This was a high rolling spy thriller filled with an action packed fast paced plot. It had espionage, counter-terrorism, the lot. Would recommend.

I just reviewed RED Hotel by Ed Fuller; Gary Grossman. #RedHotel #NetGalley, Its an interesting read and plot. Its explosive right from the beginning and does not fail.

"Red Hotels" is a page-turning book, fast paced and full of action.

Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller gave us un excellent plot. The two authors reflected on the realities of terrorism threatening hotels around the world. Actually, from the start of the 21st century, security in hotels is an issue because they become real targets in many regions. However, I find what the authors said about Russia a bit exaggerated because I think Russia is not a source of terrorism.
Authors succeeded to show at what point reflection and approach of protagonists involved in hotel industry are different about security: politicians, security agencies, hotel managers, shareholders, local police, etc. And after reading this I will not stay in a hotel without asking myself if it is really secure!

4,5 stars.

This is a must read for every thriller fan out there. It's another "breed"of thriller. Combine an established author in the genre with a successful global hotel executive, and what you get is RED hotel. Espionage, counter-terrorism, global stakes, it has it all.

Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller take on the vulnerability of luxury hotels around the world to terrorist attacks in their fast-paced thriller "Red Hotel" that also offers fascinating insights into the hospitality business.

Their protagonist is international hotel executive Dan Reilly, a former Army intelligence officer with ties to the CIA. The story opens with a bombing at the Kensington Hotel in Tokyo that kills dozens. Footage of the scene shows a smirking individual walking calmly from the wreckage. It becomes Dan's mission to track him down and foil his further plans.

Red Hotel is a well-written spy thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Action-packed, solid characters, fast-paced, and an excellent plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Many thanks to the authors, NetGalley, and Beaufort Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Timely and topical thriller dealing with the terrorist threats to hotels and travellers. As a reflection on modern politics and politicians it seems to be very well informed and realistic. The characters are well drawn and the plot is deftly handled and the air of authenticity is palpable.

All told a very accomplished piece od work and thoroughly recommended.

Thank you for the ARC.

As terrorist threats move from well-guarded government facilities their targets often become softer ones, hotels—where corporate and government representatives stay and conduct International business. In this interesting and informative geopolitical thriller, our hero, Dan Reilly, is a global hotel chain manager, but he also has contacts in the intelligence communities, both in Europe and in the USA. This combination is perfect to pit him against terrorists trying to shift political winds through violence. Many of the scenarios played out here have happened or could happen in the world today.

Ed Fuller, a former Marriott Hotel manager, coauthored Red Hotel with Gary Grossman because, he said in an interview, was not that familiar with fiction writing. He provided the stories, Grossman provided the writing flare. It works. 

Very believable story, well-developed characters, and you’ll probably wonder what’s going on behind the scenes the next time you check into a big chain international hotel. Worth a read; a spy thriller you won’t want to put down.

Red Hotel is definitely an action thriller. My only complaint is that it took a bit too long for the action to commence. Oh, wait, my other complaint is that once the action started, I was compelled to read too late into the night to finish! The premise was strong, and I think the authors' kept the promise of the premise. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and some of them were quite complex. The dialogue seemed to fit the characters and the situations. I think that what I appreciated most was that, though there are two authors (Ed Fuller, Gary Grossman), the transitions are seamless. I will definitely be watching for another collaboration like Red Hotel. Well done gentlemen.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

“Red Hotel” by Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller sets the stage right from the startling cover which features a silhouetted figure gazing down, a helicopter hovering in the distance, and a cracked window, all bathed in ominous red. Readers are immediately drawn into the action as Dan Reilly, Senior Vice President of Kensington Royal Hotel Corporation, assists hotel employees and guests. Conversation drives the plot as Reilly talks to those he encounters while hopping from problem to problem, protecting the interests of the Kensington Royal Hotel Corporation hotel chain and its guests all over the globe from Tokyo to Beijing, the Italian Alps, Mazatlán, and other locations. Reilly facilitates the hotel chain’s recovery after a variety of calamities and outright disasters, both natural and otherwise. The catastrophes are overwhelming, and the aftermath is devastating.
“Reilly looked around. There was nothing encouraging in view. Debris everywhere. Dank, smoke-filled air. Haunting outlines of charred bodies on the street. Women’s shoes, ruined jewelry, stopped watches, fused glasses, and the saddest thing of all, a blood-soaked teddy bear.”
Vivid descriptions pull readers into the story.
“Deep green lightning hit so close that everyone could feel the energy. The thunder was deafening. They heard cars propelled by the wind crash into the hotel and telephone poles snap. Tin roofs from blocks away hurtled toward their sanctuary, adding to the cacophony.”
Reilly develops and maintains Kensington’s network of “red” hotels, ones with extra-ordinary precautions and defenses in place to prevent “specific, serious threat toward the property, persons, or US interests in the region, particularly if the threat comes from known terrorist organizations or individuals.” Hotels had become a soft target with high propaganda value for terrorists, and his job is to keep Kensington Hotels safe “because Americans stay there.”
However, there is much more to Reilly’s job than just maintaining the bottom line of the hotel company and the way the hotel is regarded by its guests and the observing public. He also navigates another world; a world with more dangers than hurricanes and tsunamis; a world filled with spies, assassins, double agents, and revenge seekers; a world where agents and villains live side by side; a world where Russian influence reaches everywhere; a world where problems and actions from the past create havoc in the present.
“Red Hotel” is a globetrotting thriller with non-stop action and adventure set in a world from today’s news where conflicts explode daily across the globe. I received a review copy of “Red Hotel” from Gary Grossman, Ed Fuller, and Beaufort Books. I also heard the authors speak at Book Carnival in Orange, Ca. where they added to their captivating narrative, shared hotel “secrets” everyone should know, and promised another book by fall. That new book will make a great holiday gift!

I don't think I have enough words to tell you how much I enjoyed RED Hotel by Gary Grossman and Ed Fuller. But I will try.

I don't think I have enjoyed a spy thriller this much since Tom Clancy stopped writing Jack Ryan, Sr. in the field. (There's even a reference to Jack Ryan in the book, so perhaps it is slightly inspired by Clancy). So many present-day spy novels focus on cyberterrorism and financial espionage. I liked that this story relied on some old school spycraft helped by modern technology.

Dan Reilly is a really likable main character. He isn't without his faults, which makes him feel real. He has served in Army Intelligence, done a stint with the State Department (which I wondered if it was code for spy), and now is the V.P. of International for a luxury hotel chain.

American hotels are prime targets for all sorts of acts of terrorism. Reilly isn't going to sit back and let harm come to the guests of his hotels. With his contacts, he is in the perfect position to make Kensington Royal the leader in hotel protection. But his position also puts him in the perfect position to collect more or less openly collect intelligence that goes beyond hotel safety.

In this first book of a new series, past and present collide as Russia is eager to restore its world status and power that it lost after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In particular, the current (fictional) president of Russia is eager to right wrongs bad throughout the history of Russia. And he will stop at nothing, eliminating any obstacles any way he must, to get what he wants. The story weaves the last days of the Cold War with present-day current events.

I really liked getting the historical back story. With most of our news focused on the Middle East, the general public probably has little knowledge of current affairs in the former Soviet and Eastern Bloc nations. I know I certainly don't really know what is going on there. So I appreciated the details and they are masterfully weaved into the story so you don't feel like you are getting a lecture or pulled out of the story.

If you enjoy Cold War-era spy novels but want the thrill and pressure of current affairs, then RED Hotel is the perfect book for you.

DNF @ 18%

I really didn't connect with this one, and at almost a fifth of the way in, some semblance of a plot should be apparent, characters should be developed, and the book should be drawing me in. None of that happened, and it was becoming a chore to pick this one up.

One star, plus an extra one for the outstanding descriptive prologue.

The storyline begins with a congressional hearing where Dan Reilly, VP-International for Kensington Royal Hotels is asking for access to communication between the intelligence community and hotel chains for purposes of keeping their guests safe. This would be the same information that already is shared with the airlines. But before any significant issues are addressed, the meeting is interrupted when a hotel in Tokyo is bombed.

From there Red Hotel takes you on a roller coaster ride around the world making you hold on to your seat for dear life.. I can definitely see this book being made into a film. It has the characteristics of a Tom Clancy Book.

The entire book weaves in and out of surprising twists and turns to culminate with an explosive ending.

As the first book in a series, I highly recommend reading Red Hotel. Can’t wait for the next book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Beaufort Books for making this book available for my honest review.

Red Hotel is a gripping and shocking thriller that smacks of real life. Russia wants to get back much of the land that it has lost during the last century. How to do it - The action centers around the director of an international hotel chain. Somehow he has detected a Russian plot to undermine NATO involving terrorist bombings and other dangerous and risky activities. Red Hotel reminds me of Cussler, Flynn, and Thor, some of the best in the business. Have fun and get ready for a crazy and unpredictable ride.

This is one of those books where you could take it or leave it. The storyline revolves around terrorist attacks on so called “soft targets,” in this case an upper end international hotel. How to anticipate these attacks and keep guests safe is the goal as well as identifying the culprits.

I felt the book had too many characters to keep track of, jumped from place to place and never really explored the background of the main character. Still if you enjoy a good thriller this one may be for you. All in all not a bad read.

It was a great book that shows you how intelligence agencies work in detail I'm accustomed to with this author. I would like to thank netgalley letting me review this book.

A very well written book about Russia conspiring to take back the land it has lost over the past century. This international thriller took a bit of the book to get moving but once the action started, I could not put it down. Dan Riley, a hotel executive senses a plot to destabilize NATO through hotel bombings and this starts the path of him preventing any bombings at his chain and puts him on the path toward uncovering the plot to take but former Russian territories. Definitely worth a read if you love mysteries and spy thrillers.
Thank you Netgalley and Beaufort Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book.

This is a well written international thriller that speaks to issues so relevant today its a bit unsettling. The prose was clear, concise and flowed very well.. The pages flew by. I enjoyed reading about events both past and present and both home and abroad relating to the hospitality industry and its vulnerabilities to terrorists.
. The descriptions of locals, personalities and the dialogue were spot on! The lead character, Reilly, is a high powered executive who despite enormous responsibilities is capable of more than is at first apparent. The secondary characters sound so real I can just imagine these people in the board room or on the phone at all hours of the day.
I did find that the book took more than 40% to start hopping to the main action. The ride along the way is worth it! There was so much info in this book I you could have made two books out of this one,
This book is recommended for lovers of international thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley, for the opportunity to review a free arc of this book.

This fast paced thriller had me hooked from the very first chapter. The characters and places are so vivid, you feel like you're in the heart of the action, racing for your life. Dan Riley is a movie worthy character With the rise of Russian themed literature lately, this book does not disappoint! Heart pounding adventure with every turn of the page.

The Red Hotel opens with testimony before a congressional committee stressing the necessity of shared information between the intelligence community and hotel chains for the safety of their customers. This scene alternates with scenes of a terrorist bombing at a hotel in Tokyo. Dan Reilly, the VP-International for Kensington Royal Hotels, departs Washington for Tokyo to assess the damages to their hotel. After viewing the devastation and the number of fatalities, Reilly submits a plan to the home office to deter future attacks. Gathering a panel of security consultants that includes a former CIA official, a former FBI official, a military strategist and the owner of a company of mercenaries, they outline security upgrades for the hotels. These are based on threat levels, with a red hotel being in imminent danger of attack.

The Tokyo attack is tied to Russia’s plan to return to its’ former greatness under the rule of President Nikolai Gorshkov. As a young KGB officer during the re-unification of Germany, Gorshkov felt betrayed by his superiors and is now in a position to not only exact revenge, but to also test NATO’s ability to defend its’ members borders.

Dan Reilly’s background includes time in military intelligence and a position with the State Department. Having a contact within the CIA, he is able to discover the identity of the Tokyo bomber and his ties to Moscow. Reilly is resourceful, analytical and a capable adversary to Gorshkov and his plans.

Ed Fuller has the experience with an international hotel change and his co-author, Gary Grossman, has written some engrossing thrillers. Together they have produced a thriller that throws you right into the action and the tension builds to a final confrontation that will leave you breathless. In the closing acknowledgments this is revealed as the first book in a new international thriller series. This opening story will have you anxiously awaiting more.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Beaufort Books for making this book available for my honest review.