Customer Reviews

Death Dealt the Hand

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

 

 

John Bailor's high action thriller introduces us to special agent, Trevor Byrne, a complex character tough enough to kill bad guys when necessary yet sensitive enough to care for his pet rabbit, Cadbury. Fast paced and fun to read, "Death Dealt The Hand," is the first in what I hope is a long-lived series. I'm looking forward to Book 2.

Fast moving, at a rapid pace, and on the edge of your seat with thrills galore. A fine book, fiction of course, that could become reality, or maybe already did take place. Can't wait for the next volume.

I had a great time reading this novel, which reminded me of the fast-paced super-spy series of the 60s & 70s like THE DESTROYER and THE EXECUTIONER. Full of unpredictable twists, unexpected moments of tenderness, and one of the nastiest villains I've come across in a long time. Special agent Trevor Byrne is no indestructible superhero though, he takes a lot of punishment on his way to neutralizing a threat against the entire globe--and the final climax is as terrifying as it is exciting. And the supporting characters are well-drawn and feel real (I especially liked Trevor's relationship with his pet rabbit Cadbury), so that you really care what happens to every one of them (and often some very bad things happen to them). Definitely not a thriller for the faint of heart or the squeamish, but if you're looking for surprises and thrills, DEATH DEALT THE HAND delivers them in spades.

The description of this book reads as if it is a thriller, but thrilling is the last thing it is. Apparently, it is a dry hand that deals death. The hero, Trevor, hams it up playing with his martial arts skills in a studio, flaunting his French in front of a newly-found girlfriend, and basically dodging any bullet fired at him. After all this, we are left with what we all get after enduring a dry slurry of drivel: a long yawn. We can be certain of boredom as the invincible Trevor manages to bumble his way through any situation. He not only kills nearly every person who stands in his way or disagrees with him (a bit of an unacknowledged inferiority complex here?), but he kills any suspense the reader might have by being The Indestructible Tough Guy. Trevor and all the characters in this book are flat. Each possesses no more luster than rusted tin. The plot is mechanical in its execution. The amateurish use of simple sentences littering every page reminds one of a fifth-grader's attempt at fiction. The main thematic devices in the story - AIDS and DNA - are pitifully researched. The dashing Trevor pursues just about every woman he comes across without restraint - a bit of overcompensation for his true nature, no doubt. The book's only saving grace is that, at 228 pages, it can be read mercifully quickly.

And they say government workers don't work. Trevor Byrne not only does a good job, he enjoys his work and its rewards.

DNAY, a genetic lab working on a cure for the AIDS and HIV viruses has gotten approval to do human testing and they are looking for subjects.

Is Karl Josephes carrying out the will of God as he claims? Would he succeed? Has Trevor reached the end of his luck? His life?

John E. Bailor takes you on quite a trip to find out, so fasten your seat belt and hang on.

Review by Wanda C. Keesey (author of Lost In The Mist release date May 2008)