Hostage To Death

Running off to join the French Foreign Legion used to be every boy's dream of action and adventure. But for Lieutenant Bill Reilly—half Irish, half American, and like Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia, a Westerner at war in the desert—the dream has turned into a nightmare. And it all begins with the gruesome delivery of a severed hand. . . . The dead, gnarled fingers hold a message from the Berber chief Abd el-Ulad. He challenges the courage of the Legion soldiers and says he holds an American woman captive—who, if Reilly doesn't come to her rescue, is next up for dismemberment. Reilly abandons his post guarding the trains and goes after her. But it's all a trick. In his absence, the railroad falls victim to a terrorist attack. But who set the trap and engineered the sabotage? Reilly is caught in a triangle of treachery as the French, Spanish and native Berbers vie for control. His fate—as well as that of the American woman—rests on his ability to escape a spider's web of double- and triple-crosses and uncover the truth in a desert of deception. Hubbard's knowledge of the Berber raiders as well as of the Arab culture was comprehensive. As a young man he traveled extensively, following and studying numerous nomadic cultures and tribes. Combining those insights with his experience operating everything from machine guns to field telephones in the Montana National Guard and Marine Corps Reserves, Hubbard brought unique authenticity to his tales of the Foreign Legion. His stories were so exceptional, he was sought after by the premier writers' magazines of the time to write how-to articles—two of which appeared the same month that Hostage to Death was published. * An International Book Awards Finalist

Mary Steinhauser is the only peace officer in the history of penal institutions in Canada to willingly offer up her life in the service of her country. It was during a 1975 prison escape attempt and 41-hour hostage-taking by three desperate inmates of the British Columbia Penitentiary in New Westminster, B.C. that Mary volunteered to be the principal hostage. For 41 hours, she was held as a human shield, protecting not only the inmates but the fourteen other hostages sequestered in a nearby vault. Her calmness, composure and bravery throughout the entire hostage-taking was noted by the negotiators and penitentiary staff alike. She was killed there. This is her story. This biography of Mary's life and tragic death is narrated by Margaret, her younger sister. From Mary’s early childhood in rural B.C., it charts the evolution of a young nurse from social worker to symbol for those dedicated to prison reform. Mary's experiences are fascinating reading for any adult interested in local history, law enforcement, mental health awareness, and criminal justice. Her work as a psychiatric nurse in hospitals and institutions across Canada led to her introduction to prison life, which sparked her fierce determination to improve the inmate experience, prisoner justice, and prison reform. Sprinkled throughout with personal anecdotes and quotes from important people in Mary's life, Between Blade and Bullet is a compelling, deeply emotional, and thought-provoking look into the life and death of one heroic woman. Searchingly honest, it examines how Canadian institutions closed down to protect themselves, and the consequences of justice for those left on the outside.

Who will be the next to die? They've taken the children. And the son of a general. But that isn't enough. More horrors must come...

A perfectly planned and orchestrated bank heist, suddenly turns into a deadly siege... Unable to control the hostages, a woman starts to scream. In the midst of this chaos, a silent alarm is triggered causing the criminals to be surrounded by the local police force. With no option but to surrender, the mastermind behind the robbery has one last idea to ensure success. During the aftermath, Bill Steen, a worker at the bank, discovers the deceit. Hiding in plain view, the missing money is within his grasp. At home, his wife is battling with severe asthma which regularly requires hospitalisation. The cure? Relocate to a new home, ideally abroad, clear of the inner city smog. Bill is tempted. But is the temptation enough to expedite his lifelong dream to relieve his wife of her suffering? It will certainly cost him his conscience, potentially a lengthy prison sentence and maybe even his life. But it would save hers... And Bill can't stop himself wondering - which choice is the right one? Hostage to Death is a thrilling crime novel, complete with surprising twists in every chapter. Praise for Roderic Jeffries 'Jeffries' fresh twists and excellent characterizations make any novel by him an exciting reading experience.' - San Francisco Chronicle '...a stubbornly appealing, believable hero and a neat ironic twist at the close.' - Kirkus Reviews 'A first-rate whodunit turning on the resourcefulness of a country gentleman who exploits the process of the law to delay its action. Author on the top of his legal and social form.' - Francis Goff, Sunday Telegraph 'Tension builds up and there are two exciting court scenes. Roderic Jeffries established a very high reputation for himself in the field of the legal thriller with Exhibit No. Thirteen and Dead Against the Lawyers. Once again he has used a little known quirk of the law, and woven round it an enthralling story of immense intricacy.' - Maurice Richardson, Observer 'The resulting legal intricacies make fascinating reading.' - Hester Makeig, - Spectator 'First-class, smoothly told, fine court scenes and sketches of lawyers entirely absorbing.' - John Clarke, Evening Standard 'The most ingenious of Mr. Jeffries's exercises in legal trickery.' - Julian Symons, Sunday Times 'Good court scenes; very competent.' - Peter Dickinson, Punch '...is for the mystery story connoisseur and particularly the man who can appreciate this ingenious exercise in legal trickery.' - Police World Roderic Jeffries was born in London in 1926 and went to sea in 1943. Six years later he left that trade to become a lawyer. He again changed profession to become a writer. Since 1951, he has written over one hundred and sixty novels under his own name and several other pseudonyms. He began his career by writing books featuring his father's character, Blackshirt, a popular detective whose adventures have appeared in print for many decades. In time Jeffries branched out and began to write a variety of mystery novels under his own name and several pen names, including Peter Alding and Jeffrey Ashford.

12-16 yrs.

This “riveting true life account” goes inside the life-or-death world of a Las Vegas police crisis negotiator: “a must read" (Gary W. Noesner, Chief, FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit, author of Stalling For Time). What do you say to prevent someone from committing “suicide-by-cop”? How do you talk someone down when he’s pointing a gun at a hostage? What tactics do you use when lives depend on your words? Veteran police negotiator Lieutenant Dennis Flynn spent nearly two decades responding to more than a thousand high-intensity incidents with the Crisis Negotiations Team in Las Vegas, Nevada. He approached every scenario with the same goal: bring everyone out alive. This vivid memoir offers a rare, behind-the-scenes view of the life-and-death situations that police negotiators face on a daily basis. Taking readers through both exhilarating successes and tragic failures, Flynn offers a guided tour of the extreme and potentially deadly side of Sin City.

George Kohlrieser—an international leadership professor, consultant, and veteran hostage negotiator—explains that it is only by openly facing conflict that we can truly progress through the most difficult business challenges. In this provocative book, he reveals how the proven techniques and psychological insights used in hostage negotiation can be applied successfully to any personal or business relationship. Step by step, he outlines the seven key factors that anyone can use to remove the blocks that stand in the way of resolving tough problems and shows how business leaders, in particular, can develop and access the skills they need to create trust and a positive mind-set in their companies.