Red Hotel

The luxury hotel industry is at the center of this engrossing, if windy, collaboration between Grossman (Executive Actions) and Fuller, a longtime Marriott executive and author of the business book You Can’t Lead with Your Feet on the Desk. Dan Reilly, a senior v-p with the International Kensington Royal hotel chain, is trying to guide his company through the aftermath of several bombings at its hotels. Reilly is particularly worried about Kensington’s hotel in Brussels, which may have been covertly cased by a Russian terrorist. Adding to Reilly’s unease: the hotel is scheduled to host an upcoming meeting of NATO chiefs. As Reilly and the CIA collaborate to prevent an attack, intelligence reports suggest that Moscow is preparing to invade Latvia, and the hotel bombing could be a diversionary tactic. The long, overly complicated plot may frustrate readers used to a leaner line of action, yet it holds together well. The authors capably highlight how high-profile international hotels—where guests are typically rich or important, or both—can be attractive targets for terrorists wishing to make a statement. (Mar.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the title of Ed Fuller's previous book.