A special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stefanie Pintoff returns following Hostage Taker (Eve Rossi #1) with CITY ON EDGE (Eve Rossi #2) a riveting urban contemporary series, featuring Eve Rossi negotiator FBI agent for an intense suspense roller-coaster crime thriller ride. (love the cover)

As the previous book, the setting is centered around a holiday. Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the night before the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. A national event of historic proportions—not to mention a special family day that kids of all ages enjoy.

Perched high above Central Park West, Eve had an unparalleled view of the city from the penthouse terrace. Straight ahead, the park was a fiery swath of oranges, yellows, and reds. To the right, she could trace the Manhattan skyline down to the One World Trade Center. On her left, the rooftops of Harlem stretched in a wide arc.

Mind over matter, she told herself. Control was just an illusion.

Special Agent Evangeline Rossi (Eve) is head of a secret division of the FBI. Most of the eclectic team is a mix of highly intelligent professionals, criminals, and ex-convicts, a secret squad known as the VIDOCQ Unit. Meet the Team.

Eva, age 34, single, a Caucasian Italian, a perfectionist. She likes to control and does not delegate well. She is a seasoned interrogator and hostage negotiator. Her expertise is in behavioral science and criminal investigative analysis, subspecialties in kinesics and paralinguistics.

Her mother is deceased, and stepfather was a former CIA operative, also recently deceased. She loves crosswords puzzles, a concert pianist, and an avid runner. She is dedicated to her work, to make the place a better place. She possesses great insights into the criminal mind that most agents of her age do not possess.

Three and a half million people crammed onto the streets. Every year, it’s a miracle when nothing happens. The goal was simple: to erect a secure cordon that would be as impenetrable as a medieval fort.

With clever maps and visuals with Classified VIDOCQ file personal tidbits to get the low down on each agent, Pintoff sets the mood in the vibrant city with its set of problems. Lives are at stake. Security is imperative. However, as the balloons are inflated, things take a turn for the worse.


A protest unexpectedly turned violent. Police Commissioner Logan Donovan was brutally attacked on what should have been a day of celebration and Thanksgiving, gets shot. Then his thirteen-year-old daughter, Allie, has been kidnapped.

The search is on and tension is high. However, this may be more than a simple kidnapping. A terrorist threat targeting, the parade? Was the commissioner attacked in retaliation for Stan Smith’s death while in police custody? A threat to public safety? They need to keep the city safe.

With an eclectic group of agents (ex-cons) they all have special skills and criminal records. They put their skills to work for the government or do time in jail. At one point Eve had felt completely unsuited to lead her team of ex-cons and barely reformed thugs. With nothing in common with them. They were talented, unpredictable, and strangely loyal. They were her responsibility.

A ticking time bomb and Eve and the FBI’s Vidocq team brought together a group of ex-cons-men and women with extraordinary talents; who could solve crimes using methods that ordinary agents never could.

The department had been involved in a number of cases, too many unarmed suspects shot by cops. The Commissioner was also widowed now, and the media would be cruel. Her team has been charged with finding Allie and bringing her home, with some other politics going on at the same time.

Not the easiest task. Eve would do her job. She had dealt with plenty of powerhouses over the years. She would do her job, find the child, and make sure Commissioner Logan Donovan kept his distance.

There is more Eve and her team doesn't know—about a weapon planted inside the parade, about Commissioner Donovan’s hidden life, and about the secrets his daughter keeps. Eve must decide which is more dangerous.

Action-filled, an edgy, crime suspense of police brutality, corruption, deceit, and lies. As always, fun catching up with the mix of agents and their varied personality and skill sets, with some thought-provoking decisions for Eve for the next installment!

JDCMustReadBooks

 

 

 

 

A special thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The HOSTAGE TAKER by Stefanie Pintoff, a new riveting urban contemporary thriller series, featuring Eve Rossi negotiator FBI agent for an intense suspense roller-coaster crime thriller ride.

What starts as a shooting outside of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan revolves into a dangerous and 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, is head of a secret division of the FBI. Most of the eclectic team is a mix of highly intelligent professionals, criminals, and ex-convicts, a secret squad known as the VIDOCQ Unit.

On the day of the Christmas Rockefeller Center tree lighting, in New York, a man barricades himself and an unknown number of hostages inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He requests Eve Rossi, who’s on bereavement leave following her stepfather’s death, a former a former CIA operative.

Eve is called back to work; however, the mysterious hostage situation is complex and so many elements are on the line. He wants five individuals brought to the scene to act as "witnesses" to the events. As the terror and intensity heats up, as the clock ticks, getting close to the deadline-- things do not go as planned.

I enjoyed the news breaks by the hour, with new correspondents, and the visual classified VIDOCQ files listing the individual's expertise, age, and criminal record, (along with their strengths and weaknesses), etc. --adding to the drama. The Author's Note was a nice addition with, master-of disguise, Eugene Francois Vidocq.

A fast-paced, suspense, with a strong and compelling protagonist heroine, pulling you into the terrifying drama unfolding with a deadly standoff; dark secrets, and special talents from the team.

My first book by Pintoff, spinning a twisted well-developed crime thriller page-turner– Hope to see more of Eve Rossi!

Fans of Lisa Gardner and Tami Hoag will enjoy this new mystery thriller, HOSTAGE TAKER.

I was literally holding onto my seat while riding the rails on this journey! I'm finally able to breathe now that I've finished the book. Someone takes over St. Patrick's Cathedral holding hostages and why? The reason was totally jacked up, but apparently the hostage taker was as well. And, you will never guess who it is.

This book was entertaining almost from the very first page. I just sped through this one, it was that good. And the way he would do the hostages was very different and intriguing. They were looking to find one smarter son with this guy. This book kind of reminded me of the TV show "Scorpions", which I love. They are all smart in their own ways and are using their illegal passions to track down other criminals.

Thanks Random House/ Dell and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book. I found it very entertaining and highly recommend it!

Though I'm as into popular, bestselling books as the next gal, I think it's a special feeling to discover an underrated gem, an author or book that didn't break out and land on everyone's radar.  Every Friday I will post about one of mine.

 

Historical Mystery Edition -- Stephanie Pintoff and Imogen Robertson

 

I LOVE historical mysteries, just can't get enough of them.  Any era, any time period, I'm willing to give a historical mystery series a go.  My particular favorites include C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series, Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series, Frank Tallis's Lieberman Papers, and the late Arianna Franklin's mistress of the art of death series.

 

This year I discovered two fantastic series to add to my list.

 

Stephanie Pintoff's Simon Ziele series is set in early 20th-century New York City, a time of great change in the world of detection.  Readers of Victoria Thompson's gaslight mysteries will recognize this as the time period after Theodore Roosevelt as Police Commissioner instituted mass reforms in the NYPD, meaning officers were hired through merit tests rather than patronage.  And newer technologies and thinking (such as finger printing and the beginnings of modern psychoanalysis) were beginning to show their relevance in crime detection.  These novels richly depict this changing time period with mystery plotlines that are well constructed and enjoyable to read.

 

Going further back in time, Imogen Robertson's series is set in the late 1700s in England and features amateur detectives Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther -- Crowther, a taciturn expert in anatomy, pairs his expertise with Westerman's status, keen perceptiveness, and willingness to snoop.  This series only gets better as it goes on.

 

Any other historical mystery aficionados out there?  What authors are your favorites?

I found it unbelievable that a seasoned detective would allow a complete stranger to basically take control of his investigation on the day after the crime was committed. Alistair Sinclair appears out of the blue and declares he knows who did it and why and proceeds to drag Ziele into his camp. Our detective, Simon Ziele basically moves into Sinclair's office and uses his people for investigation into a crime that has obviously been committed by one of Sinclair's people. It isn't until over half (maybe even 2/3) of the way through the book that Ziele realizes (well actually he is told) that something is wonky. And even then, he continues to use these same people for everything, including interviewing suspects. That is beyond ridiculous. This entire situation didn't ring true, even in 1905 I would think someone inserting themselves into the investigation would have been suspect.

Regardless, I did like Simon but a touch more personality would have been a plus. He really was just emotionless (as were all the other characters). Oh sure he had problems (which was why he was in that small town in the first place) and his troubles were alluded to once or twice but his history was basically hidden until the end and by then it was too late to connect with him or his pain. I didn't find anyone to be likable and it was hard to get involved with any of them. I did find the beginnings of criminology and scientific techniques to be interesting though Sinclair was a know-it-all and a bore.