[Ransom is a] dramatic story of a kidnapping, suspenseful despite the fact that the number of characters, character sketches, and sub-plots crowds the background; the plot is less emphatic than it would be in a setting more sparse. Three criminals seclude the kidnapped young people in a mountain cabin, having shanghaied the school bus. Each of the five has his own problem; each reacts to the tension of the situation, and there are some interesting interactions among the five.