Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre screenplay pretending to be a novel
Review: I really wanted to like this book. I was expecting an entertaining, fast-moving thriller, but although it started off pretty well, I found it very disappointing. The book doesn't even pretend to be anything other than a screenplay treatment--I kept looking for the "CUT TO" indications between each of the constantly changing scenes. The problem is, it is going to be an extremely derivative and not terribly interesting action movie. It reads like a typical paint-by-number written-by-committee movie, full of one-dimensional characters and utterly predictable twists and turns. I actually like action movies, but about halfway through, I got so bored that I had trouble finishing the book. One thing I've always wondered--if a writer is going to go to the trouble of presenting multiple points-of-view (there were at least twenty in this book; I lost track), shouldn't he or she at least make a small attempt to give the characters different voices? I'm really sorry I didn't wait until this one shows up on HBO or something.
Rating: 
Summary: Robert Crais always good, getting even better
Review: Hostage is wonderful. Mr. Crais' Demoliton Angel was great, too. And I still like Elvis, but without Lucille please. Old Lucy was the dead end for Elvis.I strongly advise anyone one who appreciates good writing to read all of Robert Crais' books. You won't be disappointed. (Personal to Mr. Crais: You are also a damned good looking man.)
Rating:
Summary: I wish I could give this book 10 stars
Review: I was completely captivated about this tale of a hostage situation gone bad. I couldn't put this book down and felt compelled to finish it in one day. Crais fans who think they may disappointed by a non Elvis Cole book should hold on to their hats...this book takes you for a breathtaking ride you won't soon forget. Do you get the impression that I liked it?
Rating: 
Summary: Well written, believable, gets to the point
Review: It's a good book, I read it in two beach days. Every character is and acts believable, and that is a worthy achievement amongst most modern crime writers. My only peeve is that the sleeve touts the fact that the book is in development as a major motion picture at Paramount. Though I applaud Crais' financial upside, I'm sorry to hear that validation of quality for a piece of fiction is measured in its suitability for film. If you're looking for a read that will put you in a world unimaginable to your average boob-tube consumer, than this is probably not it.
Rating:
Summary: A willing Hostage...
Review: I was, indeed, a willing HOSTAGE while reading this book. Robert Crais has once again proven his unending range and masterful talents as a writer as he steps up the suspense and the danger and lets us view the escalating events that end up with title situation. Unable to find peace with himself, Jeff Talley seeks the next best thing--escape. But a series of events propels him back into the world of fears and nightmares that he's been so desparate to avoid. Crais' deft style builds layers on layer, creating multi-dimensional characters: good guys, bad guysand those many characters who don't fall into neat black and white categories. Crais keeps you on the edge of your seat, captivating you with a spiral of suspense delivered in a highly visual manner without being pedantic with his descriptions. Don't get me wrong. I love Elvis Cole as much as the next reader and want to continue my trips into his highly entertaining world of detecting. But I ferverently hope Crais continues with his stand-alone novels because they provide a different sort of entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: So what if it reads like a screenplay?
Review: Hostage is a fast paced, breathtaking read. Yes, it reads like a screenplay, and the characters are not fully developed, but you get to know all that you need to know about them. Crais just keeps getting better and better.
Rating: 
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: Ex LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley is now chief of police of a small town in the 'burbs. The reason he's an 'ex' negotiator is because he failed to save a young hostage in LA that died while he was watching and the guilt drove him out. Meanwhile, three rather non-intelligent criminals decide to rob a store. Everything goes haywire. The storeowner gets shot, and as they escape, their car breaks down. The closest escape is a house by the road. A father and his two children are held hostage. As it turns out, they couldn't have picked a worse family to hold hostage. In steps Talley as the man in charge of the scene, hoping to pass that on to the county sheriff's department as soon as he can. A homicidal killer and the mob all play a key roll in this top-notch thriller. Robert Crais' latest novel flows with suspense from beginning to end. During the last third of the story you'll be looking for your seat belt. Even though it had some stupid criminals and a not so smart local mobster (his plan to get the disc's seemed ludicrous), the story pulled you in and kept you reading. I think this book is on par with his last. Keep up the good work Robert. Highly Recommended
Rating:
Summary: Not what it wants to be.
Review: I've read and enjoyed all of Crais Elvis Cole novels. One reason I've enjoyed all of them is that they embrace the crime/private eye genre and celebrate it; they don't try to be what they are not. His stand-alone novel HOSTAGE poses as literature via the "psychological insights" into its various characters, but those insights ultimately read like they've been lifted from a PSYCH I textbook and not a very good textbook. The switching around from character to character, abetted by bold-faced subheads in case we can't figure out who is who did not keep me from finishing the book in a day and being vaguely satisfied at its conclusion, but as another reviewer has written here HOSTAGE is not literature, not even genre literature, it's a movie treatment in between the covers of a book. As such, it is not bad, but it's not what it "thinks" it is. Also, HOSTAGE very nearly collapses under the weight of its many plot--for lack of a better term--coincidences. I don't mind when an author endeavors to reach beyond what s/he's done so far. I do mind when that "reaching" manifests itself by grabbing me by the shirtfront and yapping, "Hey, look I'm deep literature" w/out showing any evidence of same.
Rating:
Summary: Hold yourself Hostage
Review: Do yourself a tremendous favor. If you already read the editorial reviews, sit the book aside, read something else and let the comments fade in your memory. Skip the dust jacket synopsis, it tells you more than, ultimately, you would have preferred to know. If you are a fan of Robert Crais' books, trust your instincts that he normally crafts a pretty good thriller and just pick the book. If this author is new to you, take a chance. It reads so quickly you have little time at risk. Generally speaking, an author does not reach mass market best seller status in this crowded genre without a significant amount of writing skill. As with DEMOLITION ANGEL's Carol Starkey, the protagonist is a troubled soul seeking an escape route from job related stresses. Starkey wallowed in self-pity predicated on personal loss. Jeff Talley, the lead character in this book has a despondency based on prior failures to protect the security of others, although the standards he established may have been impossible to achieve. A confluence of circumstances forces him to back into the quagmire, under conditions in the worst of his nightmares, he could not have imagined. The book is captivating, I couldn't put it down. Crais methodically reveals layer after layer of contingencies, pulling you deeper into the story, your concerns for the characters escalating page after page. Some of the characterizations could have been stronger, however, in this web of intrigue there are even antagonists who evoke sympathetic response. Only will you be disappointed if you knew too much, much too soon.
Rating:
Summary: Hang on
Review: This one is a roller coaster ride with a man at the top of his game at the controls. After the first chapter your disappointment that Elvis Cole and Joe Pike aren't around will be quickly forgotten. The premise is similar to many other books and movies, but the action never stops. Need a book for Labor Day weekend? Don't take this,if you want to anything other than read, you can't put it down. Thank you Mr. Crais
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