Rating: 
Summary: Hostage by Robert Crais--A Slow Starter That Will Captivate
Review: Looking for a non-stop, gripping, realistic page turner from beginning to end? Keep on looking, but if you are interested in an entertaining, ultimately fast-paced thriller to pass an afternoon, this may be your book. Prior to reading Hostage by Robert Crais I had not heard of the author although he has written many other books. This book is written with an unusual narrative that will not appeal to everyone. The Plot-
I won't give much away, but Hostage is set in real time over the span of roughly just 14 hours, excluding a brief prologue and epilogue.
The prologue sets up the main character: Sergeant Jeff Talley, a hostage negotiator for the L.A.P.D. SWAT team. We briefly meet him and learn how he will come to find himself in the suburban setting of the story, living a solitary life, estranged from his family. The clock starts ticking on Hostage as two bumbling brothers and a mysterious co-worker of theirs haphazardly rob a convenience store and find themselves in a chain of events rapidly progressing from a bad idea to a worse situation. It ultimately lands them in the midst of the Smith family home, where father, daughter and son become the title Hostage's of the story. Now Talley must exorcise his personal demons and face another hostage situation that he was certain would elude him in the placid, bedroom community he'd settled into. At this point I thought I could see the writing on the wall for the rest of the plot, and I must say I was mildly annoyed with how predictable this appeared to be. Had I stopped then, I would have missed the best parts of the book. --Will Talley face his fears and return to his profession and his family?
--Who will make it out of the "hostage" situation alive?
--What is the secret of the household patriarch that really throws a wrench in things?
--Who's double-crossing whom? All questions you'll have to read the book to learn the answers to. Suffice it to say, Hostage has a bit more to offer than first impressions would lead you to believe. -----
My Thoughts-
The style of narrative is a bit different in Hostage. It jumps from person to person, sometimes in the midst of a chapter. This will definitely not appeal to everyone, but I think it added to the frenetic pace the author was striving for. I also found the characters to be wholly unappealing. I can't think of one that I cared for, or conversely cared about. Kind of crucial when you're supposed to be enthralled with what will happen to them. I think they could definitely have used some more development. I still gave this an above average recommendation, why? It is a very different read than anything I've come across recently and I did appreciate all the technical aspects of crime fighting, and the police that were covered as well. -----
Objectionable Content-
This is not the book for the immature or sensitive readers. There is considerable cursing. Drug use is discussed and done. There are allusions to both physical abuse of children and sexual innuendo. To top all that off, there are several scenes of graphically detailed violence. It's not something that bothers me given the context of the material, however I am sure it would be offensive to some readers. ------
Recommended-
I do recommend this book but with a cautionary mention of some of the graphic violence and mature subject matter covered in the book. I would not give this book to a reader under the age of 16. Fans of mystery, suspense and popular fiction should find this an entertaining read once it gets going.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great standalone from Crais
Review: Two bits of good news about Robert Crais: his new Elvis Cole novel is coming soon and his current non-Elvis book is top-notch. In Hostage, former hostage negotiator Jeff Talley must deal with three unlucky robbers holed up in a suburban house with a father and two kids. Adding a twist, the father is a mob accountant, and he has some critical information (plus a bunch of cash) stashed within his home. This is a novel of pure suspense, and I was not surprised to find it finished the same day I started it; it was not easy to put down. Crais keeps things going at a rapid pace and the short chapters, rotating points-of-view and frequent plot twists add to the fever pitch. With Talley tormented by his own inner demons in addition to mobsters who are manipulating him by holding his wife and daughter prisoner, he is a man whose options keep getting more and more limited and in the process, the story gets better and better. I am not alone in longing to read the adventures of Elvis and Pike, but as long as Crais can continue to put out novels like this one, I am willing to wait a little longer.
Rating:
Summary: A quick and interesting suspense thriller
Review: I can't say that Hostage is the best suspense novel I've ever read, but it kept me interested and made me want to keep reading. It was an easy read for a boring business trip!
Rating:
Summary: A Thriller With Some Kick
Review: Robert Crais is quickly becomming the master of suspense. Having stellar success with his "Elvis Cole" mysteries, he comes out with another amazing stand-alone thriller.
HOSTAGE is a page-turning literary delight. Three hit-and-miss young armed robbers take shelter in a house where they have found themselves three hostages. Upon negotiations, the leader stumbles upon a million dollars in cash within the house, and now getting away is his only thought. The chief of police, and one-time L.A.P.D. hostage-crisis specialist, gets thrown into the puzzle when his wife and daughter are threatened. Throw in the mob, the FBI, and a plethora of unique, diversified characters, and you have one entertaining, edge-of-your-seat novel.
Crais once again clearly shows his cohesive, masterful writing style that has you turning pages at a record pace. He brings together a multitude of interesting characters in an outstanding setting. The story is very believable, and you can't help but think of the many possibilities. Overall, this is one fantastic novel. The suspense is wonderfully drawn out, making for a very nice, complete book. HOSTAGE is another solid work by Robert Crais.
Rating:
Summary: A POWERHOUSE OF ACTION AND EDGE-OF-YOUR-SEAT SUSPENSE!!
Review: When Robert Crais writes a book as good as HOSTAGE, I can almost forgive him for making me and his other fans wait two very long years for the next "Elvis Cole/Joe Pike" novel. Remember, I said almost. HOSTAGE is the story of Jeff Talley (think Bruce Willis!), a former LAPD SWAT negotiator who quit his job and left his family due to serious stress, burnout, and guilt over a hostage negotiation that turned bad. He's now the Chief of Police of Bristo Camino, a small California community where life is simpler and the job less demanding. At least it is, until two young hoods and a deadly psychopath rob a minimart and kill its owner. In a futile attempt to escape the police, the three criminals jump the wall of a housing development and invade the home of Walter Smith, taking him and his two children hostage. Talley and his people, along with the help of the California Highway Patrol, surround the house; and, for the most part, things run smoothly. Talley uses his skills as a former hostage negotiator to keep the criminals inside the house calm, biding his time until the L.A. County Sheriff's SWAT team arrive to take over. When they do and Talley signs off control of the situation, his troubles aren't ending. No way. What he thought was a bad day is going to swiftly turn into a nightmare that will push him right to the edge. You see, Walter Smith isn't an ordinary family man. He's the accountant for the West Coast mob and has two computer disks in his home office, loaded with information that can literally bring the criminal organization down to its knees. Mob honcho, Sonny Benza, has no intention of letting the local police or even the FBI get possession of these incriminating disks. He quickly brings in a team of killers to kidnap Talley's wife and daughter, and then tells our reluctant hero to get those disks one way or another, if he wants to see his family alive again. Talley is caught between a rock and a hard place with nowhere to turn and the odds are stacked heavily against him. He wants to save his family, as well as the hostages inside the house, but he may not be able to do both. It's going to be a hard decision to make, not to mention a long night, but the worse is still yet to come! HOSTAGE is an adrenaline surge that will have the heart pounding and the blood racing, clearly illustrating why Robert Crais is considered the MAN. He's able to create true-to-life characters that breathe with authenticity...characters that could very well be your next-door neighbor or the person you work with. He then puts these normal, everyday people in a "do or die" situation, juices up the stress to the point where a massive stroke is imminent, and waits patiently for the ground to fall out from under them to see what happens. As expected, the quality of Mr. Crais' writing is high and cuts to the very bone with its razor-edge sharpness and terse dialogue. The chapters are brief, tense, and to the point; yet, paced in such a manner that the reader may feel as if he's speeding straight into a head-on collision. This is what action-packed, suspense writing is all about, and this is an author who hits the mark every time out. When a writer like Robert Crais is in top form, nothing else comes even close to the kind rush you get from one of his novels. Buy the book, read it, then prepared for the movie that's in the making, staring Bruce Willis as a cop who's once again in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Rating:
Summary: Why six stars?
Review: Why six stars to this book? 1) It has to many people involved, but the book explain perfectly who are these people and you know exactly what are they doing and why. 2) It never goes out of the story and it has three different stories that will keep you very busy. 3) You will be interested in all the people of the book, not only Talley or the terrorists. 4) You won't be able to put down the book until you finish it. 5) It has no sex scenes that many writers write just to fill pages. 6) IT IS A GREAT BOOK, JUST FOR THAT.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I got this book at the Atlanta airport while my flight was delayed. I had never heard of Crais but I loved this book. It was exciting and had enough twists to keep you guessing until the end.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: Why did I put off reading Hostage until long after I had zipped through the rest of RC's books? Perhaps it was because I was delaying gratification, not wanting to read the last one...like saving the last peanut M&M. Wanting to savor it later on. Perhaps it was simply that "hostage" situations are probably my least favorite type of suspense. In either case, I just finished it. And while I feel slightly depressed that there are no Robert Crais left unread, I'm delighted that it's changed my attitude toward hostage stories.
The business of preserving and protecting takes its toll on those charged with the awesome task of policing. Case in point is Jeff Talley, former LAPD SWAT team negotiator. The price he paid was his heart... his emotions...his family, all the elements that give life short of the breath that keeps the body alive. The price was exacted from Talley the day he failed to talk down a perp in a hostage situation and witnessed the man put a bullet in his 9 year old son's neck.
After sitting on the couch for a year, Talley leaves his wife and daughter behind and takes a job as Police Chief in the small upscale community of Bristo Camino. A job that routinely involves little more than security work. Most of the local 14 man police force had never even had to draw their weapons. A peaceful little town where a man could heal and figure out his next move.
Then one day, all hell breaks loose and Talley is thrust into the middle of a high profile hostage situation. By page 40 the hostages have been taken, Talley's world had been rocked and you wonder, how can it take another 300 pages to resolve this? I can guarantee that there is never a wasted word as Crais reveals the complexities that makes this one of the best hostage stories ever. It seems the three young thugs who have taken a family hostage, have blundered into the middle of mob operation that includes some of the biggest crime families in the country. These modern day wise guys may have college educations but they are every bit as ruthless as their bentnose, monosyllabic predecessors.
And Talley gets his groove back, forced into reliving a situation similar to the one that took it away. "Talley wasn't acting like a has-been cop who had been broken by the job and come to nowhereland to hide; he was carrying on like a full-blown SWAT tactical streetmonster." I love it.
Sharp thinking, sharp writing, sharp shooting ...sharp sharp sharp! Can't wait to see it on the big screen, starring Bruce Willis!!!
Rating:
Summary: Fast, exciting action.
Review: This is the best thriller that I've ever read! Robert Crais has excelled himself with this story of hostage taking and negotiation. Jeff Talley is a former negotiator with LAPD's SWAT team who has retired to a small town as police chief after the mental strain got to him and destroyed his marriage.Three small time crooks robbed and murdered a store owner and fled to a small community to hide out in a private house. Unfortunately for them, they chose a house of a Mafia accountant who was about to hand over very incriminating records to the Mafia chiefs. Ths accountants house contains a safe room, an elaborate security system and also a huge amount of cash which the trio of crooks are determined to take for themselves.The accountant is bludgeoned into a coma before he can identify himself so that the trio have no idea that they have stumbled into a bigger situatiin than they can handle. Talley is once again forced into the role of negotiator, trying to protect the 2 children of the accountant. It's tightly written with the pace never letting up and it's easy to see it as an action movie.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Stand Alone!!
Review: Why did I put off reading Hostage until long after I zipped through the rest of RC's books? Perhaps it was because I was delaying gratification, not wanting to read the last one...like saving the last peanut M&M to munch later on. Perhaps it was simply that "hostage" situations are probably my least favorite type of suspense. In either case, I just finished it. And while I feel slightly depressed that there are no Robert Crais books left unread, I'm delighted that it's changed my attitude toward hostage stories.
The business of preserving and protecting takes its toll on those charged with the awesome task of policing. Case in point is Jeff Talley, former LAPD SWAT team negotiator. The price he paid was his heart, his emotions, his family, all the elements that give life meaning and that keep the body alive. The price was exacted from Talley on the day he failed to talk down a perp in a hostage situation and witnessed the man put a bullet in his 9 year old son's neck.
After sitting on the couch for a year, Talley leaves his wife and daughter behind and takes a job as Police Chief in the small upscale community of Bristo Camino. A job that routinely involves little more than security work. Most of the local 14 man police force has never even had to draw their weapons. A peaceful little town where a man could heal and figure out his next move.
Then one day, all hell breaks loose and Talley is thrust into the middle of a high profile hostage situation. By page 40 the hostages have been taken, Talley's world had been rocked and you wonder, how can it take another 300 pages to resolve this? I can guarantee that there is never a wasted word as Crais reveals the complexities that makes this one of the best hostage stories ever. It seems the three young thugs who have taken a family hostage, have blundered into the middle of mob operation that includes some of the biggest crime families in the country. These modern day wise guys may have college educations but they are every bit as ruthless as their bentnose, monosyllabic predecessors.
As Talley gets his groove back, he is forced into reliving a situation similar to the one that took it away. "Talley wasn't acting like a has-been cop who had been broken by the job and come to nowhereland to hide; he was carrying on like a full-blown SWAT tactical streetmonster." I love it.
Hostage by Robert Crais. Sharp thinking, sharp writing, sharp shooting ...sharp sharp sharp! Can't wait to see it on the big screen, starring Bruce Willis
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