Hostage Taker

June 1, 2015
With this entertaining but superficial series opener, Edgar-winner Pintoff (Secret of the White Rose and two other historicals featuring Det. Simon Ziele) shifts to present-day Manhattan. On the day of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting, a man barricades himself and an unknown number of hostages inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral and requests as negotiator FBI agent Eve Rossi, who’s on bereavement leave following her stepfather’s death. Over the next hours, Eve and her Vidocq team—a group of criminals who chose law enforcement rather than prison—confront a hostage taker who has shown his willingness to kill and wired the historic cathedral with explosives. Their efforts are undermined by Eve’s ambitious, politically motivated boss and a church hierarchy that values the building over people’s lives. Pintoff tosses out crumbs of mystery related to Eve’s stepfather that may be developed in further installments, but references are too cryptic to engage most readers. Still, those seeking a light late-summer read will be satisfied. Agent: David Hale Smith, DHS Literary.

June 15, 2015
After a brutal hostage taker invades St. Patrick's Cathedral, a team of misfits led by the emotionally damaged Eve Rossi takes charge in this fast-paced thriller. Although known for period crime novels, Pintoff successfully transitions to the present when she recruits the reluctant FBI profiler Eve Rossi to help defuse a mystifying hostage situation at the iconic New York City landmark. The city's Christmas season is brought to a standstill as Eve negotiates with a mysterious man whose demands seem nonsensical. He wants five individuals brought to the scene to act as "witnesses" to the ensuing events. Eve's reluctant to get involved: she's still mourning the death of her beloved stepfather, a former CIA operative. But she grudgingly comes back to work when the hostage taker asks for her by name. The first order of business is to re-establish her old team, a special secret squad known as the Vidocq Unit. The members are an eclectic group of criminals saved from long prison terms by virtue of their assignment to the unit. But, as the hostage crisis drags on, moving closer to the deadline, things start going wrong, and for one team member, a personal issue becomes entangled in the crisis itself. Pintoff's reliance on the tired trope of a band of misfits coming together under a charismatic leader isn't especially innovative or well-done; Rossi's team could be straight out of cliched network television. And Rossi herself isn't really all that charismatic. In fact, even though she's touted as a crack negotiator, readers will marvel at the bad calls she makes and the very human fallout that results. But the characters aren't really the stars of Pintoff's novel; instead, it's the cathedral, with its complicated history, complex structure, and religious significance. Readers won't be dazzled by the forgettable Rossi or her team of scalawags, but the galloping storyline and behind-the-scenes view of St. Patrick's make this an addictive read.

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Starred review from July 1, 2015

Pintoff switches pace, mood, and genre with this contemporary thriller that is as strong as her award-winning historical mysteries featuring Det. Simon Ziele (Secret of the White Rose). What starts as a shooting outside of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan quickly and frighteningly devolves into a complex hostage situation. At stake are not only the lives of the hostages but the fate of the most iconic church in the country. Eve Rossi, FBI agent and burned-out negotiator, is called back to work and has limited time and options to defuse the situation. How do you negotiate with someone who won't tell you what they want? And to do so with the mayor, the Catholic Church, and the global media watching you? Eve's choice is to bring back her unconventional team, made up of ex-convicts with unusual talents. With their help, she may just be able to succeed. VERDICT Strong writing, a well-paced plot, and intriguing characters make this one of the best thrillers of the year. Fans of Lisa Gardner will find much to like here.--Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2015
Eve Rossi is an FBI hostage negotiator with a troubled past. Her last negotiation didn't end well, and, shortly thereafter, her stepfather, a retired CIA operative, passed away. She is on leave when she receives orders to return to work; someone has taken several people hostage at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. The hostage taker has wired explosives to his hostages and to every known entry of the building. The church is panicking about losing even a pane of stained glass, but Eve is worried about the hostages, especially as they start to die. She calls in her old team, Vidocq, a group of career criminals with unique skills. (Each member of the team is introduced via FBI reports interspersed throughout the novel.) News updates also break up the chapters and the tension as the story propels forward. The chief suspect is a cop on suspension; Eve establishes contact with him, but his demands are puzzlingall he wants is for the FBI to round up five specific people to bear witness. Eve's team is working against a tight timetable to try to find these people and to determine what, if anything, they have in common with the hostage taker. Pintoff skillfully ratchets up the tension and throws more than one curveball into this twisty, exciting read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)