The Hunters

A top-secret team, composed of Secret Service, FBI, and CIA agents and led by Army officer Charley Castillo, embarks on a trail of unknown bad guys in Uruguay and Buenos Aires. They must seek the unknown enemy and protect a source while avoiding political maneuvering back home. It is a dialogue-heavy mission that requires--and receives--stellar narration. As Castillo commands his men into toughness and respect, Jay O. Sanders adroitly twists his voice into convincing accents. He becomes a crusty European man, a feared Russian mobster, South American diplomats, and assorted Americans, from a wet-behind-the ears Marine corporal to a by-the-book FBI agent. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

November 13, 2006
Bestseller Griffin's ponderous third Presidential Agent novel picks up where the previous entry, The Hostage
, left off, following U.S. Army Maj. Carlos "Charley" Castillo, a troubleshooter who takes orders directly from the president, as he fumbles about in South America and Europe. Castillo and his crew of specialists are trying to figure out who ordered the murder of American diplomat Jean-Paul Lorimer, who was shot to death in Uruguay while under suspicion of various international misdeeds, including a shady food-for-oil conspiracy in Iraq. Long stretches of dialogue and description come across more as showcases for Griffin's knowledge than as solid narrative, while Castillo and his cohorts never rise beyond their assigned roles. Fans will miss the more captivating heroes of Griffin's Brotherhood of War or the Corps series. Author tour.

If you've been hunting for a fast-paced thriller, pick up this third installment in Griffin's Presidential Agent series. It starts seconds after The Hostage ends, but you needn't have listened to the latter to fully enjoy this. Having thwarted a nuclear disaster and uncovered a figure in an international scandal involving Iraqi oil, presidential operative Charley Castillo now hunts for the culprits who committed two related murders. You must admire Dick Hill's smooth, exciting performance as Castillo flits from country to country on his quest. Hill gracefully transitions from character to character, whether German, French, Russian, Spanish, or Hungarian. They all sound authentic when spoken by Hill. He is also a master of the frequent military diction that Griffin's characters are known for. A.L.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine