What do you think?
Rate this book
The Evening News
Cold-blooded politics, naked power, and raw terror behind the scenes. Murder in New York, terror in South America, bloody riots in Eastern Europe. That's the evening news as calmly reported by top TV anchorman Crawford Sloane. . .until his own life is torn apart in one dramatic moment. For when terrorists snatch his family, no one knows better than Sloane how slim are the chances of getting them back alive. Now their fate depends on Sloane's rival, ace reporter Harry Partridge; on a beautiful and ruthless network CEO, and on Sloane's determination to track the kidnappers down--from New York to Columbia to the Peruvian Andes and a final heart-stopping climax of danger and death.
From the Paperback edition.
From the Paperback edition.
510 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
538 people are currently reading
2086 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Hailey
94 books760 followersArthur Hailey was a British/Canadian novelist. After working at a number of jobs and writing part-time, he became a writer full-time during 1956, encouraged by the success of the CBC television drama, Flight into Danger (in print as
Runway Zero Eight
). Following the success of Hotel in 1965, he moved to California; followed by a permanent move to the Bahamas in 1969.
Each of his novels has a different industrial or commercial setting and includes, in addition to dramatic human conflict, carefully researched information about the way that particular environment and system functions and how these affect society and its inhabitants.
Critics often dismissed Hailey's success as the result of a formulaic "potboiler" style, in which he caused an ordinary character to become involved in a crisis, then increased the suspense by switching among multiple related plot lines.
Hailey would spend approximately one year researching a subject, followed by six months reviewing his notes and, finally, about 18 months writing the book.
Many of his books reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and more than 170 million copies have been sold worldwide in 40 languages. Many have been made into movies and Hotel was made into a long-running television series. Airport became a successful film with dramatic visual effects.
A Canadian citizen whose children live in Canada and California, Hailey made his home in Lyford Cay, an exclusive residential resort on New Providence Island in the Bahamas with his second wife Sheila.
In 2002, Hailey told John Marquis, editor of the Bahamas' principal daily newspaper The Tribune, that he was lucky in having supportive parents who encouraged him to believe in himself. Brought up in a working-class home, Hailey never lost the common touch following his phenomenal success. 'I have worked hard, but I have also been very lucky,' he said.
Each of his novels has a different industrial or commercial setting and includes, in addition to dramatic human conflict, carefully researched information about the way that particular environment and system functions and how these affect society and its inhabitants.
Critics often dismissed Hailey's success as the result of a formulaic "potboiler" style, in which he caused an ordinary character to become involved in a crisis, then increased the suspense by switching among multiple related plot lines.
Hailey would spend approximately one year researching a subject, followed by six months reviewing his notes and, finally, about 18 months writing the book.
Many of his books reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and more than 170 million copies have been sold worldwide in 40 languages. Many have been made into movies and Hotel was made into a long-running television series. Airport became a successful film with dramatic visual effects.
A Canadian citizen whose children live in Canada and California, Hailey made his home in Lyford Cay, an exclusive residential resort on New Providence Island in the Bahamas with his second wife Sheila.
In 2002, Hailey told John Marquis, editor of the Bahamas' principal daily newspaper The Tribune, that he was lucky in having supportive parents who encouraged him to believe in himself. Brought up in a working-class home, Hailey never lost the common touch following his phenomenal success. 'I have worked hard, but I have also been very lucky,' he said.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
March 23, 2020
The Evening News is Hailey's worst book. It starts well,with a TV news crew going after a dramatic story.
I would have liked a greater focus on the news media industry throughout the book.
But the story shifts from the media industry to a kidnapping and hostage drama.
But it's not too well done. It's very lengthy and not very readable. This book was written very late in Arthur Hailey's life and
the creativity which made his earlier books such phenomenal bestsellers seems to be missing here.
It also dampened my expectations for Hailey's last book,Detective,which I have yet to read.
I would have liked a greater focus on the news media industry throughout the book.
But the story shifts from the media industry to a kidnapping and hostage drama.
But it's not too well done. It's very lengthy and not very readable. This book was written very late in Arthur Hailey's life and
the creativity which made his earlier books such phenomenal bestsellers seems to be missing here.
It also dampened my expectations for Hailey's last book,Detective,which I have yet to read.
November 18, 2024
A book to be remembered by an author who was not enough appreciated by the contemporary critics.
His novels, this one included, have an epic thread, strong characters, many twists, and, most important, they give the reader the chance to learn new things from the topic he has chosen, that being the interior life in a hotel, TV station, factory, hospital or airport.
Unfortunately, those books do NOT have vampires, werewolves, blood drinkers, fairies and other super-natural creatures, so Twilight fans may be upset and consider them useless or one-star literature. Their choice...
His novels, this one included, have an epic thread, strong characters, many twists, and, most important, they give the reader the chance to learn new things from the topic he has chosen, that being the interior life in a hotel, TV station, factory, hospital or airport.
Unfortunately, those books do NOT have vampires, werewolves, blood drinkers, fairies and other super-natural creatures, so Twilight fans may be upset and consider them useless or one-star literature. Their choice...
July 8, 2021
I had always enjoyed reading Arthur Hailey's books and this was not an exception. It provides behind-the-scenes insight into both electronic and print media. I love it.
March 26, 2017
The evening news dealing with the media, story line makes one enjoy thoroughly.
January 24, 2020
Една от най-скучните, за мен, книги на Хейли.
July 27, 2025
★★★★
The Evening News is a book I’ve been reading for over 30 years. I first came to it as a teenager because of my interest in television and my long-standing wish to work in broadcast. What stood out straight away was the detail. The production side, the workflows, the pace. It’s packed with industry research, and that was exactly what I wanted at the time. It fed into the path I was already set on and made it feel more real.
I still return to it now. It’s clearly dated. The satellite trucks, the tape decks, the whole structure of how news is gathered and aired. All of it belongs to another era. But that doesn’t take away from it. If anything, it adds to the comfort of it. I now recognise a lot of what it’s showing from the inside, even if things have moved on. There’s a certain rhythm to it that still feels familiar.
I know the book hasn’t had much love over the years. Readers and critics often say the characters aren’t fully developed or that it gets bogged down in technical detail. Fair enough. It’s definitely more about the world of news than anything else. But I’ve always enjoyed the main storyline. It’s fast paced and keeps you involved.
It won’t be for everyone but it’s a book that helped shape my path and one I still enjoy coming back to.
The Evening News is a book I’ve been reading for over 30 years. I first came to it as a teenager because of my interest in television and my long-standing wish to work in broadcast. What stood out straight away was the detail. The production side, the workflows, the pace. It’s packed with industry research, and that was exactly what I wanted at the time. It fed into the path I was already set on and made it feel more real.
I still return to it now. It’s clearly dated. The satellite trucks, the tape decks, the whole structure of how news is gathered and aired. All of it belongs to another era. But that doesn’t take away from it. If anything, it adds to the comfort of it. I now recognise a lot of what it’s showing from the inside, even if things have moved on. There’s a certain rhythm to it that still feels familiar.
I know the book hasn’t had much love over the years. Readers and critics often say the characters aren’t fully developed or that it gets bogged down in technical detail. Fair enough. It’s definitely more about the world of news than anything else. But I’ve always enjoyed the main storyline. It’s fast paced and keeps you involved.
It won’t be for everyone but it’s a book that helped shape my path and one I still enjoy coming back to.
March 10, 2019
This is a thought provoking story published in 1990, but; the subject could just as easily been set in current times. Makes one realize the more things change, the more they are the same. An interesting read.
August 10, 2025
Kā CBA (nesajaukt ar CBS) vakara ziņu diktors ar stāžu Crawford Sloan gadiem gandrīz katru vakaru pasniedz ziņas miljonos mērāmai auditorijai. Līdz šim Slouns izbaudījis pārsvarā vien pozitīvos aspekts ar labu attalgojumu un citiem bonusiem, kamēr ticis pasargāts no draudīgām, (pus)jukušu personu vēstulēm un citām negācijām. Bet šo salīdzinošo idilli ar jaukāko sievu Džesiku un superīgāko dēlu Nikolasu vai vienkārši Nikiju drīz vien draud iznīcināt teroristi, bet ne stereotipiski no Vidējiem Austrumiem.
https://poseidons99.com/2025/08/10/ar...
https://poseidons99.com/2025/08/10/ar...
March 19, 2023
Ако имаше повече личности тип Хари Партридж, то реалността щеше да е много хубава. А журналистиката - жива. Уви.
Страхотен роман. Толкова години по-късно все така актуален. Дори е плашещо.
Страхотен роман. Толкова години по-късно все така актуален. Дори е плашещо.
August 28, 2015
Хейли для меня начался, как и для многих, с "Аэропорта", затем "Колёса", и "Окончательный диагноз". И каждое из перечисленных произведений обладало какой-то своей особой чертой. А вот в "Вечерних новостях" я этого не нашёл. И вроде завязка сюжета динамичная, и почерк автора в тексте чувствуется, но за душу не берёт. Периодически зевал на фразах "американские журналисты самые честные и принципиальные", "американская демократия самая демократичная". Часть персонажей, кажется, были введены в роман лишь с целью не получить претензии в расизме и сексизме. Ну а в конце повествование внезапно ускорилось и резко оборвалось, не дав ответа, чем закончились дополнительные сюжетные линии. Так что я скорее разочарован этой книгой.
July 27, 2018
Изключително увлекателен трилър на майстора на перото Артър Хейли.
March 1, 2021
Заслужава си книжката.
November 18, 2020
3.5 stars, rounded down.
The Evening News is my first novel by Arthur Hailey. The book tells the story of prominent news anchor, Crawford Sloane, and the kidnapping/abduction of his wife, son and father.
I loved learning about broadcast journalism, and the rapid-fire way the industry works. I was most invested in the kidnapping of Jessica, Nicky and Angus Sloane. The Sloanes were abducted by the Colombian drug cartel known as Sondero Luminoso. Miguel, the head of this operation, is a terrorist-for-hire, and the kidnapping was so meticulously thought out and well crafted.
Upon their kidnapping, the Sloanes were heavily sedated, and ultimately put under anesthesia, placed into funeral caskets, and transported to Lima, Peru. But we never learn the motive behind the operation.
My only beef is the book length. The Evening News clocks in at 564 pages. Normally I’m not intimidated by lengthy novels. But this book was 200 pages too long. The first half includes useless storylines that could have been avoided completely. I don’t care which anchors are having an affair. I’m not interested in learning how one anchor met his wife. Blah blah blah. I only kept reading, because the abduction of the Sloanes was so exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book wherein the plot was a kidnap by a drug cartel, or about national news networks.
If you enjoy slow burns, and you can handle the boring fluff in the first half, read this book. If you hate slow burners, like me, then don’t read this.
The Evening News is my first novel by Arthur Hailey. The book tells the story of prominent news anchor, Crawford Sloane, and the kidnapping/abduction of his wife, son and father.
I loved learning about broadcast journalism, and the rapid-fire way the industry works. I was most invested in the kidnapping of Jessica, Nicky and Angus Sloane. The Sloanes were abducted by the Colombian drug cartel known as Sondero Luminoso. Miguel, the head of this operation, is a terrorist-for-hire, and the kidnapping was so meticulously thought out and well crafted.
Upon their kidnapping, the Sloanes were heavily sedated, and ultimately put under anesthesia, placed into funeral caskets, and transported to Lima, Peru. But we never learn the motive behind the operation.
My only beef is the book length. The Evening News clocks in at 564 pages. Normally I’m not intimidated by lengthy novels. But this book was 200 pages too long. The first half includes useless storylines that could have been avoided completely. I don’t care which anchors are having an affair. I’m not interested in learning how one anchor met his wife. Blah blah blah. I only kept reading, because the abduction of the Sloanes was so exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book wherein the plot was a kidnap by a drug cartel, or about national news networks.
If you enjoy slow burns, and you can handle the boring fluff in the first half, read this book. If you hate slow burners, like me, then don’t read this.
December 10, 2013
Hailey's The Evening News is cold, detailed and leaves a taste of "business as usual" callousness. It's an achievement alright, but one that is tough to digest.
Hailey covers several aspects from news gathering, news hour, corporate-network ownership (how relevant!), psychology of terrorism, hostage rescue which leaves the readers believing they are experts in this. The characters of Harry Patridge, Crawford Sloane and the rest do their respective jobs with the Newsroom portrayed as an all consuming monster.
The kidnapping and the terrorist angle have been given considerable coverage and must have taken in-depth research. Some passages and back stories seemed out of place and could have been avoided. The author manages to show off many trivia facts when nobody is noticing.
Hailey - Genius as ever!
Hailey covers several aspects from news gathering, news hour, corporate-network ownership (how relevant!), psychology of terrorism, hostage rescue which leaves the readers believing they are experts in this. The characters of Harry Patridge, Crawford Sloane and the rest do their respective jobs with the Newsroom portrayed as an all consuming monster.
The kidnapping and the terrorist angle have been given considerable coverage and must have taken in-depth research. Some passages and back stories seemed out of place and could have been avoided. The author manages to show off many trivia facts when nobody is noticing.
Hailey - Genius as ever!
June 22, 2016
Arthur Hailey is one of my favourite authors, and what I have appreciated in all of his books is the amount of research and the insights the reader gets on that particular industry. I found that bit lacking in this book. This story is more an abduction and rescue plot set in the backdrop of the media industry. Not one of Hailey's best, but worth a read for sure. Even Hailey at 50% is better than most authors going around!!!
October 2, 2024
2.5⭐️-3⭐️.Arthur Hailey’s novels used to be my favourites when I was a teenager.But now rereading” The Evening News”the feeling is absolutely different.According the opinions of some readers this book is the worst of his.Everything for me looks really naive and flat like plot line,personages,their actions…Will try some of another ones ,hopefully they will change my mind
July 24, 2017
though a piece of typical pulp fiction, it carries some very interesting points regarding corporatization of media, tussle between news anchor - producer and viability of democracy in third world country.
January 15, 2022
Another good storytelling by a true auteur. Highly informative, very detailed description of the various processes and interactions in the TV press industry.
The ending was too abrupt though and could have been more satisfying.
The ending was too abrupt though and could have been more satisfying.
January 8, 2023
When I was in high school, I remember Hailey’s novels tend to give you a pretty good picture of how an industry works. He has a reputation of doing solid research before writing one of these novels. When I scanned an old book stall, this book is the only one that seemed remotely intriguing. Unfortunately, the novel is very thin on industry portraits and the plot is a bit trite.
January 28, 2025
As the title suggests this book is an in depth look at the prime time evening news and the organization behind it. As with Hailey's other book this there is a wealth of characters, plots and subplots. Basically the TV Networks anchorman becomes the biggest story in the news and many people are faced with tough decisions on what, and what should not be in the news and revealed to the public.
Even though this book was writen 35 years ago, Hailey correctly identified the conflict of interest problem when a news network becomes a subsidiary of a bigger corporation with lots of other holdings. The problem that has now made the mainstream news so worthless.
A good read, even though there are references to fax and telegram, it doesn't feel that dated. In my opinion, not as good as his other books such as Hotel, Airport, Wheels and the Moneychangers, but still worth reading.
Even though this book was writen 35 years ago, Hailey correctly identified the conflict of interest problem when a news network becomes a subsidiary of a bigger corporation with lots of other holdings. The problem that has now made the mainstream news so worthless.
A good read, even though there are references to fax and telegram, it doesn't feel that dated. In my opinion, not as good as his other books such as Hotel, Airport, Wheels and the Moneychangers, but still worth reading.
November 7, 2023
This book is really a 3 1/2 for me. The story is very good but the book could have been 50 or so pages shorter. Hailey gives us in depth descriptions of how the news is reported, written, edited, financed and televised.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2024
3,7*
Úplně nevím kam knihu zařadit, ale rozhodně jsem si ji užila!
Děkuji náhodnému pánovi z tramvaje za doporučení.
Úplně nevím kam knihu zařadit, ale rozhodně jsem si ji užila!
Děkuji náhodnému pánovi z tramvaje za doporučení.
August 16, 2025
Media Coverage, the family of a reporter, and a race to get them back. Great thriller, enjoy!
March 17, 2021
There have been a few truly solid thriller-writers in recent decades, and Hailey was one of them. In The Evening News, terrorists kidnap the family of a prominent news anchor and his colleagues put their sleuthing skills together to try and solve the case.
A bumbling FBI and greedy corporate leaders get in the way, but, undaunted, our television news heroes make steady progress matching wits with an experienced and ruthless gang of Colombian and Peruvian criminals.
Hailey was good at blending in exhaustive research about his world, most notably about the airline industry (he was a pilot during World War II) and had a terrific ability to craft a page-turner while imparting some nerd-worthy knowledge along the way. Don't expect tremendous character development or complicated people - Hailey put his efforts into the story and kept the characters fairly simple.
Younger readers will marvel at this evening news concept. Written in 1990, just a few years after Walter Cronkite retired, a major network's anchor was a force in our culture. In fact, at one point early in the novel, a character bravely predicts that even with CNN providing a new type of competition, the network nightly newscast would remain a force forever.
After a few minutes of laughing, I resumed reading. I couldn't even tell you who the major network anchors are these days, and I'm a bit of a news junkie.
Younger readers will also marvel at concepts like journalistic ethics, which have died a horrifying death in the last decade or so. This limits the impact of The Evening News, because you'd have to be familiar with life in the 20th Century to imagine a world where reporters could actually put together an investigation like this - and, even get people to cooperate the way they do throughout the novel. Let alone the hi-jinks that fill the last part of this novel - that was a little difficult to reconcile with the rest of the story.
Still, for 1990, it's a great read. They don't write 'em like this any more, and I enjoyed a few hours steeped in the nostalgia of what was once an honorable profession.
A bumbling FBI and greedy corporate leaders get in the way, but, undaunted, our television news heroes make steady progress matching wits with an experienced and ruthless gang of Colombian and Peruvian criminals.
Hailey was good at blending in exhaustive research about his world, most notably about the airline industry (he was a pilot during World War II) and had a terrific ability to craft a page-turner while imparting some nerd-worthy knowledge along the way. Don't expect tremendous character development or complicated people - Hailey put his efforts into the story and kept the characters fairly simple.
Younger readers will marvel at this evening news concept. Written in 1990, just a few years after Walter Cronkite retired, a major network's anchor was a force in our culture. In fact, at one point early in the novel, a character bravely predicts that even with CNN providing a new type of competition, the network nightly newscast would remain a force forever.
After a few minutes of laughing, I resumed reading. I couldn't even tell you who the major network anchors are these days, and I'm a bit of a news junkie.
Younger readers will also marvel at concepts like journalistic ethics, which have died a horrifying death in the last decade or so. This limits the impact of The Evening News, because you'd have to be familiar with life in the 20th Century to imagine a world where reporters could actually put together an investigation like this - and, even get people to cooperate the way they do throughout the novel. Let alone the hi-jinks that fill the last part of this novel - that was a little difficult to reconcile with the rest of the story.
Still, for 1990, it's a great read. They don't write 'em like this any more, and I enjoyed a few hours steeped in the nostalgia of what was once an honorable profession.
February 15, 2020
Arthur Hailey's novels begin In Media Res. No beating around the bush; he jumps right into an adrenaline spiking scene.
Minutes before the first feed of the National Evening News broadcast, reports trickle in of an Airbus A300 on fire approaching Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The network needs someone onsite for pictures but the nearest camera crew is 20 miles away. To stay ahead of the competition, the team scrambles to put together a news-piece, which is how Hailey introduces his readers to the world of competitive journalism.
Crawford Sloane, the network's top anchorman, calmly reports the 7pm news six days a week. Ranging from cold blooded politics, to murder, riots and terror, there is danger in every story he reports. While he may not always be amid action, being the face of the news he is not immune to risks. He suspects an unknown enemy may be targeting him and he attempts to forewarn his wife. However, he is completely unprepared for what is to come. When terrorists snatch his family, their fate depends on Sloane's rival - ace reporter Harry Partridge - and the ruthless Network President and CEO - Margot Lloyd-Mason.
In line with the thesis of Hailey's novels, The Evening News provides insight into the world of TV journalism. Serving as the backdrop to this emotionally charged thriller, it throws the spotlight on challenges and behind-the-scenes issues that rarely make headlines.
Partridge and Sloane's history in light of current events, offers an interesting study of human emotions on the edge. Hailey's characters are carefully drawn and the plot is an action thriller. What I miss, though, is more journalistic war - fighting for the news itself, rather than fighting the bad guys with guns.
Nonetheless, I give it a 👍. It will keep you hooked.
Minutes before the first feed of the National Evening News broadcast, reports trickle in of an Airbus A300 on fire approaching Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The network needs someone onsite for pictures but the nearest camera crew is 20 miles away. To stay ahead of the competition, the team scrambles to put together a news-piece, which is how Hailey introduces his readers to the world of competitive journalism.
Crawford Sloane, the network's top anchorman, calmly reports the 7pm news six days a week. Ranging from cold blooded politics, to murder, riots and terror, there is danger in every story he reports. While he may not always be amid action, being the face of the news he is not immune to risks. He suspects an unknown enemy may be targeting him and he attempts to forewarn his wife. However, he is completely unprepared for what is to come. When terrorists snatch his family, their fate depends on Sloane's rival - ace reporter Harry Partridge - and the ruthless Network President and CEO - Margot Lloyd-Mason.
In line with the thesis of Hailey's novels, The Evening News provides insight into the world of TV journalism. Serving as the backdrop to this emotionally charged thriller, it throws the spotlight on challenges and behind-the-scenes issues that rarely make headlines.
Partridge and Sloane's history in light of current events, offers an interesting study of human emotions on the edge. Hailey's characters are carefully drawn and the plot is an action thriller. What I miss, though, is more journalistic war - fighting for the news itself, rather than fighting the bad guys with guns.
Nonetheless, I give it a 👍. It will keep you hooked.
February 26, 2017
I've read all other Arthur Hailey Novels before this one, and this is by far the worst one. The only reason I finished it was because I had read the others. I did not care about any of the characters. The action sequences and who solved the problems seemed ridiculous. It just did not work for me on any level.
Read
August 11, 2019Nice. Once started feel like finishing quickly
October 5, 2023
Life events kept me from completing this one quicker—or, I just need to give myself permission to say a book was bad.
Bad in 2023, perhaps less so in 1990 when it was first published. In stores a decade before 9/11, The Evening News eerily predicts terrorism soon coming to America’s shores. Though the book opens on a plane crash, it otherwise was substantially mistaken in the type of terrorism we would see.
It is hard to imagine in the post-9/11 world of increased US security and information-sharing, and the existence of the internet, how this novel could play out the way it did in real life today. A news team undertakes an international rescue mission, the FBI is entirely impotent, and no other government agency or arm of the military is even mentioned.
Hailey tries to be Stephen King, with a jungle of character-development and lead-up to the action, but isn’t half the entertainer that King is, and I felt that much of the early material was expendable. A slow, agonizing tale unfolds as the story’s main crisis is revealed, while the climax occurs in only a handful of pages near the end. Villains are left unscathed, a less-than-satisfying finale.
Overall, the story comes off as extremely corny at times, which includes an irrelevant sex scene with secondary characters, and a confrontation that should have occurred much, much sooner.
That said, there were surprises here and there So bad or not, The Evening News was worth watching… eh, reading.
Bad in 2023, perhaps less so in 1990 when it was first published. In stores a decade before 9/11, The Evening News eerily predicts terrorism soon coming to America’s shores. Though the book opens on a plane crash, it otherwise was substantially mistaken in the type of terrorism we would see.
It is hard to imagine in the post-9/11 world of increased US security and information-sharing, and the existence of the internet, how this novel could play out the way it did in real life today. A news team undertakes an international rescue mission, the FBI is entirely impotent, and no other government agency or arm of the military is even mentioned.
Hailey tries to be Stephen King, with a jungle of character-development and lead-up to the action, but isn’t half the entertainer that King is, and I felt that much of the early material was expendable. A slow, agonizing tale unfolds as the story’s main crisis is revealed, while the climax occurs in only a handful of pages near the end. Villains are left unscathed, a less-than-satisfying finale.
Overall, the story comes off as extremely corny at times, which includes an irrelevant sex scene with secondary characters, and a confrontation that should have occurred much, much sooner.
That said, there were surprises here and there So bad or not, The Evening News was worth watching… eh, reading.
March 4, 2018
This was tough to put a rating on as it had a very engaging storyline, but had a ton of holes in what is supposed to be a "true to life" type of plot surrounding the kidnapping of a network nightime anchor's family. The portrayal of the news industry (in 2000 or so) was I'm sure pretty accurate - as with many things, real people in an unreal business. The juxtaposition of the busy corporate newsroom and the politics at play above them (which is now the norm but at the time was the new exception) with the simple lines involved with a kidnapping and the holding of hostages in a jungle were interesting, but there were times I thought "leave the kidnapping out of it - there's just not enough happening nor is it all that interesting".
I know there was a lesson in trying to compare the corporate greed that left people out to dry in the name of profit vs the straight line "kill and maim" of a radical group trying to show their seriousness, but it got lost a bit as some of the characters just didn't seem fully believable or were too caricature-like.
Definitely worth the read and mostly was non-stop in terms of making the pages turn, so put it somewhere in that 3.6 rounded up type of rating.
I know there was a lesson in trying to compare the corporate greed that left people out to dry in the name of profit vs the straight line "kill and maim" of a radical group trying to show their seriousness, but it got lost a bit as some of the characters just didn't seem fully believable or were too caricature-like.
Definitely worth the read and mostly was non-stop in terms of making the pages turn, so put it somewhere in that 3.6 rounded up type of rating.
October 30, 2017
A compelling, well written story with realistic and believable characters. The kidnapping of Sloane's family was horrific and the eventual demands made were never likely to be met. Time was the essence and Harry and his crew became single minded in finding the who, why, where and if possible rescuing Jessica, Nicky and Sloane's dad. They have no faith in the FBI, police, etc and intend to work on their own to get the full story but first to help a respected workmate. They discover the terrorist have spirited them away to Peru. A well planned an executed plan- near perfect by the terrorists but the human factor always leaves tell tale clues to those dedicated to finding them. Unfortunately CBA Tv news Services had recently been taken over by Globanic Industries and they were only interested in cutting costs and making money. Power and greed was their god. Harry's investigation was expensive and didn't give the publicity that they wanted. They wanted him sacked but were too late to stop him making the rescue attempt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews