The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal is labeled as a suspense novel and the synopsis sounded promising, so I picked up the book to read. The idea of a rookie CIA agent named Talia Inger who has never been on an assignment but as passed all her skills and knowledge test was a different take on a heroine. Especially being a woman. For some weird reason, I thought the story would be told from a male's point of view, but it wasn't. Not that it cheapen the story; Just thought that would work better. Anyways, Talia is shown to have flaws and that makes her a more reliable character. There is no romance in the novel, which I really enjoyed. The plot definitely has its moments of high action, but there were many different occasions of Talia waking up and coming in the gathering room sometimes for breakfast, sometimes alone, sometimes to see the dawn. Really awkward. I did enjoy the danger of trying to free the Gryphon data vault in the mesosphere. It was a unique and not done yet cast of characters. All past thieves or assassins. Enjoyed watching them use their skills for good. There really isn't much spiritual elements to chew on. The mention of God comes from Tyler, Talia's partner, and readers are still left in the dark about how much it changes him. Overall, The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal has its moments of uniqueness, but filled with repetitive scenes, the story became okay. I'm not writing off Hannibal yet as a suspense novelist; he could surprise me with the second one.

I received a complimentary copy of The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Talia Inger gets accepted into the CIA and sent to check on the security of a foreign company with defense contracts. While there, she gets caught up in a plot that is aimed at stealing technology and using it against the US. The problem is, she doesn’t know who can be trusted.

The Gryphon Heist grabs your attention on the first page, and holds onto it throughout the book. Even after I finished it, I was still caught up in the story. The characters are easy to imagine, and the action keeps moving with a few breaks that let you get your bearings before the ride starts again.

As the plot unfolds, there are hints that give you an idea of who is on each side, but there are twists that keep you unsure of whether you are right or not. At the end, I found a few surprises that I didn’t see coming. All in all, the book keeps you on your toes, wanting to see what is going to happen next.

This is the first book by James R. Hannibal that I’ve read, but I look forward to reading more from him.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I was impressed. It was beautifully written. I felt like I was right there with the characters seeing and experiencing everything. There was so much action. It reminded me of the Mission Impossible movies or the show “Leverage” with its grifter and other people who were each brought into a team for their own unique skills . At the end of the book, I learned that the author himself was a former stealth pilot and has been chased by an armed terrorist, shot at and more. No wonder the book was so believable in its details! It would make a great movie.

It was interesting seeing what it is like for someone just starting out in the CIA and to go along with Eddie and Talia on their first adventure/assignment. I liked Eddie’s funny references to movies. “These are the droids I’m looking for” (location 5495). I liked Conrad’s wit. “I’ll set a plate aside for both of you. Because nothing adds to the full flavor of a homemade cacciatore like the radiological bombardment only a microwave can provide” (location 2327).

Along with the action, there were big twists. It wasn’t clear who the villain was. People weren’t always what they seemed. It was a fabulous read.

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Brand new to the CIA Operations Directorate, Talia Inger is desperate to cut her teeth on a real spy mission. Moscow Station is her dream, but after messing up on her final exam, she’s instead assigned to the purgatory of the Other Europe desk and sent to Moldova to babysit a businessman. When things suddenly turn unexpectedly lethal and Talia realises there’s a highly-placed mole in CIA feeding information to her enemies, she has to put together a team of independents to pull off one of the most daring heists the spy world has ever seen… to save the lives of everyone in Washington, D.C.

It’s Mission: Impossible meets Oceans 11, and it’s honestly great, rip-roaring fun. Eddie, Talia’s techie sidekick who she went through CIA training with, is the only person she’s 100% sure she can trust. Everyone else’s loyalty and motivations are in question, and there are several times in the book where Talia has to make choices between the lesser of two evils, learning that things aren’t necessarily black and white.

One thing I will mention, because it might put some readers off, is that there’s a degree of overt Christianity in the book. A principal character who is eventually revealed to be a ‘good guy’ (mostly) because of his conversion to Christianity after an incident which capped off a very shady past. If that bothers you, you might want to give this one a miss, but if you’re a fan of action-adventure stories with a diverse cast of characters and a really unusual heist at the climax, it’s a terrific read. Five stars.

You can tell Gryphon Heist is set to be a tense thriller from the very first page. From the finishing touches of CIA training to undercover ops, double crosses, big reveals and enough high-action, crazy scenes to classify for a big-budget Hollywood film, Gryphon Heist is sure to please action and thriller fans.

Natalia Inger is just about to complete her CIA training when she fails the last practical. So, when her mentor offers her one last chance to join the Agency, Talia accepts, even if it means she is placed in Eastern European Other division - the placement furthermost from her ideal goal of Moscow. Her first assignment appears to be a glorified rent-a-cop situation until word comes of a high-stakes heist to steal world destructive technology. Talia and a carefully selected team will have to steal it first to secure her country’s safety.

Gryphon Heist is accurately marketed as Ocean’s Eleven meets Mission Impossible. It has all the high-stakes action scenes that seem totally outside the realms of possibility, and a team of criminals - from con women to chemists who excel in bomb making - who must work together. The combination of complex schemes and dangerous stunts makes Gryphon Heist an exciting read.

The one problem I had with this book was the main character. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to find her annoying as she swings from an uptight goody two shoes to an insufferable know it all and then back to someone who seems so incompetent it is hard to believe she made it through the CIA training. Then I was doubting myself - maybe that’s exactly how I was to view her to create loopholes in the story. Yet all it seemed to do was make me trust the other characters and continue to doubt Talia’s judgement so it was a little hard to know if she is a fool or a genius. However, she is just beginning her CIA career — and this series — so it will be interesting to see how she develops in subsequent books.

Gryphon Heist is published as a Christian novel. There are mentions of faith through the book and one scene that centres around Talia’s return to faith in God and the importance of forgiveness.

Fans of action movies and suspense novels alike are sure to enjoy this first book in what is set to be an exciting series.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

As soon as I saw this cover I was intrigued! I was really excited to try a new author, especially one who has a military background.
The book blurb sounded like exactly what I was looking for!
While the book was definitely fast paced, it was not the book for me.
I had really hoped for the CIA angle to be realistic, coming from an author who has had military experience.
Unfortunately the main character got on my nerves from the beginning.
I have read biographies of people who go through the Farm and become agents with the CIA, I am no expert, but Talia was just an over the top character.
I could not stop rolling my eyes at how many times she complained about her position or assignment as soon as she became an agent! I can't count how many times she threatened people, some had done nothing to her, and others were her superiors! Sorry, but from what I know, nobody like that would be kept on as an agent.
I actually think I might have liked the book if Tyler or Eddie was the main character. Eddie made me laugh out loud and Tyler was the real brains of the operation.
Seriously, the book could have done without Talia. To me she came across as a teenager who would throw a temper tantrum whenever someone wouldn't obey her.
Not impressed.
I really don't like leaving a negative review, but I must be honest.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley, all my opinions are my own.