The Shooters (A Presidential Agent Novel) [Hardcover]

W.E.B. Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Presidential Agent Novel | Publication Date: January 1, 2008

The #1 New York Times-bestselling series returns with a story as up-to-date as the headlines.

The novels of W. E. B. Griffin featuring Delta Force officer Charley Castillo and his band of troubleshooters have won wide praise for their realism, action, and "punchy prose that connects like a right hook" (Chicago Tribune).

Now, still in Argentina tying up loose ends from his investigation into the UN oil-for-food scandal, Castillo is startled when a young man is marched into his office at gunpoint, caught trying to sneak through the fence. It turns out he's an American officer, a lieutenant assigned to the embassy in Paraguay. A key agent for the DEA has disappeared while trying to interdict drugs and very little is being done about it, for phony diplomatic reasons. The lieutenant's heard of Castillo, knows what he's done, and wants his help in getting the agent back. More than that, he's got an innovative plan for dealing with the drug lords themselves.

Intrigued, Castillo gets permission to try it, but the President has just one warning for him: Don't get caught. Charley couldn't agree more-but it might turn out to be something easier said than done. . . .

Filled with Griffin's trademark rich characters and cutting-edge drama, this is an exceptional novel by "a writer of true virtuosity and talent" (Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When DEA Special Agent Byron J. Timmons is kidnapped in Asunción, Paraguay, at the start of bestseller Griffin's rousing fourth presidential agent novel (after The Hunters), Timmons's grandfather asks his friend, the mayor of Chicago, for help. The mayor passes the request on to the U.S. president, who assigns his personal in-house expert, Lt. Col. C.G. Castillo, to rescue agent Timmons. Castillo is familiar with the territory, having sorted out various terrorist and drug dealer threats in South America in earlier books in the series. Castillo spends a lot of time in meetings and flying around the globe in the course of setting up the big shoot-out. After the brief, long-awaited climax, everyone pats each other on the back and gets ready for the next adventure, which is sure to pick up the loose threads left untied from the just-completed mission. In less accomplished hands, this would be a recipe for boredom, but Griffin pulls it off, leaving satisfied thriller readers hankering for more. (Jan.)
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About the Author

W. E. B. Griffin is the author of five other bestselling series: The Corps, Brotherhood of War, Badge of Honor, Men at War, and Honor Bound.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1ST edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039915440X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154409
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

W.E.B. Griffin is the author of more than thirty epic novels in five series, all of which have been listed on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly and other best-seller lists. More than forty million of his books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian. Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counter-intelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary. In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White. On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Mr. Griffin is a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, and the Armor Association. He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City. He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation's first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association; the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association; the Marine Raiders Association; and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. He is the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D'Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. Mr. Griffin's novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their "fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes." "Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books," Mr. Griffin says. Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fourth in the Presidential Agent series, January 10, 2008

By 

Michael T Kennedy (Lake Arrowhead, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Shooters (A Presidential Agent Novel) (Hardcover)

This is the fourth book in the Presidential Agent series and it introduces a new plot. The first novel had a story about a stolen airliner. The next two concerned the kidnapping of an American diplomat in Argentina. This novel is set in the same period of a few weeks when all these adventures occur but has a new plot line. The first one-third is marred a bit by excessive exposition in filling in the back story of the first three books. It is a bit annoying as new information about Charley Castillo is included, along with the summary of the previous books. Because of that, the reader who knows the story cannot skip the exposition. Once that section is over, about a third of the way into the book, the pace picks up and this is another good yarn. A couple of unlikely developments suggests more sequels to come. The characters are interesting and the plot is good but this is a half step below the others. Another reviewer suggested that the other series are better and I agree. Still, if you like WEB Griffin's novels, you will enjoy this one. It is all set in South America and does mention the damage from Hurricane Katrina that occurred in the Gulf Coast area that is the setting of parts of the earlier books. I recommend it but will probably not reread it like I do many of the others

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Griffin just drags on and on, January 14, 2008

By 

T. Dunn "hhislandmom" (Hilton Head, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shooters (A Presidential Agent Novel) (Hardcover)

I have read all of the books in this series. I enjoy the lead character, Castillo. This character deserves better than what Griffin dishes out in this installment. It drags on and on and on. It reviews old material, digs up old cronies, sends the lead character back and forth across the US and South America. The book runs 422 pages and you will have to painfully read 400 pages before there is any action or intrigue. The entire book is devoted to backstory and planning the logistics of the raid to save the kidnapped DEA agent. Griffin devotes too much ink to trivial day to day activities like eating, drinking and Max the dog's bowel and bladder habits. There is a personal revelation for Castillo that is so poorly developed. It was completely unbelievable the way it unfolded. This will be the last of this series that I will buy in the hardbound version. I may not even pay for the paperback versions without rave reviews.

23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charley Castillo Rides Again, January 1, 2008

By 

ROBIN MCCALL "LTC (Ret.) Robin McCall" (Chula Vista, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shooters (A Presidential Agent Novel) (Hardcover)

This is another great book about Charley Castillo and his band of Presidential operators. Read this book immediately, you will love it. I could not put it down, but I did stop to get four hours of sleep. Nobody writes about the military and special operations as well as WEB Griffin, because he knows the people so well, and they constantly feed him with new information about their methods and activities.

The book starts in Argentina. A young DEA agent approaches Castillo for help in freeing his kidnapped partner, Timmons, because no one else is interesting in doing anything about it. As events unfold, it becomes obvious that the kidnapping is an indication that a much larger problem exists. Eventually the President is involved by a political ally, and he orders Castillo's agents to free Timmons, over the objection of almost everybody else. The operation is put in motion, becoming a hunt that is as elaborate as the one for Osama bin Laden, involving new good guys and new bad guys, and operating primarily in Paraguay and Argentina.

This is another great book about how heroes overcome major obstacles in their efforts to serve their country. It shows the good, the bad, and the ugly about interagency cooperation, modeling true life.