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Cal Rogan Mysteries #6
Captive
How do you track down a lost teenager, when everyone else who has tried to find her ends up missing or dead?
PI Cal Rogan goes to Hong Kong to search for a teenager who disappeared while on vacation. Her brother, who went looking for her, has also vanished.
As Cal investigates, he discovers that hunting for this girl is a death warrant… and he’s next on the list.
While Cal struggles to stay alive, his partner Nick is dealing with a blackmail case which goes horribly wrong and puts the whole firm in jeopardy.
PI Cal Rogan goes to Hong Kong to search for a teenager who disappeared while on vacation. Her brother, who went looking for her, has also vanished.
As Cal investigates, he discovers that hunting for this girl is a death warrant… and he’s next on the list.
While Cal struggles to stay alive, his partner Nick is dealing with a blackmail case which goes horribly wrong and puts the whole firm in jeopardy.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2020
246 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 12, 2020
First and foremost, a large thank you to Robert P. French for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Returning for the sixth instalment of the Cal Rogan series, I could not wait to get my hands on Robert P. French’s latest book. Full of grit and balancing two impactful plot lines, French shows that he is an author to be reckoned with in this genre. Things are quite busy at Stammo Rogan Investigations, with two complex cases arriving in one day. The first involves a CEO who says that he’s being blackmailed for something he did a decade before in order to garner some quick cash. It would seem a video of the act has surfaced and someone is after a large sum of money. The second involves a man who reports that his two adult children have gone missing in Hong Kong. Zelena Gutkowski and her friend won a trip and made their way over there, but she disappeared and her brother’s attempts to find her proved fruitless. Cal Rogan agrees to head to Asia to get a handle on what’s going on, leaving Nick Stammo to mind the business and work the blackmail case. When Cal lands in Hong Kong, he works a few angles given to him in the background he received while still in Vancouver. He connects with a local PI in hopes of continuing some of the work done during the early stages of the Gutkowski family investigation. Rogan discovers that Zelena may still be alive, but that her social media presence is surely nothing but forced postings to divert any fear by friends. There is a seedy underbelly within Hong Kong and when Rogan gets too close to some answers, someone strikes to send a message. Back in Vancouver, Stammo finds himself in some hot water when the blackmail case turns out to be a ruse to frame him for something else. After a night in jail and some significant misunderstandings, Stammo and the rest of the team begin to peel back the layers to determine just who might be trying to stick it to them. Creating a ruse of their own, they can only hope to lure someone from out of the shadows before bringing down the hammer. As Rogan discovers just how much trouble Zelena Gutkowski finds herself, he must figure out how to get her back and safely to Vancouver before he disappears as well, which can only lead to certain death. A stunning story that pulls the reader into the middle of an intense narrative. French dazzles again and is sure to impress series fans with this one. Recommended to those who have enjoyed the previous novels in the series, as well as the reader who likes Canadian content in their crime fiction.
I discovered Robert P. French earlier this year and devoured all five of his past novels consecutively. That experience permitted me to develop a decent idea of Cal Rogan the character and how he might fit into the larger story of each novel. Rogan has a sordid past, though has been able to rise above it all and prove his worth as a private investigator. While he still struggles with addiction and having lost his wife and daughter when he put the drugs first, he is trying to rebuild his life and develop new ties to his family. His gritty approach to investigating helps him leave no stone unturned and provides superior work for his clients. While he is a risk taker, he likes to think that he knows what awaits him around the corner. Others in the book help to flavour the story in their own way, especially Nick Stammo, who has been dealt some tough cards, though he never lets that get him down. French effectively weaves in the Rogan-Stammo characters throughout the book to add depth to them without taking away from the central story. There are some wonderful returning characters and intriguing first timers, all of whom add to the story and keep the plot moving along. Series fans will see the progress and larger roles some of those secondary characters have come to receive, which shows that French is able to effectively build some advancement into those who support the aforementioned protagonists. The story itself is well-crafted and takes the reader into a challenging position, not only because both cases are developing simultaneously, but also with effective plot progress on two continents. French juggles this masterfully and keeps the action coming without losing any of the impact. His use of multiple narrative perspectives is also genius, as it permits the reader to crawl inside the heads of many who play key roles and hear what they are thinking, rather than the single omnipotent narrator. A mix of chapter lengths keeps the reader guessing what is to come and how things will resolve themselves, without fully being able to guess before the final reveal. Much praise is due Robert P. French and I can only hope many readers of crime thrillers will stumble upon this series and see just how strong it is, especially when weighed against much of the books out there today!
Kudos, Mr. French, for another winner. I cannot say enough about your work and am eager to see the reaction that others have to what you’ve published.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Returning for the sixth instalment of the Cal Rogan series, I could not wait to get my hands on Robert P. French’s latest book. Full of grit and balancing two impactful plot lines, French shows that he is an author to be reckoned with in this genre. Things are quite busy at Stammo Rogan Investigations, with two complex cases arriving in one day. The first involves a CEO who says that he’s being blackmailed for something he did a decade before in order to garner some quick cash. It would seem a video of the act has surfaced and someone is after a large sum of money. The second involves a man who reports that his two adult children have gone missing in Hong Kong. Zelena Gutkowski and her friend won a trip and made their way over there, but she disappeared and her brother’s attempts to find her proved fruitless. Cal Rogan agrees to head to Asia to get a handle on what’s going on, leaving Nick Stammo to mind the business and work the blackmail case. When Cal lands in Hong Kong, he works a few angles given to him in the background he received while still in Vancouver. He connects with a local PI in hopes of continuing some of the work done during the early stages of the Gutkowski family investigation. Rogan discovers that Zelena may still be alive, but that her social media presence is surely nothing but forced postings to divert any fear by friends. There is a seedy underbelly within Hong Kong and when Rogan gets too close to some answers, someone strikes to send a message. Back in Vancouver, Stammo finds himself in some hot water when the blackmail case turns out to be a ruse to frame him for something else. After a night in jail and some significant misunderstandings, Stammo and the rest of the team begin to peel back the layers to determine just who might be trying to stick it to them. Creating a ruse of their own, they can only hope to lure someone from out of the shadows before bringing down the hammer. As Rogan discovers just how much trouble Zelena Gutkowski finds herself, he must figure out how to get her back and safely to Vancouver before he disappears as well, which can only lead to certain death. A stunning story that pulls the reader into the middle of an intense narrative. French dazzles again and is sure to impress series fans with this one. Recommended to those who have enjoyed the previous novels in the series, as well as the reader who likes Canadian content in their crime fiction.
I discovered Robert P. French earlier this year and devoured all five of his past novels consecutively. That experience permitted me to develop a decent idea of Cal Rogan the character and how he might fit into the larger story of each novel. Rogan has a sordid past, though has been able to rise above it all and prove his worth as a private investigator. While he still struggles with addiction and having lost his wife and daughter when he put the drugs first, he is trying to rebuild his life and develop new ties to his family. His gritty approach to investigating helps him leave no stone unturned and provides superior work for his clients. While he is a risk taker, he likes to think that he knows what awaits him around the corner. Others in the book help to flavour the story in their own way, especially Nick Stammo, who has been dealt some tough cards, though he never lets that get him down. French effectively weaves in the Rogan-Stammo characters throughout the book to add depth to them without taking away from the central story. There are some wonderful returning characters and intriguing first timers, all of whom add to the story and keep the plot moving along. Series fans will see the progress and larger roles some of those secondary characters have come to receive, which shows that French is able to effectively build some advancement into those who support the aforementioned protagonists. The story itself is well-crafted and takes the reader into a challenging position, not only because both cases are developing simultaneously, but also with effective plot progress on two continents. French juggles this masterfully and keeps the action coming without losing any of the impact. His use of multiple narrative perspectives is also genius, as it permits the reader to crawl inside the heads of many who play key roles and hear what they are thinking, rather than the single omnipotent narrator. A mix of chapter lengths keeps the reader guessing what is to come and how things will resolve themselves, without fully being able to guess before the final reveal. Much praise is due Robert P. French and I can only hope many readers of crime thrillers will stumble upon this series and see just how strong it is, especially when weighed against much of the books out there today!
Kudos, Mr. French, for another winner. I cannot say enough about your work and am eager to see the reaction that others have to what you’ve published.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
August 10, 2020
An incredible, fascinating story of the Nick and Cal and their stumbling PI service! There are major cases at home, including someone leaving a briefcase full of heroin in their office and the cops come in and find it! Then a case from a rich family searching for their children takes Cal to Hong Kong, leaving Nick at home with Adry and Lucy to attempt to clean up the mess there. It is nice to see Adry and Lucy more involved, adding a needed team spirit to a couple of PI's who have seen it all.
There is fast action, family life, tough choices and amazing scenes in which you are right there, experiencing everything as it happens around you. A book that has your attention fully from the start
to the fast finish, with so many twists from different players that you don't know where it is going to go.
Another 5 STAR story from an author I can count on for an outstanding read!
I received an ARC from the author and offer You my Honest thoughts and feelings in this review.
There is fast action, family life, tough choices and amazing scenes in which you are right there, experiencing everything as it happens around you. A book that has your attention fully from the start
to the fast finish, with so many twists from different players that you don't know where it is going to go.
Another 5 STAR story from an author I can count on for an outstanding read!
I received an ARC from the author and offer You my Honest thoughts and feelings in this review.
August 31, 2020
Well I’ve read the previous 5 Cal Rogan books, giving the fifth one five stars (lots of fives there). But this book, while still excellent, didn’t grab me quite as much. It didn’t leave me gasping and reading on frantically. And I really can’t put my finger on why that is, except to say maybe I didn’t love the Hong Kong scenes 🤷♀️.
The PI business of Cal Rogan and Nick Stammo has grown and Adry has been promoted from receptionist/office assistant to investigator and Nick’s daughter, Lucy, is now the office assistant. It’s a great team and they work well together. One day they get two new cases. In one case a brother and sister Zelena and Aleksandr Gutkowski have gone missing in Hong Kong. Zelena who went there for a two week holiday with a girlfriend disappeared first and then her brother, who went to look for her also disappeared. Their father is desperate with worry. The second case is a man claiming he is being blackmailed over a video that dates back ten years.
The team decides that Rogan should go to Hong Kong while Stammo investigates the blackmailing. Of course, lots of things go wrong. In Hong Kong Rogan learns the hard way that you need to be very careful who you trust and he struggles to gain traction in a foreign country with a language he doesn’t understand. Of course that doesn’t stop him getting himself into a number of desperate situations. The blackmail case too turns out to be more complex than initially thought - it seems that was just a ruse to scam money from one of their previous clients and possibly send Rogan and/or Stammo to prison over some planted drugs.
It was a great plot and I’m sure there’ll be another book to look forward to as Rogan has some unfinished business
The PI business of Cal Rogan and Nick Stammo has grown and Adry has been promoted from receptionist/office assistant to investigator and Nick’s daughter, Lucy, is now the office assistant. It’s a great team and they work well together. One day they get two new cases. In one case a brother and sister Zelena and Aleksandr Gutkowski have gone missing in Hong Kong. Zelena who went there for a two week holiday with a girlfriend disappeared first and then her brother, who went to look for her also disappeared. Their father is desperate with worry. The second case is a man claiming he is being blackmailed over a video that dates back ten years.
The team decides that Rogan should go to Hong Kong while Stammo investigates the blackmailing. Of course, lots of things go wrong. In Hong Kong Rogan learns the hard way that you need to be very careful who you trust and he struggles to gain traction in a foreign country with a language he doesn’t understand. Of course that doesn’t stop him getting himself into a number of desperate situations. The blackmail case too turns out to be more complex than initially thought - it seems that was just a ruse to scam money from one of their previous clients and possibly send Rogan and/or Stammo to prison over some planted drugs.
It was a great plot and I’m sure there’ll be another book to look forward to as Rogan has some unfinished business
August 8, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book with all it's twists and turns. I actually enjoyed it better than the previous ones. You won't be disappointed. I like that all of the action doesn't occur in Canada, but it goes global this time. 4 cliffhangers that I can think of right now.
What will happen between Rogan & Stammo & Sam & Tina after this? Is Ellie going to be disappointed? I'm really looking forward to more books in this series.
What will happen between Rogan & Stammo & Sam & Tina after this? Is Ellie going to be disappointed? I'm really looking forward to more books in this series.
August 12, 2020
Cal does it again - hooks and captures me, that is!
This might be one of Mr French’s best … who am I kidding, ALL the books in the series are excellent. In Captive, Cal travels outside Canada, which adds a new twist. The characters make you care, the action is furious, and there are enough mysteries and red herrings to keep one guessing to the end. Do yourself a favour and read this entire series!
This might be one of Mr French’s best … who am I kidding, ALL the books in the series are excellent. In Captive, Cal travels outside Canada, which adds a new twist. The characters make you care, the action is furious, and there are enough mysteries and red herrings to keep one guessing to the end. Do yourself a favour and read this entire series!
August 12, 2020
I love this entire series. The characters interact well together and have a great dynamic and there's action throughout that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you start with book 1, you won't stop until you reach book 6 and you'll be clamoring for book 7 like I am !
August 11, 2020
You might very well be wondering, how can it possibly get better than Cabal? If you read this book, you will answer your own question. Right off the bat, they have two clients. The first one, Connor McCoy, runs a software company and is being blackmailed. The second client is a disheveled man who says his daughter, Zelena, and son, Aleksander have gone missing. In Hong Kong. It doesn’t take long for Cal to decide he needs to go to Hong Kong. Tina tags along. Before he leaves his daughter, Ellie calls to let him know that she and his ex-wife, Sam, are moving back to Vancouver. Her MS has gotten worse so they want to be close to her parents. It seems that someone is also setting up one of their former clients, Marly. It is not going to end well for someone. Great planning on Nick’s part. In Hong Kong, the action is fast and furious as Cal attempts to rescue the siblings, who have been kidnapped. This takes some doing. Another fast paced Cal Rogan book!
August 12, 2020
Having read Cabul early year I was so excited Rob sent me a link to read pre release copy which I read within 2 days. Really enjoyed this fast moving 2 story thriller set in Canada and Hong Kong. Canadian Story tells how the detective agency is compromised by a revengeful bent lawyer and Cal visits Hong Kong looking for a kidnapped girl and her brother. You don’t know who is good or bad here couldn’t put the book down it was outstanding. I will buy the released version Today
August 13, 2020
Another fast paced, action packed thrill ride with Cal Rogan. This time he is in Hong Kong to find two missing people. As always with Cal, there is never a dull moment. Each book is better than the last. I would highly recommend this book. I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.
May 23, 2024
Set in Vancouver and Hong Kong. 400 pp. This is the third series this year that has grabbed me and not let me go (the others are Inspector Gamache and Red Sparrow). There were many heart-stopping moments and plenty of twists to keep any suspense reader happy. One absolutely heart-wrenching result. 😓 Happy to see Tina back. It was a little "yeah, OK" when she found a reason to go to HK with Cal, but it was a way to add some extra drama, and I didn't hate it. There's one more to go... can't wait!
Captive (Cal Rogan Mysteries #6) by Robert P. French
Captive (Cal Rogan Mysteries #6) by Robert P. French
March 2, 2023
Fast paced
A missing teenager and her brother prompt al Rogan to travel to Hong Kong and begin an investigation. He is cautious as most people who look for this girl end up missing or dead. Hampered by the local inspector Ho, Cal must use all of his skills to stay ahead of those willing to kill to keep their secrets. This is a fact paced thriller spanning the globe and the characters are very well developed. I liked Cal and his business associates who were dealing with their own issues. The story felt very detailed and real and I can easily imagine this actually happening.
A missing teenager and her brother prompt al Rogan to travel to Hong Kong and begin an investigation. He is cautious as most people who look for this girl end up missing or dead. Hampered by the local inspector Ho, Cal must use all of his skills to stay ahead of those willing to kill to keep their secrets. This is a fact paced thriller spanning the globe and the characters are very well developed. I liked Cal and his business associates who were dealing with their own issues. The story felt very detailed and real and I can easily imagine this actually happening.
February 2, 2022
What a waste of time!
Cal seems to be almost as inept as the writer of this poorly conceived story!
Normally carrying two storey plots would at some point become intertwined, they don't!! Just another layer of mindless writing!
So Mr. French what is the purpose of introducing homosexuality into the storey? It contributed nothing to the plot whatsoever. It's almost an aside, Oh by the way, Cal's partner Stammos is Gay? Who cares??
You're off my list!!!!
Cal seems to be almost as inept as the writer of this poorly conceived story!
Normally carrying two storey plots would at some point become intertwined, they don't!! Just another layer of mindless writing!
So Mr. French what is the purpose of introducing homosexuality into the storey? It contributed nothing to the plot whatsoever. It's almost an aside, Oh by the way, Cal's partner Stammos is Gay? Who cares??
You're off my list!!!!
December 30, 2022
I don’t recommend
Not having this book edited or proof read well certainly made a difference. The mistakes in the story, in the plot because of this lack of attention to detail ruins this book.
It’s not a pleasant subject either, kidnapping overseas to be sold at auction to be raped, run by a triad.
The language wasn’t descriptive of these actions, but the language wasn’t clean, and the picture was painted.
I don’t recommend.
Not having this book edited or proof read well certainly made a difference. The mistakes in the story, in the plot because of this lack of attention to detail ruins this book.
It’s not a pleasant subject either, kidnapping overseas to be sold at auction to be raped, run by a triad.
The language wasn’t descriptive of these actions, but the language wasn’t clean, and the picture was painted.
I don’t recommend.
Read
August 12, 2020I must admit I had never read any of Robert French books, one was offered on Amazon for free,once I had read the first book I then read all the other ones and finished Captive a few days ago. Really enjoyed it and he puts a little surprise in each book. I will be looking out for his new book.well done and keep writing . I will give him top marks.
Chris Day,
Chris Day,
November 11, 2021
Brilliant
Cal has a drug problem, a girl is missing, nothing is as it seems. Her brother is sent to Hong Kong to find her, now he’s disappeared too. Cal goes to Hong Kong and ends up with more questions than answers. Fast paced, brilliant twists and ruthless killers. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Cal has a drug problem, a girl is missing, nothing is as it seems. Her brother is sent to Hong Kong to find her, now he’s disappeared too. Cal goes to Hong Kong and ends up with more questions than answers. Fast paced, brilliant twists and ruthless killers. Can’t wait to read the next one.
November 28, 2021
Cal takes the knocks to get the job done but can't save Zelena from herself but he rescued Aleksandr. Duplicitous Hong Kong criminals make the job a nightmare, who is bent and who isn't? The problems at home are sorted while he's away thankfully so he has a job to come back to not criminal charges. Good story with plenty going on.
November 13, 2021
Captivating!
Characters make or break a story. Cal, with all his flaws comes across the page to make you fall in love with him. Nick is loveable as well but he sets the tone. The ending leaves me hoping they work out the tiff between them.
Characters make or break a story. Cal, with all his flaws comes across the page to make you fall in love with him. Nick is loveable as well but he sets the tone. The ending leaves me hoping they work out the tiff between them.
November 17, 2021
Kidnapping, Chinese triads, human sexual slavery.
When a Canadian woman is kidnapped and used for sexual slavery, a pair of private detectives start looking for her. A tale of intrigue involving Chinese triads with a subplot of conning in Canada. A very enjoyable book.
When a Canadian woman is kidnapped and used for sexual slavery, a pair of private detectives start looking for her. A tale of intrigue involving Chinese triads with a subplot of conning in Canada. A very enjoyable book.
December 14, 2021
Good Book
Good story. The story line is twisted and even at the end,it is hard to tell the good guys from the bad. Rogan should have been a bigger bad ass and killed more that needed killing..
Good story. The story line is twisted and even at the end,it is hard to tell the good guys from the bad. Rogan should have been a bigger bad ass and killed more that needed killing..
January 21, 2022
Riverting
I couldn’t put the book down it was spellbinding. It kept me reading till I was finish. I was sad that zelena wasn’t saved and still at the end don’t know if Ho was crooked. I’m just happy Cal survive all his ordeals. Thanks for a captivating story.
I couldn’t put the book down it was spellbinding. It kept me reading till I was finish. I was sad that zelena wasn’t saved and still at the end don’t know if Ho was crooked. I’m just happy Cal survive all his ordeals. Thanks for a captivating story.
February 15, 2022
Disappointed
This is the first I've read by Robert French. May be the last. It started out interesting enough, but just seemed to get more and more confusing. Somehow lost the story line for me.
This is the first I've read by Robert French. May be the last. It started out interesting enough, but just seemed to get more and more confusing. Somehow lost the story line for me.
December 29, 2022
Good book
I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I found it was very challenging and totally immersing. I was a bit disappointed with the turn the storyline took with the suicide of one of the characters.
I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I found it was very challenging and totally immersing. I was a bit disappointed with the turn the storyline took with the suicide of one of the characters.
February 27, 2024
A Little Too Much Story
This book was good..but I got lost in several places with the characters. It's hard enough following the action in a foreign place (Hong Kong), and then so much confusion over who was good/bad. Ugh.
This book was good..but I got lost in several places with the characters. It's hard enough following the action in a foreign place (Hong Kong), and then so much confusion over who was good/bad. Ugh.
August 15, 2020
Couldn't put it down
November 11, 2021
Great book.
December 7, 2021
Confusing
I really got confused on this one. You couldn't tell the bad guys from the good. I didn't particularly like the ending.
I really got confused on this one. You couldn't tell the bad guys from the good. I didn't particularly like the ending.
December 10, 2021
Excellent book
Sooooo many twists and turns it is very hard to put down and go to bed. I really loved it
Sooooo many twists and turns it is very hard to put down and go to bed. I really loved it
December 13, 2021
Very good story with a lot of plot twists..enjoyed the ride
January 27, 2022
I wrote a four star review, only to see it posted as a one. I would never give a one star review to anything legible. I am seeking to remedy that error.
April 23, 2022
DNF. Boring. Maybe would have been better had I read the preceding books. There was a lot of back story assumed that I had no clue about.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews