A very dangerous man. That's Paul Kavanagh, an ex-Green Beret with nothing but time on his hands -- until he gets an offer to steal a shipment of tactical nuclear weapons form the U.S. government -- and finds himself a partner, George Dattner, who has the cold eyes of a trained killer. Each of these men alone is dangerous. But anyone who tries to stop them together is guaranteed not to come out of it alive!
A former Green Beret attempts to steal a shipment of nuclear weapons from the U.S. Army. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Lawrence Block (b. 1938) is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and an internationally renowned bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series as well as dozens of short stories, articles, and books on writing. He has won four Edgar and Shamus Awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of the United Kingdom. In France, he has been awarded the title Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice received the Societe 813 trophy.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Block attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Leaving school before graduation, he moved to New York City, a locale that features prominently in most of his works. His earliest published writing appeared in the 1950s, frequently under pseudonyms, and many of these novels are now considered classics of the pulp fiction genre. During his early writing years, Block also worked in the mailroom of a publishing house and reviewed the submission slush pile for a literary agency. He has cited the latter experience as a valuable lesson for a beginning writer.
Block's first short story, "You Can't Lose," was published in 1957 in Manhunt, the first of dozens of short stories and articles that he would publish over the years in publications including American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and the New York Times. His short fiction has been featured and reprinted in over eleven collections including Enough Rope (2002), which is comprised of eighty-four of his short stories.
In 1966, Block introduced the insomniac protagonist Evan Tanner in the novel The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep. Block's diverse heroes also include the urbane and witty bookseller--and thief-on-the-side--Bernie Rhodenbarr; the gritty recovering alcoholic and private investigator Matthew Scudder; and Chip Harrison, the comical assistant to a private investigator with a Nero Wolfe fixation who appears in No Score, Chip Harrison Scores Again, Make Out with Murder, and The Topless Tulip Caper. Block has also written several short stories and novels featuring Keller, a professional hit man. Block's work is praised for his richly imagined and varied characters and frequent use of humor.
A father of three daughters, Block lives in New York City with his second wife, Lynne. When he isn't touring or attending mystery conventions, he and Lynne are frequent travelers, as members of the Travelers' Century Club for nearly a decade now, and have visited about 150 countries.
This review is from: Such Men Are Dangerous (Mass Market Paperback)
SMAD is an early Block work. In it, the development of his sparse writing style, quick turning plots, and complex alienated protagonist is already well formed. The plot seems a bit far-fetched but he has great fun with it it as the ball starts rolling.
This is a work for fans who want to see the early Block in action. His later works are vastly better developed and more sophisticated. That said, it is interesting to see what he was like in his early days. If you like reading some of Ed McBain's early 87th Precinct novels and seeing how his work developed, you'll get the same sort of kick here.
If you're new to Block, go pick up 'Like a Lamb to the Slaughter', 'Eight Million Ways to Die', or 'When the Sacred Ginmill Closes'. These are all works of true refinement in the crime genre.
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This review is from: Such Men Are Dangerous (Mass Market Paperback)
Easily the best of Block's early novels, far better than the very routine stuff Hard Case has been unearthing (LUCKY AT CARDS, GRIFTER'S GAME, GIRL WITH THE LONG GREEN HEART). A relatively straightforward -- though interestingly presented -- heist novel, it really rises above due to it's protagonist, a genuine psychotic who yet, in a strange way, is not unsympathetic.
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This review is from: Such Men Are Dangerous (Mass Market Paperback)
Lawrence Block wrote this military noir early in his writing career about Paul Kavanagh, an ex-Green Beret who retires from the trade. What's interesting is that Paul falls in love with his solitary, Crusoe-like life on a deserted Florida Keys island. George Dattner hunts up Paul and they plot to steal a shipment of nuclear weapons from the military in the Dakotas. Paul tells their caper in a low-keyed, conversational manner. He gets so far in, you're left wondering if he'll ever get back to his island paradise a million dollars richer. This novel is a brisk read, and one of the better retired-from-the-trade crime books. Don't expect flashy descriptions and over-the-top plotlines. Mr. Block is interested in his protagonist first.
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