Customer Reviews

The Shooters - A Presidential Agent Novel

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I've bought every one of WEB Griffin's books, many more than once. He used to have a talent for character development and action but no more. How many pages of guys with good connections, flouting the rules, chuckling and Famous Grouse can one person handle? I've reached my limit, that's for sure. It's so much writing and never any action. Even at the end the action isn't described at all just the aftermath. To say I'm disappointed at this point would be a huge understatement, maybe he let's his son do all the writing now and that explains it. Either way, do not buy this book, you will be bored and disappointed.

As you can tell by the book description, Charlie is tasked with the job of finding a missing DEA agent. It seems that the drug dealers will kidnap an agent right before a big transport, and make him a junkie, then release him, hooked on coke or crack. Pegleg, a friend of the DEA agent (former Special forces- who lost a leg) turns to Charlie to help his friend.

As a female reader, I found the book a mixed bag. I thought it was choppy,(we reading about the mission, then all of a sudden we are in 1992) and improbable(I not sure of the size of Argentina, Paraguay or Uruguay but it seems pretty improbable that an individual could find someone without inside information) and the women poorly drawn.(women hate Charlie but get drunk and fall in bed with him). I also wish that I had kept track of the number of people that Charlie has told about the presidental finding because it seems at a drop of a hat, he is swearing someone to silence. What the book has is the return of the main characters, and their interaction in getting the job done, which seems realistic and thought out. I like Charlie, and I like all his band of merry men. I like reading about how the good guys win so I will continue to read Mr. Griffin books even if his women are stuck in the 50's.

This should have been published as a short story. You can read the last 20 pages and get the same benefit as reading the whole book but you don't have to put up with all of the mind numbing repetition.
Can someone please tell me why a full quarter of this book was devoted to a freaking DOG that had absolutely no bearing on the story at all? NONE!
I was hoping for a comeback after the very disappointing effort with his son and while this story might have had potential, Griffin never comes close to reaching it.
Apparently, Mr. Butterworth has reached a point in his career where he thinks he can rest on his laurels and steal money from idiots like me who will fork over the cash for something I could probably get from a kid in a high school creative writing class.
Well Billy, you won't be getting any more of my cash.

I've read every book W.E.B. Griffin has put out. His last two have not been good. I would liked to see the author's outline for this book.
1. Devote 20 pages to every character mentioned in books 1-3
2. 40 pages about the dog
3. Charlie needs a son, work that in some how
4. Wrap up final action sequence in 20 pages or less

I believe Griffin has lost his way in the 4th of the Presidential Series. Castillo is an interesting character who is getting lost in the constant review of the back story of the other books, revisiting old characters, whether or not they are relevant to the new story, and the constant and very tedious dialogue with italic references to Charles thoughts. The most exciting part of the first 400 or so pages is Max running down the stairs when the latest flight lands, turning right and peeing on the front wheel.

Griffin is becoming the Miss Manners of the military, "what would the General think, did I handle that alright with the General's wife, should I have told him that...."etc etc. This book is about as exciting as Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice with its constant trivial chatter, excessive detail in all aspects of the latest assignment. For example, we are confronted with Castillo's to do list, so abbreviated that we need to spend 3 pages translating it. Castillo may have a illegitimate son and so he spends time writing a memo to himself on his computer about the circumstances. Yeech!

I have in the past consumed Griffin, particularly the police series, but this book is a BIG YAWN. I have heard rumors that he is using ghost writers now. If so, he better go back and get a better backup, but he may be too late now that the writers strike is being settled.

I have read every book that the author has written in all the different series. I have also saved all of the books on my bookshelf - this one I trhre away after I made myself finish it. It just goes on and on - and the bit of action in the last 10 pages is almost an afterthought. I may hit the library for the next book - at least in this series.

The is the first and last WEB Griffin book I will ever read. I can't imagine how a piece of trash like this could become a bestseller. The dialogue is terrible, the plot, despite being non-existent, still manages to be almost incomprehensible, and the characters are stereotypical.
About 90% of the book is dedicated to explaining the story line of previous books, probably at the urging of previous readers who couldn't figure out what was going on in those books when they initally read them. The remainder of the book deals with the kidnapping of a DEA agent and could be told in about two pages. We never really get a feel of the kidnapping itself and the whole ending is a mess. Basically, our hero rescues the DEA agent, who is now drug addicted, and the two South American kidnappees are killed. Great job by all those involved.
A total waste of my time.