The Gryphon Heist

Written by James R. Hannibal

Narrated by Mia Barron

Talia Inger is a rookie CIA case officer assigned not to the Moscow desk as she had hoped but to the forgotten backwaters of Eastern Europe--a department only known as "Other." When she is tasked with helping a young, charming Moldovan executive secure his designs for a revolutionary defense technology, she figures she'll be back in DC within a few days. But that's before she knows where the designs are stored--and who's after them. With her shady civilian partner, Adam Tyler, Talia takes a deep dive into a world where only criminal minds and unlikely strategies will keep the Gryphon, a high-altitude data vault, hovering in the mesosphere. Even Tyler is more than he seems, and Talia begins to wonder: Is he helping her? Or using her access to CIA resources to pull off an epic heist for his own dark purposes? In this Ocean's Eleven-meets-Mission Impossible thriller, former tactical deception officer and stealth pilot James R. Hannibal offers you a nonstop thrill ride through the most daring heist ever conceived.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980052425

James R. Hannibal

James R. Hannibal is no stranger to deep dark secrets or hunting bad guys, having served in the US Air Force as a stealth bomber pilot and a Predator mission commander. Like Jack Buckles, James “suffers” from synesthesia, an intersection of the senses that was once considered a mental illness and often causes hyperobservance. If you bake him a cake, he might tell you that it smells blue and sticky—and you should take it as a compliment. You can learn more at TheLostPropertyOffice.com.

Reviews for The Gryphon Heist

[docwalt10 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the book but did not find it a page turner. I don't think the premise of the heist was realistic. The story seemed drawn out. It did have twist at the end.

[sgk1776 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! The characters were well-written, the main character was likable and sympathetic. She was strong and confident and both her skills and her flaws were interesting. The plot was full of twists and turns. It was crazy in a good way. It was a fun ride. I thought the dialogue was good, and I loved the "stage direction" style of the descriptions. Those kinds of descriptions gave me a more vivid picture of what was happening and what the character expressions looked like. I am a little bit conflicted about how the character arc was handled. I thought that the story's theme and message might have been a bit too on-the-nose. But I'm not sure how it could have been handled better. I still loved the book. I received this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.

[draak_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is such an exciting read with great characters. It has enough twist and turns that it will keep you up at night turning the pages til the end. This is my first James Hannibal book but not my last. I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewer for and honest review.

[hes7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With comparisons to Ocean’s Eleven and Mission Impossible, I knew James R. Hannibal’s The Gryphon Heist would be a fun, thrilling read.Her assignment to the Eastern European “Other” department is not the one Talia Inger desired, but it appears as a simple enough one—until she realizes a high-stakes heist will put her country at risk, and it is up to her to “save the day” (with a helpful team, of course). The pages of her story pass with gripping twists and turns, making it quite a fast-paced, action-packed adventure.I really enjoyed The Gryphon Heist. Though the first book I’ve read by Hannibal, it certainly won’t be the last.I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Spies, explosions, shootouts, high speed chases — you get all this and more in The Gryphon Heist by James Hannibal. I found this novel filled with plenty of international intrigue and a spot-on faith message — an book I really needed. So strap on your 5-point harness and prepare to be entertained! This one is highly recommended!Talia Inger, a rookie CIA agent, is assigned to the worst possible department in the agency — Other. That means that the poorest Eastern European country with a ho-hum field assignment is her lot in life. Routine becomes anything but as she is swept into a a crazy scheme with even crazier partners. Talia is a character to love — idealistic, determined, and more than a bit broken by her childhood. She relies on no one but herself. The other characters in The Gryphon Heist range from an endearing tech geek to a pyrotechnic psychopath. Oh yeah, these characters are great. And Talia and the reader can never be sure just who can be trusted. As to the plot, action-packed/adrenline-laced/high octane don’t even begin to describe it. I could not turn the pages fast enough as Talia and the gang sprint from place to place across Europe to prevent a huge attack against the US. Were some of the scenes extreme, even a bit impossible? Maybe. But I didn’t care — I was having too much fun. Talia’s faith journey was serious though, and Hannibal did a great job at walking her through forgiveness and grace. There are some loose ends hanging, and a sequel is due out early next year. I cannot wait!I have been raving about The Gryphon Heist to my friends and husband, and am eager for them to read it. It’s like a James Bond movie, only better — it’s a book!Highly Recommended.Audience: adults.(Thanks to Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great thriller filled with spies and lots of intrigue. There were so many twists and turns. Every page seemed to bring something new. I would think that I had the story figured out and then I found out I was wrong. I loved the dangerous characters throughout this story. It was hard to know who was good and who was bad. I can’t wait til the second book comes out in this series. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[alekee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The author has given us a book that reads like you’re watching a movie, and I found myself ducking as the bullets were flying.We meet evil head on, but soon wonder whom to trust? Conflicting feelings of grief, revenge, or forgiveness!As you quickly page turn to find the answers here, you quickly realize what these amazing people are trying to do, and what the possible outcomes can be.As we immerse ourselves in the lives of these characters, and surprises abound here, I am happy to see that there is another book in this series coming.You don’t want to miss this one!I received this book through the Revell Reads Program, and was not required to give a positive review.

[kimpotter-309059 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal is the first book in his Talia Inger series. A rookie CIA agent, an elite team of thieves, and top-secret defense technology, spell instant suspense! Talia Inger is assigned to the forgotten department of Eastern Europe known as “Other”. With her team of thieves and her civilian partner she must access the Gryphon, a high-altitude data storage; before a known terrorist gets to them. Once I started this book, I had a hard time putting it down. It read like a fast-paced spy movie! The twists and turns kept me turning pages. The way Tyler leads Talia back to God and helps her forgive was woven in so well that it never took away from the “action feel” of the story. If you can’t stand nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat suspense then this story isn’t for you.I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[tatoosh-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Talia Inger is a newly sworn CIA agent who is given a “crap” assignment evaluating the security arrangements in place at a third world corporation that supplies parts for the U. S. military. She is on tenuous footing. She failed her final exam and would have been booted from the agency but her sponsor interceded on her behalf. She is teamed with Eddie Gupta, a specialized skills officer (a computer hacking whiz). As if the assignment isn’t bad enough, she is required to include Adam Tyler, the civilian businessman who raised a concern about the security arrangements. While the plot suggests interesting possibilities, the execution could be improved. The story never settles on Talia or Adam as the central point-of-view character. That was disappointing as a tale centering on a rookie CIA agent, thrown into a world-threatening situation, is more appealing than one centering on a superhero. Yet that is what Tyler turns out to be. He owns lavish mansions, a private plane which he personally pilots, is one of the world’s most skilled assassins, knows most of the world’s elite rogues, and personally employees an unbelievably talented staff. The depiction of Tyler is so over the top he comes across as a cliché fantasy.After a snappy beginning the plot bogs down through much of the middle of the book. Tyler decides they need to recruit a team to accomplish their mission and that process takes up most of the midsection. To maintain interest through that process the team members must be interesting in their own right and the recruiting process must be innovative and exciting. Unfortunately, most of the characters are not nearly as interesting as Tyler and Talia and the recruiting procedure varies from quite interesting (Finn) to mundane (Mac, Darcy, and Val). The character of Eddie, the specialized skills officer, is also under realized, so the midsection of the book is a bit of a slog.A surprise development is the emergence of a faith-based narrative mid-way through the book. I had not read any of Hannibal’s previous novels — he is the author of the Section 13 series of mysteries for kids and the Nick Baron series for adults — and the promotional material for the book did not alert readers to expect this development. The faith-based narrative seems forced, as it is not generic to the plot or character. Tyler explains that he no longer works as an assassin and he compares his conversion to his present (ambiguous) function as a CIA contractor. This description is unconvincing, particularly given his continued participation in a wide variety of criminal activities, and his explanation that his immense wealth was all earned legally is laughable.Despite these drawbacks, “The Gryphon Heist” is an interesting thriller. The copy I received includes a brief six-page “teaser” for the next book in the series and I plan to get a copy as soon as it is released. Tyler is a bit of a bore, but Talia is a character with whom I want to spend additional time.

[rufusraider · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Gryphon Heist by James Hannibal was a good novel. The story line was about the CIA trying to protect a defense contractor located in a disputed territory in Moldova. There is a sub plot around the death of Talia Inger's father and whether the person responsible for the death is one of the opponents. There is a plot for someone to steal the technology. After the supposed theft, the CIA puts together an off the books team to try and steal it back. The story line is a little unbelievable at times with some of the sci-fi technology being used. Overall a good quick read for a trip or the beach.

[jarratt_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"The Gryphon Heist" is a solid entry in the spy/thriller category. I thought the characters were well fleshed out, the action taut, and the dialogue (and dialects) well done. There were a handful of hard-to-believe coincidences, but the quality of the writing and plot more than make up for it.Talia is a new agent for the CIA. Her first assignment seems like a babysitting job for a rich CEO who thinks he knows of someone plotting an arms sale to terrorists. Once things start to get real, a band of thieves must be established to steal the weapon before its technology can be shown to the world in the form of an attack on DC.

[mikebruscellsr · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This review was done as an Early Reviewer for LibraryThing.It is not as if I disliked 'The Gryphon Heist', it's just that I didn't like it very much.... I waded through it hoping it would develop interesting characters, however, that never occurred. The characters in this book are almost cardboard cutouts, not developed and certainly not capable of generating much enthusiasm for who they were or what they were involved in. Additionally, the dialogue is also very mundane and pedestrian with characters cracking on each other throughout the story in a rather juvenile, predictable way. I didn't feel the dialogue did much at all to advance the plot which was painfully glacial. The concept was good, however the story never delivered. I regularly found myself searching for the end of the chapters to see how long it would be before I could put the book down. It seems to have been written with a sequel in mind, however, it would not be one I would be interested in reading.

[jjking_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story was little hard to get into it but when it did hooked me there was no putting it down very excited to find out that they will be another book in the series can't wait... thank you librarything for introducing me to a new author that I might have overlooked otherwise

[jillrey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Talia is an orphan, after losing her father in what she always considered an accident, dedicating her adult life to gaining a role in the CIA's REED team. But, after being relegated to the "other" department and being sent on what seems like an easy, time wasting job overseas, Talia just hopes to pay her dues and move up. However, her CIA contact Mr. Tyler has other ideas. This is an action packed Leverage-esque novel surrounding a key female intelligence officer and the bada$$ team of "good guys" she's wrangles up over the course of this read. Step aside Jason Borne, Talia Inger is a force to be reckoned with. *Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[stanski_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Tali Inger is eidetic, and a new CIA recruit. The novel starts out with an almost incomprehensible first chapter, before getting down to the basic plotline. I say basic, because it is basically, forces of good beat forces of evil. The plot jumps from one battle to the next, with little regard for continuity. Chaacter development? Not here...these are caricatures, not characters, so if you like to read comic books, you might get to like this book more. For me, it was a slog. I continually hoped for improvement, but never did see it. Sorry, only 2 stars

[alohaboy_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Talia Inger, new CIA recruit and Olympic silver medalist in rowing, is assigned to Clandestine Services but fails to get her dream job on the Russia Eastern Europe desk. She ends up in the "other" division that no one in the CIA wants, needs, or sees as protecting America's interests overseas. Her first assignment is supposed to be a cut and dried security analysis of a high tech research firm in Moldova that has a contract with the DOD. As usual cut and dried turns into a complex case of good guys, bad guys, not so bad guys, and some personal issues of Talia's that keep surfacing throughout the book. Talia reluctantly teams up with a former assassin, numerous master thieves, and assorted science/computer science types to track down a sophisticated device that has been launched into earth's orbit and a demo is set up to sell the device to the highest bidder once it destroys Washington DC. The plot is a bit convoluted, the dialogue snappy but predictable, and the action is nonstop. I read a lot of books in the thriller genre and The Gryphon Heist generally holds its own. Most readers would enjoy the book as most of the characters are interesting, the writing solid, and the outcome plausible.

[dbower_21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed as part of early reviewers program. As a lover of this genre I was very excited to get the opportunity to read the Gryphon Heist. The characters in the book are well developed, fun, and you become invested in them. The author does an excellent job keeping you guessing who are the good guys and who are the bad guys or if there is even a difference. The plot is good but sometimes gets lost in the characters. It is full of twist and turns which makes it a fun read. One warning, if you do not like religious tenets sneaking in this book might be disappointing. It seems a bit forced and preachy at the end. Still a worthwhile read.

[somanyyarns · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this from the Early Reviewer list. If you like classic heist-type thrillers, I think you'll like this one. Great attention to technical details, and interesting concepts about technology. Lots of dramatic twists as well.

[joe73-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I went into this book with no expectations. As I close the last page I have to say I am pleasantly pleased. This is far from what I normally read. Reading this book was a break from a massive 1500 page Victor Hugo volume I finished only moments before. I was lucky enough to receive this as an early reviewer and I have nothing but good things to say about it. The story is a mix of Clancy and Ludlum (leaning more towards the Ludlum side) having no filler which makes the previously mentioned writers so large and bloated. What you get in return is very quick paced little story with some memorable characters. I read this in one sitting easy. I look forward to reading more about Talia, Tyler, Eddie, Val, Mac, Darcy and the gang. While Mr. Hannibal's writing is pretty darn good I only expect it to get better and watch his characters grow.