|
Red Hotel by Gary
Grossman and Ed Fuller bring to life, in a thrilling novel,
the dangers of soft targets. Using his past experiences as
an overseer of Marriott International's Global Security Strategy,
and now President of the Irvine, California-based Laguna Strategic
Advisors, a global consortium that provides business consulting
services to corporations and governments, Fuller can help
create a realistic plot with political thriller writer Grossman.
Fuller noted, “While I was still
working with Marriott, I wrote a book, You Can’t Lead
with your Feet on the Desk. It was a business book that reflected
my experiences and philosophies. One of my friends in public
relations suggested I make it into a movie. I sought the advice
of another friend, Bruce Feirstein, who sat on a board with
me and wrote three James Bond screenplays. He suggested I
write a novel. Since I had trouble with pulling the characters
together, I sought out a co-writer I was impressed with Gary
Grossman, a political thriller writer. So, the way it works
is I contribute stories and strategy, and Gary applies the
glue, creativity, and through-line that binds our stories,
characters.”
The book opens with Dan Reilly, the Vice President of the
international division of a major hotel conglomerate called
Kensington Royal, testifying before Congress stressing the
necessity of shared information between the intelligence community
and hotel chains for the safety of their customers. He understands
the threat level through his travels to assess the hotel's
properties. As he is testifying, a terrorist bombing attack
occurs at the Kensington Tokyo Hotel. After viewing the devastation
and the number of fatalities, Reilly submits a plan to the
home office to deter future attacks. A panel of security experts,
including a former CIA official, a former FBI official, a
military strategist, and the owner of a company of mercenaries,
is consulted. They outline security upgrades for the hotels
based on threat levels. A "red" hotel label means
an imminent attack: a bombing, a weather event, an assassination
attempt, anything deemed dangerous.
The authors pointed out the term "RED"
refers to "the highest threat level for a hotel regarding
protection and defenses. It is a system Ed came up created.
These are less attractive to the bad guys since there are
measures in place, such as armed guards, bomb-sniffing dogs,
reinforced glass, metal detectors as guests go in/out, and
security blockers. A Red Hotel team looks inside and outside
for people who do not seem to do what normal guests would
do. For example, taking pictures of ballroom entrances, taking
pictures of the front entrance, and/or measuring distances
with their feet."
Through the investigation, Reilly
discovers that the perpetrator is not who he expects. His
sources in the CIA and State Department point not to random
acts of terror, but calculated acts of war facilitated by
a global power. The Tokyo attack is tied to Russia’s
plan to return to its’ former greatness under the rule
of President Nikolai Gorshkov. This story weaves the last
days of the Cold War with present-day current events.
Grossman describes Reilly as “solution-oriented, smart,
intuitive, and a businessman. He knows how to ask questions.
He has military experience, state department experience, and
private sector experience. While fighting in Afghanistan,
he rescued a peer who now works for the CIA. This enabled
him to have a bond between the intelligence and business communities.”
As a young KGB officer during the reunification of Germany,
Gorshkov felt betrayed by his superiors and is now in a position
to not only exact revenge but to also test NATO's ability
to defend its' members borders. Now, Gorshkov plans to reassert
Russian dominance by reclaiming former strategic territory
that was part of the Soviet Union. To accomplish this, the
President of Russia creates unrest and violence in unexpected
places, placing the cause and responsibility for it elsewhere.
The tension ratchets up as the Russians try to put their plan
into motion.
The novel is a thriller within a hotel
setting that has suspense and international intrigue. The
plot involves a world adventure that is both realistic and
believable, given the experiences of one of the authors, Ed
Fuller. As the conflict intensifies, readers will be on the
edge of their seats.
|