What do you think?
Rate this book
Standoff
Inspired by a true story, this thriller tells of a confrontation between law enforcement officials and a criminal who barricades himself and his family in a secluded mountain cabin.
Audio Cassette
First published March 1, 1995
5 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Hogan
57 books596 followersChuck Hogan is an American author. His story "Two Thousand Volts" appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories 2009. He is the co-author of The Strain Trilogy with Guillermo del Toro. His 2004 novel Prince of Thieves was adapted to film as the Ben Affleck directed The Town in 2010.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 20, 2021
"Incercuirea" este primul roman al autorului, acesta fiind cunoscut mai ales pentru cartile pe care le-a scris alaturi de Guillermo Del Toro si de filmele pe care le-a regizat alaturi de el.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea il avem in prim plan pe agentul special John Banish care in urma unei misiuni dezastruoase cade in patima alcoolismului si este nevoit sa faca terapie intr-o institutie speciala a FBI-ului.
Atunci cand intr-un loc izolat din Montana un serif incearca sa-l evacueze pe unul dintre locuitorii zonei, acesta raspunde violent si se baricadeaza impreuna cu familia in cabana sa. In ajutorul lor este chemat agentul John Banish care nu este in totalitate reabilitat si care pentru a rezolva misiunea trebuie sa-si infrunte demonii trecutului.
Romanul este foarte bine documentat si scris, cu o multime de detalii tehnice, atat de precise incat cititorul insusi are impresia ca ar putea sa se ocupe de o asemenea misiune de negociere si eliberare a ostaticilor.
Un lucru care mi-a ramas in minte este o pusca militara Bereta, model 12, cu o magazie de 40 de cartuse, ce trage 2 gloante de 9mm pe secunda si care este letala la peste 200 de m.
In final atasez cateva citate, unele amuzante, altele din care putem trage invataturi:
"iadul e un loc in care nu exista semipreparate si nici rock clasic."
"Era ca si cum ai incerca sa largesti un pai de limonada ca sa sorbi un hamburger."
"Banish asemanase [...] rolul negociatorului - sef de ostatici cu cel al cuiva care incearca sa regleze o antena de satelit aflata pe acoperis. Misti antena, le spunea cursantilor, apoi cobori in casa, sa vezi cum se prinde, pe urma urci din nou si incerci o cu totul alta pozitie. Analogia avea sens in zilele in care televiziunea prin cablu era doar un vis si in care antenele parabolice aveau un diametru de 15 metri."
"E o chestie, rosti Fagin, pe planeta de unde vin eu, o chestie numita televiziune. Cu ea isi pierd timpul oamenii seara. De obicei, majoritatea sunt al dracului de linistiti cand se uita la ea."
In ceea ce priveste actiunea il avem in prim plan pe agentul special John Banish care in urma unei misiuni dezastruoase cade in patima alcoolismului si este nevoit sa faca terapie intr-o institutie speciala a FBI-ului.
Atunci cand intr-un loc izolat din Montana un serif incearca sa-l evacueze pe unul dintre locuitorii zonei, acesta raspunde violent si se baricadeaza impreuna cu familia in cabana sa. In ajutorul lor este chemat agentul John Banish care nu este in totalitate reabilitat si care pentru a rezolva misiunea trebuie sa-si infrunte demonii trecutului.
Romanul este foarte bine documentat si scris, cu o multime de detalii tehnice, atat de precise incat cititorul insusi are impresia ca ar putea sa se ocupe de o asemenea misiune de negociere si eliberare a ostaticilor.
Un lucru care mi-a ramas in minte este o pusca militara Bereta, model 12, cu o magazie de 40 de cartuse, ce trage 2 gloante de 9mm pe secunda si care este letala la peste 200 de m.
In final atasez cateva citate, unele amuzante, altele din care putem trage invataturi:
"iadul e un loc in care nu exista semipreparate si nici rock clasic."
"Era ca si cum ai incerca sa largesti un pai de limonada ca sa sorbi un hamburger."
"Banish asemanase [...] rolul negociatorului - sef de ostatici cu cel al cuiva care incearca sa regleze o antena de satelit aflata pe acoperis. Misti antena, le spunea cursantilor, apoi cobori in casa, sa vezi cum se prinde, pe urma urci din nou si incerci o cu totul alta pozitie. Analogia avea sens in zilele in care televiziunea prin cablu era doar un vis si in care antenele parabolice aveau un diametru de 15 metri."
"E o chestie, rosti Fagin, pe planeta de unde vin eu, o chestie numita televiziune. Cu ea isi pierd timpul oamenii seara. De obicei, majoritatea sunt al dracului de linistiti cand se uita la ea."
May 17, 2017
This is a book that sets the tone for a fast-paced novel. It's a story I read when it first came out in 1995. Around that time I was getting back into reading. The blurb and cover are eye-catching. In spite having been published over 20 years ago, the story is real for today's genre.
A white supremacist is holed up in his mountain cabin and the police and feds are out to bring him in. But they must move cautious as the man is fighting with his family. It's the sort of theme you hear about in the mid-west as conservative people make a stand against the federal government. The police and feds vie for control over the situation and this hampers their ability to move fast. Big egos always get in the way of a team working together against a common threat. And when an African-American US Marshal and Native American sheriff join the fun, things only get hotter as they face off with the fugitive, his wife and five kids in what turns out to be an all-too-real scenario as the local authorities and feds aim to bring their man to justice.
I bought this book in a used bookstore, so it may not show up as verified purchase, but I enjoyed it so much I kept it in my personal collection of favorites. The hour-by-hour story puts the reader in action with characters and makes it hard to put the book down. This is a must-read for action, suspense, and thriller book lovers.
A white supremacist is holed up in his mountain cabin and the police and feds are out to bring him in. But they must move cautious as the man is fighting with his family. It's the sort of theme you hear about in the mid-west as conservative people make a stand against the federal government. The police and feds vie for control over the situation and this hampers their ability to move fast. Big egos always get in the way of a team working together against a common threat. And when an African-American US Marshal and Native American sheriff join the fun, things only get hotter as they face off with the fugitive, his wife and five kids in what turns out to be an all-too-real scenario as the local authorities and feds aim to bring their man to justice.
I bought this book in a used bookstore, so it may not show up as verified purchase, but I enjoyed it so much I kept it in my personal collection of favorites. The hour-by-hour story puts the reader in action with characters and makes it hard to put the book down. This is a must-read for action, suspense, and thriller book lovers.
December 30, 2024
Slow burner, saved by the ending! A really good ending to be fair and one I was not expecting
October 31, 2020
The title pretty much tells a lot of the story - a white supremacist survivalist barricades himself in a wooded mountainous cabin and the law comes after him, trying not to turn it into a Waco type situation. The story is a little scattered as the protagonist, the FBI negotiator, has a typical up and down background and is trying to just do the job right while the various other departments have their own agendas.
There is a backstory where the guy is being setup, but they only touch on it - never going full into that side of things as seem to only want to tell the on the ground story. Also never go into the cabin as everything is told from the law side of things. This was obviously the point of the whole thing, but at times I thought either angle deserved more probing and pages.
The one odd feeling you get is this was written in 1996 and part of the lead characters background is a bad situation in a prior hostage case that took place at the World Trade Center - they mention it a few times then at one point completely describe it. It's just a bit eerie knowing that 5 years later, that never would be written into a story.
Was a fast paced read, ending in a way that was definitely not surprising but still satisfying, and while it could have been better, it wasn't bad.
There is a backstory where the guy is being setup, but they only touch on it - never going full into that side of things as seem to only want to tell the on the ground story. Also never go into the cabin as everything is told from the law side of things. This was obviously the point of the whole thing, but at times I thought either angle deserved more probing and pages.
The one odd feeling you get is this was written in 1996 and part of the lead characters background is a bad situation in a prior hostage case that took place at the World Trade Center - they mention it a few times then at one point completely describe it. It's just a bit eerie knowing that 5 years later, that never would be written into a story.
Was a fast paced read, ending in a way that was definitely not surprising but still satisfying, and while it could have been better, it wasn't bad.
December 3, 2020
The Summary (spoiler-free):
The Standoff by Chuck Hogan is just that, a police standoff that turns into an FBI standoff with a white supremacist deep in the Montana wilderness. The lead negotiator, Agent Banish, is called in after years of being off of the job due to a botched negotiation years prior at the World Financial Center. Estranged from his family and unstable in more ways than one, Agent Banish does his best to mediate jurisdictional disputes and Glenn Ables’s cunning deception in order to get Ables’s kids and family out safe and bring Ables to justice. In addition to these conflicts, the idea of government infringing on the rights of civilians is a blanket over this manhunt stemming from questionable actions on the side of the ATF. Banish does what he knows best, and a cat-and-mouse chase ensues as casualties grow and a group of antigovernmental activists at the base of the mountain forms and grows unruly. As the novel reaches its climax, every plot thread in the novel is neatly wrapped up and Agent Banish gets what he has been looking for all along: peace of mind.
Ending Reaction:
I expected that, but man was it satisfying!
Feelings Towards the Novel:
It may sound trite, but the story of this novel is one that is hard to turn away from. The twists and turns that it takes, unexpected outcomes, all mount together to form a coherent story in which everything makes sense and turns out as it should. I mean it when I say that the ending is satisfying, and even had a couple of unexpected elements despite the main structure being easy to predict. A couple of the main aspects of this novel that I want to touch on seem, to me, the most important. The mental issues of Agent Banish, the blurry line between good and evil, the idea of discrimination, all develop themes in their own rights that the reader can glean and think about even after finishing this book.
The first aspect of the novel that makes its presence known fairly early on is that of the mental issues of Agent Banish. After the tragedy that befalls the World Financial Center, Agent Banish takes the hit directly to his soul and becomes an alcoholic. His family leaves him and Banish begins a downward spiral. He is committed to a psychiatric facility, known by United States law communities as the retreat, and is said to have been cured. Just before his apparent exile by the FBI to a nowhere facility in Montana, a survivor from the WFC incident shows up to the retreat and puts a bullet in Banish’s stomach. Banish recovers from this but is soon after deployed by the FBI to Paradise Point to deal with the Glenn Ables situation. The mental stress on Agent Banish is readily apparent to the reader, and it even gets to a point where he contemplates drinking a drugged six-pack of beer the FBI is planning on delivering to Ables just to quench his insatiable thirst. Chuck Hogan writes this unstable FBI agent into the novel as his main character to show the imperfections of someone thought to be the best in his field. Great men can fall, but great men can also get back up. Agent Banish is a testament to how relapse, in recovery from an addiction or in old habits, can be overridden by sheer willpower. Being a good person is never out of the picture for anybody. Banish’s triumph over his mental issues of alcoholism, lack of confidence, and depression, notes this theme of The Standoff: it is never too late to change.
Another big focus of this novel is that of good and evil. Who is in the right and who is wrong? This question resurfaces again and again as the rabbit hole of the Glenn Ables situation spirals out of control. Throughout the course of the novel, Agent Banish uncovers the true nature of the warrant out for Glenn Ables's arrest and the unlawful actions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Glenn Ables turns from criminal, to family man, to a kind of martyr, back to a horrible human being over the course of the novel. An important idea that is covered in this book, mentioned by Agent Banish, is that good and evil, right and wrong, none of it matters to him as he was sent there to accomplish a job. By the end of the novel, Banish realizes the flaws in that way of thinking and puts himself in a position of mediator between the two sides. This aspect of the book reveals another important theme that resonates with me still: sides matter, make your voice heard or face the haunting of regret.
The last idea, that of discrimination, that I see as important to note is used as a kind of motif throughout the story. In this remote area in Montana, racial discrimination is omnipresent and shown with the character of Sherriff Blood. Sherriff Blood is a Native American, and is seen being stepped on by the residents of this small region of Montana mainly composed of white supremacists. Native Americans have been targeted by these extremists and a number have been murdered, with even Sherriff Blood not looking too much into them for fear of what he may find. This motif of discrimination against Native Americans acts as a symbol of the discrimination of the government against Glenn Ables. Just as the mysterious deaths of Native Americans is being swept under the rug, the mistreatment and setup of Glenn Ables’s crime is being disregarded by the federal government. This is a strong message in the novel, and Hogan includes it as a wakeup call to the discrimination some people face in the presence of government power. It reveals a strong sense of irony, as the white supremacists think the government is discriminating against them, while they are actively putting down Native Americans. This ironic nature of the people in the novel reveals another theme: everyone is a hypocrite and before you go attacking other people, take a look at yourself.
These three main concepts throughout the novel, never giving up on being a good person, the need for putting your voice out there, and the hypocrisy within everybody, can all be focused on outside of the novel. I like this novel for the great story and well-written characters, but I also like these ideas that it brings up and it really had me thinking for a while. It is up to everyone to interpret this novel, but these are the concepts that I gleaned from a first reading that push me towards reading it again. With a good story and solid themes, this story only takes place over nine days but is rich with content.
Rating:
My favorite dessert is New York-style cheesecake, and I have devised a rating system to show my feelings towards this book involving food. From a scale of octopus (which is nasty) to New York-style cheesecake, I would rate this novel a fresh pecan pie (about a 7/10). The book isn’t anything special, but it’s a solid story that is engaging and full of interesting, thought-provoking topics.
Important Quote:
“'Because I am not to be trusted. Because I am a gambler--that’s all I am. And a pretty good one. That’s my curse'” (Hogan 208).
Ending (SPOILERS!):
As I have said earlier, the ending is fairly easy to predict. Agent Banish sacrificing himself for the good of the people he is sent there to protect is a bit cliché. However, the method of which he dies is poetic. He does not die from the enemy, he jumps in front of the gunfire of his own men to protect Ables’s two daughters and gets shot in the back. Agent Banish then slips slowly away from life and crosses over. I think that he is finally at peace with himself. He could not escape from his failure at the World Financial Center and needed a way to prove he isn’t the bad guy. This was that escape, that scene to free himself from the grip of the past. I personally liked the ending. I couldn’t see another ending that would be as satisfying as that. Even though it is predictable, it is necessary. The novel ends finally with a manuscript from SA Coyle, an agent who is sent to watch over Banish and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. She mentions in her report that the other people’s makeup of Banish, as unstable and improper, are misguided and that, in reality, Agent Banish is a good man of the highest abilities and did the best with what he was given. Man, that’s nice to hear. Finally he gets the recognition he deserves for all his hard work. And that’s it. This novel ends with that breath of fresh air, like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day.
Final Thought/Who should read it?:
I would recommend this book to people who like crime stories. See for yourself the awesome story that unravels. Don’t look too far into the predictable ending but see it as a final piece to the puzzle of Agent Banish, fixing the man forever broken by his past.
The Standoff by Chuck Hogan is just that, a police standoff that turns into an FBI standoff with a white supremacist deep in the Montana wilderness. The lead negotiator, Agent Banish, is called in after years of being off of the job due to a botched negotiation years prior at the World Financial Center. Estranged from his family and unstable in more ways than one, Agent Banish does his best to mediate jurisdictional disputes and Glenn Ables’s cunning deception in order to get Ables’s kids and family out safe and bring Ables to justice. In addition to these conflicts, the idea of government infringing on the rights of civilians is a blanket over this manhunt stemming from questionable actions on the side of the ATF. Banish does what he knows best, and a cat-and-mouse chase ensues as casualties grow and a group of antigovernmental activists at the base of the mountain forms and grows unruly. As the novel reaches its climax, every plot thread in the novel is neatly wrapped up and Agent Banish gets what he has been looking for all along: peace of mind.
Ending Reaction:
I expected that, but man was it satisfying!
Feelings Towards the Novel:
It may sound trite, but the story of this novel is one that is hard to turn away from. The twists and turns that it takes, unexpected outcomes, all mount together to form a coherent story in which everything makes sense and turns out as it should. I mean it when I say that the ending is satisfying, and even had a couple of unexpected elements despite the main structure being easy to predict. A couple of the main aspects of this novel that I want to touch on seem, to me, the most important. The mental issues of Agent Banish, the blurry line between good and evil, the idea of discrimination, all develop themes in their own rights that the reader can glean and think about even after finishing this book.
The first aspect of the novel that makes its presence known fairly early on is that of the mental issues of Agent Banish. After the tragedy that befalls the World Financial Center, Agent Banish takes the hit directly to his soul and becomes an alcoholic. His family leaves him and Banish begins a downward spiral. He is committed to a psychiatric facility, known by United States law communities as the retreat, and is said to have been cured. Just before his apparent exile by the FBI to a nowhere facility in Montana, a survivor from the WFC incident shows up to the retreat and puts a bullet in Banish’s stomach. Banish recovers from this but is soon after deployed by the FBI to Paradise Point to deal with the Glenn Ables situation. The mental stress on Agent Banish is readily apparent to the reader, and it even gets to a point where he contemplates drinking a drugged six-pack of beer the FBI is planning on delivering to Ables just to quench his insatiable thirst. Chuck Hogan writes this unstable FBI agent into the novel as his main character to show the imperfections of someone thought to be the best in his field. Great men can fall, but great men can also get back up. Agent Banish is a testament to how relapse, in recovery from an addiction or in old habits, can be overridden by sheer willpower. Being a good person is never out of the picture for anybody. Banish’s triumph over his mental issues of alcoholism, lack of confidence, and depression, notes this theme of The Standoff: it is never too late to change.
Another big focus of this novel is that of good and evil. Who is in the right and who is wrong? This question resurfaces again and again as the rabbit hole of the Glenn Ables situation spirals out of control. Throughout the course of the novel, Agent Banish uncovers the true nature of the warrant out for Glenn Ables's arrest and the unlawful actions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Glenn Ables turns from criminal, to family man, to a kind of martyr, back to a horrible human being over the course of the novel. An important idea that is covered in this book, mentioned by Agent Banish, is that good and evil, right and wrong, none of it matters to him as he was sent there to accomplish a job. By the end of the novel, Banish realizes the flaws in that way of thinking and puts himself in a position of mediator between the two sides. This aspect of the book reveals another important theme that resonates with me still: sides matter, make your voice heard or face the haunting of regret.
The last idea, that of discrimination, that I see as important to note is used as a kind of motif throughout the story. In this remote area in Montana, racial discrimination is omnipresent and shown with the character of Sherriff Blood. Sherriff Blood is a Native American, and is seen being stepped on by the residents of this small region of Montana mainly composed of white supremacists. Native Americans have been targeted by these extremists and a number have been murdered, with even Sherriff Blood not looking too much into them for fear of what he may find. This motif of discrimination against Native Americans acts as a symbol of the discrimination of the government against Glenn Ables. Just as the mysterious deaths of Native Americans is being swept under the rug, the mistreatment and setup of Glenn Ables’s crime is being disregarded by the federal government. This is a strong message in the novel, and Hogan includes it as a wakeup call to the discrimination some people face in the presence of government power. It reveals a strong sense of irony, as the white supremacists think the government is discriminating against them, while they are actively putting down Native Americans. This ironic nature of the people in the novel reveals another theme: everyone is a hypocrite and before you go attacking other people, take a look at yourself.
These three main concepts throughout the novel, never giving up on being a good person, the need for putting your voice out there, and the hypocrisy within everybody, can all be focused on outside of the novel. I like this novel for the great story and well-written characters, but I also like these ideas that it brings up and it really had me thinking for a while. It is up to everyone to interpret this novel, but these are the concepts that I gleaned from a first reading that push me towards reading it again. With a good story and solid themes, this story only takes place over nine days but is rich with content.
Rating:
My favorite dessert is New York-style cheesecake, and I have devised a rating system to show my feelings towards this book involving food. From a scale of octopus (which is nasty) to New York-style cheesecake, I would rate this novel a fresh pecan pie (about a 7/10). The book isn’t anything special, but it’s a solid story that is engaging and full of interesting, thought-provoking topics.
Important Quote:
“'Because I am not to be trusted. Because I am a gambler--that’s all I am. And a pretty good one. That’s my curse'” (Hogan 208).
Ending (SPOILERS!):
As I have said earlier, the ending is fairly easy to predict. Agent Banish sacrificing himself for the good of the people he is sent there to protect is a bit cliché. However, the method of which he dies is poetic. He does not die from the enemy, he jumps in front of the gunfire of his own men to protect Ables’s two daughters and gets shot in the back. Agent Banish then slips slowly away from life and crosses over. I think that he is finally at peace with himself. He could not escape from his failure at the World Financial Center and needed a way to prove he isn’t the bad guy. This was that escape, that scene to free himself from the grip of the past. I personally liked the ending. I couldn’t see another ending that would be as satisfying as that. Even though it is predictable, it is necessary. The novel ends finally with a manuscript from SA Coyle, an agent who is sent to watch over Banish and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. She mentions in her report that the other people’s makeup of Banish, as unstable and improper, are misguided and that, in reality, Agent Banish is a good man of the highest abilities and did the best with what he was given. Man, that’s nice to hear. Finally he gets the recognition he deserves for all his hard work. And that’s it. This novel ends with that breath of fresh air, like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day.
Final Thought/Who should read it?:
I would recommend this book to people who like crime stories. See for yourself the awesome story that unravels. Don’t look too far into the predictable ending but see it as a final piece to the puzzle of Agent Banish, fixing the man forever broken by his past.
November 16, 2009
"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Murphy's Law.
This seems to be the motto of the Border County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Leonard M. Blood. Blood is ordered to serve a notice of eviction on Glenn Allen Ables for tax evasion. Blood, an American Indian, realizes that there could be danger so asks for the help of two deputies. Ables happens to be an anti government white supremacist/survivalist. When Blood attempts to serve the papers, one of his deputies is shot and wounded, another, barely escapes.
Huddleson, Montana seems to be a place where failure to obey the law will be dealt with harshly. The Huddleson Police Department under firebrand Chief Moody, is called out and not long after, shots are fired. One of the sheriff's men is killed and, as we later learn, so is one of Ables' children.
With the situation becoming worse and memories of Waco, Texas fresh on the minds of law enforcement officials, John Banish, an FBI negotiatior is called in. He is in charge of the situation but also contending for command responsibility are Reginald Perkins, agent in charge, Butte, Montana and Deputy Fegin, head of the Marshal's Special Ops Group.
In other words, chaos reigns. This story concentrates on the action taking place without much character build up. We aren't made aware of what is going on in the character's thoughts. As a result, it reads more like a very lengthy newspaper report than as a novel.
"The Standoff," a first novel by Chuck Hogan, describes the intricacies of crime scene negotiating and the intense feelings of anti government feelings that exist in some areas of rural America. It appears that the author is looking on as an outside observer to present legal aspects to the decisions that the law enforcement officials make at the time of crisis.
This seems to be the motto of the Border County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Leonard M. Blood. Blood is ordered to serve a notice of eviction on Glenn Allen Ables for tax evasion. Blood, an American Indian, realizes that there could be danger so asks for the help of two deputies. Ables happens to be an anti government white supremacist/survivalist. When Blood attempts to serve the papers, one of his deputies is shot and wounded, another, barely escapes.
Huddleson, Montana seems to be a place where failure to obey the law will be dealt with harshly. The Huddleson Police Department under firebrand Chief Moody, is called out and not long after, shots are fired. One of the sheriff's men is killed and, as we later learn, so is one of Ables' children.
With the situation becoming worse and memories of Waco, Texas fresh on the minds of law enforcement officials, John Banish, an FBI negotiatior is called in. He is in charge of the situation but also contending for command responsibility are Reginald Perkins, agent in charge, Butte, Montana and Deputy Fegin, head of the Marshal's Special Ops Group.
In other words, chaos reigns. This story concentrates on the action taking place without much character build up. We aren't made aware of what is going on in the character's thoughts. As a result, it reads more like a very lengthy newspaper report than as a novel.
"The Standoff," a first novel by Chuck Hogan, describes the intricacies of crime scene negotiating and the intense feelings of anti government feelings that exist in some areas of rural America. It appears that the author is looking on as an outside observer to present legal aspects to the decisions that the law enforcement officials make at the time of crisis.
December 5, 2021
This was a very good debut novel. A hostage negotiator, John Banish, is a recovering alcoholic. After recovering from being shot, he’s out in the middle of nowhere in Montana. He gets called in on a situation. I had a hard time putting it down.
August 30, 2009
Good; FBI hostage negotiator vs. mountain family
July 16, 2011
Got bored in the first three chapters ... couldn't finish.
October 12, 2021
Există un secret pe care-l știu aproape toți membrii serviciilor de informații americane și toți cei care trebuie să aplice legea și anume că Biroul Federal de Investigații achită cheltuielile de întreținere ale unei aripi private, situate într-o clinică de boli mintale din orașul Chapel Hill, Carolina de Nord.
Sanatoriul, cum i se spune, supraviețuiește în fiecare an târguielilor crâncene legate de buget, datorită planului general de sănătate al FBI care garantează funcționarilor federali șase luni de tratament, la cerere, în cazuri de boli mintale și abuz de alcool. În aceste situații, angajații pot opta pentru: demisie, trecere timpurie în rezervă sau așa-zisul „concediu din motive umanitare”.
Agentul special John T. Banish a ales concediul din motive umanitare. După șase luni petrecute la Sanatoriu a fost declarat sănătos și urma să fie externat. Alcoolismul i se părea singura boală în care „terapia” în grup ar putea avea succes.
Stătea pe unul din cele patru scaune pliante, de metal, plasate într-un semicerc în fața doctoriței Julie Reed, șefa secției de psihiatrie a clinicii. Ceilalți trei pacienți, cu toții bărbați și mai tineri decât Banish, erau îmbrăcați în halate de spital albastre, din bumbac. Banish purta sacou și cravată și-și pusese valiza lângă scaun. Doctorița Reed purta, ca de obicei, pantofi cu tocuri joase și o fustă lungă de in. Avea un aer profesional, exigent, dar arbora un zâmbet încurajator.
Deși Banish o plăcea pe doctorița Reed, ar fi preferat să n-o mai vadă niciodată.
În afara lor nu mai era nimeni la ora la care avea loc în fiecare zi întâlnirea de dimineață. Un televizor, cu ecranul acoperit de o rețea de sârmă, pâlpâia în fundal. Gresia mirosea de la antisepticele de peste noapte, iar o viespe dintr-o specie des întâlnită prin acele locuri zumzăia și se lovea de ferestrele înalte cu geamuri groase, căutând o ieșire.
Doctorița Reed făcu o însemnare preliminară în notes-ul ei, apoi începu jovial:
― Știm cu toții că este ultima zi în care John mai este cu noi. Nimeni nu răspunse. Nimic nu era prea evident pentru niște oameni blazați. Banish auzea cum ticăie ceasul de la încheietura doctoriței. John se întoarce la FBI fără să-și piardă continuitatea în muncă și va fi reîncadrat cu același salariu. Asta ar trebui să fie o încurajare pentru voi, ceilalți, pentru că îmi dau seama că vă îngrijorează faptul…
― E un paria, rosti sec Nettles. Toți suntem niște paria.
Doctorița își mai notă ceva în notes.
Nettles fusese specialist în medicină legală la secția Științe Comportamentale și își câștigase existența vânând ucigași în serie. Ceva se petrecuse cu el în timpul unui caz zguduitor din Miami. Poziția lui de comandă îi permisese însă să evite controlul obligatoriu după fiecare misiune, pentru depistarea unor eventuale traume. Alți doi agenți, care lucraseră cu el, trecuseră cu bine de verificare. Lucrurile începuseră, ca întotdeauna, cu băutura. Apoi câinii din vecinătatea locuinței sale au început să dispară în circumstanțe misterioase. În cele din urmă, un paznic a găsit două schelete mutilate ale unor pui de doberman, într-un Dumpster din garajul aflat la subsolul clădirii J. Edgar Hoover. Se vorbise chiar de deviație sexuală.
Sanatoriul, cum i se spune, supraviețuiește în fiecare an târguielilor crâncene legate de buget, datorită planului general de sănătate al FBI care garantează funcționarilor federali șase luni de tratament, la cerere, în cazuri de boli mintale și abuz de alcool. În aceste situații, angajații pot opta pentru: demisie, trecere timpurie în rezervă sau așa-zisul „concediu din motive umanitare”.
Agentul special John T. Banish a ales concediul din motive umanitare. După șase luni petrecute la Sanatoriu a fost declarat sănătos și urma să fie externat. Alcoolismul i se părea singura boală în care „terapia” în grup ar putea avea succes.
Stătea pe unul din cele patru scaune pliante, de metal, plasate într-un semicerc în fața doctoriței Julie Reed, șefa secției de psihiatrie a clinicii. Ceilalți trei pacienți, cu toții bărbați și mai tineri decât Banish, erau îmbrăcați în halate de spital albastre, din bumbac. Banish purta sacou și cravată și-și pusese valiza lângă scaun. Doctorița Reed purta, ca de obicei, pantofi cu tocuri joase și o fustă lungă de in. Avea un aer profesional, exigent, dar arbora un zâmbet încurajator.
Deși Banish o plăcea pe doctorița Reed, ar fi preferat să n-o mai vadă niciodată.
În afara lor nu mai era nimeni la ora la care avea loc în fiecare zi întâlnirea de dimineață. Un televizor, cu ecranul acoperit de o rețea de sârmă, pâlpâia în fundal. Gresia mirosea de la antisepticele de peste noapte, iar o viespe dintr-o specie des întâlnită prin acele locuri zumzăia și se lovea de ferestrele înalte cu geamuri groase, căutând o ieșire.
Doctorița Reed făcu o însemnare preliminară în notes-ul ei, apoi începu jovial:
― Știm cu toții că este ultima zi în care John mai este cu noi. Nimeni nu răspunse. Nimic nu era prea evident pentru niște oameni blazați. Banish auzea cum ticăie ceasul de la încheietura doctoriței. John se întoarce la FBI fără să-și piardă continuitatea în muncă și va fi reîncadrat cu același salariu. Asta ar trebui să fie o încurajare pentru voi, ceilalți, pentru că îmi dau seama că vă îngrijorează faptul…
― E un paria, rosti sec Nettles. Toți suntem niște paria.
Doctorița își mai notă ceva în notes.
Nettles fusese specialist în medicină legală la secția Științe Comportamentale și își câștigase existența vânând ucigași în serie. Ceva se petrecuse cu el în timpul unui caz zguduitor din Miami. Poziția lui de comandă îi permisese însă să evite controlul obligatoriu după fiecare misiune, pentru depistarea unor eventuale traume. Alți doi agenți, care lucraseră cu el, trecuseră cu bine de verificare. Lucrurile începuseră, ca întotdeauna, cu băutura. Apoi câinii din vecinătatea locuinței sale au început să dispară în circumstanțe misterioase. În cele din urmă, un paznic a găsit două schelete mutilate ale unor pui de doberman, într-un Dumpster din garajul aflat la subsolul clădirii J. Edgar Hoover. Se vorbise chiar de deviație sexuală.
July 6, 2021
I would actually give it two and a half stars.
I have read some of Hogan's other work, which is stronger than his debut novel. That being said, it is a debut novel that came out in '95, so it can be expected that there were things that were out of date or seemed cliche now, that were much more relevant at the time.
The book does a good job of creating suspense and it keeps a good pace. I was not thrilled with the frequent addition of agent reports from after the resolution of the situation that peppered the story. There were several main characters but not all of them were flushed out well, or received a full resolution in the conclusion.
That being said, you know from the back cover what you are getting yourself into and it delivers as promised. It was fine as a beach read these last couple of days.
I have read some of Hogan's other work, which is stronger than his debut novel. That being said, it is a debut novel that came out in '95, so it can be expected that there were things that were out of date or seemed cliche now, that were much more relevant at the time.
The book does a good job of creating suspense and it keeps a good pace. I was not thrilled with the frequent addition of agent reports from after the resolution of the situation that peppered the story. There were several main characters but not all of them were flushed out well, or received a full resolution in the conclusion.
That being said, you know from the back cover what you are getting yourself into and it delivers as promised. It was fine as a beach read these last couple of days.
May 19, 2020
I bought this book thinmingnit was going to be quite different than what it was. My initial reaction was to not continue. But I very rarely ever do that. It wound up being a good novel. I thought the main character would be what the story was about but it bounces around to different characters. Once I understood that it was a solid yarn.
April 1, 2024
This is Chuck Hogan's first novel. It is about a standoff between a fugitive and his family who barricade themselves in a mountain home in rural Montana and an unstable FBI hostage negotiator who is trying to get the children out unharmed. The story takes place over nine days and tells the story step by step.
February 24, 2019
Il mio primo incontro con questo poliedrico scrittore di thriller: una lettura piacevole
March 26, 2020
3.5 Stars
June 27, 2020
Decent book and it moved along fine but you don’t really care about too many of the characters except some peripheral ones. Wrapped up nicely and was not a waste of time
February 13, 2021
Interesting story, showing the perspective from the viewpoint of a hostage negotiator who has his own demons! A good first book, and worth keeping an eye open for more from Chuck Hogan.
November 25, 2011
I couldn't put the book down, I read it in two days. This is an excellent book which kept my constant attention.
I was completely sympathetic to the main character, Special Agent Banish. The plot gripped me. But more than these and other outstanding technical values, I felt all along that I was respected as a reader by an author who is so darned good that it is difficult to believe that this is a first effort by the author.
I am raving about Chuck Hogan because I detect that he loves the challenge of writing a good book. It far outweighs most of the lightweight, flat, and superficial novels of Vince Flynn, for example. My standards for rating a book as excellent are that I must not be insulted as a reader,and the plot development has to be so well integrated that I allow myself to be taken along as a passenger upon the imaginative driving of story and character. I had no doubts about trusting Chuck Hogan. I feel entirely rewarded and satisfied by this kind of writing.
There is no need for me to describe or summarize the plot. If you need a book which compels you to continue far past your bedtime, and which will satisfy your requirements for a heart-racing thriller or police-genre style of book, this will definitely do the trick.
I am glad I discovered Chick Hogan. This is my second and I still haven't gotten to the one which was made into a film. I will. So far he has proven himself an outstanding author.
I was completely sympathetic to the main character, Special Agent Banish. The plot gripped me. But more than these and other outstanding technical values, I felt all along that I was respected as a reader by an author who is so darned good that it is difficult to believe that this is a first effort by the author.
I am raving about Chuck Hogan because I detect that he loves the challenge of writing a good book. It far outweighs most of the lightweight, flat, and superficial novels of Vince Flynn, for example. My standards for rating a book as excellent are that I must not be insulted as a reader,and the plot development has to be so well integrated that I allow myself to be taken along as a passenger upon the imaginative driving of story and character. I had no doubts about trusting Chuck Hogan. I feel entirely rewarded and satisfied by this kind of writing.
There is no need for me to describe or summarize the plot. If you need a book which compels you to continue far past your bedtime, and which will satisfy your requirements for a heart-racing thriller or police-genre style of book, this will definitely do the trick.
I am glad I discovered Chick Hogan. This is my second and I still haven't gotten to the one which was made into a film. I will. So far he has proven himself an outstanding author.
August 11, 2014
****1/2
Chuck Hogan's first novel, "The Standoff," is a tense, exciting story in which a battered old FBI hostage negotiator faces off against a white supremacist who refuses to vacate his home. The man flaked out on a court date, and the sheriff of a small northwest town is sent to serve notice. He'd met by gunshots, and so begins the standoff.
This book thrilled me as a kid, and I'm happy to find it hasn't lost any of its power over the years. The dialogue is good, the characters intriguing, and--most importantly for a book of this genre--all the technical aspects, the intricacies of law enforcement procedures, are related in a manner that appears realistic while not beating the reader over the head with a lot of confusing details. Maybe an FBI agent would find some errors, I don't know, but to the average person, the book could be a retelling of an actual event.
Chuck Hogan's first novel, "The Standoff," is a tense, exciting story in which a battered old FBI hostage negotiator faces off against a white supremacist who refuses to vacate his home. The man flaked out on a court date, and the sheriff of a small northwest town is sent to serve notice. He'd met by gunshots, and so begins the standoff.
This book thrilled me as a kid, and I'm happy to find it hasn't lost any of its power over the years. The dialogue is good, the characters intriguing, and--most importantly for a book of this genre--all the technical aspects, the intricacies of law enforcement procedures, are related in a manner that appears realistic while not beating the reader over the head with a lot of confusing details. Maybe an FBI agent would find some errors, I don't know, but to the average person, the book could be a retelling of an actual event.
November 26, 2020
Reaching back 25 years to this books debut---a debut for the author, too---we find a different world, one dominated by terrors all too real and imminent then, but far removed now. Yes, we still have white supremacists and racists and religious survivalists and all manner of kooks running around, but we've come to see other things as more important, more dangerous and more threatening.
The story arc has behind it a faint glimmer for me of Lord Jim's story. Not to compare the two as equals (Lord Jim's story is too long ago and too far away, Conrad too good a writer) but rather to imbue the story with the heroic mien Jim desired and today's subject embodied if one gets close enough to him, as Mr. Hogan lets us.
A powerful story for 1995 and one that still packs a punch, still tolls a humanistic song.
Recommended
The story arc has behind it a faint glimmer for me of Lord Jim's story. Not to compare the two as equals (Lord Jim's story is too long ago and too far away, Conrad too good a writer) but rather to imbue the story with the heroic mien Jim desired and today's subject embodied if one gets close enough to him, as Mr. Hogan lets us.
A powerful story for 1995 and one that still packs a punch, still tolls a humanistic song.
Recommended
Read
July 29, 2011The book is a gritty depiction of a FBI standoff in the backwoods. The discomfort, cold, fear, frustration felt by the negotiator and various teams of support is palpable. You can feel the itch of not having shower for days, being hungry, feeling the rain on you.
You will not likely forget the rich characters, there backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses.
My only criticism by the time you are 2/3 through the book you know the outcome for thee primary character, the FBI negotiator.
You will not likely forget the rich characters, there backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses.
My only criticism by the time you are 2/3 through the book you know the outcome for thee primary character, the FBI negotiator.
February 12, 2014
I liked this .. it was a good read .. not great & no way near as good as subsequent Chuck Hogan novel's but an interesting read none the less. Sometime's it's like trying to eat when your mouth's too full .. there's alot going on & not all of it needed .. There are also lot's of story line's that taper off to nothing like who is killing the local Indian's ?? There's alot of presumption to most of these story line's which isn't too bad a thing ... it just feel's so crammed.
September 9, 2013
Buku ini entah saya dapat dari mana, menceritakan tentang Si Agen Banish yang dipercayakan menangani pengepungan seorang penjahat yang justru menyandera keluarganya sendiri. Saat-saat pengepungan sungguh menegangkan, bagaimana si pengepung bernegosiasi dengan si penjahat. Pengepungan sendiri berjalan sukses, meski si Agen sendiri akhirnya terbunuh.
June 12, 2017
A gripping terrific read, about a damaged FBI hostage negotiator who finds himself transported to remote hilltop to take charge of the standoff of the title. As his confidence slowly returns and he takes charge of the situation so the tension increases.
The characters are well drawn and the book gives real insight about what goes on during an hostage situation
The characters are well drawn and the book gives real insight about what goes on during an hostage situation
September 11, 2014
This isn't the kind of book that I usually read, but I wanted to read more by Chuck Hogan because I really liked his contribution to the Strain. It's a cop/fbi story and it's written well. The characters are strong and you never really side with any one person. They are all interesting. Again, I'm not really interested in this type of book, but it was a good read.
January 7, 2011
Excellent suspense from many perspectives dealing with attempt to arrest a ideologue that spirals into an armed confrontation and chaos--like too many real life incidents--but giving a sense of the drama that exists in every one.
February 11, 2011
SA Banish is sent to handle a standoff but he had been pretty much off duty for three years. It was never really clear to me why he was sent in the first place. It is a good book, and I am looking forward to other books by him.
June 13, 2011
This was an axcellent book. The same author wrote The Town, it was recently a movie about guys that rob banks and armored cars in boston. That was also an excellent book. The Standoff is completely different. I will be reading everything this guy has written.
February 2, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book - very well written. I think this story is something that could definitely happen. I liked the group of caracters. Some parts were a little long but overall, a really enjoyable read. That is if you like FBI/Police type stories.
September 24, 2011
Awesome first novel, by the man that brought us Prince of Thieves (The Town as a movie)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews