Story Summary:
Karl Priam isn’t such a bad guy, but the Hollywood high life cost him his future as a director… until he survives an armed robbery. A solid performance for the news lands him another movie and it looks like a blockbuster.
Or is it?
There’s a war behind the scenes. Head producer Bob Ruckin hates the Internet billionaire who bought the studio and he’ll do anything to bring it down: hire a wild-card, coke-headed director; a temperamental diva; an old washed up, heroin-addicted supporting actor; a train-wreck tabloid starlet; and the biggest action star of the last thirty years — who happens to be the public face of a mind-mastery self-help church. All the ingredients for the biggest flop in history.
But when fast-talking Karl keeps this motley crew on track, Bob calls in the mob to bring the movie down. And all hell breaks loose.
Mobsters don’t have time to wrangle with titanic egos and pampered beauties. They’ll kidnap or kill anyone to get their hands on the reclusive billionaire.
Can Karl stay clean, dodge bullets, get his actors to fight back, and still make a movie?
Check out Hollywood Hostage: everything entertainment news and glossy magazines have led you to expect from the most dangerous movie ever made.
Amazon Link – https://amzn.to/2HTAIkE
Manhattan Book Review – 5 Stars
Hollywood Hostage is centered on a movie director who took a long break from the scene thanks to his drug abuse problem. He is given a second chance by his onetime agent and is determined not to mess it up. I liked Karl, the protagonist, almost immediately. He is funny, witty and relatable. I laughed while reading every scene he was in. Half those times I was laughing at his jokes, although I did catch myself laughing at him a few times.
I would describe this book as a romantic comedy thriller. Karl has a talent for turning bad situations around. Plenty of people don’t want to work with him, and the ones that do have ulterior motives. He takes all of this in stride and gets everyone to execute his vision. He doesn’t care too much about being liked; he only cares about getting his job done. We could all use some of his confidence in going after the things we want in life.
As you can tell, Karl was my favorite, but the other characters also played a huge role in enhancing the plot. I especially liked the actors and the Hollywood executives. Their characters were stereotypical of what we read in the tabloids, but I wasn’t disappointed; it’s exactly what the blurb promised. If you have ever wondered what it’s like to work in Hollywood, then this will paint the picture for you.
All the light humor in this book made it perfect for unwinding after a long day. I was sad to turn the last page, but I look forward to other books by this author. I like his style of writing and the pace at which he tells the story. He tells it slow enough for you to take in all the details, but it is still fast enough to keep you interested. He also sets the stage at the beginning of each chapter, much in the way that plays are written. It’s the first novel that I have seen written this way, and I like it; it draws attention to the story rather than the setting.
Reviewed By: Esther Wairimu
https://manhattanbookreview.com/product/hollywood-hostage/
Author Bio:
Working in the bush for 25 years is not the typical background of authors. 100-hour work-weeks don’t leave much time for scribbling out one’s thoughts. But blowing up dynamite and jumping out of helicopters has given Jordan’s writing a unique perspective.
Jordan lives near Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, but has lived in all the prairie provinces.