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Reviewed by Stephen Christopher for Readers' Favorite
Morris (Mo) Miller is a lawyer at Tucker and Frood. What starts as a typical Tuesday morning rapidly deteriorates into a day he’ll never forget. Mid-morning, his assistant comes running into his office to tell him that there’s a man at reception with a gun pointed at the receptionist. Mo springs into action, telling his assistant to evacuate the floor, and he goes out to face the gunman. What transpires next is something nobody saw coming, not Mo, not the gunman (Barney), and not the senior partners of the firm. What does Barney want? What trouble is Mo in now that he’s face-to-face with the gunman? Can this all end amicably, or will there be bloodshed? You’ll need to read Hostage by Kevin O’Donnell.
No spoilers, but this is so much more than a hostage drama at a law firm. The focus isn’t just on the gunman and his motives but on the actions of the other partners of the firm. Who is the real ‘monster’ in this story? It’s not who you first think. Set in Melbourne, Australia, the dialogue is very ‘Aussie’, so for me, a pleasure to read. Kevin O’Donnell referenced the well-known siege in the Lindt Cafe in Sydney in 2014, which brought back memories as I was working in the building next door and was part of the evacuation. The outcome in this novel has the potential to mirror that one. While Barney sets the scene, this is predominantly Mo’s story, and he’s the kind of protagonist the reader really wants to get behind. Can such a situation ever have a happy ending? Hostage is a legal thriller bordering on literary fiction, as there’s extreme character growth pretty much across the board. This is an enthralling read from cover to cover, filled with many unforeseen surprises—highly recommended.
