The Hostage

A Presidential Agent Novel (Presidential Agent, Book 2)

By: W. E. B. Griffin

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

By Order of the President, the first novel in Griffin's crackling Presidential Agent series, won immediate acclaim from critics and fans alike.

Charley Castillo works with the Department of Homeland Security, but more and more is the man to whom the president turns when he needs an investigation done discreetly. And no situation demands discretion more than the one before them now.

An American diplomat's wife is kidnapped in Argentina, and her husband is murdered before her eyes. Her children will be next, she is told, if she doesn't tell them where her brother is - a brother, as it turns out, who may know quite a bit about the burgeoning UN/Iraq oil-for-food scandal.

There is an awful lot of money flying around, and an awful lot of hands are reaching up to grab it - and some of those hands don't mind shedding as much blood as it takes.

Before the investigation is over..it might even be Castillo's blood.

Prolong the suspense: listen to another Presidential Agent thriller.

©2006 W. E. B. Griffin (P)2006 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"True virtuosity." ( Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
"Cutting-edge. The end leaves readers standing on the tarmac waiting for Castillo and his newly minted band of can-do compatriots to touch down and carry them away again on a new adventure." ( Publishers Weekly)

Good series and excellent reader

Increasingly I find the narrator has a HUGE impact on how I relate to a book or a series. Dick Hill and George Guidall are excellent and I've become hooked on Alex Berenson's John Welles series and Griffin's Presidential Agent novels. The stories themselves are good, characters (lead) likable and human with good detail. Because the W.E.B. Griffin ones need to be read in order, there is always a part where the book has perhaps a chapter filling in the reader with things they might not know (if they haven't read it in series). I'm not sure how much this will bother me or not as the Presidential Agent ones continue - but Charlie Castillo is a very likable "guy" and enough details are provided in the retelling to add flesh to the "bones" of his history. I do think that Dick Hill is an important reason I've liked the series so much so far. But really good and I'd recommend others who've liked Berenson and Vince Flynn (with reader Guidall),

Charlie is Awesome--What Else Is There To Say?

I sure wish I had discovered these books earlier but then I wouldn't be able to enjoy them now. I just bought Book 3 in this terrific series. If you like macho men, and I do, then you'll love this book whether you are male or female. I think the stories just get better and better. If you like to watch someone be recognized for his abilities but he is a bit modest about them, then you'll love Charlie. Lots of guns and lots of shootings but more intrigue than anything. The characters remain pretty much the same, with the special ops-like team getting together to work with Charlie again and the President backing the whole thing up and defending it against some of his cabinet members.

Read the first book in the series first or you won't get the connections.

Griffin is terrific and I hope his son is able to continue these entertaining tales.

And, Dick Hill is a terrific narrator. He makes it all better.

a little too realistic

I'm not an operator, but as an infantryman with real wold experience I can guess this book is as close to the real thing as it gets, a little too close.

I have no doubt the author was/is an operator and most definitely someone's XO. This guy knows all the details and left no stone unturned in his story development. This includes annotating that because he lived in the B's SGT however had a meal card and therefore didn't need Oficer so and so to buy his meal at th 1-504 (Strike Hold) DFAC.

I do appreciate well developed characters though so bit of a catch 22 there.

Knocks it out of the park!!

A true tour de force in the spy/espionage drama. Written with such exquisite detail I truly got lost in the story. Great characters expertly read by the phenomenal Mr. Dick Hill. His description of the preparation of a simple chateaubriand was hypnotic and almost erotic. He could read the tax code and I'd listen! This story starts out as a hostage drama, as the name implies, but becomes so much more. You can't help rooting for the lead character, who has appeared in other of Mr. Griffin's work, but who I feel I truly got to know in this book. This was a truly enjoyable book and I highly recommend it. Happy reading!

Continuing great.

Just googled today and realized Mr Butterworth Sr died two years ago. Such a loss. Wish he was still writing. Great read in a great series. Have finished two of Griffin's military series. Several hundred hours of listening. This book continues the story. Will read next and next and next and...

Very interesting story

Usual excellent Story line solid characters hard to put down, ready for next volume thanks.

Great Story and Incredible Performance

One of the best performances I have heard on Audible. Dick Hill made all characters individual and made them come to life! How can he be at least 15 distinct characters? Griffin gives informed and wonderful descriptions of places, people and events. His bit of comic relief keeps the story fun as well as fascinating. I look forward to hearing more books done by this wonderful duo.

Awesome!

This is the 2nd listening of this book. Had it for years now. The value of books like this is almost immeasurable because you will enjoy it multiple times. Awesome! Simply Awesome!

The story continues and gets even better

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hostage to be better than the print version?

Both the Book and the Audio are great in there own ways

Who was your favorite character and why?

Karl Wilhelm Gossinger Carlos Guillermo Castillo

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

Dick Hill is a master and a huge talent. His voices and his story telling is masterful

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh as the humor between characters is rather fun, it also had other emotions as well.

Any additional comments?

W E B Griffin and Dick Hill are masters of story telling From the mind and words of the great W E B Griffin to the masterful performance by dick hill this is a great listen

Wow

Another Tour de Force (Fantastic) book that kept me awake to make sure that I didn’t miss a single word
Thank you Mr. Griffin