Jon Lindstrom

Hollywood Hubris. The evocative and darkly hilarious tale of a kidnapping of a Hollywood star's daughter is well paced and quite descriptive, though it does evoke more of the 70s/ 80s vibes than more modern times - despite clearly being set in said more modern times. So perhaps it feels a touch anachronistic at times as well, but it actually somehow manages to work?

No, the biggest problem here wasn't the characterizations or the action or the (dark) comedy, it was the guns - and specifically show more the typical Hollywood hubris of not knowing basically anything about them. No, civilians do not have "automatic" pistols - those things are hard to get for even criminals, and generally extend a jail term much longer than they're actually worth as a tool. Instead, every time Lindstrom says "automatic", he *should* be saying "semi-automatic" or even simply "pistol", if he is seeking to distinguish it from a revolver (which he also uses in this text). (Both revolvers and non-revolving pistols are semi-automatic, meaning one bullet fires per trigger squeeze vs automatic meaning bullets keep firing as long as the trigger is held down, for those reading this review who may be under the same lack of basic gun knowledge as Lindstrom and his editors.) Further, several times when someone is shot - both from a shotgun (which does in fact pack more of a punch, as depending on the load it can send up to 2-3 .45 caliber sized pellets flying at the same speeds that a pistol sends a single .45 bullet flying at) and a pistol - the body is described as flying backwards, as Hollywood tends to do. However, this is one that anyone who has watched Mythbusters knows is incorrect, as they specifically tested this exact myth and showed that it does not actually happen. And that is *without* even having any actual gun knowledge, as it is basic physics! (F= mA -> Force = mass x Acceleration, but the target also has standing inertia that the force must be powerful enough to overcome to achieve said result... and bullets that civilians might fire - yes, even the vaunted .50 BMG round - simply don't have that kind of mass and acceleration. And by the time you get up to rounds that *do* have that kind of force... it tends to have a *far*... messier... impact than simply causing someone to fly backwards off their feet for a few feet.) A final note related yet not to these points about guns is that another author I know is actually a medical investigator in Saint Augustine, FL, and per his commentary over the years, the "tangy coppery" smell of blood that so many fiction authors use - including Lindstrom here? Also fictional. It is for all of these blatant inaccuracies - yes, even in fiction, as they actively perpetuate misinformation that could harm real people - that the star was deducted.

Still, for those who simply want an almost "Expendables" type action/ thriller with a cast of "seasoned" Hollywood dwellers trying to resolve a kidnapping of a family member of one of their own on their own... this really is quite a strong tale in that particular vein, and as long as you approach it as just that type of Hollywood action movie and check your brains at the door, you'll find a quite strong and enjoyable tale.

Recommended. show less

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: From 4-time Emmy-nominated actor Jon Lindstrom of General Hospital, Bosch, and True Detective fame, comes a gripping debut thriller.

Set in the dark underbelly of the LA film industry, Hollywood Hustle is the perfect read for fans of Alex Finlay and Jeffrey Deaver.

Winston Greene, a has-been film star, wakes one morning to find his six-year-old granddaughter at his bedside—traumatized, unattended, and gripping onto a thumb drive. She comes bearing video show more proof that her mother, Win’s troubled adult daughter, has been kidnapped by a murderous gang demanding all his “movie money” for her safe return. But what they don’t know is…his movie money is long gone.

Unable to go to the police for fear the kidnappers will make good on their promise to kill his daughter, Winston turns to two close friends—a legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective.

There’s no easy way out for Winston or his daughter—the gang is violent and willing to do anything to get the money they’re after, and Winston begins to realize that to get his daughter back, he’ll have to beat the kidnappers at their own game.

This propulsive and tense thriller will transport readers to the seedier side of LA, depicted in bold prose by a Hollywood insider.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE LIBRARYTHING EARLY REVIEWERS PROGRAM. THANK YOU.

My Review: Thrillers starring grandfathers are uncommon. Grandfathers aren't. The fact we have a man who failed on multiple axes in his life rising to the challenge that, in part, stems from those failures feels to me both just and condign.

I do love a redemption arc. This one's a doozy.

The key to a solid, entertaining thriller, then, is turned: I'm invested in the set-up and the characters. I care about the stakes...a child's life is precious to a father, doubly so to a grandfather, and these are real relatable emotional states for Winston to occupy.

The next hurdle for a thriller to make a good impact, as opposed to a stinky splat, on me is the storytelling. The voice of the PoV character, or the use of an omniscient narrator; the pacing, the setting's depth, the blend of familiar and novel elements in this; and crucially the organization...how long are the paragraphs? the chapters?...all must reinforce each other for the trick of suspension of disbelief to work. Someone writing sentences as long as mine isn't writing a thriller, they're writing a mystery. Happily, Author Lindstrom is the veteran of many scripts read and enacted, so he grasps with a sureness born of experience the need for dialogue to serve a purpose or be left on the cutting-room floor.

I am unsurprised therefore to give him full marks on the craft of writing dialogue. I take away a star, paradoxically, for not listening to the effect of all the swearing. There are a few people reading this who are howling with laughter at my statement. I'm "foul-mouthed" as many a pursey-lipped prude has told me over the years.

Reinforcing the horror trope "the call is coming from inside the house."

If *I* noticed this facet of the dialogue, many others did too, and either checked out or gave up and Pearl-Ruled the book.

A thing I felt was...underdeveloped? glossed over? not explored to the extent needed to justify its centrality?...was the pervasive illicit-drug use. Winston passed the curse of addiction to his child. That is the igniting incident of the entire plot. I expect that to be more of a topic of either reflection or regret rather than a background taken for granted. If a character's failings are the reason they are in enough hot water to justify a thriller, it feels careless for the author not to offer more than passing acknowledgment of that reality.

While I know Author Lindsrom has portrayed a LOT of flawed characters in his acting career, that shows in this case. Scripts do not ever have room for exploration comparable to that in a novel, so I'm observing the need for a good storyteller to shift gears, not develop a missing skill.

I really hope this is not the last novel I'll read from Author Lindstrom. I liked Winston, and wouldn't pass up a second book featuring him. I think the thriller world can use some older men doing their best to offer amends for past wrongs, errors, and omissions. show less

HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE was a gripping and gritty thriller set in LA. Winston Greene is a working actor who has overcome his addiction to alcohol and recently gotten through a cancer diagnosis. When his granddaughter is dropped off at his home with a flash drive showing her mother's plea to get her away from her kidnappers, Win is in big trouble. He's almost completely broke after letting his health insurance lapse after his wife's death and paying off his medical treatments for his cancer. show more

Determined to do anything he can for his daughter, he calls on some old friends including a disgraced police officer turned Private Investigator and a legendary stuntman. He is willing to do anything he can to gather a ransom to rescue his daughter, but he doesn't have much to work with.

Meanwhile, we get to know the kidnappers who are all lazy, entitled men who think the world owes them a good living and are willing to kill or steal to get it. And we meet Win's daughter Clare who is also an addict and who was instrumental in the beginnings of the plot to get money from her father. The plot quickly goes out her her control making her an actual prisoner of her three co-conspirators.

I liked the action in this thriller which pits a troubled but decent man against villains who are just barely under control of themselves and who have no respect for anyone but themselves. Lindstrom created a fast-paced plot inside an excellent setting. The contrast between the villains and Win and his friends was stark.

Fans of gritty thrillers with a Hollywood connection will enjoy this one very much. I did. show less

Review of eBook

Early one morning, Winston Greene awakens to find his six-year-old granddaughter, Amy, standing beside his bed. The thumb drive she holds reveals that a gang abducted her mother, Winston’s daughter. He’s to pay all his money to gain her safe return.

Unable to go to the police, Winston enlists the aid of his friends. Former cop Theodore Beauregard . . . better known as Teddy . . . and stuntman Grover Washington, hoping they will be able to help him rescue Clare. What the show more kidnappers don’t know is that they’ve guessed wrong.

Winston Greene has no money to pay a ransom.

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Like a Hollywood film, the action is swift and breathtaking; the plot, twisty and surprising. Well-developed characters exhibit flaws and vulnerabilities as well as their strengths, making them both believable and relatable. Compelling and suspenseful, this story of a kidnapping is also a story of family and friends, a story of loyalty and love. The action is swift, sometimes unexpected; the unfolding story guaranteed to keep the pages turning as fast as possible.

The behind-the-scenes glimpses of the film industry add a layer of interest in the telling of this tale. As might be expected in such as story, the emotions are strong and often introspective. Readers who enjoy action-filled tales are sure to enjoy this exciting story.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
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