Book Review: Hostage

Reviewed By: Gina Metz - RAM

Hostage     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon UK PB Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Robert Crais
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Doubleday; 2001: 384 pp

Jeff Talley is the main character in Hostage. He is a former Los Angeles hostage negotiator who quit the Los Angeles Swat Team after a negotiation went bad and he watched a small child die. He accepts a job as Chief of Police in nearby Bristo Bay, California, as it is a small community with very little crime, and he is trying to get past the ghosts from his last hostage negotiation. He is separated from his wife and child and not doing a very good job of putting his life back together and recovering from his last job.

Then his worst nightmare happens. Two unlucky brothers and a psychopath decide to rob a convenience store on his turf. In the process of the robbery, they kill the storeowner and their truck breaks down as they attempt to get away. The situation just gets worse when trying to elude the police; they break into a house and take an accountant and his two children hostage. Now Jeff really has a situation on his hands with the Sheriff’s office not available for back up for several hours and a small police force with very little experience.

Then the nightmare just gets worse. Not only are the accountant and his children now hostages but another group takes his wife and daughter hostage at the same time. The accountant wasn’t your average accountant and this group does not want the police breaching the accountant’s home as he has their records in the house that could send them directly to jail. So they take Talley’s family to try to manipulate him into getting to their information before the police do.

This was a really taunt, fast paced, page-turner. I would love to see a sequel with Jeff Talley but do not have a clue how Mr. Crais could top the situation in Hostage. Would highly recommend this book.

Gina Metz - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Gina Metz - RAM

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