Henry Has Come Back to His Beginnings | A Dangerous Man: A Novel

Our Beloved Hank Thompson.... | A Dangerous Man: A Novel | Charlie Huston

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	• A Dangerous Man: A Novel Charlie Huston Ballantine Books, 2006 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 29 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great ending!

All the other reviewers pretty much summed it up...this is a great book in one of the best crime series I've ever read...read them in order (Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things, A Dangerous Man) and whatever you do don't miss these books!

Henry Has Come Back to His Beginnings

When Hank Thompson was in High School he was the boy wonder of baseball. But like many a prospect, he got damaged and would never play again. Because of this Henry ended up involved first in a robbery of a Russian Mafia Don (he didn't do the robbing), a flight to Mexico, a murder in Mexico, a flight to the US and a reconciliation (of sorts) with the Russian mobster.

It's two years later and Hank is working as a 'cleaner' for the mob. He breaks bones and kills those who need to 'learn a lesson'. He's fighting the pain of a botched plastic surgery, addicted to more pills than he can count and his waist has grown from 34 to 40. He is not a happy camper (but as long as he does his job, his parents are safe).

The Don wants him to keep an eye on a baseball prospect (gee that sounds familiar) for one night in Vegas. Thus begins a whirlwind of events that will bring this trilogy to a end. In between the visit to Vegas and an anti-denouement (did you expect any other) our boy goes through hell and hell, a gigantic murder spree and finally the curtain comes down on everything.

This is the kind of story that could have turned out to be very 'canned' and unsatisfactory for writer and reader, but Huston has done a fine job in sidestepping as man cliches as possible though leaving in enough to have the pathos of the characters come through. Great job.

Zeb Kantrowitz

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Our Beloved Hank Thompson....

Hank Thompson has come full circle!

Along with the evolution of the series, we have seen the character of "Hank Thompson" grow and develop into a character that we can all cheer for, sympathize with and love. We all embrace the belief that Hank is just a man caught up in the circumstances of a life that he didn't necessarily want. We have seen him evolve from a promising baseball player (Caught Stealing), to a man on the run (Six Bad Things), to a pill popping Mob enforcer with poorly done facial reconstruction (A Dangerous Man), and now he is back in New York where it all started with his babysitting a friend's cat. Asked by his employer to protect a new investment (an up and coming baseball star, Miguel, who reminds Hank of himself), he finds his ugly past and $4 million dollar mistake coming back to haunt him. While Hank is doing everything possible to protect his newly relocated parents from harm, he also realizes that he is in yet again another "damned if he does, damned if he doesn't situation". He can either protect his family by doing what his employer wants or he can buck the system and do the right thing (by showing Miguel, who has so much potential and promise, how his gambling will become his downfall and endear him to people who aren't necessarily looking out for his best interest). And oh, there is still that problem of the missing $4 million dollars.

I thought that this was a wonderfully poignant conclusion to a wonderful trilogy. The epilogue was so well written that I found myself torn, that although I found peace with Hank's fate, I wanted so much more for him. Hank, was never truly bad, just caught up in circumstances beyond his control, making him perhaps the biggest victim of all. What I really enjoy about Hurston's writing style is his ability to weave in tragedy with hope and triumph, while investing the reader in the outcome and making them feel ok with whatever it is.

Although I would have preferred another ending for Hank, it was the most realistic. I hate to see the series end, but with other potential stories trapped in Hurston's head, this will definitely not be the last word from this very talented author. I can't wait to read his next body of work. And if you enjoyed this series, try Shotgun Rule and the Joe Pitt series. They are all a tall glass of refreshing water!

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The Final Book in a Fast Paced Violent Thriller Trilogy Which All Started When a Neighbour Asked to Look After a Cat

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!

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OH HENRY!

"A Dangerous Man" is the third and final book in the Henry (Hank) Thompson trilogy. If you haven't read the first two, I'd suggest you get a copy of "Caught Stealing" and read that, then get a copy of "Six Bad Things" and read that, and then read, "A Dangerous Man". If you don't mind reading crazy, fast-paced, violent books that make you laugh, shudder, cringe, and gasp then you'll love this series.

As a kid, Henry Thompson was better at baseball than anybody really had a right to be at anything and going pro was a sure thing until right before graduating high school he hurt himself. After college, he moved to New York with a girlfriend (who soon after dumps him) and while bartending he developed a drinking problem. One day a friend asked Henry to watch his cat for a few days, and Henry agreed. What he didn't agree to is all the trouble that the cat has in his crate. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ "CAUGHT STEALING" YET, STOP READING HERE.

In the cat's crate is a key to a door, behind the door: 4 million dollars. Because of this cash, Henry inadvertently becomes a wanted man and a violent man. Henry finds that hiding out on a beach in Mexico is okay, and he is able to pretend that all is well until somebody recognizes him, knows how he is, knows that Henry has a lot of money and wants a lot of money for himself. This person threatens Henry's parents. Henry has to kill him and go back to California to protect his parents. In this process, Henry looses the money - all of it! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ "SIX BAD THINGS" YET, STOP READING HERE.

In this last installment, Henry meets David - the lost money belonged to David. David sees potential in Henry as a dangerous man. He knows that Henry is better at violence than anybody has a right to be at anything. Henry is a dangerous man, albeit a violent and dangerous man that you will route for again and again.

END OF SPOILERS

Don't expect any Hollywood-like perfect characters in any of these three novels, or any mushy romance, absolutely no sugar, spice, or anything nice either. However, you won't mind because Charlie Huston pulls this all off very well.

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?Among the new voices in twenty-first-century crime fiction, Charlie Huston . . . is where it?s at.?
?The Washington Post

?Huston writes dialogue so combustible it could fuel a bus and characters crazy enough to take it on the road.?
?The New York Times Book Review

Reluctant hitman Henry Thompson has fallen on hard times. His grip on life is disintegrating, his pistol hand shaking, his body pinned to his living room couch by painkillers?and his boss, Russian mobster David Dolokhov, isn?t happy about any of it. So Henry is surprised when he?s handed a new assignment: keep tabs on a minor league baseball star named Miguel Arenas.

Henry has no pity for the slugger and the wicked gambling problem that got him in trouble, but he can?t help liking the guy. After all, Henry used to be just like him: a natural-born ball player with a bright future. But hell, that was long ago. Before Henry did some guy a favor and ended up running for his life. Before his girlfriend and buddies got gunned down by someone on his tail. Before he agreed to buy his parents? safety with a life of violence.

And when Miguel gets drafted by the Mets and is sent to the Brooklyn Cyclones, Henry must head back to New York, back to the place where all his problems began?and where Henry might find a real reason to keep living, a reason that may just cost him his life.

?Huston reminds me of all my favorite writers?Pete Dexter, Robert Stone, Crumley. If there is such a thing as compassionate noir, Charlie has found it. He?s a true marvel.?
?Ken Bruen, author of The Guards

?Charlie Huston is the real deal.?
?Peter Straub

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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