A very intense suspenseful thriller. The characters are well written and the mystery keeps you guessing throughout the story.

Being new to this series and author, I was not sure what to expect. I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was interesting, suspenseful and a page turner. My only negative was the ending. I didn't think it went with the rest of the book, but it wasn't a bad conclusion. Now I have to read the first book.

Shot Caller by Jen J. Danna is the second installment in the series NYPD Negotiators. The story shows a different side of law enforcement and an interesting, nerve racking perspective. Gemma Capello and her team is called into Rikers Island to negotiate with criminals who have nothing to lose. Interesting concept and story line. Not much deviation from the happenings at the prison, which makes it more in the moment, although small glimpses into Gemmas life and some of the personal relationships with her team. Story's pace was a bit slow and not a lot of action but entertaining enough.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

What a rush this riveting, edge-of-the-seat thriller is! It is a fast-paced novel set in a jail on Rikers Island that demonstrates the author’s talents with setting, dialog, excellent characters, and suspense that does not quit. While I wanted to see the outcome, I didn’t want to turn that last page and leave this expert Hostage Negotiation Team.

The NYPD has several detectives who are trained hostage negotiators and can handle a wide range of situations. Few are as challenging as the one Gemma and three of her team members now face. Gemma and all but one of her siblings follow their father’s footsteps in the NYPD. Gemma was only ten when her mother was shot in front of her during a bank robbery where they were hostages.

Rikers Island houses some of the most violent jails in the country. It is for those held over awaiting trial who can’t make bail and those with short sentences. Gemma and three other negotiators have been sent there due to a hostage situation in the harshest unit with mostly gang members from rival neighborhood gangs. One inmate, Rivas, got free of his shackles and attacked Burk, from a rival gang who allegedly raped Rivas’s sister. In the ensuing riot, eight officers from the jail were taken hostage.

The negotiators’ job is incredibly challenging. They must determine who the “shot caller” is, the inmate who has taken charge of the unit and determines what happens next. The primary negotiator then works with that person in a calm, non-judgmental manner, and resolves the conflict without losing any of the hostages or inmates. Some of the officers held hostage have been accused numerous times of abuse to the prisoners. Of the seven hostages, one is a woman.

This time, Gemma is the primary for the daytime team of four; there will be another team on the night shift. There are also two teams of NYPD A-Team detectives who are trained to, among other things, handle hostage events when negotiations fail. One of the men is Sean, who Gemma went through the police academy with. They have been close friends on and off over the years until a recent hostage situation ended in the hostage taker being shot. She has since refused to speak with him. Unfortunately, Sean is on the day shift A-Team, so they must work together. One day becomes two, then three. Tensions rise and tempers are short. Rivas has given their demands, and Gemma awaits a response.

The primary characters are defined so well that I felt as if I knew them. I like Gemma and her younger brother Alex. I can see from Gemma as well as the team what it takes to be a successful negotiator. I appreciate that Gemma is not in a relationship beyond those who are family or friends, and her focus while at work was on the situation, not outside relationships. Not just anyone can be a negotiator, and that is clearly portrayed through Gemma and the day shift team.

I was very impressed with this novel! It is well written, includes why or how things are done by the NYPD or city government and how the neighborhood gangs differ from those in jail. There are plot twists and turns that ratchet up the suspense and urgency for resolution for the situation. The writing style is excellent; I was very pleased with how well each scene was designed for maximum impact. The ending was also excellent, with loose ends tied up. I highly recommend this thriller and will definitely keep up with this series!

Shot Caller by Jen J. Danna
NYPD Negotiators #2

Character driven team attempt to prevent violence by prisoners on Riker’s Island when hostages are taken during a riot. Gemma and her team, the tactical assault team, department of corrections, and others are all involved in the solution. but Gemma and the other negotiators are on the front line doing their best with words to prevent loss of life. Will they or won’t they be successful?

What I liked:
* Gemma: negotiator, seasoned NYPD police officer, from a family of policemen and one fireman brother, skillful, driven, competent, takes things personally.
* Logan: tactical team member, went through police academy with Gemma, strong, determined, focused, lethal, bright, still wonder if he might one day be a potential love interest for Gemma
* Gemma’s family: the little we saw of her father and brothers makes me hope to see more of them in the future
* The people that Gemma worked with – felt they were cohesive, friends, competent and skilled
* Getting to see into the working of negotiators
* That the focus was on how one person, Gemma, dealt with the situation she was working
* The writing and plot
* Wondering about how bad Riker’s actually was/is
* The gang element of the story and how it impacted the situation
* That not all wearing “white hats” were as good as they should have been
* That the outcome was mixed…a win in some eyes but perhaps not in all.
* Knowing that there will probably be another book in the series to look forward to

What I didn’t like:
* The hostage situation occurring in the first place BUT with this series…hostages have to be taken ;)
* The indifference some showed
* Knowing that negative behavior on the part of people “in charge” does occur in real life

NOTE: Not a dislike BUT a comment…this story focuses on Gemma and her part in the story. We don’t learn much about her team, the team members on the 12-hour shift she was not working, what is happening inside the prison…but that is fine…just a comment. We are seeing and experiencing what one person does and how she relates to it rather than an omniscient view.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest Review

5 Stars

Gemma Capello comes from a long line of cops and she has one of the most challenging roles around - hostage negotiator.

This time, she is trying to negotiate for the release of hostages in a prison and there are factions within the prison to be aware of. Complex layers of personality, affiliations and assumptions on all sides leads to a tense stand-off. People are going to get hurt - or worse.

I really like the character of Gemma. She isn't perfect but she is courageous, smart, level-headed and she loves her family and her Italian background. I really want to read the next book in this series! This was a really solid book covering an area of work that I am not familiar with at all.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington.

Jen Danna has been an author whose plots have intrigued me for the last decade, beginning with her co-authoring series, the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries and, more recently, the FBI K-9 Mysteries. Last year she began her solo series the NYPD Negotiators, and Shot Caller is the second book in this exciting new line of stories. Again, this series carries on the excellent plotting of her past writing. The stories begin with an engaging premise that focuses on resolution, no wandering loose canons but a clear path of action and intent.

When talking about police procedural stories, readers generally are referring to following an investigation from the criminal act or discovery of a body to gathering evidence and finding the perpetrator(s) of the crime. With the NYPD Negotiator series, we start with a guilty party and watch as the police negotiators try to defuse a dangerous situation to prevent more damage or more loss of life. The negotiator police procedural could be called a sub-genre of a sub-genre. Whatever it’s called, it is as fascinating as any investigation is. The tension and suspense are constant, as lives hang in the balance of a negotiator being able to reason with the unreasonable.

The situation Gemma Capella faces in Shot Caller is a prison riot at Rikers, the prison that sits on Rikers’ Island in the NYPD jurisdiction. Rikers is a hotbed of rival gang members and the dregs of society, sprinkled with unfortunate others who find themselves incarcerated with the hard-core criminals. The conditions are nightmarish. One area of the prison is named the Enhanced Supervision Housing Unit, created to improve on the solitary confinement situations. In the ESH inmates spend a minimum of seven hours outside their cells and have access to mental health and social programs, much different than the former 23 hours in the cell and one hour out of previous solitary confinement conditions. However, the units had not been as successful as the DOC, Department of Corrections, had hoped. It is this unit where a prisoner is able to get loose from his shackles, instigate a fight, and lead the prisoners in overcoming the guards and taking over the cell block.

More usually a negotiation involves one person with whom the negotiating team must establish contact and try to convince the hostage taker or perp into a give and take relationship, with the goal being the person ultimately giving himself up and any hostages freed. This time Gemma and her team are faced with a cell unit full of 42 prisoners and eight prison guard hostages. Whereas there might be hope of one negotiating team handling and resolving a situation in a day’s time in a normal stand-off, there’s little hope a prison situation will resolve itself in a day or even two. Gemma’s boss, Lieutenant Garcia forms two teams, with Gemma as the lead negotiator on one, the one operating from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Not all negotiations are successful, and so there is an Apprehension Tactical Team, the A Team, always ready to go in with force and end the situation. They are highly skilled and competent at their job, but too often there is loss of life when they must go in. The negotiators want to avoid the A Team solution, and work hard to do so, but it is the tactical team’s leader that has the final say in when their actions are necessary. Gemma has a good working relationship with the tactical team, and she expects to be given every chance possible to pull the conflict out of the fire.

With the initial take-over of the cell block, there is, of course, violence. It’s not known initially if any of the prison guards or prisoners are dead or injured badly. There’s plenty of bad blood in the mix. Different gangs who hate each other and, most dangerous, all the prisoners hating the guards. A powder keg waiting to ignite is not an exaggeration. The first order of business for the negotiators, after getting set up, is to contact someone inside, but even that has to wait for a cooling down period this time. When Gemma starts trying to open communications, it takes a while, and she fears that there is only chaos and no one in charge.

The prisoner who finally answers Gemma’s call is Rivas, a member of the Filero Kings gang. Kill Switch, his gang name, gains control of the unit, and focuses on Gemma as the negotiator with whom he’ll communicate. Thus, Rivas becomes the “shot caller,” and just like it sounds, he will be the one to either work with Gemma or call off negotiations. It takes all the years of experience Gemma has accumulated to handle the volatile scene, where a misstep on her part can mean someone dies. At first there are some steps forward, and Gemma gets Rivas to submit a list of demands, always an important step in negotiations. But, unpredictability is always just around the corner, and in a negotiation with rival gang members in the mix, the chances for disaster are high. At a moment of crisis, will cooler heads prevail, or will force be the only viable answer? Readers will find it hard to predict the outcome.

Besides plot and pacing, Jen Danna has a deft hand at character development. Each book is revealing more about the Capella family, a strong, closely knit group who have each other’s backs. Of course, it helps that they are all deeply entrenched in the NYPD, with Gemma’s father being the current Chief of Special Operations for the NYPD, her brother Alex being in Internal Affairs, and brother Joe being a captain with the NYPD Gang Unit. Joe is able to give some insight into the gang members holed up in the cell unit. Readers will be drawn to this family who has suffered a tragedy early in Gemma’s life and who followed in the father’s footsteps of service. I look forward to getting to know them more and more.

Jen Danna is what I call a solid writer, one who has control over her story and gives readers a tightly woven plot where characters do their jobs without hysterics or psychological stumbling blocks. I’m not saying that there aren’t some background issues hanging around, and I’m not precluding the possibility for surprises; I’m just saying the focus of the story is maintained, which is the negotiation. Danna’s storylines are fresh and immediately pique my interest as soon as I start the book. With #2 now read, I can assure readers that the NYPD Negotiators is a sharp new series that will engage your attention with complete captivation.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader’s copy of Shot Caller from the author and from NetGalley. The above is my honest review

Jen J. Danna is a new-to-me author, but as an avid (er…possibly rabid) romantic suspense fan, you’ll rarely find me turning down a suspense/romantic suspense book. And this one was so worth it! Shot Caller is the second book in the NYPD Negotiators series, and you can read it as a stand-alone title. I haven’t read the first book (yet), but it’s definitely next on my list after enjoying this one so much. I want to dig into the backstory between Gemma and Sean from the first book, but there are enough breadcrumbs in this one that I didn’t feel like I was missing a massive chunk of their history.

With all of that said, Shot Caller is much heavier on the suspense than it is on the romance, so if you’re looking for steamy scenes, you won’t find them here. Personally, I felt like the suspense was good enough that I didn’t miss it at all. If the plot is intense enough, it doesn’t bother me in the least in this genre, and Shot Caller most certainly attained that level of intensity. It’s heavy on Gemma’s character development and lighter on Sean’s, but I’m hoping in the next book(s) we’ll get to see more of Sean and more of them together. There’s also a good bit of the book that develops the secondary characters well enough from both Gemma’s team and Sean’s that I could see the potential for a LOT of books in this series to follow. Here’s hoping I’m not wrong!

To sum it up, if you’re a romantic suspense lover as I am, and you like those books to lean heavier on the suspense and lighter on the romance, Shot Caller should be the next book on your TBR.

NICUnurse’s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

This is Jen's second book in her NYPD Negotiators Series. I was immediately pulled into this book. I was hooked mainly, because of the suspense and intensity of the hostage situation at Riker's Island. Jen did a wonderful job describing the situations, different law enforcement departments,  and what each officer and/or detectives jobs entailed.  Let's not forget the main character,  Gemma Capello. She must do what she can to de escalate the situation and get everyone out as safe as possible.  During all this Gemma is still dealing with unresolved issues with Detective Sean Logan.  Big thumbs up to Jen on writing this book. I absolutely love books like this that keep me thoroughly entertained.

Another thrilling hostage situation for Detective Gemma Capello with the NYPD Hostage Negotiation Team. Gemma is from a family of New York cops who are dedicated to their careers and their love of New York. Inmates at Riker’s Island have taken over the Enhanced Supervision Housing Unit along with eight correction officers as hostages. Gemma and her team are called in hoping that her ability to be calm, yet concerned will end the standoff. The inmates are members of rival gangs which adds to the volatile situation. With crucial knowledge from her brother Joe, who is a captain with the NYPD Gang Squad, she is able to begin negotiations with gang leader, Rivas. Slowly she begins to make headway with the inmates, but when a dead body is shoved out of the unit, will this lead to a violent takedown by the Apprehension Tactical Team? Is there one more chance for her to settle this without further violence, or will the “A Team” act before a hostage is killed? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fast-paced, held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. It can be read as a standalone book, though it is #2 in the NYPD Negotiators series. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I will be looking for the first book in this series and any others that follow.

This was a very interesting police procedural with a twist - it focused on a hostage negotiator. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before and I found myself drawn in deeply needing to hear what happened next. I really liked the main character Gemma and appreciated the insight not only into what she did as far as a negotiator but why she was doing what she did. I do wish I had read the first book first as I think this relied more on the first one than I am used to for books like this, but there were enough explanations to not detract from the story. I wish there had been more about what was going on in the block that the inmates had control of. I understand mystery made for a more gripping story in some ways, but I feel like some more pieces heard from mics or other listening devices. I feel like this would have added another level of interest but also flesh out the story a little. Overall I really enjoyed it and will be reading more by this author. I gave it 4.5 stars rounded up.

Hostage situations are always tense but throw in the extra challenge of a prison and rival gangs inside and wow, what a read! It was impossible to put down.
The characters were well developed and believable and the pacing was great. You could feel the frustration, apprehension and anger.
Now  I have to read the first book to have a better understanding of what happened at  City Hall.
Thank you Netgalley,  Kensington Books and Jen J. Danna for this ARC.

This book was beyond amazing. It was fantastic and I had to finish this book in one sitting. It moves along at a speed which is a perfect fit to this story. The characters are so real that you cannot help but fall in love with them and yu want to be there for them no matter what happens. This is a must read book, there is no doubt about that at all. It needs to be on your TBR list. You will not be sorry that you did.

Det. Gemma Capello finds herself dealing with a difficult, to say the least, situation when she is called to negotiate a standoff at Rikers Prison, That's her job- she's an ace at it- but this time she's got two rival gangs who want to kill one another. The Filero Kings and the Gutta Boys both have hostages. She's working with Eduardo Rivas of the Kings but then things spin even more out of control. And then there's Greg Coulter, the reporter who has been a thorn in her side but who Rivas trusts. No spoilers from me. I was a fan of the first book because I was impressed with Gemma; I think this will work fine as a standalone. I suspect those who know more than I about prisons and hostage negotiations might quibble with some details but this is a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

My thoughts on this book is mixed. While the first in the series was very easy to get into, I found this was more difficult. I love the “family” and how they stick together. Totally reminds me of Blue Bloods. This book I only give 3 stars.

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

Wow! What a way to begin. The author has done a fabulous job of taking the reader inside the world of a prison riot. With great detail, we travel into Rikers Island, experiencing all the security and more. Gemma Capello is an NYPD negotiator - thus it is up to her and the team to try to end this standoff without the death of the hostages or the inmates.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. - FDR Does she have the courage needed to meet with the shot caller of this group of inmates, a group that is made up of almost every gang in the city?

An ARC was received through NetGalley and this incredible book is published by Kensington Publishing. These impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.

Shot Caller is the suspenseful new thriller in Jen J. Danna's NYPD Negotiators series. The tension soaked setting is a prison riot with hostages, some of which work at said prison. The pace is quick, emotions are high --but Gemma Capello and her team have things well in hand --when they are thrown a curve ball. I enjoyed the twisty turns the story takes as it flows towards completion. A fast, exciting ride that kept me turning pages until the end.
Thank you to #Kensington, the publisher, #ShotCaller #NetGalley for granting me an ARC to read and review. I share my honest review with friends and followers so that they can enjoy the excitement, too.
=====Coming August 31,2021======

I really have enjoyed this series and this latest installment is no exception. Edge of your seat waiting for what’s going to happen next. I look forward to many more.

Great book. Full of suspense, and knuckle biting. This book kept me on the edge of my seat! The twists and turns kept me glued to the pages. I highly recommend this book!