Customer Reviews

The Red Syndrome: A Dan Gordon Intelligence Thriller (Dan Gordon Thrillers)

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

 

 

Slightly after midnight, I picked up my freshly-delivered Red Syndrome from the bed stand and began to read. It was supposed to be like any other book I've used to fall asleep - a chapter or two, and off to bed.

I blinked. My eyes, tearing from exhaustion, had difficulty comprehending the time on my dimly lit cell-phone. It was three-thirty in the morning; I had been kidnapped by Carmon's world of vigilante Justice Department lawyers fighting red tape and Mossad agents bartering in vital intelligence. I blinked again and sighed - I had escaped my captor, but to what end?

I should mention that I serve in the Israeli military. The next morning, I showed up bleary eyed and mumbling something about a bio-terror threat. This was during the Lebanese conflict. As I explained to my superior officer, it was all Carmon's fault.

He didn't buy it. My advice is this: if you plan on reading the Red Syndrome, please make sure you don't have a war to fight first.


Otherwise, set up an available weekend and prepare to emerge, at least for a day or two, into this masterpiece of an intelligence thriller. Dan Gordon, a character so heavily based on Carmon you can't help but wonder whether an intelligence background lurks beneath the surface of this author's biography, is at it again.

The plot is complex yet concise: A mafia money-laundering ring leads to an eccentric terrorist group, leading Gordon on a worldwide excursion, following and being followed, navigating through a world where danger is both imminent and unexpected. This in turn leads to a remarkable, intelligent, fast-paced read that builds upon and bests even Carmon's first novel, Triple Identity.

Look, my country's literally at war right now and I'm on Amazon reviewing a book. It's that good.

I just hope I can read the next one in peace.

After reading "Triple Identity" the sequel with Dan Gordon was
eagerly awaited. It didn't disapoint and involved more plot twists that were not expected as Dan investigated bio-terrorism
threats. Bought several copies for friends, although I don't expect they will last more than a few days beside the pool. Almost impossible to put down, and then like after a good meal,
you hunger for more.

THE RED SYNDROME is Haggai Carmon's second novel, and the second to feature Department of Justice attorney Dan Gordon--Gordon specializes in tracking stolen and suspicious money across national borders. He originally appeared in Carmon's first Intelligence Thriller TRIPLE IDENTITY.

The novel opens with Gordon investigating a routine money-laundering operation in a small New York bank. The Russian mafia is moving large sums of money from the Seychelles Islands (a safe haven for unregulated banking and tax evasion), but the case changes quickly when Gordon puts two seemingly unrelated events together and realizes something much more sinister is happening.

The CIA is called in to lead the investigation and Gordon finds himself relegated to investigative staff; a position that doesn't sit well with his lone wolf mentality. He has trouble with authority, except his own boss, and when he discovers three encrypted messages at the bank under investigation he takes them home--rather than the office--and decodes a frightening message. The money in question doesn't belong to the Russian mafia, but rather to an international terrorist organization with big plans.

THE RED SYNDROME is an entertaining and swift thriller. Its style is solid and readable. The technical details are fascinating; Haggai Carmon knows International finance and he makes it interesting. The plot is smooth, and while I guessed a major plot twist in the first third of the novel, he throws enough curves to keep the reader interested and turning pages.

Dan Gordon is a character that is not only likable and capable, but one worth rooting for. He's larger than life, but Mr. Carmon also gives him enough blemishes and idiosyncrasies to make him interesting and relevant. If you enjoy a thriller with plenty of action, exotic locations and a heap of technical information THE RED SYNDROME will do.

--Gravetapping

Dan Gordon's second novel is even more engrossing than his first (Triple Identity). I loved the double challenge of trying to guess where the action would take me next and what complex mechanisms exist to transfer money all over the world in an attempt to hide illegally-gotten funds.

I'm sure it helps that the author is an international lawyer, a former agent of the Mossad and contracts with the U.S. Department of Justice in cases of international monetary fraud. He knows his "stuff."

If you're looking for a spy novel which is strictly action and requires no thought on your part, then this book is not for you.

Carmon is not as well known as Vince Flynn or Brad Thor, but his books are as good as theirs. This one is no exception. I urge readers to buy all of his books, you won't be disappointed.

This Haggai Carmon novel featuring Dan Gordon does keep your attention throughout. The author has a good knack for keeping the suspense rolling. The problems are with the plot itself. The prime topic is money laundering which, frankly, gets a little too technical (the author obviously has a passion for this) and ultimately not very interesting, and the secondary theme becomes a terrorist plot which is developed very poorly with a denouement which occurs in but a few pages. Also, the plot twists are just that--twists; placed there for interest, but really not in keeping with the story line. You have to suspend a lot of belief to enjoy this book; if you can, you'll enjoy the suspense; if you can't you'll finish the book saying to yourself "really?"

This is not my usual genre, but every now and again I try to change things up a bit, and this time it was worth it. I wasn't sure about The Red Syndrome going in. The tone can be didactic at times - the protagonist Dan Gordon knows his stuff and wants to make sure you know it too, which can weigh the action down a little (think tell instead of show).

The upside is that you end up learning SO much about how U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies work together. And this stuff is legit - the author used to work undercover for the U.S. government, so I felt like I was getting a glimpse into a world that is usually shrouded by secrecy no matter how dogged the press is.

Dan Gordon is an investigative attorney working for the U.S. Justice Department, chasing huge sums of money (and its launderers) around the globe. The Red Syndrome starts off in a harrowing German prison and swings back to New York, then the Seychelles, Marseilles, North Africa and, well - I won't give it all away.

Suffice it to say, I really got caught up in all the plot twists and turns. Shocking revelations, close scrapes, false identities, wrongful accusations, dangerous liaisons, torturous interrogations and some very smart thinking work together to quicken the thriller's pace and truly captivate the reader in a tale of good against evil, intelligence against fanatic Islamic terrorism.

If you want to know how things really go down in the covert war against terrorism - without skimping on the educational details but still offering plenty of can't-put-the-book-down thrills - The Red Syndrome's a top notch read.