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Alan Gregory #17
The Siege
As a lovely weekend approaches on the Yale campus it appears that a number of students—including the sons of both the secretary of the army and newest Supreme Court justice—may have gone missing. Kidnapping? Terrorism? The authorities aren’t sure. But the high-profile disappearances draw the attention of the CIA and the FBI’s vaunted Hostage Rescue Team. Attention quickly focuses on the fortresslike tomb of one of Yale’s oldest secret societies.
Suspended Boulder police detective Sam Purdy soon finds himself in New Haven, where he is suddenly snared by an unlikely pair of Feds: FBI agent Christopher Poe and CIA analyst Deirdre Drake. When an unknown enemy starts releasing hostages, one by one, out of the building’s front door to die, Sam, Poe, and Dee join together, desperately trying to solve the riddle of what is going on inside the windowless stone tomb on the edge of campus.
In The Siege, New York Times bestselling author Stephen White delivers a pulse-pounding thriller that begs the questions: What if the next terrorist threat has a different set of rules that exploits weaknesses we never knew we had? How should we respond? And what happens when one of us is asked to make an unimaginable sacrifice to protect our neighbors?
Suspended Boulder police detective Sam Purdy soon finds himself in New Haven, where he is suddenly snared by an unlikely pair of Feds: FBI agent Christopher Poe and CIA analyst Deirdre Drake. When an unknown enemy starts releasing hostages, one by one, out of the building’s front door to die, Sam, Poe, and Dee join together, desperately trying to solve the riddle of what is going on inside the windowless stone tomb on the edge of campus.
In The Siege, New York Times bestselling author Stephen White delivers a pulse-pounding thriller that begs the questions: What if the next terrorist threat has a different set of rules that exploits weaknesses we never knew we had? How should we respond? And what happens when one of us is asked to make an unimaginable sacrifice to protect our neighbors?
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First published June 17, 2009
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About the author
Stephen White
286 books569 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
Stephen White is the author of the New York Times bestselling Alan Gregory novels. In his books, he draws upon over fifteen years of clinical practice as a psychologist to create intriguing plots and complex, believable characters.
Born on Long Island, White grew up in New York, New Jersey, and Southern California and attended the University of California campuses at Irvine (where he lasted three weeks as a creative writing major) and Los Angeles before graduating from Berkeley in 1972. Along the way he learned to fly small planes, worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, cooked and waited tables at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and tended bar at the Red Lion Inn in Boulder. Trained as a clinical psychologist, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1979 and became known as an authority on the psychological effects of marital disruption, especially on men. White's research has appeared in Psychological Bulletin and other professional journals and books. After receiving his doctorate, White not only worked in private practice but also at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and later as a staff psychologist at The Children's Hospital in Denver, where he focused his attention on pediatric cancer patients. During those years he became acquainted with a colleague in Los Angeles, another pediatric psychologist named Jonathan Kellerman. At the time, Kellerman and White were two of only about a dozen psychologists in the country working in pediatric oncology.
Series:
* Alan Gregory
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
June 21, 2024
Returning to re-read Stephen White’s great thriller collection after a number of years, this summer binge should be a great adventure. White keeps the reader hooked with another great novel, where Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy takes the reins. He offers up some great insight into his own life and the adventures they entail. After some mysterious activity on campus at Yale, Sam is called to assist by a family whose daughter is being held by a mystery group. What looks like a potential kidnapping soon opens up a number of serious questions. Bodies and hostages emerge, leaving Sam to wonder how he will piece things together, alongside two federal agents. With Alan Gregory in the rear view mirror, it will be Sam Purdy who takes the lead and tries to help as the story comes together. White offers up a stunning alternate perspective from the usual in this series.
The Yale campus enjoys some great weather and many students are mingling around the various buildings between classes. However, there is something a great deal more troubling. Sons of both the Secretary of the Army and a Supreme Court justice have gone missing. Could it be a kidnapping or even some sort of terrorism? No one is quite sure. However, this does not go unnoticed with many of the federal government’s alphabet soup agencies on the scene. The FBI and CIA find themselves on campus to investigate, but are not clear as to what is going on. A Hostage Rescue Team sets up, in hopes of finding out what’s what and how they can help solve things before they escalate, whatever that might be.
Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy has been suspended and finds himself looking for something to stimulate his mind. He ends up in New Haven, Connecticut, where things are unravelling quickly. While the local authorities believe that there might be a larger and more catastrophic plan in the works. Sam connects with two agents to crack things wide open. Sam may not have significant experience with hostage taking and negotiating, but his unique style could help solve things before too much bloodshed. The key to all this is right in front of everyone’s faces, though it will take a spark to put the pieces together. White dazzle and impresses once more with a unique spin.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel. This novel forces Alan to stand back and highlights the wonders of Sam Purdy and his stubborn Minnesota ideas.
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book keeps those views in the background as Sam Purdy’s police views save the day. Strong perspectives and many zany views from this Minnesota native flavour the narrative effectively. The reader who is familiar with Sam will enjoy his views and how it helps to push things along. The narrative flow is like in any other novel, though darker and more numerous at times as well. As things flow, there are some great events that fuel the momentum increases, all leasing up with a stellar novel and surprises around every turn. Fewer returning characters and many new faces provide a perspective that White has not offered to this point, which is refreshing and kept me wondering as the story takes turns one might not expect.
Plot points drive the story in ways not typical in the series. Sam Purdy seeks the grittier perspectives and succeeds as he finds himself in Connecticut, where university campus politics and ideas mix. Violent acts and police techniques are layered between many of the surprises in the story, all of which are handled with great aplomb by Stephen White. I loved the contrast and kept wondering what else White might have in store, as Sam trips upon many things that could not be expected. I am eager to see how these latter novels will develop as the end of White collection is in sight. Where things will go I still a great surprise, which has me eager to tackle them all!
Kudos Mr. White, for such a rich and full story with more threads left to be handled.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
The Yale campus enjoys some great weather and many students are mingling around the various buildings between classes. However, there is something a great deal more troubling. Sons of both the Secretary of the Army and a Supreme Court justice have gone missing. Could it be a kidnapping or even some sort of terrorism? No one is quite sure. However, this does not go unnoticed with many of the federal government’s alphabet soup agencies on the scene. The FBI and CIA find themselves on campus to investigate, but are not clear as to what is going on. A Hostage Rescue Team sets up, in hopes of finding out what’s what and how they can help solve things before they escalate, whatever that might be.
Boulder PD Detective Sam Purdy has been suspended and finds himself looking for something to stimulate his mind. He ends up in New Haven, Connecticut, where things are unravelling quickly. While the local authorities believe that there might be a larger and more catastrophic plan in the works. Sam connects with two agents to crack things wide open. Sam may not have significant experience with hostage taking and negotiating, but his unique style could help solve things before too much bloodshed. The key to all this is right in front of everyone’s faces, though it will take a spark to put the pieces together. White dazzle and impresses once more with a unique spin.
I remember discovering this series years ago, devouring many of the books in short order. When I chose to return, I decided that I would try a complete series binge, getting the full Alan Gregory experience. Stephen White uses many of his personal experiences as a clinical psychologist to pull on ideas and character aspects, which becomes apparent in this strong novel. This novel forces Alan to stand back and highlights the wonders of Sam Purdy and his stubborn Minnesota ideas.
White’s writing usually explores his own personal situations as a clinical therapist, but this book keeps those views in the background as Sam Purdy’s police views save the day. Strong perspectives and many zany views from this Minnesota native flavour the narrative effectively. The reader who is familiar with Sam will enjoy his views and how it helps to push things along. The narrative flow is like in any other novel, though darker and more numerous at times as well. As things flow, there are some great events that fuel the momentum increases, all leasing up with a stellar novel and surprises around every turn. Fewer returning characters and many new faces provide a perspective that White has not offered to this point, which is refreshing and kept me wondering as the story takes turns one might not expect.
Plot points drive the story in ways not typical in the series. Sam Purdy seeks the grittier perspectives and succeeds as he finds himself in Connecticut, where university campus politics and ideas mix. Violent acts and police techniques are layered between many of the surprises in the story, all of which are handled with great aplomb by Stephen White. I loved the contrast and kept wondering what else White might have in store, as Sam trips upon many things that could not be expected. I am eager to see how these latter novels will develop as the end of White collection is in sight. Where things will go I still a great surprise, which has me eager to tackle them all!
Kudos Mr. White, for such a rich and full story with more threads left to be handled.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 23, 2011
What a thought provoking thriller. The relevance to our lives and times is spooky. It was a good read although I must express some initial confusion with the different voices and timelines. Once I got my reading act in gear, it was fine.
Even though Alan Gregory shows up in the final pages it is a gratuitous reference to the series in which he is the main character. Sam Purdy, a substantial character in the entire series is the lead. The story occurs while Sam is on a trip which takes him way, way out of his comfort zone in so many ways. He is an enjoyable "common man" character.
I enjoyed the buildup of tension throughout the book but the resolution left me feeling uneasy and unsettled. Maybe, because it parallels what the reality of that situation might truly have been.
Stephen White will remain one of my most favorite of authors.
Even though Alan Gregory shows up in the final pages it is a gratuitous reference to the series in which he is the main character. Sam Purdy, a substantial character in the entire series is the lead. The story occurs while Sam is on a trip which takes him way, way out of his comfort zone in so many ways. He is an enjoyable "common man" character.
I enjoyed the buildup of tension throughout the book but the resolution left me feeling uneasy and unsettled. Maybe, because it parallels what the reality of that situation might truly have been.
Stephen White will remain one of my most favorite of authors.
August 15, 2009
This was so much more than just a suspense novel. He had a message. Only I can't tell you what it is, because it would spoil the ending. I'm really impressed. He's never gone this far with his books before, but he really pulled it off. And I couldn't put it down. The timeline at first irritated me (chapters flipping back and forth between two days on the same weekend) but I got over it. I hope he continues with this set of characters. They were well-drawn and really interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes from here.
August 19, 2009
Compulsively readable. Really lived up to the expression "page-turner" for hundreds of pages. I've really enjoyed the Alan Gregory series, but Stephen White saves his best work for his stand-alone novels. First there was Kill Me, and now The Siege. These two books not only tell a superb and suspenseful story, but they also explore important personal and social ideas. I think The Siege is his best work yet, for exciting plot and food for thought. (Hey, that rhymes!):)
December 17, 2011
The first three quarters of this book were so powerful, so intriguing and so
suspenseful I was waiting for a really blockbuster ending. I was disappointed. The book
seemed to just fizzle out at the end. I don't think the motives of the hostage takers matched
the methods they used or the victims they chose. The final stand off did not seem realistic.
September 7, 2009
AMAZING. This was so good!!! Fantastic character development - scary believeable events - I didn't want to put the book down!!! Great novel... Thanks Jeanette!!! I have to look for more of his books!
October 14, 2009
Once I was about 100 pages in, I found this hard to put down. I wasn't sure at the beginning if I'd like some of the characters but found I liked them better as the book progressed. I'll look for more books by this author, who was new to me.
March 16, 2012
It was a little hard to follow but once the story developed it was easier to see where the characters belonged. I have read other mysteries by Stephen White that featured the psychologist Allen Gregory as the protagonists. They are always good reads and the mystery isn't too easy to solve...
Read
September 13, 2009Very interesting insight into what goes on in the "Tombs" at Yale University and the history of the secret societies such as Skull & Bones
July 11, 2009
Sam Purdy is really down on his luck. His police detective girl friend, Carmen, is pregnant and is on doctor ordered bed rest. Sam is suspended from the Boulder police department and maxed out on his credit cards. Filling in for Carmen, he goes to Miami to attend events planned to honor her daughter, Dolce's, engagement to Andrew Calderon. Sam’s only thought is to just manage to get through the celebrations and get back home.
Sam is approached by Ann Summers Calderon, mother of the groom, who takes Sam aside and reveals her fears regarding her daughter Jane who is a student at Yale. Ann has received a note that makes her feel that Jane may be in danger. She convinces Sam to fly to Yale and investigate.
Meanwhile, at Yale, Sgt. Christine Carmody is acting as a hostage negotiator. A number of students are hostage inside a fortress like building owned by one of Yale’s secret societies. Word of the hostage situation has been on the news and FBI Agent Christopher Poe rushes to the scene. Chris was in the building during the Oklahoma bombing and is still suffering after effects from that tragedy. Deirdre Drake, a CIA analyst, joins Chris. The two eventually join up with Sam Purdy and the group tries to make sense of the terrifying situation.
The Siege will terrify any parent as they read of students allowed to leave the building only to die in front of the hostage negotiator. Yet, some do come out and are unharmed. What is the key and what do the kidnappers hope to gain? This puzzle keeps the reader turning the pages.
Stephen White has written sixteen previous suspense novels and this one is a winner.
Sam is approached by Ann Summers Calderon, mother of the groom, who takes Sam aside and reveals her fears regarding her daughter Jane who is a student at Yale. Ann has received a note that makes her feel that Jane may be in danger. She convinces Sam to fly to Yale and investigate.
Meanwhile, at Yale, Sgt. Christine Carmody is acting as a hostage negotiator. A number of students are hostage inside a fortress like building owned by one of Yale’s secret societies. Word of the hostage situation has been on the news and FBI Agent Christopher Poe rushes to the scene. Chris was in the building during the Oklahoma bombing and is still suffering after effects from that tragedy. Deirdre Drake, a CIA analyst, joins Chris. The two eventually join up with Sam Purdy and the group tries to make sense of the terrifying situation.
The Siege will terrify any parent as they read of students allowed to leave the building only to die in front of the hostage negotiator. Yet, some do come out and are unharmed. What is the key and what do the kidnappers hope to gain? This puzzle keeps the reader turning the pages.
Stephen White has written sixteen previous suspense novels and this one is a winner.
December 31, 2015
Finally! I made my way through this book. I'm not sure why I stuck with it. I was so disappointed with it. I've read many of Stephen White's book and loved them all. But this was a departure from his usual books. It involves only one character from his past books, all of which have been about psychologist, Alan Gregory. I could have dealt with that, but as the book unfolds it deals with a hostage situation on Yale's campus. The events are told two or three times from the perspective of different people, and it quite repetitious. I can appreciate that writers (even successful ones) might want to try a different format. But I hope White returns to the excellent events in the life of Alan Gregory.
August 16, 2009
Stephen White has left Alan Gregory, the Boulder psychologist, and turned to Sam Purdy in this latest novel. Sam is attending an engagement party for the daughter of his girlfriend when he gets caught up in a kidnapping, hostage situation which seems to have some terrorism involved. Told from several points of view the situation worsens, deaths occur with no pattern, and even the elite units of the CIA and FBI seem to be clueless. Readers will find themselves hostage to the book as the action races to the conclusion. The conclusion is provocative and will leave the reader returning to the questions that are posed.
October 7, 2009
This is a scary book. During a hostage situation on the Yale campus, the reader has no idea what is going on in the mind(s) of the hostage-taker(s). The story is told from different perspectives ... and it is slightly confusing as it goes back and forth in time. The overwhelming feeling I had after finishing the last chapter is that this could happen anytime, anywhere and we are powerless to predict or prevent it. Sam Purdy is a familiar character from previous Stephen White novels. Other characters are introduced for the first time here and I wonder if they will appear in future books. A good, suspenseful read.
August 28, 2010
This book was a take-off from White's Alan Gregory series, and features Sam Purdy, Alan's close friend and a Boulder Police Officer. This book differend from the Gregory books, since the psychological drama was not the same, without a therapist as the protagonist, but was just as well written. The plot was tightly woven, and suspenseful. The story builds around a possible terrorist/hostage incident on the campus of Yale University; Sam ends up right in the middle of the action, trying to help a friend whose daughter is a student at Yale, and a possible hostage of the terrorists. Stephen White just keeps getting better!
September 21, 2009
A departure from the Alan Gregory series the book focuses on suspended Boulder, Co., police detective, Sam Purdy, and his efforts to find the daughter of a missing future in-law. Most of the action takes place at Yale, where a suspected terrorist has taken an unknown number of students as hostages. Sam gets caught up with the CIA, FBI, local and state law enforcement personnel in trying to figure out what is actually taking place. It is a great story, well told, and kept me guessing right to the end.
October 10, 2009
Well written, as usual, but different from other White books I've read in that the main character focus is on Sam Purdy, the detective, rather than Alan Gregory, the psychologist. A very timely plot, which is giving me a lot to think about - sometimes more than I want. Finished the book few days ago. One of White's best!
The book reinforced the feeling I have that the knot in my stomach, when I think about the safety of our world, is justified and shared by other many people, not just the close family & friends I have in my life.
The book reinforced the feeling I have that the knot in my stomach, when I think about the safety of our world, is justified and shared by other many people, not just the close family & friends I have in my life.
November 3, 2009
I'm a long time fan of Stephen White, but I'm beginning to lose interest. I was half way through this book and almost abandoned it. Sam Purdy, the Boulder detective, who is usually the side kick of Alan Gregory, Boulder psychotherapist and usually the central character of White's books, is the main character this time around. It deals with terrorism linked to the secret societies of Yale and the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq, and the dilemma of choosing what is good for us personally vs. what is good for society in general.
January 13, 2011
Intriguing plot set on Yale campus. Good character development. Although Alan Gregory makes brief appearance, this is not part of his series. Story focuses on interaction between Boulder Police Det. Sam Purdy, who is asked to help a friend when her daughter is taken hostage; FBI agent Christopher Poe, who survived the bombing of the Murrow Bldg. in Oklahoma City and CIA analyst Deidre Drake. The three are trying desperately to find out who is behind the mysterious siege of one of the tombs on the Yale campus and why students are being killed. A taut psychological thriller.
August 25, 2009
I wasn't sure if Sam Purdy would carry a whole book without Alex, but he does. Suspended from the Boulder police department and so with time on his hands Sam travels to Miami for a pre-wedding party. Soon after arriving the groom's mother asks Sam if he is trustworthy, we know he is. From here on out this read is a real page-turner that poses timely questions about who is a terrorist. Thumbs up for Sam.
October 7, 2009
This is pretty much a stand alone rather than part of the Alan Gregory series despite the presence of series regular Sam Purdy. It's interesting how some current mystery authors are working present day political issues into their work and this one fits right in. The plot was gripping and chilling even if it didn't have quite the same level of human interest due to the absence of the regular characters. Still, all in all, a very enjoyable book.
August 15, 2009
I love thrillers, and this new one by Stephen White takes place on the Yale University campus. It involves a hostage situation with students who were tapped to join one of the secret societies. The story uses several viewpoints of the police, FBI, CIA and parents. It's a different kind of "terrorist attack" and the book poses some interesting scenarios. I liked it!
September 16, 2009
Loved this book! Even though I missed the presence of Alan Gregory, it was fun getting to know Sam Purdy's character more in depth. The story was intriguing on many levels. As usual, I enjoy the rich details woven throughout the story.
Now..... to be patient until the next story in the series comes out!
Now..... to be patient until the next story in the series comes out!
August 26, 2009
A little different from the author's Alan Gregory series, this great book places Sam Purdy at Yale in a hostage/terrorist situation. He introduces some new characters, Poe and Dee, that I hope he brings back. I liked it a lot better than his usual novels and found it one I didn't want to put down.
September 22, 2009
Alan Gregory, protaganist of most of White's novels has only a cameo appearance in "The Siege." This book has Sam Purdy, ex-Boulder Colorado police detective helping a family to recover their daughter who is one of several hostages held in a fortresslike tomb of one of Yale's secret societies. Well plotted and scary!
September 20, 2009
The beginning of the book starts out with a terrorist threat, but as the story progresses, the reader is pondering the motivations behind the suspected terrorist. An interesting twist to the madness behind killing innocent people and the author attempts to illustrate the way the politics of war can breed hatred and revenge.
September 21, 2009
The Boulder connection is what originally got me interested in Stephen White. The author got me hooked after that. The Siege has very little to do with Boulder but has to be the most suspenseful book to date. I was holding my breath a lot while reading. I hope White is able to keep churning them out.
October 3, 2009
This is the first book by Stephen White I have read where Alan Gregory was not the main Character -- instead it was his police officer best friend, and he carried it off extremely well. The book carried my interest from start to finish. Well written and enjoyable, and not easy to figure out! Worth reading.
August 12, 2009
I was initially disappointed that Dr. Gregory wasn't (really) in this book, but it turned out to be a captivating read. White seems to put some serious thought into current events and possible outcomes.
May 14, 2021
This is rather different from the rest of White's book in style and in intensity. Sam Purdy is back by himself, but that's the primary things that is the same. The subject matter is frightening, the writing is terse and the tension is high!
September 25, 2009
OK but paled I guess next to Infinite Jest for sure. Had not read anything by him for a while and must say I think I liked some of his old characters better- and esp when set in CO vs this one back east. Seemed too thriller and not deep I guess
Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews