining a family unit.
Podcasts on the same thread
Up and Vanished
Tenderfoot TV · Podcast · 2026
Explores: missing persons, small town secrets, pursuit of truth.
If the kidnapping plot of Taken 2 kept you on edge, this investigation into mysterious disappearances provides a similar, real-world obsession with finding the truth behind missing persons.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
This deep dive into a small-town mystery offers a grounded, investigative perspective on the same themes of hidden danger and family secrets that drive the conflict in Taken 2.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Taken 2 a direct sequel to the first film?
Yes, Taken 2 continues the story of retired CIA operative Bryan Mills. After the events of the first film, Mills and his wife are taken hostage in Istanbul by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
What is the primary conflict in Taken 2?
The primary conflict in Taken 2 involves revenge. A grieving father seeks retribution against Bryan Mills for the death of his son, leading him to kidnap Mills and his wife while they are in Istanbul.
Where does the action in Taken 2 take place?
The events of Taken 2 occur in Istanbul. This setting serves as the location where retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are held hostage by the father of the kidnapper Mills previously killed.
Who is kidnapped in Taken 2?
In Taken 2, the retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage. The kidnapper is the father of a man Mills killed during the rescue of his daughter in the previous film.