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L'ostaggio
Tre balordi rapinano una distributore di benzina e uccidono il gestore. Si barricano in una villa prendendo in ostaggio, senza saperlo, il contabile della mafia. Intorno alla casa c'è la polizia di Los Angeles, intorno alla polizia la mafia e intorno alla mafia l'FBI.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2001
1384 people are currently reading
2676 people want to read
About the author
Robert Crais
180 books4,570 followers Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a secondhand paperback of Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister when he was fifteen, which inspired his lifelong love of writing, Los Angeles, and the literature of crime fiction. Other literary influences include Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Robert B. Parker, and John Steinbeck.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 623 reviews
July 21, 2020
This is one of my favorites of Robert Crais (and Crais is one of my go-to crime writers). It's not an Elvis Cole or Joe Pike. Hollywood also made a pretty good movie out of it with Bruce Willis. This book has a special place on my book shelf. My wife and I volunteered and put on the auction at The Southern California Crime Writers Conference where Crais was a special guest. I purchased (for way too much money) a copy of The Hostage in manuscript form. He was kind enough to sign it for me.
If you like crime novels I highly recommend this one.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
If you like crime novels I highly recommend this one.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
April 13, 2025
SE LE UCCIDI, TI AMMAZZO
L’eroe
Non all’altezza dell’altro suo romanzo che ho letto – che era poi il suo debutto nella narrativa (1987) – quel The Monkey’s Raincoat – Corrida a Los Angeles, che film non è mai diventato - e invece questo Hostage - in realtà gli ostaggi sono almeno tre, ma anzi cinque, a meno di non voler considerarne due come prigionieri più che ostaggi, e a meno di non voler considerare il protagonista, tra l’incudine e il martello, come il vero ostaggio – questo (2001) è diventato un film con protagonista Bruce Willis, un attore che mi toglie la voglia di andare al cinema, sempre considerato mediocre, e neppure simpatico.
Un film anche cospicuo, che però fa rimpiangere il romanzo, perché esagera, perché paga pegno alla sua star, perché diventa una specie di horror con personaggi che non muoiono mai, tornano a sollevarsi come se risorgessero dalla tomba, nonostante un pugnale piantata in faccia, almeno un proiettile in zona vitale del busto, e fiamme e fuoco tutt’intorno. Quando si discosta dal libro, non guadagna: sullo schermo il finale non avrebbe potuto essere diverso, l’eroe deve comportarsi da tale, mentre il romanzo riesce qui a essere un filo più realistico, meno eccessivo.
I balordi con un ostaggio. Quello sul fondo con i capelli lunghi è Ben Foster.
Al romanzo mi viene invece da imputare qualche pagina in corsivo assolutamente inutile, ma per fortuna sono poche – come nella maggior parte dei casi lo sono le pagine in corsivo, quanto vorrei che lo capissero gli scrittori di gialli e noir – un eccesso di personaggi e nomi propri, che però non impediscono di seguire il filo del racconto, la suddivisione in paragrafi, che consente a Crais di sviluppare a fondo ogni singolo personaggio, ma appesantisce la lettura con la ripetizione di varie azioni narrate da diversi punti di vista.
Ma tutto sommato, solidità di trama, sviluppo, scrittura funzionale, abilità nel portare in porto il compito. Insomma, più mestiere che ispirazione, più artigianato che arte. Comunque, viva l’artigianato in quest’epoca post-capitalistica, globalizzata e amazonizzata che lo sta asfaltando, spianando, uccidendo.
Bruce Willis/Jeff Talley con la figlia Amanda.
Però, anche il romanzo ha i suoi problemi. Qualcuno già detto: aggiungerei che c’è forse troppa carne al fuoco. Il protagonista, con la sua storia e il suo passato, e quindi moglie e figlia; gli abitanti della casa presi in ostaggio; i tre balordi rapinatori che li prendono in ostaggio, con le loro storie presenti e passate; poliziotti a go go, con le loro caratteristiche individuali; i mafiosi, i sicari, sia della costa ovest che di quella est. Insomma, tanta roba, probabilmente troppa. Un buon meccanismo, se non altro ben congegnato: ma per me poche sorprese, più che altro routine.
Il delitto, un crimine , la violenza rappresentano il caos. L’indagine, la risoluzione del caos, il disvelamento del mistero rappresentano il ritorno dell’ordine e dell’armonia. Tutto diventa chiaro , tutto viene spiegato, e il mondo ricomincia ad andare bene. E si dimostra che il Male può essere sconfitto.
L’eroe
Non all’altezza dell’altro suo romanzo che ho letto – che era poi il suo debutto nella narrativa (1987) – quel The Monkey’s Raincoat – Corrida a Los Angeles, che film non è mai diventato - e invece questo Hostage - in realtà gli ostaggi sono almeno tre, ma anzi cinque, a meno di non voler considerarne due come prigionieri più che ostaggi, e a meno di non voler considerare il protagonista, tra l’incudine e il martello, come il vero ostaggio – questo (2001) è diventato un film con protagonista Bruce Willis, un attore che mi toglie la voglia di andare al cinema, sempre considerato mediocre, e neppure simpatico.
Un film anche cospicuo, che però fa rimpiangere il romanzo, perché esagera, perché paga pegno alla sua star, perché diventa una specie di horror con personaggi che non muoiono mai, tornano a sollevarsi come se risorgessero dalla tomba, nonostante un pugnale piantata in faccia, almeno un proiettile in zona vitale del busto, e fiamme e fuoco tutt’intorno. Quando si discosta dal libro, non guadagna: sullo schermo il finale non avrebbe potuto essere diverso, l’eroe deve comportarsi da tale, mentre il romanzo riesce qui a essere un filo più realistico, meno eccessivo.
I balordi con un ostaggio. Quello sul fondo con i capelli lunghi è Ben Foster.
Al romanzo mi viene invece da imputare qualche pagina in corsivo assolutamente inutile, ma per fortuna sono poche – come nella maggior parte dei casi lo sono le pagine in corsivo, quanto vorrei che lo capissero gli scrittori di gialli e noir – un eccesso di personaggi e nomi propri, che però non impediscono di seguire il filo del racconto, la suddivisione in paragrafi, che consente a Crais di sviluppare a fondo ogni singolo personaggio, ma appesantisce la lettura con la ripetizione di varie azioni narrate da diversi punti di vista.
Ma tutto sommato, solidità di trama, sviluppo, scrittura funzionale, abilità nel portare in porto il compito. Insomma, più mestiere che ispirazione, più artigianato che arte. Comunque, viva l’artigianato in quest’epoca post-capitalistica, globalizzata e amazonizzata che lo sta asfaltando, spianando, uccidendo.
Bruce Willis/Jeff Talley con la figlia Amanda.
Però, anche il romanzo ha i suoi problemi. Qualcuno già detto: aggiungerei che c’è forse troppa carne al fuoco. Il protagonista, con la sua storia e il suo passato, e quindi moglie e figlia; gli abitanti della casa presi in ostaggio; i tre balordi rapinatori che li prendono in ostaggio, con le loro storie presenti e passate; poliziotti a go go, con le loro caratteristiche individuali; i mafiosi, i sicari, sia della costa ovest che di quella est. Insomma, tanta roba, probabilmente troppa. Un buon meccanismo, se non altro ben congegnato: ma per me poche sorprese, più che altro routine.
Il delitto, un crimine , la violenza rappresentano il caos. L’indagine, la risoluzione del caos, il disvelamento del mistero rappresentano il ritorno dell’ordine e dell’armonia. Tutto diventa chiaro , tutto viene spiegato, e il mondo ricomincia ad andare bene. E si dimostra che il Male può essere sconfitto.
January 18, 2013
See what happens when you don’t lock your front door?
Three young lowlifes rob a convenience store, and they end up running into a house where they take a father and his two children hostage. This brings up a lot of bad memories for the local police chief, Jeff Talley. Talley used to be a LAPD hostage negotiator, but quit after a particularly bad day at the office. The job on a small town police department was supposed to be a quiet way for him to try and get his life back together, but the situation forces him back into his old role as a negotiator.
Just to put the cherry on top of this crap sundae, the father being held hostage is the accountant for some mobsters and was in possession of records that could send them all to prison so naturally they don’t want the police getting their hands on them, and the gangsters start working on a plan to force Talley to help their cause.
I had supremely bad timing on this book because it’s a page turner, and circumstances forced me to read in it in small increments so I was in a state of constant frustration wanting to know what would happen next. Crais takes a pretty outlandish concept and makes it work by immediately bringing the plot to a boil and then sustaining the momentum and tension for the rest of the book.
There isn’t a lot of room for character building in a story like this, but Talley works OK as the classic hero-haunted-by-a-tragedy. The hostage takers are well done as being a mixed bag of scared, stupid and crazy, and the various mob guys make serviceable villains.
All in all, it’s a dandy thriller that again shows that Crais can do some entertaining crime stories other than his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series.
Three young lowlifes rob a convenience store, and they end up running into a house where they take a father and his two children hostage. This brings up a lot of bad memories for the local police chief, Jeff Talley. Talley used to be a LAPD hostage negotiator, but quit after a particularly bad day at the office. The job on a small town police department was supposed to be a quiet way for him to try and get his life back together, but the situation forces him back into his old role as a negotiator.
Just to put the cherry on top of this crap sundae, the father being held hostage is the accountant for some mobsters and was in possession of records that could send them all to prison so naturally they don’t want the police getting their hands on them, and the gangsters start working on a plan to force Talley to help their cause.
I had supremely bad timing on this book because it’s a page turner, and circumstances forced me to read in it in small increments so I was in a state of constant frustration wanting to know what would happen next. Crais takes a pretty outlandish concept and makes it work by immediately bringing the plot to a boil and then sustaining the momentum and tension for the rest of the book.
There isn’t a lot of room for character building in a story like this, but Talley works OK as the classic hero-haunted-by-a-tragedy. The hostage takers are well done as being a mixed bag of scared, stupid and crazy, and the various mob guys make serviceable villains.
All in all, it’s a dandy thriller that again shows that Crais can do some entertaining crime stories other than his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series.
January 23, 2013
When a convenience store robbery takes an ugly turn, the three perpetrators take a family hostage, leaving small town police chief Jeff Talley to sort the mess out. Is Talley, whose life fell apart after a failed hostage situation years earlier, up to the task?
Much like with Demolition Angel, I have to admit that I was skeptical about Hostage, one of Robert Crais' standalone books. Like with Demolition Angel, I had nothing to worry about.
Hostage is the tale of several hostage situations. The Smith family are held hostage by Dennis Rooney and the gang after their robbery, Jeff Talley is held hostage by his own past, and... well, I hold off on mentioning the hostage situation in the book.
Hostage is a page turner of the highest magnitude. Crais uses frequent viewpoint shifts to great affect. While the shifts sometimes annoy me in his other books, they are perfectly used here. Twist after twist come flying at Talley and the reader, some obvious, others coming out of left field. The only way it would have been harder to put down was if it were handcuffed to my wrist.
Talley is a great lead character, plagued with doubts and concerns for his estranged family. The villains are well done, a believable bunch of fairly clueless criminals, although there's much more to Mars than originally indicated.
Once again, Crais delivered the goods. I'm not planning on watching the movie adaptation starring Bruce Willis, though.
Much like with Demolition Angel, I have to admit that I was skeptical about Hostage, one of Robert Crais' standalone books. Like with Demolition Angel, I had nothing to worry about.
Hostage is the tale of several hostage situations. The Smith family are held hostage by Dennis Rooney and the gang after their robbery, Jeff Talley is held hostage by his own past, and... well, I hold off on mentioning the hostage situation in the book.
Hostage is a page turner of the highest magnitude. Crais uses frequent viewpoint shifts to great affect. While the shifts sometimes annoy me in his other books, they are perfectly used here. Twist after twist come flying at Talley and the reader, some obvious, others coming out of left field. The only way it would have been harder to put down was if it were handcuffed to my wrist.
Talley is a great lead character, plagued with doubts and concerns for his estranged family. The villains are well done, a believable bunch of fairly clueless criminals, although there's much more to Mars than originally indicated.
Once again, Crais delivered the goods. I'm not planning on watching the movie adaptation starring Bruce Willis, though.
October 31, 2021
For the second book in a row, Robert Crais takes a break from his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series to write a stand-alone suspense novel. This one features Jeff Talley, a former hostage negotiator with the L.A.P.D. After a particularly devastating hostage crisis, Talley hangs it up and leaves the force, leaving his wife and child as well. He moves out to a very small community, Bristo Camino, north of L.A. He takes a job as chief of the town's tiny police department thinking that he will live in the slow lane for a while while he attempt to get his life back in order.
Wrong.
When three scumbags rob a minimart, killing the employee who was manning the store, they race away only to have their piece-of-crap pickup truck break down behind the walls of a wealthy gated community. The three leap over the wall and invade a house, planning to steal a vehicle in which to continue making their escape. But before they can do so, Jeff Talley's cops have their escape route cut off.
The three take refuge in the house, holding a father and his two children hostage. Before long, they are totally surrounded and their chances of getting away safely are nil. If that weren't bad enough, it turns out that the house they have broken into belongs to the accountant for a major mob of criminals. There's over a million dollars in cash in the house. Even more important, there are also computer discs with records that could bring down several major figures in the mob.
In short order, then, the mobsters also have people on the scene who will stop at nothing to get their discs safely out of the house before the cops gain control of the situation and find the money and the discs themselves. And caught in the middle of all of this is poor Jeff Talley who has basically climbed out of the frying pan and into the fire.
This is a fairly decent suspense novel with a large cast of characters and a lot of moving parts, but it requires a huge suspension of disbelief and in the end there were just too many implausible developments for me to totally buy into the story. I was constantly pulled out of it by things that stretched my imagination beyond reasonable limits. The book also ran a bit long for my taste and with seventy-five or eighty pages left I was running out of patience with it. A reasonably good book but not one of my favorites from Robert Crais.
Wrong.
When three scumbags rob a minimart, killing the employee who was manning the store, they race away only to have their piece-of-crap pickup truck break down behind the walls of a wealthy gated community. The three leap over the wall and invade a house, planning to steal a vehicle in which to continue making their escape. But before they can do so, Jeff Talley's cops have their escape route cut off.
The three take refuge in the house, holding a father and his two children hostage. Before long, they are totally surrounded and their chances of getting away safely are nil. If that weren't bad enough, it turns out that the house they have broken into belongs to the accountant for a major mob of criminals. There's over a million dollars in cash in the house. Even more important, there are also computer discs with records that could bring down several major figures in the mob.
In short order, then, the mobsters also have people on the scene who will stop at nothing to get their discs safely out of the house before the cops gain control of the situation and find the money and the discs themselves. And caught in the middle of all of this is poor Jeff Talley who has basically climbed out of the frying pan and into the fire.
This is a fairly decent suspense novel with a large cast of characters and a lot of moving parts, but it requires a huge suspension of disbelief and in the end there were just too many implausible developments for me to totally buy into the story. I was constantly pulled out of it by things that stretched my imagination beyond reasonable limits. The book also ran a bit long for my taste and with seventy-five or eighty pages left I was running out of patience with it. A reasonably good book but not one of my favorites from Robert Crais.
October 28, 2021
Loved it! One of Robert Crais best books! I was hooked from the beginning!
Excellent plot twists and character development.
The story begins with three men robbing a convenience store. When things don't go as planned the three guys run to a neighborhood home and take a family hostage. The home owner happens to be an accountant for the mob.
Thrilling!
Excellent plot twists and character development.
The story begins with three men robbing a convenience store. When things don't go as planned the three guys run to a neighborhood home and take a family hostage. The home owner happens to be an accountant for the mob.
Thrilling!
September 10, 2020
3.5
Listening to this was such an experience!
We follow a few perspectives in this one. The book kicks off with a very intense hostage situation. A great way to start off because it got my heart beating. Here we are introduced to hostage negotiator, Talley.
In the next scene, three individuals are somewhat introduced to the story. One of them comes up with the intelligent decision to rob a quickie mart and ropes the other two into helping him. They kill the store attendant and flee the scene. Without success. Somehow they end up holding a family hostage as collateral and..it just escalates from there. Soon, Talley is using his mind skills to negotiate with the hostage-takers but things get complicated when one of them finds something in the house..and how did the mafia get in the picture?
I loved the narrator's voice and accent in this one.
Listening to this was such an experience!
We follow a few perspectives in this one. The book kicks off with a very intense hostage situation. A great way to start off because it got my heart beating. Here we are introduced to hostage negotiator, Talley.
In the next scene, three individuals are somewhat introduced to the story. One of them comes up with the intelligent decision to rob a quickie mart and ropes the other two into helping him. They kill the store attendant and flee the scene. Without success. Somehow they end up holding a family hostage as collateral and..it just escalates from there. Soon, Talley is using his mind skills to negotiate with the hostage-takers but things get complicated when one of them finds something in the house..and how did the mafia get in the picture?
I loved the narrator's voice and accent in this one.
May 20, 2020
What a rollercoaster of a book, non-stop thrills, and edge-of-your-seat suspense!
Former Hostage Negotiator Jeff Talley who has left the life of Los Angelis after the horrors and failing to save the life of a young boy during a Hostage situation, now the Police Chief in the suburban fictitious town of Bristo Camino, Talley is hoping to move to a more quiet life. One afternoon, 3 carjackers rob a convenience store and kill the cashier, fleeing from the Police, they take refuge in a home within a gated community. The house is owned by Walter Smith, who lives with his wife (who is away in Florida) and his son and daughter, Thomas and Jennifer. Talley is called to the scene as Chief of Police, with the Sheriff's Department now taking over the situation, Talley leaves the scene.
But now Talley has a bigger problem, the house that the carjackers have taken over contains dirty secrets connecting to the Mafia. Sonny Benza, the crime lord who's records are in the household, orders Talley's wife and daughter to be taken hostage, forcing Talley to return to the scene as Negotiator until Benza's men arrive to storm the house, and get what they want. Talley is now thrown back into the life he thought he had left forever, and is facing his worst nightmare. Not only does he have his family's life on the line, but the Smith family as well.
Very suspenseful and thrilling up to the very last page! I enjoy Robert Crais style of writing and look forward to reading more of his books in the future, especially the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series!
PS, Hostage was also made into a movie starring Bruce Willis, which was also great, with Ben Foster playing a terrifying villain!
Former Hostage Negotiator Jeff Talley who has left the life of Los Angelis after the horrors and failing to save the life of a young boy during a Hostage situation, now the Police Chief in the suburban fictitious town of Bristo Camino, Talley is hoping to move to a more quiet life. One afternoon, 3 carjackers rob a convenience store and kill the cashier, fleeing from the Police, they take refuge in a home within a gated community. The house is owned by Walter Smith, who lives with his wife (who is away in Florida) and his son and daughter, Thomas and Jennifer. Talley is called to the scene as Chief of Police, with the Sheriff's Department now taking over the situation, Talley leaves the scene.
But now Talley has a bigger problem, the house that the carjackers have taken over contains dirty secrets connecting to the Mafia. Sonny Benza, the crime lord who's records are in the household, orders Talley's wife and daughter to be taken hostage, forcing Talley to return to the scene as Negotiator until Benza's men arrive to storm the house, and get what they want. Talley is now thrown back into the life he thought he had left forever, and is facing his worst nightmare. Not only does he have his family's life on the line, but the Smith family as well.
Very suspenseful and thrilling up to the very last page! I enjoy Robert Crais style of writing and look forward to reading more of his books in the future, especially the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series!
PS, Hostage was also made into a movie starring Bruce Willis, which was also great, with Ben Foster playing a terrifying villain!
September 19, 2025
Robert Crais is one of my all-time favorite authors and I don't think I've read a bad book by him. I missed this one because I saw the movie years ago, but honestly, I don't remember much about the movie except the opening scene, and the book was awesome. The narrator was terrific -- Luke Daniels had done a few of the Elvis Cole books. The only (small) thing I didn't like was the he used the Joe Pike voice for one of the bad guys so it took me awhile to get used to that.
Talley is a terrific character -- authentic, broken, tragic, and ultimately a hero. The two kids (hostages) and the bad guys in the house were all very realistic. And even though it was written 20+ years ago, it holds up.
Listened to the audio book at 1.1X speed.
Talley is a terrific character -- authentic, broken, tragic, and ultimately a hero. The two kids (hostages) and the bad guys in the house were all very realistic. And even though it was written 20+ years ago, it holds up.
Listened to the audio book at 1.1X speed.
November 10, 2015
Very different from the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike,but very enjoyable! This book what a versatile writer Robert Crais is. Action from the start to the finish with enough twists to keep the reader turning pages.
August 18, 2022
This was an audiobook, I listened to while working in the garden, the yard and while watering the trees in drought-stricken Texas. It's a story about a hostage negotiator, a mob boss, his dirty accountant, and three hoods who are on the run b/c of a botched convenience store hold up.
An honest negotiator gets but into a situation where his family kidnapped and taken hostage and the dirty accountant gets his family taken hostage by the three dimwitted hoods after they kill the convenience store clerk, freak out and break into the home of the dirty accountant and take the family hostage.
Cryptic clues: Watch out for "Mars"-- he's a real piece of work. Marion pulls a surprise at the end. Martin is dirty and Tally, the negotiator, ends up ... you gotta read the book to find out :)
An honest negotiator gets but into a situation where his family kidnapped and taken hostage and the dirty accountant gets his family taken hostage by the three dimwitted hoods after they kill the convenience store clerk, freak out and break into the home of the dirty accountant and take the family hostage.
Cryptic clues: Watch out for "Mars"-- he's a real piece of work. Marion pulls a surprise at the end. Martin is dirty and Tally, the negotiator, ends up ... you gotta read the book to find out :)
July 24, 2020
Notes:
Low end of 3 Stars
This one was not as interesting. It would have been more fun as a B flick action movie. That's more or less how I think of Crais' books. Decent action flicks in book format.
Low end of 3 Stars
This one was not as interesting. It would have been more fun as a B flick action movie. That's more or less how I think of Crais' books. Decent action flicks in book format.
April 15, 2025
I think this might be the only Robert Crais book I hadn't read as of this date. I guess I'm a fan, especially of his Elvis Cole series. So, I expected a good read, and I got it.
It starts out with three total losers deciding on the spur of the moment to rob a Quick Mart convenience store. The apparent leader was the older brother of one of the others, and recently out of prison. His younger brother not such a bad guy, but overly influenced by his big brother. The other is just some guy they met recently who doesn't seem to have much to say about anything.
They think it will be easy, because the proprietor is just some meek Asian who will give them whatever they want. But this meek Asian was tired of getting robbed, so he had a gun ready when he saw them, as they were a bit obvious in what they might do. Unfortunately for all, the gun was no help, and the (mis)adventure begins. They escape, wounding a policeman, their car breaks down outside a gated community where they climb over the fence and break into a house intending to steal a car. Things go downhill, mostly due to the big brother who reacts violently whenever things don't go his way. And to make matters worse, the house they break into belongs to an accountant for the mob who has some very incriminating material, and the mob doesn't want it to be discovered by police when the train finishes its wreck.
It's a bit amazing how much trouble this small-time trio causes by the end of the story, but it makes for some good reading.
It starts out with three total losers deciding on the spur of the moment to rob a Quick Mart convenience store. The apparent leader was the older brother of one of the others, and recently out of prison. His younger brother not such a bad guy, but overly influenced by his big brother. The other is just some guy they met recently who doesn't seem to have much to say about anything.
They think it will be easy, because the proprietor is just some meek Asian who will give them whatever they want. But this meek Asian was tired of getting robbed, so he had a gun ready when he saw them, as they were a bit obvious in what they might do. Unfortunately for all, the gun was no help, and the (mis)adventure begins. They escape, wounding a policeman, their car breaks down outside a gated community where they climb over the fence and break into a house intending to steal a car. Things go downhill, mostly due to the big brother who reacts violently whenever things don't go his way. And to make matters worse, the house they break into belongs to an accountant for the mob who has some very incriminating material, and the mob doesn't want it to be discovered by police when the train finishes its wreck.
It's a bit amazing how much trouble this small-time trio causes by the end of the story, but it makes for some good reading.
March 1, 2017
28/85, 3 stars ***
I haven't read Robert Crais in years and had forgotten how much I enjoyed his work. This one though lost a star due to 'waffle' - the first 1/3 was great, the second 1/3 went on and on and got quite boring tbh, then the third 1/3 took off again. I remember being quite partial to his Elvis Cole books however, so I probably won't let the waffle put me off and will indeed hunt out more of his that I haven't previously read ;)
I haven't read Robert Crais in years and had forgotten how much I enjoyed his work. This one though lost a star due to 'waffle' - the first 1/3 was great, the second 1/3 went on and on and got quite boring tbh, then the third 1/3 took off again. I remember being quite partial to his Elvis Cole books however, so I probably won't let the waffle put me off and will indeed hunt out more of his that I haven't previously read ;)
February 1, 2024
This was a great thriller. I found it to be very fast paced, loved the characters, the plot, and I especially loved the twists in this book. I definitely recommend this to any thriller lovers out there.
March 20, 2021
This is the one and only book I have read by this author but based on this I'm not sure I would be prepared to offer a second chance. I found it took me a long time to read despite me usually finishing a book in a day or two. I just couldn't get into it at all! I found it boring, dragged out and a bit of an anti climax none of it really made a great deal of sense!
Why get to chief of police if you already have the Sheriff on board? it seemed pointless when the chief had left the scene and your bent sheriff is in control why kidnap his kids, send him back and make him take over control again? Why not just use what you have in place already. The character of mars was also disappointing here we are just found out what a psycho he is keeping his mums head in the fridge and what not and the next minute he kills everyone quite calmly and then he's dead himself.
Very very disappointing
Why get to chief of police if you already have the Sheriff on board? it seemed pointless when the chief had left the scene and your bent sheriff is in control why kidnap his kids, send him back and make him take over control again? Why not just use what you have in place already. The character of mars was also disappointing here we are just found out what a psycho he is keeping his mums head in the fridge and what not and the next minute he kills everyone quite calmly and then he's dead himself.
Very very disappointing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2014
I don't think that there could be any more stupid criminals as the three in this book. They bumble from one crime to another, stumbling from killing a man and a stop and rob to taking hostages at the mobs accountant's house. Can you say bye-bye frying pan, hello fire. It is at this point that everything becomes a clusterf*ck.
The cops are there, headed by the Chief of Police, who escaped a bad SWAT/Hostage Negotiation situation in LA. Once the mob realizes what is going on they send in so many people that you don't know who is dirty and who is really trying to help those trapped in the house. The Chief seems to take it from every angle, at times you feel sorry for him, at others you want to slap him upside the head.
While the book was filled with lots of twists and action I got really tired of all the story being told from just about every characters POV, I think it would have been better in 3rd person.
The cops are there, headed by the Chief of Police, who escaped a bad SWAT/Hostage Negotiation situation in LA. Once the mob realizes what is going on they send in so many people that you don't know who is dirty and who is really trying to help those trapped in the house. The Chief seems to take it from every angle, at times you feel sorry for him, at others you want to slap him upside the head.
While the book was filled with lots of twists and action I got really tired of all the story being told from just about every characters POV, I think it would have been better in 3rd person.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2008
I actually found this book in a hostel in London. I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. I don't know if it was because it was the end of my trip and I was tired of walking or if it was really that good. It kept my attention if anything.
October 24, 2025
5 Stars. Another great Crais book. This one, too, could be a series starter but I don’t think it will happen.
This was a true thriller. The tension never really let up. The characters and small mysteries were all very well written. Just a great read.
This was a true thriller. The tension never really let up. The characters and small mysteries were all very well written. Just a great read.
April 5, 2019
One of the better suspense books I've ever read.
Three thugs botch a convenience store robbery and a man is shot. Now they're on the run and hole in a wealthy man's home, who happens to be there with his son and daughter. Chief of Police in this small, sleepy town, Jeff Talley, is a former SWAT and hostage negotiator who is battling personal demons from a bad negotiation years prior in LA. Now, he's thrust into the very thing he was hoping to escape, and until the Sheriffs can get there, it's all on him.
But wait, there's more!
The wealthy man in the home with his children has something some very powerful people want. Were on their way to pick up as a matter of fact. And now with police and media surrounding the place, things could get out of control and bring them all down. But Talley has a weakness, and they know how to squeeze.
This is a wild, fun, intense ride right from the start. It doesn't take much time before the action starts, and it never wavers as the tension rises to a crescendo with the white knuckle ending. I saw the movie years ago with Bruce Willis, not realizing then it was a book first. It's been long enough since seeing the film (which I very much liked) that I was somewhat fresh coming into this. There were certainly some significant changes from book to film, but I was able to appreciate each on their own in their respective mediums. If you want suspense that really pings, this novel has it in spades. Good action scenes, dialogue, and the complexity of the plot makes an already tense novel a real terrifier. You can feel Jeff's fear for what he's been thrust into and the author handled his PTSD very well and realistically.
Anyway, great book, worth every page, and I'll be reading more from Crais. I've read a couple of his Elvis Cole & Joe Pike novels before, but this is miles above those. 'Terrific' just doesn't do it justice.
Three thugs botch a convenience store robbery and a man is shot. Now they're on the run and hole in a wealthy man's home, who happens to be there with his son and daughter. Chief of Police in this small, sleepy town, Jeff Talley, is a former SWAT and hostage negotiator who is battling personal demons from a bad negotiation years prior in LA. Now, he's thrust into the very thing he was hoping to escape, and until the Sheriffs can get there, it's all on him.
But wait, there's more!
The wealthy man in the home with his children has something some very powerful people want. Were on their way to pick up as a matter of fact. And now with police and media surrounding the place, things could get out of control and bring them all down. But Talley has a weakness, and they know how to squeeze.
This is a wild, fun, intense ride right from the start. It doesn't take much time before the action starts, and it never wavers as the tension rises to a crescendo with the white knuckle ending. I saw the movie years ago with Bruce Willis, not realizing then it was a book first. It's been long enough since seeing the film (which I very much liked) that I was somewhat fresh coming into this. There were certainly some significant changes from book to film, but I was able to appreciate each on their own in their respective mediums. If you want suspense that really pings, this novel has it in spades. Good action scenes, dialogue, and the complexity of the plot makes an already tense novel a real terrifier. You can feel Jeff's fear for what he's been thrust into and the author handled his PTSD very well and realistically.
Anyway, great book, worth every page, and I'll be reading more from Crais. I've read a couple of his Elvis Cole & Joe Pike novels before, but this is miles above those. 'Terrific' just doesn't do it justice.
May 3, 2013
Excellent thriller,the author keeps thing moving very quickly, lots of action and great storylines!
August 13, 2017
Good book, but not up to par (in my opinion) with the Elvis and Joe series or the spin off's from that series. Good stand alone book, but very unbelievable to me.
February 5, 2022
This is my first Robert Crais and boy did I pick a good one! Balls to the wall nonstop action thriller! Highly recommended if you want to be glued to its pages.
July 4, 2020
A suspense filled action thriller with lots of little surprises along the way; that once it got going, kept me enthralled.
October 22, 2022
just started the book this morning. there were 3 boys, 2 brothers robbed a gas station. they killed the owner and took off in their truck which died on the side of the road. they hopped the wall and entered a house with a teen daughter, younger brother and father who seems to be mixed up in something as he thought they were sent by someone else
a cop figured out they were in the house, they shot him while he was out front. the other cops came to his rescue and dragged him into the car and to the ambulance
the cop in charge was a hostage negotiator but quit his job after the last hostage killed his wife, son and self. he was unable to pull himself out of his depression and his wife and daughter had hoped he would. he moved to a small town,...now where the hostages are in the house with the 3 boys.
the kid hit the dad on the head, hes unconscious. the third boy, max, theres something wrong with him, psyco. the brother of the girl in the house got her cell phone and managed to make a call to the police but had to hang up
the mob is involved cause the dad of the house was doing money laundering for them. they need to get the disks out of the house before the police see it. they have the bad guys trying to get in there by taking the cops wife and daughter hostage. hes trying to save them
he manages to save his wife and daughter, the two kids in the house. everyone else pretty much dead. it was really a good book and i enjoyed it alot. he turned one of the disks to the bad guys to get his wife and daughter, the other disk to the real fbi to use against the mob who were busy killing each other off
a cop figured out they were in the house, they shot him while he was out front. the other cops came to his rescue and dragged him into the car and to the ambulance
the cop in charge was a hostage negotiator but quit his job after the last hostage killed his wife, son and self. he was unable to pull himself out of his depression and his wife and daughter had hoped he would. he moved to a small town,...now where the hostages are in the house with the 3 boys.
the kid hit the dad on the head, hes unconscious. the third boy, max, theres something wrong with him, psyco. the brother of the girl in the house got her cell phone and managed to make a call to the police but had to hang up
the mob is involved cause the dad of the house was doing money laundering for them. they need to get the disks out of the house before the police see it. they have the bad guys trying to get in there by taking the cops wife and daughter hostage. hes trying to save them
he manages to save his wife and daughter, the two kids in the house. everyone else pretty much dead. it was really a good book and i enjoyed it alot. he turned one of the disks to the bad guys to get his wife and daughter, the other disk to the real fbi to use against the mob who were busy killing each other off
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2011
If our count is correct, the Crais booklist stands at about 16 novels – comprised mostly of his popular Elvis Cole / Joe Pike (PI buddies) series. Three of his books are standalone mystery thrillers, including this one, “Hostage”. As the title implies, after a convenience store robbery goes bad and turns into a murder, the three idiot thugs hide in an expensive suburban house, taking the dad and two kids hostage in the process. The plot thickens considerably when it turns out the father is a accountant for the mob, harboring tons of illicit cash and two sets of books that reveal all about the criminals for whom he toils right there in the house.
Enter Jeff Talley, a former SWAT team negotiator with a troubled past who now just wants to be police chief in a quiet little suburb. This case turns out to be a living nightmare to say the least; frankly, much of the suspense in this book follows from his own anguish as the case takes an awful turn when his own family is threatened by mobsters, who of course don’t want their affairs revealed. While the book ends with a somewhat inexplicable set of final killings, the getting there was so filled with tension we could hardly bear to end each reading session. The clever plot thrills for sure, but the alternating narrators of the story – from the cops, to the villains, to the victims – makes for picturing the story for us in graphic detail; at times we’re nearly as scared as they are.
Nowhere near as lighthearted as most of the Cole tales, “Hostage” will chill and thrill right to the very end – well done!
Enter Jeff Talley, a former SWAT team negotiator with a troubled past who now just wants to be police chief in a quiet little suburb. This case turns out to be a living nightmare to say the least; frankly, much of the suspense in this book follows from his own anguish as the case takes an awful turn when his own family is threatened by mobsters, who of course don’t want their affairs revealed. While the book ends with a somewhat inexplicable set of final killings, the getting there was so filled with tension we could hardly bear to end each reading session. The clever plot thrills for sure, but the alternating narrators of the story – from the cops, to the villains, to the victims – makes for picturing the story for us in graphic detail; at times we’re nearly as scared as they are.
Nowhere near as lighthearted as most of the Cole tales, “Hostage” will chill and thrill right to the very end – well done!
April 10, 2014
My introduction to Robert Crais.
A few years back, I belonged to a book club that would send me a variety of books every month. After a few months, I received Hostage and when I started it, I couldn't put it down.
A tantalising thriller that hooks from the very beginning and doesn't let up until the final page. The characters are engaging, particularly the protagonist, Jeff Talley, a local sheriff who took the job in a local town to live an easier life.
When three young thugs rob a convenience store, they hole up in a family home. Only it's not a normal family home. The owner is an accountant who works for the Mafia. When the Mob get wind of this, it's only a matter of time until the sparks fly and casualties are taken, with Talley at the forefront of the entire situation.
The premise for this book is probably cliché in this day and age (and the movie based on this couldn't touch the emotion of the book)but when I first read this, I couldn't put it down. When Talley is the focus, you can't help but feel for him, he didn't want this situation and it's made worse when his family become involved. On the other hand, the thugs in the house are realistic, threatening and evil, something many authors fail to do. Released before hoodies were a thing of subculture, this book really lives up to the title thriller and you never know what will happen next.
An excellent thriller from an excellent genre writer. You should also catch his Cole & Pike novels. They don't disappoint.
A few years back, I belonged to a book club that would send me a variety of books every month. After a few months, I received Hostage and when I started it, I couldn't put it down.
A tantalising thriller that hooks from the very beginning and doesn't let up until the final page. The characters are engaging, particularly the protagonist, Jeff Talley, a local sheriff who took the job in a local town to live an easier life.
When three young thugs rob a convenience store, they hole up in a family home. Only it's not a normal family home. The owner is an accountant who works for the Mafia. When the Mob get wind of this, it's only a matter of time until the sparks fly and casualties are taken, with Talley at the forefront of the entire situation.
The premise for this book is probably cliché in this day and age (and the movie based on this couldn't touch the emotion of the book)but when I first read this, I couldn't put it down. When Talley is the focus, you can't help but feel for him, he didn't want this situation and it's made worse when his family become involved. On the other hand, the thugs in the house are realistic, threatening and evil, something many authors fail to do. Released before hoodies were a thing of subculture, this book really lives up to the title thriller and you never know what will happen next.
An excellent thriller from an excellent genre writer. You should also catch his Cole & Pike novels. They don't disappoint.
October 18, 2012
This book was very fun, and interesting to read! I usually get bored with books fast, but this book was different from all the other ones i have read before. It was basically about three guys who just got released from prison and broke into a families house of three. The Father, the daughter Jennifer, and the son, Thomas. A cop named Jeff Talley needs to help free this family before anything goes wrong. Many things do go wrong in the end. The house gets set on fire, there are security cameras in the house so the kids can not escape, and the father becomes in critical condition, but the family does remains safe and reunited. This book was very fast moving, and something new was happening every chapter that i wasn't going to expect. It was very easy to follow which made it more enjoyable. I was shocked that the ending was so good, and that throughout the whole book i never got tired of reading it. I think anyone would enjoy to read this book. If you are into crime solving thrillers than i would recommend this book to you.
December 2, 2022
Hostage begins with three young men robbing a convenience store and killing the owner. While hiding from the police, they invaded a private residence and took the family hostage. What they don't know was that they had invaded the home of the accountant for an organized crime boss.
This situation brought up bad memories for the local police chief, Jeff Talley who used to be an LAPD hostage negotiator but quit after a terrible hostage situation. His job at a small town police department was supposed to be quiet for him so he could try and get his life back together. But this situation forced him back into his old role as a negotiator. Even though he didn't want to do it anymore, Jeff Talley was a good negotiator.
This book was fast-paced with something new happening in every chapter. I enjoyed that the storyline was straightforward making it easy to follow. I enjoyed Crais’ writing. It is high quality without being overly descriptive.
Hostage is excellent, full of suspense, with many twists and turns. I highly recommend this book.
This situation brought up bad memories for the local police chief, Jeff Talley who used to be an LAPD hostage negotiator but quit after a terrible hostage situation. His job at a small town police department was supposed to be quiet for him so he could try and get his life back together. But this situation forced him back into his old role as a negotiator. Even though he didn't want to do it anymore, Jeff Talley was a good negotiator.
This book was fast-paced with something new happening in every chapter. I enjoyed that the storyline was straightforward making it easy to follow. I enjoyed Crais’ writing. It is high quality without being overly descriptive.
Hostage is excellent, full of suspense, with many twists and turns. I highly recommend this book.
September 20, 2007
Hostage - VG
Robert Crais
When three thieves botch a robbery, they take refuge in a nearby home and hold its owner and his two children hostage. Suburban police chief Jeff Talley, a burned-out former LAPD SWAT leader and hostage negotiator, is unwillingly drawn into the standoff. Crais, a TV and film script veteran, adds complications and surprises at every turn: one of the robbers turns out to be a serial killer, the homeowner has mob ties, Talley's wife and child are kidnapped, and no person or thing seems stable.
Robert Crais
When three thieves botch a robbery, they take refuge in a nearby home and hold its owner and his two children hostage. Suburban police chief Jeff Talley, a burned-out former LAPD SWAT leader and hostage negotiator, is unwillingly drawn into the standoff. Crais, a TV and film script veteran, adds complications and surprises at every turn: one of the robbers turns out to be a serial killer, the homeowner has mob ties, Talley's wife and child are kidnapped, and no person or thing seems stable.
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