Customer Reviews

At The Edge

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really liked Mr. Dun's first novel "A Necessary Evil" but "At the Edge" confirms me as a fan of his work. "At the Edge" is non-stop action with an interesting plot line and great character development. The author demonstrates a rare ability to tell us a story with an environmental theme, informing his readers of both sides of the issues in the "Timber Wars" without taking sides or preaching a particular point of view. I was captivated from the very beginning. He made us care about Dan Young, a widowed timber industry lawyer and his young son Nate. We're even sympathetic towards his beautiful and capable, and opinionated chief adversary, Maria Fischer, a conservatively raised lawyer turned avid environmentalist. Dun's use of a female "bad guy" who, it turns out is ultra bad and somewhat insane, adds a lot of interest to his cast of characters. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great, fast moving adventure with just enough romance to make it really interesting. Dun has set his hook and I'll be anxiously looking for his next book.

Dun takes us on "a wild ride through the timber wars," to quote one newspaper writer. A couple of young lawyers fight and try not to fall in love as they battle an array of enemies from corporate greedy types to an eco terrorist that calls to mind Ted Kaczinski. Corey Schneider is an unforgettable villain whose peculiar brand of cold blooded evil will set you to worrying. Maria the environmental lawyer probably gets the award for most inspirational character and Nate the boy she befriends the most heartwarming. Dan the industry lawyer tries to keep his clients happy and seduce a wary Maria simultaneously. It's a very entertaining action packed story with a lot of heart. Readers of adventure thrillers will read it and be clamoring for more.

In his second novel, attorney and mountain lover David Dun has conjured up a conspiracy in which a Japanese company hires some very nasty people to kill anyone who would threaten a secret operation they have developed in the northern California woods. This conspiracy is discovered by accident when two lawyers, one representing the timber interests and the other representing the anti-timber environmentalists meet secretly for a pay off and have their half million hijacked. While chasing the robbers they discover the secret Japanese operation, and from that point on their lives are in danger.

The complexities of environmental-forestry emotions, the uses of the news media, the nature of the marijuana growing underworld of rural northern California, and the ruthlessness of people who make a living killing others all come together in a well told story.

It is a little hard for me to enjoy a story in which both the hero and heroine are lawyers, but David Dun got me to do it. His characters are real enough; their personalities seem true enough, and their actions are realistic enough that I grew to like them even though both had passed the bar. A great second effort by an emerging action novelist of the first order.

Two opposing lawyers meet in a tavern to arrange a clandestine deal over the fate of a redwood forest & a half-million dollars in cash. Outside, however, someone is waiting to relieve them of that fortune in political clout.

When the attache case is torn from Maria Fisher's hand, Dan Young tumbles her into his auto & gives chase out of town, into the Oregon timber farms. What they discover, deep in the forest miles from anywhere, is a stockade with all the signs of unsavory & illegal activity.

AT THE EDGE will keep you guessing as to who, what, where & why as an unlikely domestic terrorist stalks the sparring lawyers, court dates come & go, bombs go off & people are killed & kidnapped all over the place!

Not nearly as thrilling as David Dun's first effort NECESSARY EVIL. Perhaps because while drawing sympathetic portraits of his two heroes, it is his villain who stands out with far more realism & definition.

If you like environmental shenanigans, hair-raising villainy & that old black magic called "opposites attract" - you are going to thoroughly enjoy AT THE EDGE!

Besides being a great thriller this book takes you into the land of the timber wars where people fight about trees. Because the main characters are believable the rest of the story works really well. The court room scene is fascinating as are the gut level issues behind the plot that also includes a good love story. As in Dun's first novel, Necessary Evil, the action is riveting and nearly non-stop. You turn each page wondering who will live and who will die and you keep wondering all the way to the last page.

This was one grand read. It's the best of its genre that I've read in some time. The action is non-stop and reading it sometimes feels like a workout. It has all the right moves. I highly recommend it.

This is an action filled and exciting tale about a pair of lawyers who can seemingly agree on nothing. Dan is an ex cowboy become lawyer who is both macho and smart with a young son, Nate, who is an interesting and delightful character, well conceived and brilliantly executed. Maria is an environmental activist who has escaped a conservative upbringing to badger the timber industry with her law suits aimed at stopping the clear-cutting of old growth forests. I liked the dialogue and the aspects of the plot dealing with Dan, Maria and the boy Nate. For a thriller it had a fair amount plot besides the bad guys chasing the good guys. The romance was well done. Not too much, not too little. Overall, like Necessary Evil, the book is an action packed thriller and I think it can fairly be called an amateur sleuth type story (somebody else said that and I thought it was a good description). It's one of those books that is hard to put down and leaves you thinking about the story and the characters. There are all sorts of plot twists and a good trick at the end. One of the best I've read in a long time.

This book was even more entertaining than Dun's first book. The suspense was spectacular. A female serial killer, two witty attorneys and a whole mess of bad guys makes for and enjoyable ride. Necessary Evil will grab your attention and hold you through the end. I would definitely recommend this book. I will look for more books from Dun.

This is Dun's second book, and in my opinion he's two for two. It doesn't get any better than that! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a great suspense/thriller. Dun always manages to create believable characters that I can relate to. I feel like I'm right there with them in his action sequences. Great escapest/suspense read. I definitely recommend this book to all, along with Necessary Evil if you haven't read that yet.

I'm ready for book #3 from Dun......

Dan and Maria are natural rivals. He is a cowboy at heart, concerned with property rights, trees for wood, and limited government. She is for saving the forests, denouncing greed, and believes big government is the answer to saving the world and in particular a certain old growth known in Palmer as the Highland Forest. For some reason as in many good stories these opposites attract. But of course they can't admit it and feel the need to deny the obvious for chapter after chapter. The action scenes are unrelenting and full of suspense, the character development is right on with believable people in trying times. You can't miss with this Dun's second novel.