Such Men Are Dangerous

by Lawrence Block and Paul Kavanagh

Book Overview

One such man is 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 from the U.S. government-and finds himself a partner, George Dattner, who has the cold eyes of a trained killer.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786700475
• ISBN13: 9780786700479
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 182 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.1" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

The Best of Block's early novels

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.

Military noir provides character study

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.