Danger Close: A Novel [Hardcover]

William G. Boykin (Author), Tom Morrisey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2010

Barely into his twenties and already a highly decorated military hero, Army Special Forces veteran Blake Kershaw is now going to college, studying while recuperating from wounds received in Afghanistan, and planning to re-enter the Army as an officer after graduation. But life tosses Blake a curve when his country approaches him about using his special skills to avert a terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear device in a major eastern U.S. city. To do that, he would need to become an operative deep within Al-Qaeda’s innermost circles—changing his entire identity, even his face. A true patriot, Blake makes the journey into a shadow world that leaves friends, family and, seemingly, even God far behind. But when things go terribly wrong, and his country looks set to destroy him, it is God and God’s people who intervene.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Boykin, a retired lieutenant general and founding member of the Delta Force, an elite special operations unit, teams up with adventure-travel author Morrissey (In High Places) for a hair-raising international military suspense thriller. Blake Kershaw goes undercover inside an al-Qaeda camp in Pakistan to foil a plot to set off a nuclear device in the United States. The novel offers a fascinating, even sympathetic look into the brotherhood behind radical terrorism while showing how an operative narrowly stays alive to thwart disaster. Blake says to his "brothers" in the terrorist cell, "My government is corrupt. We say we believe in freedom of religion, but we do not." The plot is underdeveloped compared to the amount of attention paid to the hardware of military operations, which will satisfy readers who connect guns and religion. With descriptions of the hero killing in at least three scenes, the story contains more violence than most Christian fiction, but it's a vivid portrayal of spy work and the inner workings of a terror cell.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

LTG (Ret.) William G. “Jerry” Boykin spent thirty-six years in the United
States Army, many of them as an original member of Delta Force, the world’s
premier Special Operations unit. His life reads like an action-adventure film;
Boykin helped capture Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, hunted
notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, and has served in Vietnam, Iran,
Mogadishu, Iraq, and Afghanistan, not to mention a tour with the CIA.
Today he is an ordained minister who is passionate about encouraging
Christians to become warriors in God’s kindgom.

Tom Morrisey is an internationally known adventure-travel writer and also
respected as one of the most powerful wordsmiths in Christian fiction today.
A rock climbing and backcountry ski instructor, certified cave diver, and
NRA handgun competitor, he is editor-at-large for Sport Diver magazine and
author of the Christy Award nominated novels Yucatan Deep (2003) and In
High Places (2008).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Fidelis; 1 edition (July 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805449558
• ISBN-13: 978-0805449556
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Kind of Spy Thriller, June 28, 2010

By 

J. Crivelli "SOLTC" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Danger Close: A Novel (Hardcover)

The flyleaf of Danger Close makes the story sound like a conventional spy thriller. It isn't!

LTG William Boykin has created a plot that hits all the bases, Special Operations, CIA, al Quaeda, South Asia. He has an detailed knowledge of all these areas. However, he fills out his main character as a real person with the real dilemmas that exists in the "black" world.

Novels, Hollywood, and the media usually try to portray intelligence and special operations personnel as amoral personalities. Having worked with these people, I know that they think deeply about what the do. This novel accurately depicts what there personnel sacrifice for the greater good.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DANGER CLOSE--Excellent read!, July 19, 2010

By 

Ronie K. "RonieK" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Danger Close: A Novel (Hardcover)

Premise - I adored the premise of DANGER CLOSE. As a writer of military and espionage stories, this was the perfect blend of military and covert operations. Brilliant concept and development. I'm not one of those readers who enjoys figuring out stories--I like to read and enjoy the stage the author has set, and I completely enjoyed what Boykin/Morrisey developed in DANGER CLOSE. Faith and family were carefully--and realistically--woven in. Very well done!

Pacing: For me, an action junkie, there was a solid dose of action and adventure in this story of incredible sacrifice for a war-time hero. There were times I felt the story was told rather than experienced during important elements, but detracted very little from the story itself. There was so much involved, several layers, my mind stayed busy regardless--and happy!

Particulars: As mentioned earlier, the faith thread was wholly organic and very well done, not contrived or over done. There's always someone out there who wants to make our soldiers (airmen, sailors, etc.) into bloodthirsty monsters, but DANGER CLOSE even has the character consider and weigh his actions--but gets the job done. It's a delicate balance but handle with grace and skill in this book.

Placement: This book takes a top shelf in my bookcase--a definite keeper. Again, I absolutely adored the concept, and the execution kept me reading!

My husband has already snatched up this book from my shelf--and that says alot!!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too close for comfort, June 11, 2010

By 

T.E. George "Tim George" (Pensacola FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Danger Close: A Novel (Hardcover)

With Jack Bauer gone from the scene (at least until the big screen return of 24) one might be asking who will take his place in the interim. After reading Danger Close by William G. Boykin and Tom Morrisey the better question might be, what would Jack be like if he was a man of faith as well as action? The answer would be someone like Blake Kershaw. Blake is a decorated Army Special Forces veteran, in his mid-twenties, and has been called on to make a sacrifice for his country few of us would be willing to consider. To tell any more would require unveiling a story that simply must be read for one's self.

Several things work together to make this another winner from the new imprint, Fidelis Books. First among them is the believability. Author, Lieutenant General (Retired) William G. Boykin is a former Commander of the U.S. Army Special Forces and a founding member of the legendary Delta Force. Not bad credentials for someone weaving a story about the mostly unheralded heroes of the covert war against terrorism around the world. Boykin moves things along quickly with just enough detail to lend realism without bogging the reader down with too much military jargon. His co-author, Tom Morrisey, has given us a number of excellent faith-based adventure novels in the past and evidence of his excellent character development skills abound.

The key question asked in this novel is forthright. Can honorable men do dishonorable things in the interest of national security and still maintain their honor? It would be wise to read this novel before attempting to answer intelligently. The authors put a face on the men and women called to answer this question in real life in Blake Kershaw. He is a young man asked to give up far more than anyone his age should be. All with full knowledge he may never return from his mission. Added to this is the weight of knowing others may later consider him a traitor or worse. The way Blake balances such a task with his inner faith is neither preachy nor unrealistic. Instead it comes across simply as who he is.

Much of the novel follows Blake's introduction into the covert world of the CIA, his immersion in the world of radical Islam, and his trek to places so remote even the locals aren't sure how to get there. His decision to answer this call of duty means losing his past identity, perhaps forever. The conclusion is satisfying and leaves room for Blake to return in another incarnation. He is, after all, a man who doesn't exist. At least not to the no-nothings in the media and the naysayers among the ill-informed. Blake Kershaw is someone's son, friend, brother, comrade who has been willing to die to all so others can live. The next person you meet that says they don't read faith-based fiction because it's too sweet and unrealistic, introduce them to Danger Close. This is a real man's book that I have a feeling more than a few women will read as well.