Hostage Zero (A Jonathan Grave Thriller) Mass Market Paperback – May 1, 2012

This was a difficult story to read due to the unimaginable horrors inflicted, especially towards children. All of this because of those whose greed and love of power are the only things that matter. It was an intense, complex, and suspenseful thriller that you certainly won't want to miss.I would definitely recommend this book, series, and outstanding author.

I'll just say I started book 5 last night. I fortunately bought all 6 of them after they were written so I didn't start with #1 and wait for #2, etc. I'm enjoying moving through them and sort of sad there's only 6. Since I've been reading them all at once, I'm really reviewing the 1st 4. Obviously I'm enjoying the books since I keep going. I find them well written, interesting, they seem factual. I enjoy that he's not expressing an overt political opinion and, in fact, I can't quite tell the politics of the main characters. This means the author is sticking to the point of the stories - hostage rescue.I freely admit that when I come to places that describe the weaponry and fight scenes in great detail, I lose interest and skim through those parts without feeling guilty. I fully understand the Grave and Boxers know their weapons so I trust them to get the job done without my needing to comprehend the difference between an M-XXX and M-ZZZ rifle or C-4 and a different kind of explosive. I do admire the details that Gilstrap puts into those areas since it shows a great deal of research and scientific thinking to make the assaults work with the weapons he chooses to give his characters.I think Gilstrap does a very good job of describing the moral qualms some of the characters undergo in the shoot 'em up scenes as well as the lack of qualms in others. When I'm reading these scenes, I can emphasize with each point of view. I admit, though, that I don't quite get why someone would be so attached to law and order when a hostage is on the brink of death. No, you can't wait for the cops or Feds if Security Solutions is already there when a hostage is about to get killed or maimed. Still, Gilstrap really gets into the psyche of the characters who think that Grave should wait for the cops and wait for the Law to grind its wheels. Otherwise we'd be a nation of vigilantes, etc. etc. I think that's good writing.Plots - well, I'm not a weapons gal so I don't really know if the weapons that these folks use can do what they say they do or if a person's reflexes can be so good that they can operate the way Grave and Boxers reflexes operate but I WANT to believe that they can since the things they do are pretty amazing, harrowing and gripping to me as a reader. Still, the editor in me isn't seeing holes in the plots when I read. He goes from X to Y to Z without skipping pieces and parts which makes me think that yes, these characters can be in these situations and act in the ways described. One clever writing element Gilstrap does use, though, is to have one chapter describe one plot line and then in the next chapter he moves to another plot line so the reader is left wanting to keep reading to find out what just happened in the first plot line.If you don't' think conflicts should ever be resolved with violence, don't read these books. Security Solutions comes to the game when people who have loved ones taken as hostages have given up on the peaceful negotiations paradigm and are ready to do whatever is necessary to recover their loved ones. This stuff is fiction, though, so even my relatively peaceful nature isn't offended by the gore and violence that has occurred in every one of the books I've read so far. Plus I read the newspapers and it seems that even more terrible things are happening all over the world as a matter of course.Finally, John Gilstrap gets a big thumbs up from me for always acknowledging his wife in either the beginning or end of the books (or both). I appreciate that he appreciates his family.

You won’t find a more exciting novel out there. Shootings galorealong with rescuing a special person in a jungle ith the bad guys wanting to keep the prisoner and their drug factory intact.

Two books in and so far so good for this series. I'm liking the Jonathan Grave character and this story puts him on the trail of kidnappers who have abducted two children from Grave's own Resurrection House. If you liked the first in this series No Mercy, you'll enjoy this too. The bad guys are suitably despicable murderers, rapists, and child abusers so it's not hard to wish Grave and company well in their efforts to eliminate them. I also really enjoyed the character of Harvey and his journey of redemption. Hoping to see him reappear in future novels.While Grave carries the story admirably as the MC, personally I'm finding it hard to get attached to the supporting cast. The intriguing Father Dom is the exception, but Venice, Boxers, and new addition Gail really have no depth for me at this point. They play the usual supporting roles of extra muscle, hacker, etc. but they have zero personality, and if any of them were killed off in the next book I can't say I'd really care. Perhaps as the series continues on they'll be fleshed out a little.Also would like to say its great to see an author not use cliffhangers. Nothing burns me more then getting cheated out of an ending and these really have been stand alones so far. It's not quite a 'must read' series for me yet, but If you're looking for some fun, slightly over the top action, this is a good bet.

The time was right for me to look for an action thriller, something to carry me along without making me think too much.  Hostage Zero  gave me the buzz I was looking for but it was much more than escapism. With no disrespect to the genre, I don't expect it to provide well-rounded, thoughtful characters, but that's exactly what author John Gilstrap delivers. In this sequel to  No Mercy , ex-Special Forces operative Jonathan "Digger" Grave runs a private security firm, with a special ultra-secret business specialty of hostage recovery.Jonathan has a special interest in a school for the sons of imprisoned men. When two of "his" boys are kidnapped, Jonathan pulls out all the stops to get them back. The mission takes him and his team to Colombia, to the doorstep of a "cocaine factory," and with non-stop excitement...well, no spoilers here, but the story tears along at a great pace and the people behave with a strength of purpose that overcomes all the many obstacles to their success. There is a strong theme of military tactics and values, but if you think that's not your territory (it certainly isn't mine) just wait and see how well this theme supports the characters' missions.Several story lines weave together into a great, tight plot. Corrupt politicians, thoroughly bad drug lords, a man on death row, a falsely accused veteran living way off the grid, lost young boys so finely-drawn that you want to reach out and brush their hair back from their faces...and Jonathan, closed in on himself, anything to keep from feeling. This is a very well-written book, and it should definitely be a movie! I'll be looking for more in this series.Linda Bulger, 2010

Good book 2, will see if I have number 3. Good story teller and hard to put down for a rest.

Excellent! As advertised!

A good addition to the Grave series. Hard to believe this series is 20 years old. I just discovered them and there is no out of date at all.

An enjoyable thriller. Found the back story and set up for Jonathan Grave rather unbelievable but not important once the story got going. Political shenanigans, drug manufacture in Columbia, child slavery are all part of the story as Jonathan and his two operatives backed up by a very competent computer operator and a clever ex police detective get to the bottom of the kidnap of two boys and end up in the jungle to rescue one of them. The introspection which plagues Jonathan is not something I am used to in these novels, preferring the real black op type of combatant, but he is efficient and does what he has to to get the job done. I bought this book with whispersync and it took a little time to get used to the more deliberate delivery of the narrator, but having done so, I enjoyed his reading style.

This is they second book I have now read about Jonathan Graves and his rescue missions, It it’s full of action from page one all the way through. I have now downloaded several more of Jonathan Grave books. I am really glad I downloaded book one for free on book hub , as I had never heard of John Gilstrap before and took a gamble, I will definitely carry on with these books

This volume is a mixture of intrigue and action, sometimes fast, not so at other times. It is a pity that the author insists on detailed descriptions of gore.

I have read two Jonathon Grave books now in the right order and I have enjoyed both action packed books very much, going to get the next one now

Kidnapped children, scheming politicos and Jonathan Grave. What an explosive, action packed combination. Well worth its purchase price. I look forward to the next in the series.