We Are Holding the President Hostage

By: Warren Adler

Narrated by: Eric Bryan Moore

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

Aging mafia Don Salvatore Padronelli, a.k.a. the Padre, is furious when fanatical terrorists capture his beloved daughter and grandson on a trip to Egypt. Fed up with diplomatic caution that prolongs their captivity, the Padre and his loyal henchman cleverly insinuate themselves into the White House and hold the President and his wife hostage. Now the Padre calls the shots on getting the President to take steps to release his family. This classic confrontation between two men on utterly opposite sides of the law is laced with humor and illustrates how fierce paternal love can motivate even the most ruthless of gangsters into reckless acts of courage and bravery.

©1986 Warren Adler (P)2016 Warren Adler

Enjoyed from beginning to end

This book was on my radar for a while, and now I'm just sorry it took me so long to get it and listen. Really enjoyed this book. Normally when you think mafia boss, you think bad guy. But, I really enjoyed The Padre. Loved that the characters weren't one dimensional. The line between bad guy or good guy was blurred, as is true for real life as well. I was engaged from the very beginning to the end. 
And, the narrator did a really great job. He pulls you in and keeps you there as you watch the story unfold. And, he captures the essence of each character. It wasn't a grab you, drag you up, down, and every way through an emotional ringer. But, it is a good, easy, suspenseful listen from beginning to end. J

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

excels in the dichotomy of power and how its used

Warren Adler is the author of more than forty published novels, the most famous being “The War of the Roses”, made into a very successful movie. This was my first occasion to read any of his work. I really enjoyed it and am contemplating which book to tackle next.

The plot of the book revolves around a family, Richard who works for the foreign service and is stationed in Egypt, his wife Maria and their five year old son. When this book was written in the mid 1980’s, 1986, the USSR was still intact and terrorism was starting to rise. The PLA and Arafat were the main group but others were popping up in Lebanon, Syria, Libya and Egypt. Mr. Adler was eerily ahead of his time in how he portrays this world of terrorism, each with their own agendas.

As the novel begins, Maria is sitting in her car with her not so patient son waiting to pick up her husband. He is already an hour late. He is part of the group giving the Under Secretary of State a tour of the museum. Also in the same parking lot are six men waiting to kidnap the Under Secretary to ransom in exchange for prisoner releases. When Maria’s son can wait no longer, she walks him towards the museum entrance to use the restroom, just as the dignitaries come out. The terrorist plan goes sideways quickly. In an attempt to gain something out of the botched plan Maria and her son are snatched instead.

This is where the novel excels in the dichotomy of power and how it is used. American policy is not to negotiate with terrorist. Maria and her son will most likely suffer torture and die. Except for one small fact unknown but to Maria, her husband and a few others. Maria’s father is a businessman in Brooklyn. The kind of business that Mario Puzo wrote so well about in his novels. Maria’s father is a Don, a Godfather, a mafia king. He does not play by the same rules as the government especially when his only surviving child and only grandson are involved.

His plan is simple. If the President will not negotiate with terrorist for hostages, take the President hostage. Here the book shows some dating. The mafia get into the White House relatively easy. There is only one computer involved for the CIA Director to use to contact operatives. Once the reader accepts the existence of the USSR and lack of computers and tight security, the story flows nicely. It really was a compelling listen.

Mr. Moore does a great job narrating. The overt menace of the terrorist leader is nicely contrasted with the calm danger of the mafia don. All the accents are well done. Mr. Moore infuses the emotion into the narration without overdoing it. He really made the audiobook a “must listen just a little bit longer” that turned into hours. The production values were great.

Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Great Read, Interest in Politics Not Required!

We Are Holding the President Hostage was first published in 1986, now, 30 years later it is available as an ebook and audiobook.

The story opens in Egypt with the attempted kidnapping of an American Assistant Secretary of State, when this went awry, the terrorists immediately changed plans and kidnapped Maria Michaels and her five year old son Joey who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The kidnapper, Ahmed, has no idea that Maria is the daughter of the very powerful Mafia leader, Salvatore Padronelli “The Padre”.

The Presidents attempts to negotiate freedom for Maria and Joey are failing and the Padre is becoming very impatient.
The Padre holds a meeting and tells his men of his audacious plan.

Meanwhile, at The White House, first lady Amy Bernard is finalising plans for a grand State Dinner.
The evening of the dinner is when the Padre strikes, some of his men, dressed as waiters, snatch the President and hold him hostage in the presidential quarters.
However, things do not proceed as smoothly or as quickly as the Padre had expected.

Meanwhile, Maria and Joey are in captivity with only their basic needs being met, it is quite touching, the way Maria attempts to comfort her son.
Back at the White House it’s interesting to hear of some of the less ethical plans that some of the Presidents men come up with.
The final plan causes the First Lady to doubt her husbands integrity and the tension is building.
Though a little slow to start, this was an exciting read, I couldn’t wait to find out how they would resolve the situation, and there is a little twist in the tail.
I would also recommend it even if the reader has no interest in politics.
Narrator
Eric Bryan Moore has a versatile voice ranging from the trusting to the menacing. His good pace and rhythm carries the story well and makes it an easy listen. He gave a distinct voice to each character of which there were many, the accents, again, quite a few, sounded natural and authentic.
I hope we will be hearing more of him in the future

Audiobook provided by the producer, author or narrator in return for an unbiased review

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Really good

BOOK REVIEW............
This is a really good book. Great writing and world building.

NARRATOR REVIEW..............
The narrator did a good job of bringing the story to life.

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

L.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Effective Way To Fight Terror.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book. It has an original story and the narrator performs it well. The story is reminiscent of a combination of John Grisham's and Tom Clancy's style. It is a great action story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of We Are Holding the President Hostage?

The entire book, from the kidnapping of Maria and Joey to the take over of the White House to all the resulting events, picks you up and keeps you in suspense. The whole book is memorable except the ending. The ending seems like the author just got sick of writing and so he stopped. That is a tiny fraction of the whole book and the rest of it is fabulous.

What does Eric Bryan Moore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He has a great voice that plays the political roles very well.

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

The book is incredibly entertaining. It is not overtly funny or moving. I think it mostly keeps you in suspense like a well-written action story should.

Any additional comments?

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

When All Else Fails, Call In The Mafia!

What would a father do for his family? More importantly, what would a mafia father do for his family? Well, this mobster father, know as the Padre, is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his family. He devises an ingenious plan that will either save his daughter, and grandson or cost him his life, he's going to hold the president hostage!

Once the padre has the president under his control, he uses the additional resources, and political assistance to help devise a plan to force the capturers to release his daughter and grandson. However, once the capturers learn who's daughter they are holding captive, the stakes get even higher. This was good story involving terrorism, politics, suspense, and a few twist.

I'm a big fan of paranormal stories; however, I have to take a break every once in a while and enjoy something different. So when I received the opportunity to listen to We are Holding the President hostage by Warren Adler, I had to listen to the story. Stories including mobster are great, and while they can be ruthless, normally they are a tight knit family, live by their own code of ethics, and you don't want to cross them.

This is the first story I've listened to by Eric, and he did a really good job! He has great voice, and the narration was clear and precise. However, I had to change the speed to 1.25/1.50 as narration seemed slower. Not sure if it was due to the recording or just speaking slower. I would loved to heard a few more accents to help distinguish the different characters, and stronger emotions for the more intense scenes but overall a great performance. I would certainly listen to another story narrated by Eric Bryan Moore.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I really, really liked this book!

What did you love best about We Are Holding the President Hostage?

I loved the performance by Eric Bryan Moore. He made the characters come alive for me and he was easy to follow.

What was one of the most memorable moments of We Are Holding the President Hostage?

The most memorable moments were when the mafia actually got around the president and first lady and successfully carried out the kidnapping. I was on pins and needles!

Which character – as performed by Eric Bryan Moore – was your favorite?

I would say that the President and the Mafia boss were my two favorites.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! It was so hard to put it down because I wanted to see what would happen next and how it would end.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The terrorist pissed off the wrong Don!

IMagine that a terrorist in Egypt misses the kidnapping target they planned on, and ended up grabbing a random AMerican and her Child off the street at the scene instead. Now, Imagine if that woman's father is a mafia Don who will stop at nothing to get his daughter and grandson home safely, even if that means taking the American President hostage. Thats right, Keeping POTUS trapped in the White House and making him follow through with getting the Don's family safely returned, regardless of the politcal or legal consequences. A fun story, with a few far fetched plot points, but that has a neatly tied off conclusion in an action filled plot line that takes a critical look at the governments response to terrorist acts.
Eric Bryan Moore does a decent job narrating. He gives each character a voice of their own.

I was given a review copy of this book by the author narrator or publisher through Audiobook Boom. I am leaving an honest review in response.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Kept me glued to my seat.....

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I wouldn't. I didn't want it to end.

Have you listened to any of Eric Bryan Moore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The voice captured the essence of the book really well.

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

It was a combination of politics, terrorism, and the sequence of events made it worthwhile listen.

Any additional comments?

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom."

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good

Would you be willing to try another book from Warren Adler? Why or why not?

Yes, and I have another one in my queue to listen too.

Any additional comments?

It wasn’t a gripping thriller and I had a hard time trying to decide what category to put it in and in the in end thriller is where it landed. I know that The Padre is in all reality a bad guy, but in this instant, he was a father and grandfather and I really felt bad for him. He was willing to kill himself and all those around him in order to get his daughter and grandson brought home.

Some secondary characters I like and some I didn’t. I was not a fan of the president and thought his wife acted at times better than him. I also thought the daughter and son that were kidnapped were very brave.

I did find the story enjoyable and I was really curious about how things were going to work out especially after some of the moves that The Padre made. I think my biggest complaint would be that I felt the ending was somewhat rushed. It seemed to get a bit chaotic and then boom it was over the end.

Though it had its flaws I did end up enjoying it and the narrator did a great job keeping me entertained.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Engrossing

Really get drawn into this story, great characters and storyline, loved it from start to end