Customer Reviews

A Dangerous Man: A Novel

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a huge Charlie Huston fan, and anxiously awaited this finale to the Henry Thompson trilogy. And I wasn't disappointed: Huston is back in all his quirky quotation mark-free dialogue and non-linear storyline glory.

A lot has happened to Henry since "Six Bad Things" - and not much of it good. To keep his parents alive, he's been impressed into service by Russian mobster "David" as a hit man, running under the tutelage of Branko, the stone cold killing pro who is both Henry's mentor and watchdog. In order to protect his identity, Henry's been given some amateur cosmetic surgery, the butchery to his face leaving him in constant pain and effectively addicted to painkillers. Moving from one Las Vegas dive to the next, from one contract kill to another. Until David assigns him to keep a watchful eye over Miguel "Mike" Arenas, number one pick in the Major League baseball draft. See, young Mike is also a gambling addict, and has turned over most of his multi-million dollar signing bonus to the bookie David runs.

If "Caught Stealing" and "Six Bad Things" were dark, "A Dangerous Man" is downright stygian. If you remember Nicholas Cage in "Leaving Las Vegas", this makes that morose drama seem uplifting - a virtual "Rocky" by comparison. Henry, the flawed but mostly lovable victim of mistaken identity in the first two outings, is less likable this time around. Drugged out, depressed, overweight, and scared, he stumbles through the pages with little energy and less hope. But that is the power of Huston's writing - bleak, gritty, and ultimately as addicting as Henry's Xanax and Dexedrine cocktails. Dark, yeah, but poignant and unsettling - a fitting and unforgettable close to a blockbuster trilogy from today's most talented new author of noir.

I'll have to agree with the other reviewer as well. This is an excellent end to the series. So boys and girls, don't start here. Go back to book one first. Now, if you've read the other two, then this one won't disappoint at all. It picks up right from the end of book two and goes full speed ahead.

There's something about Charlie Huston's writing style that is unique as well. You get both the dialog but also a sense of what the character is thinking from a narrative view as well. And it is not hard to follow as you might think.

I'm a fan. Read and enjoy

Henry Thompson was a really nice guy.

The operative word is 'was' because what he has descended to over the course of 'Caught Stealing', 'Six Bad Things', and 'A Dangerous Man' is anything but the life he thought he was going to have. He has a new face, an addiction to several new drugs, and a wide array of people who want to kill him, slowly. Oh yes, and there is the matter of the missing $4,000,000.

Not a good life.

But what a great end to a tremendous series. Huston is a master of non-linear plot lines, crackling dialogue, and constant surprises. The return to New York is welcome, as it was always his best locale. The subplot with the baseball player gives Huston a chance to share his love of the game and the young men who play for our enjoyment.

Although the ending was not what I expected, upon reflection I don't see how he could have ended the series any other way and maintained plausibility. It's a fitting end that ties up virtually every plot line opened up in all three books.

If you're new to Huston, please follow the advice of all the reviewers and read the books in the order they were written. Taking them out of order will really spoil the earlier books for you.

And like a couple of the other reviewers, I also recommend strongly the Joe Pitt books. 'Almost Dead' is a tour de force. You'll never think about vampires the same way again.

How anxiously I awaited this final book in the Hank Thompson series. This book DOES NOT disappoint. The writing is great, snappy, fresh, and keeps you guessing. The action never stops, the characters are great, and I love the NO QUOTATION use when it comes to conversation in this book. You MUST read this series and it runs as follows:

CAUGHT STEALING
SIX BAD THINGS
A DANGEROUS MAN

Hank Thompson is back and he is bad. But he does NOT want to be bad. His entire life is controlled by the Russian mob. He hates his life, but will do anything (and does!) to insure his parents are kept alive. Yes, if Hank does not do what the mob wants his parents will be killed. So, Hank turns into a killer for the love and the sake of his parents. What a guy!

What all started with baby sitting for his neighbor's cat turns Hank's life into a nightmare. In this final installment Hank is ordered to be a bodyguard if you will to a new minor league baseball star, Miguel and Miguel's life-long friend, Jay. YO!

Miguel is all and has all that Hank never achieved in his own life. Hank should have been/could have been a big league baseball star. Fate changes that for him. Hank takes an instant liking to the two young men, and they are off and running. The party scenes and baseball games will have you laughing. Hank is very good with his wit and sarcasm, traits of his that I adore. The three of them run into all sorts of problems, but manage to have fun. All three of them form a friendship. What I admired about Hank is while he knew that Miguel's life could have been his own life he never felt or showed any type of jealously. Their friendship is firm.

With the mob constantly watching Hank, keeping him under tabs, having him be a hitman for them, hurting people, killing people, Hank's life literally SUCKS. His entire life goes against the grain of his soul. He has had BAD plastic surgery on his face and is in constant pain. He has lost his friends, family, and his former life. What he hasn't lost is his heart and soul or his love of life.

The action never stops, the writing is wonderful, the characters are good when they should be and nasty when they have to be. Hank is a great character and one I will truly miss since this series is finished now. Mr. Huston has a winner with these three books and they should not be missed.

The character of Hank -- down on his luck, living a horrible life, good man turn killer, former almost big league ball player, former bartender - he is a true winner. You will love this guy. For some reason, I kept picturing Hugh Laurie from HOUSE being Hank. What a great idea for a MOVIE. These three books would make a kick butt movie.

Speaking of kicking butt, that is what this series does. You will enjoy it and must read these books. When I first ran across these books, they seemed like books men would enjoy, but every lady I know that has read them -- including me -- has LOVED them.

Do yourself a favor and read these books. Also, don't miss Mr. Huston's other book, ALREADY DEAD. If you enjoy vampire books, this one rocks. It is unlike anything vampire you have ever read. Joe Pitt, the main character, like Hank Thompson, has one thing -- ATTTITUDE.

READ THEM and ENJOY.

Thank you! Pam

Wow! A perfect end to the story of one-time baseball prodigy Henry Thompson, who seems to have one bad thing after another happen to him. Through crappy luck his life unravels and he's forced to travel to places in his soul that go against his moral compass. Through all the horrible things that happen (and there are a lot!) he still manages to do some good, all for the love of his friends and parents. His descent into hell is memorable, believable and makes for fantastic reading. I also love the baseball theme that runs throughout the series. My only complaint about this book is Mr. Huston's tendency to write clipped sentences. It. Was. It was just. Sometimes. Sometimes irritating. Just. Just a minor complaint. Otherwise, highly recommended!

Huston has brought Hank Thompson back and he's bad as ever. You must read the first two books (Caught Stealing and Six Bad Things)which details the decline of Hank Thompson.

Hank is assigned as a bodyguard for a baseball player. The story happens in Vegas and Jersey (Coney Island area). Along the way, more bad things happen to Hank and people Hank happens to hang around. Huston's one liners adds humor and lightness to some gruesome scenes. Poor Hank, he didn't mean to end up being part of Russian killing mob. Yet, here is where life has taken him. You'll feel sorry for Hank and wish the heck that he'd do something right for once and get himself out of this situation. That is the art of Hustons writing, to make the reader like and even care for such horrible persons like Hank has become. Yet you won't hate him, just wish for him to get well and get the heck out of Dodge!

Hustons writing pace seemed a little slower in this final book than the other previous ones, but that was okay too, because you knew this was the last book to feature Hank. Huston does a great job of keeping you guessing and never suspecting the ending that comes. I won't give away the ending, but let's just say it was not what I expected.

These books are fast paced, drama, and humourous. Order your copy of A Dangerous Man and live vicarously through Hank for an evening or two, and enjoy the roller coaster ride that Huston takes you on as you read one of the greatest books from a really HOT author.

This is the 3rd, and unfortunately final, chapter in the triology. I got my husband to run out and buy it the Tuesday it was released and finished it within 2 (very late) nights of reading. If you have read the 1st two books you will not be disappointed with this one. If anything, it is the best in the series with 2 really likeable characters - Yo! And if you haven't read "Caught Stealing" and "Six Bad Things", head to Borders now so you can read them before "A Dangerous Man". Plan on not doing anything else for awhile because these books are just too intense to put down. Pulp noir at its' finest!

I gobbled this gem up in a single sitting and immensely enjoyed the first two in the trilogy of Henry Thompson's blood-soaked journey. It couldn't have ended any other way and the book played out beautifully. You get closure on Hank's life in a sort of indirect way and you can't help but feel sorry for a guy who just keeps trying to do the right thing and always ends up doing the wrong thing. His heart is in the right place, it seems, but his luck is both black and white at the same time. It's fun to watch how he tries to climb out of the spiderweb he climbed into during Caught Stealing and continued through in Six Bad Things.
Personally, I see Hank as a hero. And I see this as a great read! If you guys and gals loved the first two, you'll eat this one up just the same.

Henry (Hank) Thompson from Huston's sensational debut novel Caught Stealing returns in this even more violent, final volume of this rollercoaster thrill ride of a series that will have you saying a definite no, next time someone asks you to mind their cat. If you have not yet started reading this book and haven't actually read Caught Stealing you should put this novel aside, find a copy of Caught Stealing, also grab the second novel Six Bad Things: A Novel while your at and start reading where this great journey in order. A Dangerous Man gives away substantial chunks of both those former novel's plots. You will still be able to read this as a standalone but believe me you're going to want to enjoy the thrill ride of the first masterpiece and its sequel to their full extend and you certainly can't do so when you know what's going to happen!

If you were reading A Dangerous Man as a standalone it would be understandable as you read the initial Las Vegas chapters of this book that you feel no empathy for Henry at all and think he is a bit of a loser as drug addicted, he constantly contemplates ending it all with a shard of glass from his broken mirror, the mirror in the state it is as he doesn't want to have to look at the reconstructed face of the man he has become. Hank's life consists of putting bullets into the back of the heads of those who have gotten on the wrong side of his Russian keeper David Dolokhov after those victims are beaten unconscious by Branko, his minder. The only thing that keeps Hank from doing so is the knowledge that his parents will be killed the second he stops being useful. However a new assignment for Henry, baby sitting a new baseball prodigy who will dub him Scarface, will awaken Henry from his slumber and end the madness once and for all!

As a standalone A dangerous Man wraps up the series very realistically, although the action and thrill ride isn't as great as the initial Caught Stealing and slightly less than Six bad Things, but if you've read the first two, you've got to read this!

It very rarely happens where I am sad to see a book end. The thought of no more adventures involving Hank Thompson is certainly disappointing. This third and final book in the trilogy has Hank going out like he came in: with a bang. A great story, fantastic, gripping writing that has you reading at a quicker pace out of sheere necessity.

If you haven't done so already, start with Caught Stealing and read your way forward. Then again, if you HAD read the first two books, you wouldn't need these reviews to tell you this one is a must.