A Whisper of Black [Hardcover]

Clay Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 1997

In the sequel to A Flash of Red, former special operative Tyler Vance hopes to return to a quiet retirement with his family, but millions of dollars from illegal gun deals are still floating around, and Vance finds himself charged with getting back the money.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It may not be the Christmas season Tyler Vance had in mind, but it's the one he gets in Harvey's sequel to his debut thriller, A Flash of Red. The story picks up six months after Vance broke up a multimillion-dollar gun deal and retired as a special operative to devote himself to parenting and outdoors writing. His new career has to wait, however, when, just before Christmas, he learns that the $2 million involved in the deal and belonging to a group of angry Bosnian Muslims is actually in Mexico, in the hands of Hector Diaz, who supposedly died when the deal went bust. The Bosnian Muslims want their money back. To get, it, Vance joins forces with the enemy, including convict Ralph Gonzales and the formidable assassin Harmony Cahill. In a neat and efficient double cross, Gonzales and Vance deceive Diaz into crossing the border for a bogus drug deal while Cahill, hired for a hit on the entire Vance family, deals with Vance for her share of the booty. Some exciting action sequences (including one in which Cahill storms Cullen Vance's elementary school) pump up the sketchy plot, which is bolstered by details of the single parent's life and some strong secondary characters. There's not too much originality on display here, and Vance's narration can be awkward ("my cranium was filled to overflowing with worry and concern"), but Harvey tells his tale swiftly and manages to resolve it in time for a warm and fuzzy Christmas Eve finale.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Retired special operative Tyler Vance tangled with killers involved in a multimillion- dollar arms deal in the recent A Flash of Red (Putnam, 1996). Now the Bosnian Muslims are back, demanding that Vance recover their money for them. The millions are in the hands of Mexican drug dealer Hector Diaz. Complicating matters is the fact that Vance's family?his five-year-old son and elderly father?are both in danger. Vance killed Diaz's cousin in a shootout, and Diaz has put out a contract on all three Vances. Along with his capable colleagues, Vance sets up a bogus drug deal to lure Diaz to Vance's turf in North Carolina. Although Vance is now a freelance outdoors writer, he has lost none of his special skills, which are soon called into play. Harvey successfully builds tension as the smart-mouthed and humorous Vance strives to bring an end to the nightmare threatening his home. Recommended for most public libraries.?Maria A. Perez-Stable, Western Michigan Univ. Libs., Kalamazoo
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 212 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (April 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399142320
• ISBN-13: 978-0399142321
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,839 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

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An open can of whupass, May 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Whisper of Black (Mass Market Paperback)

I've been a fan of the action genre for ages now. Clay Harvey does an admirable job of creating compelling characters with a true sense of humor. I got a kick out of the dialogue and chuckled quite a bit during the book.

But not to worry. Clay Harvey delivers action in spades. He obviously knows what he writes of. The action is quick and pared down with an intense, you are there sort of feel. Kind of like if John Woo had picked up the pen instead of the camera.

In short, I've read all three of the books in this series and my only complaint is that Clay doesn't write fast enough to suit me!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Smart Aleck, ex-Army SF, writer deals with Bad Boy Bosnians, January 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Whisper of Black (Hardcover)

Tyler Vance returns in this Clay Harvey novel that I was eagerly awaiting. While not quite as good as his original offering, I can't complain. Mr. Harvey, while obviously knowledgable about the martial arts and firearms, writes this novel in a down home, smart-ass manner that actually made me laugh out loud for the first time while reading, since the great Lewis Grizzard died. Vance is once again an admirable protagonist who is placed in a quick paced, yet developed, and original storyline that allows each of the characters to be portrayed with distinct personalities. Where else will you meet a smart aleck, who deals with his problems with the help of a Antogonistic mother in law and an equally smart assed Father and best friend. All the while dealing with his new girlfriend and her gay ex-husband in a friendly manner. True there sounds like a lot seems to be going on, but Mr. Harvey pulls it off perfectly. Four Stars and I eagerly await Mr. Harveys next foray into the book world, hopefully with the same cast of characters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, just not quite as good as 'Flash of Red', July 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Whisper of Black (Hardcover)

I bought 'Flash of Red', not expecting much but was VERY pleasantly surprised. Enjoyed it immensely and gave it a five. I immediately looked for anything else by the same author and found the 'Whisper of Black'. I also enjoyed this one very much and am really looking forward to his next novel. I ranked it a four only because it was not QUITE as good as his first novel.