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Read On Dangerous Ground (1995)

On Dangerous Ground (1995)

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Series
Rating
3.84 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0425148289 (ISBN13: 9780425148280)
Language
English
Publisher
berkley

On Dangerous Ground (1995) - Plot & Excerpts

I'm a fan of Sean Dillon, who's rather a lot like James Bond – if James Bond had a history of working for the IRA and selling his services as a mercenary. He's my kind of anti-hero: a redeemed villain who's smart, competent, ruthless and charming, always a witty remark on his tongue. Having said that, Higgins' style is very matter-of-fact and sparse even at the best of times, and in the third Dillion novel, the writing seems largely uninspired and occasionally rather sloppy. It doesn't help that the plot takes some outlandish leaps that required more than the usual level of suspension of disbelief. Dillon's miraculous recovery after being almost gutted on a mission didn't seem anymore believable than the strange cat-and-mouse game Ferguson et al played with the villains, all of them pretending they weren't after the same thing.I know this was the early nineties but damn, the way Chief Inspector Hannah Bernstein is treated both by the men she's working with and the author is appalling! I remember that I used to root for her and Dillon when I read the books as a teenager, but now I just want to slap Dillon for being a condescending jerk - and also slap Hannah for basically swooning over him like a teenage girl. Hard to imagine a decorated Scotland Yard officer would act this way, or allow herself to be sent to fetch tea, even twenty-some years ago.Not my favourite Dillon novel.

I'm not a big Higgins fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Probably that's because it's a whole lot like reading a James Bond novel (of whom I am a big fan), just more contrived and a lot less literary than anything Ian Fleming ever wrote. Sean Dillon makes for a likable, ruthless hero, and this is the first time readers get to see him portrayed as a good guy. The book is a quick, easy read: it's sparsely detailed and dialog-heavy--as if it were written for people who don't usually like novels. It's a story that features characters and settings from all over the globe, and Higgins does a fantastic job of giving each character a unique dialect, as well as describing the exotic locations with native-like authenticity. Not too many surprises here, but fans of old-fashioned spy stories should be more than satisfied.

What do You think about On Dangerous Ground (1995)?

1944. Mao Tse tung signs a secret document that could delay the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong for an additional one hundred years. But all copies of the document disappear in a plane crash.1933. As Hong Kong prepares to be restored to China in 1997, England's Prime Minister learns of the existence of Mao Tse-tung's lost document. Former terrorist Sean Dillon is given direct orders to keep the document from coming to light-at all cost. One copy still exists, hidden in the wreckage of a plane on the bottom of a Scottish loch. But Dillon's not the only person searching for it. There are powerful business interest, including the mafia, that will do anything to retain their power over Hong Kong-even if the delicate balance of world power is destroyed... From the blurb on the back of the book, I thought this was going to be a globe rotting espionage thriller. How very wrong. most of the action took place in Scotland near Loch Dhu. Sean Dillon, a very Bond-like character, is central in the plot to find a missing document. A high up mafioso and his beautiful step-daughter along with a ragtag bunch of Scottish redneckss made this book a fast-paced thriller. I hope to read more from this author.
—Rebekkila

Sean Dillon is a fun character to follow. He's an ex-terrorist turned government agent for the British Secret Service. Dillon is a charming Irishman who once aspired to be an actor, and still maintains his charm in his new profession.This series (at least as far into as I've read) is closer to Ian Fleming's James Bond than Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp. There is much more finesse, much more spycraft, and less of the military style covert operation. Still, it works quite well and makes for a fun afternoon's read. The dialog is witty, the settings are interesting, and the stories are engaging.If you like James Bond (or even Mitch Rapp), Sean Dillon should make for a good choice.
—Scott Rachui

On Dangerous Ground was an okay book. It started out well, with good action and such, but then petered out for a while. The middle hundred pages or so don't really feel like they're going anywhere. It finally picks up at the end, and goes out with a fairly exciting finish. The protagonist, Sean Dillon, is an absurd character. He speaks several languages fluently, Is extremely quick with a gun, knows kung-fu, and is an expert diver. Oh, and don't forget that he's also a jazz pianist. And an actor and dancer. But at least he's charming and readable. Higgins keeps the pace brisk, so you don't really care about all the nonsense within the story. The dialogue isn't the best, either. If you're looking for a fun novel, this could be it. But you also might try someone who constructs their prose more skillfully; perhaps Elmore Leonard or Stephen King.
—Zach

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