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Red Hotel #1
RED Hotel
When a bomb rips the façade off the Kensington Hotel in Tokyo, dozens are killed and injured while one man walks calmly away from the wreckage, a coy smile playing on his lips. Former Army intelligence officer Dan Reilly, now an international hotel executive with high level access to the CIA, makes it his mission to track him down. He begins a jet-setting search for answers as the clock ticks down to a climactic event that threatens NATO and the very security of member nations. Reilly begins mining old contacts and resources in an effort to delve deeper into the motive behind these attacks, and fast.
Through his connections he learns that the Tokyo bomber is not acting alone. But the organization behind the perpetrator is not who they expect. Facilitated by the official government from a fearsome global superpower, the implications and reasons for these attacks are well beyond anything Reilly or his sources in the CIA and State Department could have imagined, and point not to random acts of terror, but calculated acts of war.
RED Hotel is an incredibly timely globe-trotting thriller that's fiction on the edge of reality.
Through his connections he learns that the Tokyo bomber is not acting alone. But the organization behind the perpetrator is not who they expect. Facilitated by the official government from a fearsome global superpower, the implications and reasons for these attacks are well beyond anything Reilly or his sources in the CIA and State Department could have imagined, and point not to random acts of terror, but calculated acts of war.
RED Hotel is an incredibly timely globe-trotting thriller that's fiction on the edge of reality.
- GenresThrillerMystery Thriller
517 pages, Paperback
Published May 26, 2021
79 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Gary Grossman
17 books61 followersGary Grossman, author of EXECUTIVE ACTIONS, EXECUTIVE TREASON, and EXECUTIVE COMMAND, is a print and television journalist, an Emmy Award-winning network television producer, and a film and TV historian.
His career has included stints producing for NBC News, ABC, CBS NBC, Fox, PBS, and more than 27 cable networks.
Grossman is partner with Robb Weller in Weller/Grossman Productions, a prolific documentary and service and information television production company. Together, they have produced more than 6,000 programs and earned numerous awards including the prestigious Governor's Emmy Award for their 1996 USA Network special, "Healing the Hate," and an Emmy for Best Informational series with the 2002 production of "Wolfgang Puck" for Food Network.
The company's widely recognized series and specials have aired on NBC, Fox News, CNBC, History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Discovery Health, National Geographic Channel, HGTV, Fine Living, Do It Yourself, The Learning Channel, USA Network, and Sci Fi Channel, among other channels.
Grossman earned a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Emerson College in Boston and a Master's Degree in Urban Affairs from Boston University.
He began his career at 15 as a disc jockey at WHUC, his local radio station in Hudson, New York. He went on to work at Boston television station, WBZ; joined The Boston Globe as a special contributor, and then became a full-time television critic and columnist at The Boston Herald American, before moving to Los Angeles. His articles have also appeared in The New York Times and numerous magazines. He has taught journalism and media classes at Emerson College, Boston University, and USC. Grossman's two previous acclaimed non-fiction books, Superman: Serial to Cereal and Saturday Morning TV, cover television history.
Grossman lives in Los Angeles with his wife, writer Helene Seifer, and their children Sasha, Zachary, and Jacob. He serves on the Emerson College Board of Trustees and the Boston University Metropolitan Advisory Board. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association.
His career has included stints producing for NBC News, ABC, CBS NBC, Fox, PBS, and more than 27 cable networks.
Grossman is partner with Robb Weller in Weller/Grossman Productions, a prolific documentary and service and information television production company. Together, they have produced more than 6,000 programs and earned numerous awards including the prestigious Governor's Emmy Award for their 1996 USA Network special, "Healing the Hate," and an Emmy for Best Informational series with the 2002 production of "Wolfgang Puck" for Food Network.
The company's widely recognized series and specials have aired on NBC, Fox News, CNBC, History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Discovery Health, National Geographic Channel, HGTV, Fine Living, Do It Yourself, The Learning Channel, USA Network, and Sci Fi Channel, among other channels.
Grossman earned a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Emerson College in Boston and a Master's Degree in Urban Affairs from Boston University.
He began his career at 15 as a disc jockey at WHUC, his local radio station in Hudson, New York. He went on to work at Boston television station, WBZ; joined The Boston Globe as a special contributor, and then became a full-time television critic and columnist at The Boston Herald American, before moving to Los Angeles. His articles have also appeared in The New York Times and numerous magazines. He has taught journalism and media classes at Emerson College, Boston University, and USC. Grossman's two previous acclaimed non-fiction books, Superman: Serial to Cereal and Saturday Morning TV, cover television history.
Grossman lives in Los Angeles with his wife, writer Helene Seifer, and their children Sasha, Zachary, and Jacob. He serves on the Emerson College Board of Trustees and the Boston University Metropolitan Advisory Board. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 23, 2019
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 18%
I really didn't connect with this one, and at almost a fifth of the way in, some semblance of a plot should be apparent, characters should be developed, and the book should be drawing me in. None of that happened, and it was becoming a chore to pick this one up.
One star, plus an extra one for the outstanding descriptive prologue.
DNF @ 18%
I really didn't connect with this one, and at almost a fifth of the way in, some semblance of a plot should be apparent, characters should be developed, and the book should be drawing me in. None of that happened, and it was becoming a chore to pick this one up.
One star, plus an extra one for the outstanding descriptive prologue.
March 30, 2019
“Red Hotel” by Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller sets the stage right from the startling cover which features a silhouetted figure gazing down, a helicopter hovering in the distance, and a cracked window, all bathed in ominous red. Readers are immediately drawn into the action as Dan Reilly, Senior Vice President of Kensington Royal Hotel Corporation, assists hotel employees and guests. Conversation drives the plot as Reilly talks to those he encounters while hopping from problem to problem, protecting the interests of the Kensington Royal Hotel Corporation hotel chain and its guests all over the globe from Tokyo to Beijing, the Italian Alps, Mazatlán, and other locations. Reilly facilitates the hotel chain’s recovery after a variety of calamities and outright disasters, both natural and otherwise. The catastrophes are overwhelming, and the aftermath is devastating.
Vivid descriptions pull readers into the story.
Reilly develops and maintains Kensington’s network of “red” hotels, ones with extra-ordinary precautions and defenses in place to prevent “specific, serious threat toward the property, persons, or US interests in the region, particularly if the threat comes from known terrorist organizations or individuals.” Hotels had become a soft target with high propaganda value for terrorists, and his job is to keep Kensington Hotels safe “because Americans stay there.”
However, there is much more to Reilly’s job than just maintaining the bottom line of the hotel company and the way the hotel is regarded by its guests and the observing public. He also navigates another world; a world with more dangers than hurricanes and tsunamis; a world filled with spies, assassins, double agents, and revenge seekers; a world where agents and villains live side by side; a world where Russian influence reaches everywhere; a world where problems and actions from the past create havoc in the present.
“Red Hotel” is a globetrotting thriller with non-stop action and adventure set in a world from today’s news where conflicts explode daily across the globe. I received a review copy of “Red Hotel” from Gary Grossman, Ed Fuller, and Beaufort Books. I also heard the authors speak at Book Carnival in Orange, Ca. where they added to their captivating narrative, shared hotel “secrets” everyone should know, and promised another book by fall. That new book will make a great holiday gift!
“Reilly looked around. There was nothing encouraging in view. Debris everywhere. Dank, smoke-filled air. Haunting outlines of charred bodies on the street. Women’s shoes, ruined jewelry, stopped watches, fused glasses, and the saddest thing of all, a blood-soaked teddy bear.”
Vivid descriptions pull readers into the story.
“Deep green lightning hit so close that everyone could feel the energy. The thunder was deafening. They heard cars propelled by the wind crash into the hotel and telephone poles snap. Tin roofs from blocks away hurtled toward their sanctuary, adding to the cacophony.”
Reilly develops and maintains Kensington’s network of “red” hotels, ones with extra-ordinary precautions and defenses in place to prevent “specific, serious threat toward the property, persons, or US interests in the region, particularly if the threat comes from known terrorist organizations or individuals.” Hotels had become a soft target with high propaganda value for terrorists, and his job is to keep Kensington Hotels safe “because Americans stay there.”
However, there is much more to Reilly’s job than just maintaining the bottom line of the hotel company and the way the hotel is regarded by its guests and the observing public. He also navigates another world; a world with more dangers than hurricanes and tsunamis; a world filled with spies, assassins, double agents, and revenge seekers; a world where agents and villains live side by side; a world where Russian influence reaches everywhere; a world where problems and actions from the past create havoc in the present.
“Red Hotel” is a globetrotting thriller with non-stop action and adventure set in a world from today’s news where conflicts explode daily across the globe. I received a review copy of “Red Hotel” from Gary Grossman, Ed Fuller, and Beaufort Books. I also heard the authors speak at Book Carnival in Orange, Ca. where they added to their captivating narrative, shared hotel “secrets” everyone should know, and promised another book by fall. That new book will make a great holiday gift!
December 31, 2018
I got this as a e book from net galley. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
November 29, 2021
The best word to describe this book is "ponderous". Halfway into its 515 pages and no real discernible plot had been developed. At first I was frightened by the list of 36 MAIN characters (and their titles) at the very front, before the story began...Yikes! The first half of the book seemed like a long-winded lecture by an old...very old...college professor. The second half got a bit more interesting, but still overloaded with history spouted by various characters, really sounding, again, like a lecture. I have to admit that the final pages were "thrilling" and had me a bit on edge. Thinly veiled characters made the book a bit more relevant to today's events and a big mocking nod to Fox News made me laugh out loud. This isn't a page-turner, folks. I started and put this book down more than any other I've read. I came very close to returning it to the library somewhere around page 200. No doubt the authors know history and the hotel business. Obviously they are also very familiar with restaurants and street names across the globe. Impressive (yawn). I wonder what Putin might think if he reads this book?
May 30, 2019
Red Hotel is a well-written spy thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Action-packed, solid characters, fast-paced, and an excellent plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Many thanks to the authors, NetGalley, and Beaufort Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to the authors, NetGalley, and Beaufort Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2020
A rollicking read and one that seems prescient about how Putin can be planning the reestablishment of the USSR by any means open to him. Quite probably, I will never walk through a hotel lobby with the same sense of security as I did before reading this novel.
June 2, 2021
Ed Fuller & Gary Grossman – RH Bk 1 – RED Hotel – Reviewed 5/31/21 – Read 5/26-27/21
When does staying at a hotel change to terror? Find out in “Red Hotel” by Ed Fuller & Gary Grossman.
When Dan Reilly, an international hotel executive, is notified that his hotel in Tokyo has been bombed, with dozens killed and injured, his life changed! No longer can anyone assume it is safe to travel securely in foreign countries, and Dan needs to step up the game in safety for his guests and ultimately the industry. Dan’s background and contacts make him the man for the job, having been a former Army intelligence officer, in addition to the time he worked for the state department. What no one knows is that Dan’s contacts reach further into the government than anyone suspects, CIA is just one of his sources.
Arriving in Tokyo he begins assessing what he needs to do. After securing the hotel he returns to the main office and takes the next step in his plan. He needs money to do what needs to be done, but he needs to sell his boss, Edward Shaw, President/Founder, first. When he gets the approval to get started, he forms a team of top people to help him get the ball rolling. While they are working, they find out another hotel is in jeopardy. In the course of securing another hotel, Dan realizes that this all goes deeper, much deeper than anyone thought. What is happening to the hotel industry is not just random acts, but well-thought-out plans for war, and Dan accidentally steps into the crosshairs.
Join Dan as he digs deep for the answers to saving his hotels and more…
What did I like? It has been a while since I read a book that stunned me! I am not a jet setter by any means, but I have traveled quite a bit. I love seeing new places and meeting new people, but this book opened my eyes to things I never dreamed about. Now don’t get me wrong, the industry has taken lots of measures to secure the safety of their guests, but I never gave any of them any thought. That was the first thing that occurred to me while reading but then the more the pages turned, I became so involved in the storyline, I could not put the book down. I was even happier that the day that I received and started this book, I also had the second book “Red Deception” already on my reader. I hate to use the term, “had me at hello”, but I was. Having been to a couple of the places that this book talks about made it even more interesting. The authors took a topic, travel and hotels, and turned it into a masterpiece.
What will you like? The storyline could have been the headlines for today’s news! Terror, danger, intrigue, politics, murder, mayhem, mystery, death, and romance. In a book like this one, these are the key ingredients to making a storyline sing, and sing is just what the authors have done. Each of them brings to the table a vast amount of knowledge, a background in the hotel industry, travel industry, journalism, network television producer, and an award-winning author. Add these all together and you definitely will have an extraordinary read. The pace is fast, the characters are amazing, the facts are clear, the research shows, the storyline is nothing short of amazing! I highly recommend this and the upcoming “Red Deception” for anyone that loves to read an action-packed book filled with excitement!
• ASIN: B07KY1GZJY
• Publisher: Beaufort Books
• Publication Date: 3/19/2019
• File Size: 1858 KB
• Print Length: 481 pages
• Genre: Terrorism Thrillers, Espionage Thrillers
When does staying at a hotel change to terror? Find out in “Red Hotel” by Ed Fuller & Gary Grossman.
When Dan Reilly, an international hotel executive, is notified that his hotel in Tokyo has been bombed, with dozens killed and injured, his life changed! No longer can anyone assume it is safe to travel securely in foreign countries, and Dan needs to step up the game in safety for his guests and ultimately the industry. Dan’s background and contacts make him the man for the job, having been a former Army intelligence officer, in addition to the time he worked for the state department. What no one knows is that Dan’s contacts reach further into the government than anyone suspects, CIA is just one of his sources.
Arriving in Tokyo he begins assessing what he needs to do. After securing the hotel he returns to the main office and takes the next step in his plan. He needs money to do what needs to be done, but he needs to sell his boss, Edward Shaw, President/Founder, first. When he gets the approval to get started, he forms a team of top people to help him get the ball rolling. While they are working, they find out another hotel is in jeopardy. In the course of securing another hotel, Dan realizes that this all goes deeper, much deeper than anyone thought. What is happening to the hotel industry is not just random acts, but well-thought-out plans for war, and Dan accidentally steps into the crosshairs.
Join Dan as he digs deep for the answers to saving his hotels and more…
What did I like? It has been a while since I read a book that stunned me! I am not a jet setter by any means, but I have traveled quite a bit. I love seeing new places and meeting new people, but this book opened my eyes to things I never dreamed about. Now don’t get me wrong, the industry has taken lots of measures to secure the safety of their guests, but I never gave any of them any thought. That was the first thing that occurred to me while reading but then the more the pages turned, I became so involved in the storyline, I could not put the book down. I was even happier that the day that I received and started this book, I also had the second book “Red Deception” already on my reader. I hate to use the term, “had me at hello”, but I was. Having been to a couple of the places that this book talks about made it even more interesting. The authors took a topic, travel and hotels, and turned it into a masterpiece.
What will you like? The storyline could have been the headlines for today’s news! Terror, danger, intrigue, politics, murder, mayhem, mystery, death, and romance. In a book like this one, these are the key ingredients to making a storyline sing, and sing is just what the authors have done. Each of them brings to the table a vast amount of knowledge, a background in the hotel industry, travel industry, journalism, network television producer, and an award-winning author. Add these all together and you definitely will have an extraordinary read. The pace is fast, the characters are amazing, the facts are clear, the research shows, the storyline is nothing short of amazing! I highly recommend this and the upcoming “Red Deception” for anyone that loves to read an action-packed book filled with excitement!
• ASIN: B07KY1GZJY
• Publisher: Beaufort Books
• Publication Date: 3/19/2019
• File Size: 1858 KB
• Print Length: 481 pages
• Genre: Terrorism Thrillers, Espionage Thrillers
November 9, 2019
This is a well-written, globe-hopping thriller, that delivers everything that a thriller enthusiast could want. The authors did a great job injecting current issues into the plot. The hotel industry plays a key role in "Red Hotel", and the authors are quite knowledgeable about the business end of this industry and the problems faced by international hotel chains in an age of global terrorism. The book had a very real edge to it. The end of the book was very well-crafted, and provides a great example of a confrontation between the protagonist and the villain. The plot of the book was realistic, and consistent enough with current events to keep a reader on the edge of his seat.
My criticisms include a plot that turned out to be overly complex, a few too many characters for my taste, and a main character that seemed to me to have a few too many capabilities. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if the protagonist were more of a normal businessman caught up in abnormal circumstances.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me and I moved through it quickly. The book was a collaborative effort between Mr. Grossman and Mr. Fuller, and they pulled it off well. I will be seeking out more novels written by each of the coauthors.
My criticisms include a plot that turned out to be overly complex, a few too many characters for my taste, and a main character that seemed to me to have a few too many capabilities. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if the protagonist were more of a normal businessman caught up in abnormal circumstances.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me and I moved through it quickly. The book was a collaborative effort between Mr. Grossman and Mr. Fuller, and they pulled it off well. I will be seeking out more novels written by each of the coauthors.
February 16, 2019
The Red Hotel opens with testimony before a congressional committee stressing the necessity of shared information between the intelligence community and hotel chains for the safety of their customers. This scene alternates with scenes of a terrorist bombing at a hotel in Tokyo. Dan Reilly, the VP-International for Kensington Royal Hotels, departs Washington for Tokyo to assess the damages to their hotel. After viewing the devastation and the number of fatalities, Reilly submits a plan to the home office to deter future attacks. Gathering a panel of security consultants that includes a former CIA official, a former FBI official, a military strategist and the owner of a company of mercenaries, they outline security upgrades for the hotels. These are based on threat levels, with a red hotel being in imminent danger of attack.
The Tokyo attack is tied to Russia’s plan to return to its’ former greatness under the rule of President Nikolai Gorshkov. As a young KGB officer during the re-unification of Germany, Gorshkov felt betrayed by his superiors and is now in a position to not only exact revenge, but to also test NATO’s ability to defend its’ members borders.
Dan Reilly’s background includes time in military intelligence and a position with the State Department. Having a contact within the CIA, he is able to discover the identity of the Tokyo bomber and his ties to Moscow. Reilly is resourceful, analytical and a capable adversary to Gorshkov and his plans.
Ed Fuller has the experience with an international hotel change and his co-author, Gary Grossman, has written some engrossing thrillers. Together they have produced a thriller that throws you right into the action and the tension builds to a final confrontation that will leave you breathless. In the closing acknowledgments this is revealed as the first book in a new international thriller series. This opening story will have you anxiously awaiting more.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Beaufort Books for making this book available for my honest review.
The Tokyo attack is tied to Russia’s plan to return to its’ former greatness under the rule of President Nikolai Gorshkov. As a young KGB officer during the re-unification of Germany, Gorshkov felt betrayed by his superiors and is now in a position to not only exact revenge, but to also test NATO’s ability to defend its’ members borders.
Dan Reilly’s background includes time in military intelligence and a position with the State Department. Having a contact within the CIA, he is able to discover the identity of the Tokyo bomber and his ties to Moscow. Reilly is resourceful, analytical and a capable adversary to Gorshkov and his plans.
Ed Fuller has the experience with an international hotel change and his co-author, Gary Grossman, has written some engrossing thrillers. Together they have produced a thriller that throws you right into the action and the tension builds to a final confrontation that will leave you breathless. In the closing acknowledgments this is revealed as the first book in a new international thriller series. This opening story will have you anxiously awaiting more.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Beaufort Books for making this book available for my honest review.
February 15, 2019
This book is a winner. The authors are particularly well suited for this book. One is a successful novelist and the other has a broad background in global affairs. They are a perfect combination for this thriller which is placed squarely on the current world stage with all of the conflicts that are raging across the globe. The title foreshadows the novel’s main event.
Red is the code word developed by Dan Reilly, Vice President of the international division of a major hotel conglomerate called Kensington Royal. He travels most of the time to assess their properties. Red denotes a property facing the most dangerous threat level. It means that a hotel and its guests are in the crosshairs of an imminent event of some kind: a bombing, a weather event, an assassination attempt, anything deemed ultra dangerous. The rating system was developed by Reilly using what is called the Eisenhower Box which rates tasks based on their level of urgency.
Because of a recent up tick in violent acts against soft targets, Reilly wants his hotels to be prepared for anything, hopefully to prevent the danger entirely or to at least mitigate the destruction and death resulting from such an attack. We meet him as he is taking part in a Senate hearing. Reilly, a former soldier and State Department employee, is acutely aware that the world is fraught with unseen danger. He is asking the Senators for more cooperation from the government regarding warning information like the kind that the airlines receive concerning credible threats, but the Senators, particularly one irascible character who is grandstanding about the need being absolutely unnecessary, are not cooperative.
The leader of the Russian world (a Vladimir Putin wannabe), President Nikolai Gorshkov, and his main accomplice Andre Miklos, were abandoned when the Berlin Wall came down. The betrayal was not forgotten, and it has been simmering through the years. As Gorshkov rose to power, he did not forget his desire for vengeance. Ruthless, he and Miklos eliminated anyone who stood in his way. He wanted to return Russia to prominence, as a powerful star, by any credible method he could devise. Clandestinely, he was plotting to reassert Russian dominance by reclaiming former strategic territory that was part of the once powerful Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, (the USSR). To accomplish this, the President of Russia was willing, by any means, to create unrest and violence in unexpected places, placing the cause and responsibility for it elsewhere. He then used the incidents to create a narrative giving cover for his country’s own actions and reactions. Will his diabolical plans be foiled? Can he be stopped? Will Russia be able to create the necessary drama to make it seem that the country has a legitimate complaint and is therefore justified to take combative action?
Meanwhile, new standards for security, at the Kensington Royal hotels, are being implemented as quickly as possible. A spate of what has been staged to look like random terror attacks and murders has occurred. Security personnel are tasked with the job of protection, but ordinary citizens often also have to help. The mantra, if you see something, say something, is not a joke. It is a serious and necessary alteration in behavior. Everyone has to be vigilant. (The theme of this book could easily be non-fiction in the future.)
Although the attacks have not been blamed on Russia, the political environment and working arrangement of the United States, the European Union and NATO rankles Russia. When The Kensington Hotel in Brussels goes Red because Reilly suspects they have become the next target, he is forced to go under cover, doing double duty, working with the CIA as well as his hotel company. It is imperative that he do his best to thwart a catastrophic disaster. Who is behind this diabolical plan? He must find out before time runs out.
I was at the edge of my seat, reading this novel, wanting to get to the end to find out what happened, but not wanting it to end because I was enjoying it so much.
There are many little tangents which sometimes made the narrative confusing, but since this was an advance copy provided to me by Meryl Moss Media Relations, I assume there will be some serious editing to follow. Although the reader may guess more of the plot, than the actual characters do, that won’t interfere with the intrigue and excitement the book imparts, especially when real events are woven into the pages. There will always be that sliver of doubt about one’s own conclusion and a need to keep on reading as the tension builds and subsides, builds and subsides. The conclusion seems to prepare the reader for a possible sequel or series, since some loose ends are left untied, namely a romantic relationship with a woman who may or may not be an innocent participant in Dan Reilly’s life.
I recommend this as a very exciting thriller, perfect to take on a vacation. It is just long enough to last the length of one’s stay and interesting enough to capture one completely so that the reader will keep returning to it, that is if it isn’t read straight through in a marathon, skipping meals and sleep! The authors place the readers in the middle of the chaos of today’s world, leaving them to wonder whether or not it is possible to be safe anyplace, anymore, ever again. The book felt like a prescient warning for the future. The news media controls all information and who presents it controls the message. NATO has lost much of its strength; Russia is aligning itself with the enemies of the West and between Russia and China there is now an active game of what one could call a land grab. Are they instigating unrest in order to provoke chaos and create plausibility for their possible future actions? The answer is unknown!
Red is the code word developed by Dan Reilly, Vice President of the international division of a major hotel conglomerate called Kensington Royal. He travels most of the time to assess their properties. Red denotes a property facing the most dangerous threat level. It means that a hotel and its guests are in the crosshairs of an imminent event of some kind: a bombing, a weather event, an assassination attempt, anything deemed ultra dangerous. The rating system was developed by Reilly using what is called the Eisenhower Box which rates tasks based on their level of urgency.
Because of a recent up tick in violent acts against soft targets, Reilly wants his hotels to be prepared for anything, hopefully to prevent the danger entirely or to at least mitigate the destruction and death resulting from such an attack. We meet him as he is taking part in a Senate hearing. Reilly, a former soldier and State Department employee, is acutely aware that the world is fraught with unseen danger. He is asking the Senators for more cooperation from the government regarding warning information like the kind that the airlines receive concerning credible threats, but the Senators, particularly one irascible character who is grandstanding about the need being absolutely unnecessary, are not cooperative.
The leader of the Russian world (a Vladimir Putin wannabe), President Nikolai Gorshkov, and his main accomplice Andre Miklos, were abandoned when the Berlin Wall came down. The betrayal was not forgotten, and it has been simmering through the years. As Gorshkov rose to power, he did not forget his desire for vengeance. Ruthless, he and Miklos eliminated anyone who stood in his way. He wanted to return Russia to prominence, as a powerful star, by any credible method he could devise. Clandestinely, he was plotting to reassert Russian dominance by reclaiming former strategic territory that was part of the once powerful Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, (the USSR). To accomplish this, the President of Russia was willing, by any means, to create unrest and violence in unexpected places, placing the cause and responsibility for it elsewhere. He then used the incidents to create a narrative giving cover for his country’s own actions and reactions. Will his diabolical plans be foiled? Can he be stopped? Will Russia be able to create the necessary drama to make it seem that the country has a legitimate complaint and is therefore justified to take combative action?
Meanwhile, new standards for security, at the Kensington Royal hotels, are being implemented as quickly as possible. A spate of what has been staged to look like random terror attacks and murders has occurred. Security personnel are tasked with the job of protection, but ordinary citizens often also have to help. The mantra, if you see something, say something, is not a joke. It is a serious and necessary alteration in behavior. Everyone has to be vigilant. (The theme of this book could easily be non-fiction in the future.)
Although the attacks have not been blamed on Russia, the political environment and working arrangement of the United States, the European Union and NATO rankles Russia. When The Kensington Hotel in Brussels goes Red because Reilly suspects they have become the next target, he is forced to go under cover, doing double duty, working with the CIA as well as his hotel company. It is imperative that he do his best to thwart a catastrophic disaster. Who is behind this diabolical plan? He must find out before time runs out.
I was at the edge of my seat, reading this novel, wanting to get to the end to find out what happened, but not wanting it to end because I was enjoying it so much.
There are many little tangents which sometimes made the narrative confusing, but since this was an advance copy provided to me by Meryl Moss Media Relations, I assume there will be some serious editing to follow. Although the reader may guess more of the plot, than the actual characters do, that won’t interfere with the intrigue and excitement the book imparts, especially when real events are woven into the pages. There will always be that sliver of doubt about one’s own conclusion and a need to keep on reading as the tension builds and subsides, builds and subsides. The conclusion seems to prepare the reader for a possible sequel or series, since some loose ends are left untied, namely a romantic relationship with a woman who may or may not be an innocent participant in Dan Reilly’s life.
I recommend this as a very exciting thriller, perfect to take on a vacation. It is just long enough to last the length of one’s stay and interesting enough to capture one completely so that the reader will keep returning to it, that is if it isn’t read straight through in a marathon, skipping meals and sleep! The authors place the readers in the middle of the chaos of today’s world, leaving them to wonder whether or not it is possible to be safe anyplace, anymore, ever again. The book felt like a prescient warning for the future. The news media controls all information and who presents it controls the message. NATO has lost much of its strength; Russia is aligning itself with the enemies of the West and between Russia and China there is now an active game of what one could call a land grab. Are they instigating unrest in order to provoke chaos and create plausibility for their possible future actions? The answer is unknown!
October 22, 2023
Wish that I could give this novel 3.75 stars rather than 3 stars - but Goodreads is not set up to do so.
This debut in the "Red Hotel" series may not be for everyone... but for those who like to read geopolitical thrillers, you are going to like it!
Yes, this is a "geopolitcal" thriller - part international & corporate geopolitics, part anti-terrorism security manual for the international and national hotel industry, part Alex Haley's novel "Hotel", and for the last 50 pages or so an action thriller. The authors did a very good job here -- however, to a small extent I agree with other reviews that this informative novel could have had some of the pages reduced. Maybe one more round of editing.
I will be reading the next two novels in the series... and more if they are written in the future.
This debut in the "Red Hotel" series may not be for everyone... but for those who like to read geopolitical thrillers, you are going to like it!
Yes, this is a "geopolitcal" thriller - part international & corporate geopolitics, part anti-terrorism security manual for the international and national hotel industry, part Alex Haley's novel "Hotel", and for the last 50 pages or so an action thriller. The authors did a very good job here -- however, to a small extent I agree with other reviews that this informative novel could have had some of the pages reduced. Maybe one more round of editing.
I will be reading the next two novels in the series... and more if they are written in the future.
September 27, 2020
Red Hotels" is a page-turning book, fast paced and full of action.
Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller gave us un excellent plot. The two authors reflected on the realities of terrorism threatening hotels around the world. Actually, from the start of the 21st century, security in hotels is an issue because they become real targets in many regions. However, I find what the authors said about Russia a bit exaggerated because I think Russia is not a source of terrorism.
Authors succeeded to show at what point reflection and approach of protagonists involved in hotel industry about security are different: politicians, security agencies, hotel managers, shareholders, local police, etc. And after reading this I will not stay in a hotel without asking myself if it is really secure!
4,5 stars.
Read: September, 2020
Source: NetGalley and Beaufort Books, the Publisher.
Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller gave us un excellent plot. The two authors reflected on the realities of terrorism threatening hotels around the world. Actually, from the start of the 21st century, security in hotels is an issue because they become real targets in many regions. However, I find what the authors said about Russia a bit exaggerated because I think Russia is not a source of terrorism.
Authors succeeded to show at what point reflection and approach of protagonists involved in hotel industry about security are different: politicians, security agencies, hotel managers, shareholders, local police, etc. And after reading this I will not stay in a hotel without asking myself if it is really secure!
4,5 stars.
Read: September, 2020
Source: NetGalley and Beaufort Books, the Publisher.
October 17, 2021
I liked this book! This is a well-written spy novel with some mystery, romance, world traveling, and the very real current threat of terrorism and its effect on the innocent. Dan Reilly, an international hotel executive, makes it his mission to find the people (Smug) responsible for the bombing of one of his hotels in Tokyo. The Russian threat and their devious methods to ensure their place in the world is hauntingly believable.
February 15, 2019
RED Hotel is an intriguing, fast-paced ride through today's international headlines and global political realities. Based on real events and the authors' extensive experience and masterful writing style, it's everything I've missed since the last true Clancy novel. I'm a fan and you will be, too.
April 10, 2019
This is a must read for every thriller fan out there. It's another "breed"of thriller. Combine an established author in the genre with a successful global hotel executive, and what you get is RED hotel. Espionage, counter-terrorism, global stakes, it has it all.
December 5, 2019
This is a must read for every thriller fan out there. It's another "breed"of thriller. Combine an established author in the genre with a successful global hotel executive, and what you get is RED hotel. Espionage, counter-terrorism, global stakes, it has it all.
March 28, 2019
Not my cup of tea. More of a hotel thriller then anything else!!!
May 5, 2019
Enjoyable read, look forward to next in series! Also appreciated relevant historical information.
May 15, 2019
Good idea, poor witting.
July 5, 2019
An excellent geopolitical thriller. I will definitely read the next book in the series.
March 5, 2020
A very good read
August 29, 2021
Excellent
Detailed, engrossing, well executed storyline. Looking forward to book 2. I believe it will be just as entertaining. Can not wait.
Detailed, engrossing, well executed storyline. Looking forward to book 2. I believe it will be just as entertaining. Can not wait.
January 30, 2022
I enjoyed the book but little slow in the first half.
May 9, 2022
A great book that keeps you waiting for what will happen next. Fuller and Grossman hit a home run!
January 3, 2023
Perfect holiday book. Great fun reading it but remembered absolutely nothing about it the second I finished it.
January 29, 2023
Fascinating plot and a great read!
April 22, 2024
Try to keep up with all the plot lines, settings and characters. It’s worth the effort. On to the next book in this series.
June 2, 2021
Ed Fuller & Gary Grossman – RH Bk 1 – RED Hotel – Reviewed 5/31/21 – Read 5/26-27/21
When does staying at a hotel change to terror? Find out in “Red Hotel” by Ed Fuller & Gary Grossman.
When Dan Reilly, an international hotel executive, is notified that his hotel in Tokyo has been bombed, with dozens killed and injured, his life changed! No longer can anyone assume it is safe to travel securely in foreign countries, and Dan needs to step up the game in safety for his guests and ultimately the industry. Dan’s background and contacts make him the man for the job, having been a former Army intelligence officer, in addition to the time he worked for the state department. What no one knows is that Dan’s contacts reach further into the government than anyone suspects, CIA is just one of his sources.
Arriving in Tokyo he begins assessing what he needs to do. After securing the hotel he returns to the main office and takes the next step in his plan. He needs money to do what needs to be done, but he needs to sell his boss, Edward Shaw, President/Founder, first. When he gets the approval to get started, he forms a team of top people to help him get the ball rolling. While they are working, they find out another hotel is in jeopardy. In the course of securing another hotel, Dan realizes that this all goes deeper, much deeper than anyone thought. What is happening to the hotel industry is not just random acts, but well-thought-out plans for war, and Dan accidentally steps into the crosshairs.
Join Dan as he digs deep for the answers to saving his hotels and more…
What did I like? It has been a while since I read a book that stunned me! I am not a jet setter by any means, but I have traveled quite a bit. I love seeing new places and meeting new people, but this book opened my eyes to things I never dreamed about. Now don’t get me wrong, the industry has taken lots of measures to secure the safety of their guests, but I never gave any of them any thought. That was the first thing that occurred to me while reading but then the more the pages turned, I became so involved in the storyline, I could not put the book down. I was even happier that the day that I received and started this book, I also had the second book “Red Deception” already on my reader. I hate to use the term, “had me at hello”, but I was. Having been to a couple of the places that this book talks about made it even more interesting. The authors took a topic, travel and hotels, and turned it into a masterpiece.
What will you like? The storyline could have been the headlines for today’s news! Terror, danger, intrigue, politics, murder, mayhem, mystery, death, and romance. In a book like this one, these are the key ingredients to making a storyline sing, and sing is just what the authors have done. Each of them brings to the table a vast amount of knowledge, a background in the hotel industry, travel industry, journalism, network television producer, and an award-winning author. Add these all together and you definitely will have an extraordinary read. The pace is fast, the characters are amazing, the facts are clear, the research shows, the storyline is nothing short of amazing! I highly recommend this and the upcoming “Red Deception” for anyone that loves to read an action-packed book filled with excitement!
• ASIN: B07KY1GZJY
• Publisher: Beaufort Books
• Publication Date: 3/19/2019
• File Size: 1858 KB
• Print Length: 481 pages
• Genre: Terrorism Thrillers, Espionage Thrillers
When does staying at a hotel change to terror? Find out in “Red Hotel” by Ed Fuller & Gary Grossman.
When Dan Reilly, an international hotel executive, is notified that his hotel in Tokyo has been bombed, with dozens killed and injured, his life changed! No longer can anyone assume it is safe to travel securely in foreign countries, and Dan needs to step up the game in safety for his guests and ultimately the industry. Dan’s background and contacts make him the man for the job, having been a former Army intelligence officer, in addition to the time he worked for the state department. What no one knows is that Dan’s contacts reach further into the government than anyone suspects, CIA is just one of his sources.
Arriving in Tokyo he begins assessing what he needs to do. After securing the hotel he returns to the main office and takes the next step in his plan. He needs money to do what needs to be done, but he needs to sell his boss, Edward Shaw, President/Founder, first. When he gets the approval to get started, he forms a team of top people to help him get the ball rolling. While they are working, they find out another hotel is in jeopardy. In the course of securing another hotel, Dan realizes that this all goes deeper, much deeper than anyone thought. What is happening to the hotel industry is not just random acts, but well-thought-out plans for war, and Dan accidentally steps into the crosshairs.
Join Dan as he digs deep for the answers to saving his hotels and more…
What did I like? It has been a while since I read a book that stunned me! I am not a jet setter by any means, but I have traveled quite a bit. I love seeing new places and meeting new people, but this book opened my eyes to things I never dreamed about. Now don’t get me wrong, the industry has taken lots of measures to secure the safety of their guests, but I never gave any of them any thought. That was the first thing that occurred to me while reading but then the more the pages turned, I became so involved in the storyline, I could not put the book down. I was even happier that the day that I received and started this book, I also had the second book “Red Deception” already on my reader. I hate to use the term, “had me at hello”, but I was. Having been to a couple of the places that this book talks about made it even more interesting. The authors took a topic, travel and hotels, and turned it into a masterpiece.
What will you like? The storyline could have been the headlines for today’s news! Terror, danger, intrigue, politics, murder, mayhem, mystery, death, and romance. In a book like this one, these are the key ingredients to making a storyline sing, and sing is just what the authors have done. Each of them brings to the table a vast amount of knowledge, a background in the hotel industry, travel industry, journalism, network television producer, and an award-winning author. Add these all together and you definitely will have an extraordinary read. The pace is fast, the characters are amazing, the facts are clear, the research shows, the storyline is nothing short of amazing! I highly recommend this and the upcoming “Red Deception” for anyone that loves to read an action-packed book filled with excitement!
• ASIN: B07KY1GZJY
• Publisher: Beaufort Books
• Publication Date: 3/19/2019
• File Size: 1858 KB
• Print Length: 481 pages
• Genre: Terrorism Thrillers, Espionage Thrillers
April 28, 2019
As terrorist threats move from well-guarded government facilities their targets often become softer ones, hotels—where corporate and government representatives stay and conduct International business. In this interesting and informative geopolitical thriller, our hero, Dan Reilly, is a global hotel chain manager, but he also has contacts in the intelligence communities, both in Europe and in the USA. This combination is perfect to pit him against terrorists trying to shift political winds through violence. Many of the scenarios played out here have happened or could happen in the world today.
Ed Fuller, a former Marriott Hotel manager, coauthored Red Hotel with Gary Grossman because, he said in an interview, was not that familiar with fiction writing. He provided the stories, Grossman provided the writing flare. It works.
Very believable story, well-developed characters, and you’ll probably wonder what’s going on behind the scenes the next time you check into a big chain international hotel. Worth a read; a spy thriller you won’t want to put down.
Ed Fuller, a former Marriott Hotel manager, coauthored Red Hotel with Gary Grossman because, he said in an interview, was not that familiar with fiction writing. He provided the stories, Grossman provided the writing flare. It works.
Very believable story, well-developed characters, and you’ll probably wonder what’s going on behind the scenes the next time you check into a big chain international hotel. Worth a read; a spy thriller you won’t want to put down.
April 22, 2019
Terrorists bomb a hotel in Tokyo, but the reverberations are felt around the world in a new international thriller co-written by TV producer and author Gary Grossman and global executive and crisis management expert Ed Fuller.
In RED Hotel (Beaufort Books), a high-ranking Kremlin diplomat is assassinated. A building in Kiev blows up. Russia begins to amass forces along its western borders. Former Army intelligence officer Dan Reilly, now an international hotel executive with high-level access to the CIA, believes the plot is much bigger than anyone imagines, involving the empire-building, Putin-esque president of Russia.
Our interview with the authors: https://booktrib.com/2019/03/check-in...
In RED Hotel (Beaufort Books), a high-ranking Kremlin diplomat is assassinated. A building in Kiev blows up. Russia begins to amass forces along its western borders. Former Army intelligence officer Dan Reilly, now an international hotel executive with high-level access to the CIA, believes the plot is much bigger than anyone imagines, involving the empire-building, Putin-esque president of Russia.
Our interview with the authors: https://booktrib.com/2019/03/check-in...
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