Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I received this book in audiobook format, and I recommend it as the narrator is well matched to the story and the narrator helps accentuate the suspense of the story.

"The Hostage" by A.F. Carter is a riveting thriller that delves into the gritty underbelly of a Rust Belt town grappling with the prospects of rejuvenation through industrial revival. The narrative is a compelling blend of suspense and social commentary, anchored by the strong-willed Captain Delia Merola, who finds herself at the heart of a chilling abduction case.

Carter's portrayal of Baxter, a town on the cusp of transformation with the promise of a new Nissan plant, is both authentic and evocative. The author masterfully captures the tension between hope and despair that permeates the community. The kidnapping of Elizabeth, the teenage daughter of the plant's lead bidder, introduces a new level of danger to the town's already complex social fabric.

The novel's dual narrative structure, alternating between Captain Merola's investigation and Elizabeth's harrowing experience, heightens the emotional stakes. Elizabeth's ingenuity in the face of peril is particularly gripping, showcasing Carter's ability to craft multidimensional characters that are vulnerable and resilient.

Carter's prose is sharp and unflinching, with a narrative pace that keeps the reader on edge. The book's strength lies not only in its plot twists but also in its exploration of themes such as economic hardship, family dynamics, and the quest for redemption.

"The Hostage" is a testament to A.F. Carter's skill in weaving a tale that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling. It's a story that resonates with the realities of contemporary society, making it a must-read for fans of the genre seeking depth and authenticity in their suspense fiction.

This is a fun thriller with a great narrator. I did think that the kidnapping storyline was a little disappointing and would have preferred to hear more from the police side. Elizabeth seemed too old for her age, which was distracting. The relationship between Delia and her son was really interesting. The narrator was great at the various voices and the pacing was nice. Not my favorite, but it was still an enjoyable listen.

A new company is coming to a Rust Belt town to build an auto plant.. The story begins with a focus on Delia, a female detective assigned to investigate the abduction of the teenage daughter of one of the wealthy company owners. The kidnappers are pros, based in Eastern Europe, but they have their hands full with this precocious teen who is determined to escape. Delia is also under pressure to handle the investigation carefully so as not to endanger the big deal with the construction company.

The plot of this book flows nicely, weaving in some past history and exposing the difficulties of regenerating a Rust Belt town. As a single mom, Delia demonstrates many of the struggles of single parenting, but the book doesn't penetrate too deeply into her persona. I thought the developing romance between her and a female social worker seemed a bit too superficial. It wasn't described enough to make it seem realistic. So overall, it was an interesting story line, but it could hae used a little more development in certain areas.

Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The story opens with teen age Elizabeth Bradford telling us she was kidnapped. Elizabeth is brilliant, arrogant, and groomed to lead the Bradford dynasty when her father and uncle die. She is sometimes too smart for her own good. One night she sneaks out to spend time with a boyfriend and is kidnapped. She was targeted because her family is worth millions. She and her parents and younger brother had recently moved to Baxter where her family is building a new Nissan plan. Baxter is an small town where businesses have left and left the area a bit depressed until the Nissan plant is slated to be built by the Bradford family. The whole town is excited to welcome the Nissan plant and all its benefits without considering the potential drawbacks.

Captain Delia Merola is a single mother to a pre-teen boy and next in line to lead the Baxter Police Dept. She is working to clean up the town of drug dealers and petty thieves and make the town even more appealing to prospective investors. Delia is smart, calculating, and prepared. After she rescues a child from a burning meth house she becomes a town hero. She is then called in to investigate the kidnapping. Once the FBI are called in she is called off, but she is asked to continue, under the radar, by Elizabeth's mother and is aided by her younger brother.

The story is told in alternating points of view between Elizabeth and Delia. This kept the motion moving. It also led to relevant back story and a lessening in tension so it could be ratcheted back up.
The audio book is well read

Thank you Net Galley for an opportunity for access to this book in advance in return for an unbiased review.

I think the format for this book was well done and I was able to follow the story line easily. There were moments in the book where I got attached to captain Delia and her son, to the extent that I’m going to keep looking out for more from A. F. Carter and the Delia owens novels!

This was a fast paced thriller that involved the kidnapping of a 15-year-old girl who is extremely smart and sends clues back to town on her whereabouts. The only problem, they may be too sophisticated for anyone to decipher. This is where her brother and the son of the police captain come in. They all work together to bring back this teen. It appears this kidnapping was planned well in advance of the move to this small town. Could it be someone close to the family or someone who has a grudge against the new company coming to town? So many twists and turns and will they figure it out in time to save the girl?

Gave it a try. With an audiobook the performance is critical. Did not get into it. I really tried. Alas, it was not for me

“A new Nissan plant is coming to the depressed Rust Belt town of Baxter, and Captain Delia Mariola has been busy cleaning up the crime-addled city ever since the deal was announced. But when the fifteen-year-old daughter of the lead bidder on the construction project—a wealthy out-of-towner—suddenly disappears, and it becomes clear that a professional kidnapping ring may be responsible, Delia realizes that the factory’s influx of cash could bring with it an entirely new sort of danger, never before considered in this working class milieu.”

I loved this book. I am always down with good mystery or kidnapping and this one ticked all my favorite boxes. It has likeable characters, not to gory, no torture and characters finding that inner strength to survive. The dual POV between the cop and the kidnapped was a fresh change and I found myself getting immersed into their world. I would love it if this became a series.

The narrator was fantastic! I have listened to other books Amy McFadden has narrated and enjoyed them all.

9/10

Thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, and HighBridge Audio for this thoroughly enjoyable ARC.

This is your typical crime/thriller book. Something happens (kidnapping) and a detective investigates. The plot follows what happens and you eventually find out the result at the end.

I didn't think this was anything special and wouldn't recommend it but it was written well-enough to create suspense and intrigue.

I found the comments about weight and gaining a few pounds a little offensive and unnecessary. I feel like the topic of food could have been covered in a more healthy manner, for example the main character could have just said what she was eating. Instead of comparing food choices and worrying about her weight. Let's normalize eating burgers and not feeling guilty about it. Let's also normalize loving our bodies no matter what size they are.

Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review The Hostage.

Author: A.F. Carter
Published: 09/20/22
Narrator: Amy McFadden
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) - Mystery & Thrillers

Sometimes "It's okay" is a solid review, and that describes The Hostage. There is the standard small struggling town waiting on the pot of gold a "Nissan plant." The wealthy family's daughter is kidnapped. This is where I question genre. This reads like Young Adult. The story is simple, the girl is 15 and displays no fear. The character and dialogue was juvenile. The kidnappers reminded me of cartoon characters, I think from The Wacky Racers. Upon their entrance to the end, everything was deja vu.

I liked the ending. Even now, several days after finishing (My sincere apologies NetGalley.) I am feeling it. Lovely and deserved.

The narrator did a fine job.

As I am a seasoned reader, this was a fast audible read (1.75) with a replay of the last few minutes to enhance my experience. I would gift this. Sadly, (Sincerest apologies NetGalley) a coffee spill soiled my notes, I can't recall if there was profanity.

The town of Baxter is undergoing a revolution- a new Nissan plant is being built and it is bringing people to the town, including the wealthy family contracted to build the plant. Shortly after their arrival, the daughter of said wealthy family is kidnapped. Elizabeth, the kidnapped 15 year old, is incredibly smart. Already a high school senior at fifteen. When she makes the proof of life calls to her family, she sneaks in clues. But will someone solve them before it is too late?

There were parts of this I liked and parts I didn't. I enjoyed Delia's chapters more than Elizabeth's. However, I felt Delia's romance was kind of forced into the story. I found myself more interested in the police force in general than Elizabeth.

I listened to the audio version of the book. While the story is told from a dual POV, only Amy McFadden narrated it. She did use a slightly different voice in the chapters, but I always like it best when each POV has their own narrator. Otherwise, a decent narration.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Hostage by A.F. Carter. Wow! This mystery/ thriller kept me enthralled for the entire book! I loved it! I. Love. It!

The Hostage by A.F. Carter, narrated by Amy McFadden was a great mysteries and thriller novel.
The Hostage is set in a small town of Baxter. Baxter is a small but growing town, being built by a wealthy family, whose daughter is then kidnapped, and a ransom is demanded. I love that the story is told from 2 POV's. One being the daughter, Elizabeth and the other being Delia, the towns Detective.
This story had me hooked from the beginning. It was an easy book to get hooked into from the start being a fan of crime stories and thrillers. I loved the characters and the roles they played within the story. I enjoyed the authors writing style and the choice of narrator.

Wow I absolutely love this book.! 10 stars. !
It was intriguing from the start. With a precocious very rich teenager kidnapped and held hostage
It flipped between the teen’s point of view and the detective’s

An original story that never really slowed down. When I read about the teen, Elizabeth, I knew she would annoy me. She really didn’t tho and by the books end I could see much growth in her character. The puzzles in the story were very clever and seeing it go from point A to B was fun

The police detective, captain was her title, Dahlia, was also a very real character. I liked how she was perfect and enjoyed her donuts and had a few pounds to lose. Her son, Danny , seemed very realistic too.

Great story without the constant brutality that so many mysteries have. ! Thank you so much NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for this ARC

3.5 stars

Told in first person, the Hostage is told in dual points of view. Told in Captain Delia Merola and Elizabeth Bradford alternating POV. Elizabeth finds herself in a trunk of a vehicle and she must find a way to escape. Elizabeth is well aware of what she must face or do in order to escape her captors, but the question remains. Will she be able to before her time is up?
Captain Delia POV is very much a police procedural and what her life entails, and her investigations, and busting down meth labs. While both storylines are engaging I found Delia's called to me more.

Special thanks to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC.

Small-town cop plus super smart kids VS criminal mastermind gangs and the winner is = not the bad guys! I loved how smart, resilient, and wily Elizabeth was. The no-quit attitude of Captain Merula paired with Elizabeth's smarts resulted in a wild and crazy ride to the end! Totally my cup of tea!

#TheHostage
#NetGalley

The Hostage began very promising with interesting and refreshing characters that slowly sputtered into the same tired pattern of every other police procedural out there by the end: foreign bad guy/helpless victim/small-town cop hero. The actual hostage in the book was the most interesting character but her spirit and intellectualism waxed and waned so that the strong character we met in the very beginning was a very different person who essentially drifts off into unknown life at the end, so we never really find out how the experience impacted her. It seemed that way for every single character - none of them had a conclusive ending. Their lives went back to exactly what they were before the ordeal. Even the who-done-it had no "OMG - I never would've guessed!" moment because, aside from the one villain, we could not have guessed. We knew absolutely nothing about the other "players" involved in the crime until the very end. There weren't even clues or hints to look back on - two of the major bad guys, who should have been pivotal to the entire plotline, weren't even introduced until the end, like they were an afterthought. This book had a TON of potential - fascinating characters, a hundred different juicy paths set up for the mystery to lead, and even that deceptively sleepy town setting - but I can't help wondering if some of the best parts were left in the editor's trashcan for the sake of brevity.

As someone fascinated by kidnapping and hostage stories, the premise of this one immediately grabbed in. As a story, I found it a bit cliche, reading a bit a like a made for TV movie. The characters (especially the Russian villian woman) were all quite cliche. The kidnapped victim was also quite young (15 years old) which made this adult thriller read more like young adult, due to her naive perspective. Despite my love for this subgenre, I found this one average at best and likely quite forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked! It was gripping and a quick thriller. It was just what I needed and I throughly enjoyed this book. My only wish was that more of the chapters centered on Elizabeth as her chapters were my favorite.

Fans of gritty, atmospheric, crime stories, this is a book for you!

To start, I listened to the audiobook and truly loved the narrator. “The Hostage,” is set in the small town of Baxter. Times are changing in Baxter, and an influx on development is coming to the city. That development is led by a wealthy family who have recently moved to the area. Sadly for them, their 15 year old daughter, Elizabeth, is kidnapped and a ransom is demanded. This book is told from two POVs. One is through Elizabeth’s eyes, and the other Delia, a detective in the town. While I enjoyed both of the strong, female leads, my favorite parts of the book were definitely from Elizabeth’s POV.

I thought this book had a satisfying ending, and while it took me a minute to get into Delia’s story, I liked the book overall. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review!