Operation Hell Gate

24 Declassified #1

by Marc Cerasini

This book is a paperback book.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Action, Mystery, Tv, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Best-selling author, Marc Cerasini has spent time on the New York Times and USA Today best-seller's lists. His writing spans from children's picture books and young adult novels to adult mystery and military nonfiction. Along the way, he's managed to ghostwrite for Tom Clancy.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm pretty big on 24, I wouldn't say I'm an ultra die-hard fan that needs a 24 fix between seasons. Hell I don't even watch the show on a regular basis, I wait till the DVD's come out and watch it all at once. My mom actually picked this up for me as a joke because my friends and I talk about Jack Bauer being so extreme.

So, needless to say, I didn't go into this book having high expectations. This book definitely met, then blew away my expectations. I couldn't put this thing down! The book is about a situation that happened well before Season 1, so I was sort of glad that it wasn't playing into the shows story-line specifically. The smartest thing this author did was have it take place outside of L.A, instead it was in New York City. By the time I was reading this, it was around Season 3 or so, so I was pretty tired of adventures in L.A. and it was great to see Jack outside of his realm.

It is written in pure 24 fashion with the the clock ticking away, except for the "prologue" part, which was really cool to see used because that definitely helped set up the action in the book. The story was fairly well developed and had all the random encounters that Jack always seems to get into, such as the case with the Bar Fight scenario. The book didn't let up it's intensity in the least, and I even found it more intense than some of the later seasons! This would have made an incredible season and it would've been great to see this. I don't want to discuss the story too much because, like 24, giving away too much ruins it for people.

If you want a very exciting read then I would definitely recommend this. The only problem Cerasini has at this point as an author is topping this novel in the next installments! Though I will always hold out hopes for a movie or a book series involving Jack's work with the CIA. I will say they brought Operation Nightfall into reality in comic book form, which was alright, but I want something bigger! However, at this point, I do look forward to reading the next novel!

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

You'd think an author who writes a book about a highly trained CTU agent wouldn't think a Glock can pass through airport security because it's "made of plastic". Psssst...hey Marc, the barrel is metal, the entire slide is metal, recoil spring, firing pin, bullets, all metal! There's more metal on a Glock than there is plastic. That statement is a basically a microcosm of how awful this novel is.

[Holli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book before and decided to actually finish it before I reviewed it. It's a decent read, despite the fact the author continually said ex-Marine (there is no such animal) rather than former Marine. I know a couple of them and one scared the life out of me when I said ex-Marine and he corrected me on that. As the author's blurb states he writes military nonfiction, he should know better. Also, one thing both Tony and Jessica should have known, you never remove a knife from a wound like that. If an artery was hit, it acts like a cork. Removing it removes the pressure and the person will bleed out in minutes in this case. A fast, if problematic, read; a decent book.

[Robert Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collection from this series is an easy quick read. The format is like the Television show, broken down into 24 chapters like each hour that passes and the flow of the story is smooth and action packed. These kind of books are my sweet treat after reading some heavy reading before hand. I love that there are books that simply entertain me like this novel.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

24's Kiefer Sutherland kicks but as usual, but this time in book form. As the story unfolds, hour by hour, we see the threat get more threatening from different character's points of view. Enjoyable and a quick read.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember reading this when I was huge on 24.

The book certainly has not stayed with me and did not keep me thinking afterwards but I remember it was a fun light read.

I have not read any of the other 24 books since and can not see me doing so.

[Bryan Thomas Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, solid, riproaring CTU adventure prequel to the TV show. Well done, capturing the characters, pace, and tone.

[Darrin Snider · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's almost everything the show was. Twisty, tense, bordering on ludicrous at times, but constantly moving so fast that any plot (or reality) inconsistencies are hopefully missed. Injuries miraculously recovered from and forgotten about in hours, instant plot-powered teleportation across locations, and a couple of pieces of technology that are ubiquitous now, but I may have to research, but I believe would border on science fiction in the late 90's when the story takes place. It does has the advantage of being able to skip the annoying C and D character's personal subplots the series had to have to fill run-times, but it also left out a lot of the tension at CTU. In fact, for the most part, everyone was getting along and working well together, which is bizarre considering it's a prequel to the four or five years the characters spent building up trust in each other.

[PANDA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly good for a tie in novel. It's well written and became a real page turner about a third of the way through. The thing that surprised me most was the plentiful use of foreshadowing. Just about everything is relevant and has a payoff. Marc Cerasini clearly put a lot of effort into this book and didn't write it for a quick paycheck.

This was honestly better than some seasons of the show and would have been really cool to see in live action, but something tells me the budget would have been way too high. Borderline must read if you want a glimpse at CTU during the early days, pre season one.

3.5/5

[Michael Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did struggle sometimes but on the whole, a good book.
What was REALLY annoying was where time slots were used, even more than the TV series, like down to two minutes and one second, FFS. The book would have been a lot better without any of them.
Afghans and other terrorists plan to bring down air planes unless airlines pay a huge ransom.
But behind this is bringing down a plane carrying influenza plague samples, which if released could kill millions of Americans.
Jack is framed for a number of murders by a traitor so The FBI, the police and others are after him, and they give CTU a hard time because of him.

[Kurt Milby · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good time waster on a boring day. It is mainly formatted with the same idea as the show. Jack Bauer has his twenty four hours to stop a catastrophic event. In this book each chapter is one passing hour. A great concept that was used well in the show to build tension and suspense but here time moves quickly.

In this book time moves fast and you get what you need from each chapter and quickly move on. I give it three stars for the equal amounts of disposable entertainment and the easily forgettable plot that it presents the reader.

[Colin Oaten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got around to the first in the series of books based on the show 24, detailing the early pre-season 1 career of jack Bauer. A good read, following the tried and tested formula of the show, and introducing some of the names that will become familiar to viewers, with some foreshadowing of how viewers know they end up in some cases. A fast-paced thriller, transplanting the bulk of the action to New York rather than the familiar Los Angeles setting.

[Adam Adler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was serviceable, but not spectacular. The central gimmick is that each chapter is an hour of the day. A nice idea in theory, but in practice, there isn't enough content to fill out each hour, resulting in a lot of unexplained dead space. There were also several threads and characters that didn't go anywhere.

[Sabastian Burlison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great addition to the 24 universe

Well this was a thrill! Took me a while to finish it but it was worth it. This novel had an interesting plot but the main selling point of course was that Jack Bauer is the main star of another 24 hour day in his life where he fights terrorists.

4/5

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in January

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good!!

[Melvin Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the show and books.

[Frank Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typos, exposition dumps, plot contrivances— This one needed a little more time in the oven and feels rushed at points. It has enough of the 24 experience to make things worthwhile.

[Perry Van Wesel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a series of the show. It doesn’t go as deep with characters and their motivation, but it does provide plenty of action

[Lukas Veil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is QUICK. Classic Bauer adventure.

[Liam Coyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a fan of the TV show 24 this was an absolute must own and read.Reading this felt exactly like the show from using the same the following takes place between this time and this time which makes me feel like I'm on the show. I liked the plot of the story where Jack had to stop corrupt FBI Agent Frank Hensley and IRA Terrorists The Lynch Brothers from working with Afghan Terrorists Taj Ali Kahili and his brother Khan Ali Kahili from using Anti- Aircraft Missiles on commercial airlines in America hoping it would damage the US Economy because the Terrorist Taj Ali Kahili wants revenge against the US for betraying his people during the Soviet Afghanistan War. The action was phenomenal and the excitement never ran out along with the fact they have chatacters like Nina Myers and Janey even though in Season 1 they were revealed to be traitors in the agency where Janey gave info about Jacks Family to Ira Gains Militia Group to kidnap them and Nina who was revealed to be a mole working for the Drazen Family while also killing Janey to make it look like a suicide. I loved the climax where jack took on the Terrorists and the part when it said Jack had a score to settle with Frank Hensley, where it means if Jack Bauer has a score to settle with Terrorists then they had better watch out. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of this awesome show

[Tammy King Carlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading two romances in a row, I needed something completely opposite - and as I am eagerly awaiting the new season of 24, this will feed my Jack Bauer withdrawal for now! - OK just finished, and really enjoyed it. It is hard to build the same suspense and do-or-die action the tv series creates, and it is very clear that these stories are not written by the same people who write the story lines for the show. But still, a fun romp, and nice way to fill the gap between seasons. My husband says he is going to get me a t-shirt for christmas that says "My other husband is Jack Bauer"! Either way, I am most certainly a CTU groupie.

[Randall Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

24 is one of my all-time favorite shows, and this definitely felt like 24. Some of the other books in the series haven't had the feel, but this one did. Bauer is a great character, and leaps off the page. The author stays true to the characters from the show, and does a good job of bringing the other characters to life as well. The plot was well-paced and had a few twists at the beginning, but stayed fairly predictable the rest of the way. The show does have a few more twists than this offered up, but overall it was a good read that I would recommend to any fan of 24. One of the best in the series, in my opinion.

[Michiel Bon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit spannende en actievolle boek weet vanaf de eerste pagina te boeien. De auteur combineert een snel tempo met een complexe plot vol intriges, waardoor het moeilijk is om het neer te leggen. De hoofdpersonages zijn goed uitgewerkt en de details rondom de militaire operaties en tactieken voelen authentiek, wat de spanning en geloofwaardigheid versterkt. De wendingen houden je op het puntje van je stoel, en de schrijfstijl is vlot en meeslepend. Voor liefhebbers van militaire thrillers is dit boek een absolute aanrader en een verhaal dat je nog lang bijblijft.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The funny thing is, it wasn't particularly well written. In fact, the writing was somewhat atrocious! But, and this is a very large but, it read just like an episode. And for those of us who can't get enough of 24, this was perfect!

I passed it along to my other half, and when he was done three gals at work enjoyed it, too. I have no idea where this book is now, I just hope that some 24 lover will get their claws dug into it like we did.

[Hechilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Jack Bauer, straight from the streets! While it is based off of a TV Show (which is usually not the best way to write a book), it is still decent writing. The story seems a little slow paced, but you also get more of Jack Bauer from the first couple of seasons - more calculating then reactive. Decent read if you are a 24 fan!

[Eric Zulueta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable first novel tackling the other days in the life of Jack Bauer.

It follows the tv show's formatting up to and including the "This happens between the hours of: xxx" portion.. I could almost hear the show's signature ticking clock sound effect.

Can't wait to read the next installment!

[Ed Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Bauer travels to NY with an FBI Agent and a captured terrorist. The plane they are on crashes and the terrorist escapes. A renegade FBI Agent shoots 2 other agents, then later blames the murders on Jack. So, while Jack is trying to locate the terrorists, both the FBI and NYPD are lookong for him.

[Evan Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty easy and breezy read that is fine enough for what it is. There's a lot of storytelling issues where they'll just randomly know where to go next or miraculously come up with info on something that moves the plot along quickly without any backing research or reason to how they came up with that.

[Andy Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like the tv show you'll like the book. Only negative for me is the language. They used profanity probably a dozen time. I just feel if you can write a 350 page book and use profanity 12 times you can be creative enough not to.