Jon Lindstrom

Book Summary: Winston Greene, a has-been film star, wakes one morning to find his six-year-old granddaughter at his bedside—traumatized, unattended, and gripping onto a thumb drive. She comes bearing video proof that her mother, Win’s troubled adult daughter, has been kidnapped by a murderous gang demanding all his “movie money” for her safe return. But what they don’t know is…his movie money is long gone. Unable to go to the police for fear the kidnappers will make good on their promise to kill his daughter, Winston turns to two close friends—a legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective. There’s no easy way out for Winston or his daughter—the gang is violent and willing to do anything to get the money they’re after, and Winston begins to realize that to get his daughter back, he’ll have to beat the kidnappers at their own game.
This book was a little slow getting started, but in all fairness, I think it had more to do with a reading slump than with the book itself. Once I reached the halfway point, I was not able to put it down. The main character is a deeply flawed but decent man who is trying to save his daughter from kidnappers. The villains of the story are all out for themselves, even if it is at the cost of the partners in the kidnapping plot. The story was not overly complicated but had enough twists and action to keep things interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in modern day action thrillers.
Thanks to LibraryThing, Jon Lindstrom, and Crooked Lane Books for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.
… (mehr)

HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE was a gripping and gritty thriller set in LA. Winston Greene is a working actor who has overcome his addiction to alcohol and recently gotten through a cancer diagnosis. When his granddaughter is dropped off at his home with a flash drive showing her mother's plea to get her away from her kidnappers, Win is in big trouble. He's almost completely broke after letting his health insurance lapse after his wife's death and paying off his medical treatments for his cancer.

Determined to do anything he can for his daughter, he calls on some old friends including a disgraced police officer turned Private Investigator and a legendary stuntman. He is willing to do anything he can to gather a ransom to rescue his daughter, but he doesn't have much to work with.

Meanwhile, we get to know the kidnappers who are all lazy, entitled men who think the world owes them a good living and are willing to kill or steal to get it. And we meet Win's daughter Clare who is also an addict and who was instrumental in the beginnings of the plot to get money from her father. The plot quickly goes out her her control making her an actual prisoner of her three co-conspirators.

I liked the action in this thriller which pits a troubled but decent man against villains who are just barely under control of themselves and who have no respect for anyone but themselves. Lindstrom created a fast-paced plot inside an excellent setting. The contrast between the villains and Win and his friends was stark.

Fans of gritty thrillers with a Hollywood connection will enjoy this one very much. I did.… (mehr)