The Hostage

Stratton #1

by Duncan Falconer

When an undercover operation monitoring the Real IRA goes horrifically wrong, British Intelligence turn to the one man who can get their agent out: Stratton, SBS operative with a lethal reputation. It's a dangerous race against time: if the Real IRA get to the Republic before Stratton gets to the Real IRA, his colleague is as good as dead.

But the battle in the Northern Ireland borders is just the beginning. For there can only be one way the Real IRA knew about the British agent: someone within MI5 is tipping them off. A surveillance mission is mounted in Paris to identify the mole but ends in disaster: Hank Munro, US Navy SEAL on secondment, is captured.

Munro's wife Kathryn is distraught, and her priest Father Kinsella is very supportive. Kinsella, though, is not the holy man he seems, and Kathryn becomes an unwitting part of a deadly Real IRA plan, a terror attack the likes of which London has never seen . . .

When Hank is inadvertently kidnapped by terrorists on an SBS 'safe op', Kathryn returns home to America, only to be manipulated by a priest and secret IRA godfather into playing a political role in the negotiations for Hank's release. Unknown to her she is to have a key part in the most destructive terrorist assault in Irish Republican history, one that holds the fate of hundreds of thousands of Londoners in its hands.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Military Fiction, Adventure, Espionage, Action, Ebooks

473 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2003

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1st book in the 'Stratton' series by Duncan Falconer. This series was recommended to me by one of my Goodread friends who noticed that I enjoyed the Stephen Leather books. After a fairly slow start where the characters are really introduced and developed I finally got into it and enjoyed it. I would imagine that this series will only get better as the characters become more familiar and padded out. A good read although a little slow in places.

[ab · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le quisiera dar al menos tres estrellas pero no puedo, responsablemente, NO es que sea malo, es que no es un reto, no me vi husmeando en el diccionario ni volviéndome loca tratando de entender la condición de cada personaje y sus motivos, sus descripciones humanas son menudas, se refieren más a circunstancias versus caracteres, el único misterio es Stratton, y por razones obvias, es el protagonista, la narración está bien, lees y ves el escenario, imaginas los personajes en carne no como imágenes animadas, entretiene, tiene sus momentos, el humor negro, el cinismo bélico,... El humor irlandés y el inglés permeados por desdén histórico pero no necesariamente sincero, lo primeros 10 capítulos OK, luego pierde tracción y es como en el vigésimo que arranca, o capaz en el vigésimo tercero, de todas formas, a quien le interese leerse los 8/9 libros de la serie no les desanimo, de hecho ahora paso a the Hijack, con buena expectativa. Las dos estrellas es por un asunto de técnica, puede ser mejor. De nuevo, First into Action que es no ficción me gustó bastante, de ahí le doy el chance a esta serie. Por cierto, esto es para quienes disfrutan a un Robert Ludlum o William Boyd, etc., si a ud no le gusta el género, esto no es lo suyo.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duncan Falconer was previously a Special Forces Operative and this definitely comes through in his writing. This is the first novel of his that I have read and it won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed The Hostage, which was action-packed from beginning to end and had a good storyline to boot.

[David Dalton · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me, this was a poor introduction to the character of Stratton. I was expecting something similar to the Cinemax TV series "Strikeback". Or, as a Stephen Leather fan I thought this might be something I would like. The ending was okay, but the author spent way too much time with the two American characters and I was not crazy about either one. The whiney housewife who hated being in England or her American SEAL husband. The wife complained WAY too much and to me, the SEAL never did anything close to being a SEAL. Just basically a hostage. I forced myself go prod on thru to the end, which made up for the boring middle part. Not really sure if I will read another Duncan Falconer book or not.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Emma Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read of Duncan’s and it was during a really stressful time in my life—the story helped me to escape reality as it was here that I was first introduced to the fictional world of special ops (told by a real ex SBS soldier) main male protagonist John Stratton, his band of brothers (and Aggy), on a journey that blended dark humour, tension and suspense in perfect balance. I was gripped from the start and could not put this book down. Also as an added bonus you don’t need to be military savvy to enjoy the story so it’s enjoyable for civilians too! 10/10 for Duncan Falconer with this not so little action hero gem!

[M.J. Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. An action packed thriller which was clearly penned by an experienced warrior who knew exactly what he was writing about. I love the way he does not feel the need to show off his knowledge with long, drawn out technical passages. The writing is fluid and easy, the action suspenseful and exciting, the characters real and gritty. I will definitely be reading more from this man and if I see him in my local, I'll be buying him a pint.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this to read because I saw the film version (called Stratton) and enjoyed it. Fortunately the novel had very little resemblance to the film but was well written with strong characters and plot line. It was a very good example of this thriller action but ... This is yet another story which uses the cliched sexual tension between characters who secretly crave each other but never actually tell each other and assume that know what the other person is thinking! This is such an annoying and ridiculously over-used plot device that ruins otherwise good action and mystery novels. I have stopped reading the Cormoran Strike series because of this; such a boring and frustrating cliche that ruins otherwise good stories. I will read more of the series but if this subplot continues, I am out of here!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fantastic nail biting action thriller from start to finish.

An introduction into the world of John Stratton and the elite British SBS. Stratton and his squad are on the hunt for a mole when the operation suddenly goes south and the team's forced to call of the hunt and go after a terrorist with a bomb that could kill thousands. But that's just a small part of what is a really great nail biting thriller. Duncan Falconer has used all his knowledge to write an absolutely cracking thriller that's a must read.

[Softbananas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 stars for 'The Hostage'.
Although a few holes in the story it held up overall. I even liked the character development which I felt really added to the story. I sometimes hate character dev. because it can be wasteful filler.
More Stratton for me in the future.

[Steve Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good bit of special forces action at the beginning, which was good, and an average story line throughout. a couple of twists to keep the suspense and keep you reading, but there are probably better books out there ... but an enjoyable holiday read.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than most series debut novels. The plot is well constructed with good pacing and action. The author provides tension throughout so there are no dead spots. The characters were credible but need to be developed in more depth as this series progresses.

[gillallinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full on action book

Good read for all those who love spies and secret services. Just couldn’t stop reading til the end always makes me wonder what goes on in the world we know nothing about

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable terrorist romp as we are introduced to our hero Stratton as he helps to put an end to a devilish plot to destroy London. It has certainly made me interested enough in the character to read the next one in the series.

[Vicki Klemm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the book, disliked the wife, Kathryn. Liked Stratton and Aggie.

[Ronnie Laws · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read from a ex SBS operator.

[Maureen Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

[Dave Livesey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will definitely read more

[The Villan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Gustambro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read, predictable at times but still enjoyable

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stratton, SBS and an active member of a special anti-IRA group becomes involved with stopping a virus attack on London.

[Mike Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book, gripping

[Corey Baltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 4 chapters, Stratton seems like a legend, or almost superhuman who does things on his own. Most books of this type have at least one character that stands above the rest, but Stratton seems too much. I will continue reading!

Edit: After finishing the book, Stratton now seems closer to normal. The movie will be interesting since it appears to be rather different from the book.

[Erth · Rating 4 out of 5]

now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.

The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.

i would highly recommend this author and this book.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duncan Falconer is an ex-Special Boat Service operative whose writing career has followed that of two other well-known ex-special forces guys, Chris Ryan and Andy McNab. He started off with FIRST INTO ACTION, an autobiographical account of his various tours of duty, and then hit the bestseller stands with a string of fictional spies, service guys and gung-ho action adventures primarily aimed at the male market. This one introduces tough guy Stratton who has so far appeared in a further three novels to date.

THE HOSTAGE is a great read. After years and years spent solely reading Ryan and McNab, it was really refreshing to tackle somebody with a different voice – and I think Falconer might well have the edge on his contemporaries. Although this book doesn’t have as much action as a typical Ryan book or as much depth and gritty detail as an average McNab, it contains a strong plot and some fantastic characterisation to make it an entertaining read. For a first-time novel, I thought it was absolutely brilliant.

Things kick off with an outrageously tense chase between the Real IRA and the SBS, as one of the good guys is lifted and it’s a race against time between a van and a helicopter to reach the Irish border first. From then on we’re thrown into a murky world of undercover espionage, as our heroes attempt to discover a mole leaking information about their projects while the bad guys have a sinister plan involving a biological attack on London up their sleeve.

One of the things I really liked was how the disparate plot strands – involving a murky Irish priest, a good-guy Navy SEAL on a two-year visit to England, the aforementioned hero, Stratton and the mole – eventually all fall into place. Things get better as they go along, leading to a two-tier climax which reaches the top level of entertainment: one thread is a re-run of Die Hard (or Under Siege if you will) with one guy tackling a shipful of villains – and heading towards a messy fate that the reader’s aware of but he isn’t – while other is top-notch stuff involving a chase through London and a stand-off on a double decker bus against a particularly unpleasant villain.

Stratton is one of my favourite book heroes yet – touch, taciturn, deadly and extremely intelligent – while the action is well-written and feels authentic. There’s no faulting Falconer’s style and on the strength of this one novel I’ll eagerly track down the rest of his work.

[Joe Stamber · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a former Special Forces operative himself, Duncan Falconer follows the maxim "write what you know about" and shows us how doing so can be both positive and negative. The incredibly exciting opening gets the reader's adrenalin going, but once it's over we are introduced to a new character and a more sedate setting. It is here that Falconer shows that he is not as comfortable dealing with life away from the action.

The reader is treated to another insight into the SF when the setting changes to a training camp. Falconer shows off his extensive knowledge once again in a section that is quite interesting but did feel a little bit like filler to me. In fact, many of the passages away from the missions were a bit patchy and flat in places.

On the contrary, Falconer obviously enjoys ramping up the tension and this is where he excels. Whenever the character of Stratton appears, the reader sits up and pays attention. The build up and playing out of the operations is genuinely exciting, and the lacklustre nature of some of the sedentary scenes is forgotten.

After finishing The Hostage, I discovered that it is the first in a series featuring Stratton. He is a very British alternative of the many U.S. action heroes, with the guile and the balls, but without the gung-ho showmanship. I'll definitely be looking Stratton up again. Overall, The Hostage averages out to a good 3 stars.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed the book l, story line and action where great! But a few little bits where slow and dare I say not needed and some of the more technical aspects of the weapons etc although technically correct where not things that would be routinely available or used by the military but made for good reading.
It reminds me a lot of the scarecrow books withe the action sequences but it does have a few plot twists all be them easy to spot, if your looking for a good old fashioned action book read it!

[Dee Haddrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to the series featuring Stratton, an MI5 operative who is known to do whatever it takes to complete a mission. After a successful operation, it is believed that there is a mole within MI5 and it's placed on Stratton to find that mole. When a visiting US SEAL is kidnapped during the mission, Stratton takes the initiative and is determined to get him back.

I love the character of Stratton. Flawed and multi-faceted, there is so much going on that you're left wanting to read more. Looking forward to reading the next book

[John Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first part of the book, I was really enjoying it, because it was all action, and you got a sense of urgency in the writing. Once it left Northern Ireland, it kinda bogged down, and I didn't really care as much about the characters at all. The end sequence was confusing, and made me want to yell at the characters, especially Hank for being so stupid..
However, I'll give his next books a go as I already own them, and hope the characterisations improve so I want to know more about them..

[Truscotsman72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyable. first time I've read anything by this author, and if this example is anything to go by then I'll be on the lookout for more by him. sas, mi5 macho army stuff, very similar to chris ryan novels. if you like ryans stuff, you'll love this. the headlining character is a cold hard bitter soldier named stratton. from what I've figures out theres quite a few stratton books whereas ryan concentrates on soldier groups as opposed to a solitary guy. one to read for sure