A Dangerous Man

Third in the Henry Thompson trilogy (the others are Caught Stealing and Six Bad Things). Huston calls the series that in his acknowledgments at the end of the book, so I guess it's true. I'll miss having more of Henry's misadventures to read about. I've been reading a few noir-ish books lately, including Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' comic Criminal (collected into graphic novels -- the second is due out imminently) and these sort of books mean protagonists who aren't likely to be upstanding citizens.

Henry Thompson was a decent guy. In the first book, Henry learns firsthand that no good deed goes unpunished. Babysitting a cat and not knowing about the key hidden in the cat carrier that led to millions of stolen dollars bought Henry more show more trouble than he could handle, yet he kept trying to get out on his own, understandable given the corrupt cop on his tail.

In book 2, Henry is hiding out in Mexico with his new fortune, but was back on the run when he's spotted. In the 3rd book, he's working as a hitman for a Russian mobster, and not liking it much, but it's the only way to keep the mobster from killing his parents. As in the earlier books, the bodies pile up, if not at the same alarming rate and while it's hard to think of Henry as redeemable, Huston makes sure we understand Henry and the choices he's made, as well as the reasons. Despite it all, Henry remains resourceful, well-meaning, and even likable. He might be hardened to some of what he's had to do, but he's not hard. He's still Henry Thompson inside, not the Henry Thompson wanted in two countries, not the Henry Thompson who's the stuff of legend, but Henry Thompson, former failed ballplayer and former bartender who lost almost everyone who ever meant anything to him while he struggles to keep the remaining ones alive and get out from his untenable situation. Henry, pardon the expression, is completely fucked up.

Huston made me care about Henry, so I'll forgive the lack of quotation marks and even the lack of attribution on every single line of dialogue that made reading these books feel like I was putting together a jigsaw puzzle. If you don't mind reading books where things aren't tied up in nice pretty bows, this might be the series for you. show less

The final instalment in the Henry "Hank" Thompson trilogy begins with Henry now working as an enforcer for Russian mobster David to protect his parents. His interest in his own life is gone, continually feeding his body with a mix of drugs just to get through each day and he can't even manage the simple task of shooting a prostrate victim in the back of the head without assistance. His boss offers him one last job or he'll finally cut his losses and Henry will be no more. He's surprised when this job turns out to be babysitting a young man with a large gambling problem. Miguel Arenas is a future sporting superstar, first round pick for the NY Mets, and has come to Vegas for a last hurrah. Henry manages to make a good impression so when show more Miguel is sent to the Brooklyn Cyclones and is told he needs a minder he demands that Henry is the one he wants. This means a return to where is all began for Henry. Will his past come back to haunt him or will old haunts revitalise his lust for life?

This is a dark, violent and brutal finale to what's been a very good series. Having said that, it's also not without an emotional impact as long as you have followed the protagonist's journey from the start. I doubt you would warm to the lead if you came to this book first (so read Caught Stealing and Six Bad Things first) if you haven't already done so. An excellent set of characters, believable dialogue and an unrelenting pace make the pages fly by right up until the fitting conclusion. show less

Henry Thompson is a former high school baseball phenom and now he's a busted-down pill-popping hit man. He works for a Russian mobster, who is actually blackmailing Hank into doing his "dirty work". This is the last book in a trilogy and they have all been very entertaining crime novels, packed with humor and bone-jarring violence. Huston is easily one of the best writers currently working in this genre.

I didn't realize until after I had finished this book that it was the third in a series. I really only read it to begin with because it was a free download from Kindle.

The first half of the book was a bit confusing and did not really hold my attention. I found myself having to reread several pages because I realized I was skimming the words, not really paying attention to what I was reading. However, I hate to start a book and not finish it, so I plugged away. When the book was nearly over, I actually found myself enjoying it. Maybe if I had read the first two books, this one would have been a little more enjoyable to me.

The story is told by the main character in the story, who occasionally skips back and forth (Pulp Fiction style) show more between two different things that are going on -- the current situation he has gotten himself into and then something in the future that happens that we will eventually learn. See what I mean by how this can be pretty confusing?

There's a lot of violence, bad language and adult situations (drugs, sexual situations, etc). I actually think this wouldn't make a half-bad movie, but this is something I'd much rather see on the big screen than read about. show less

What an amazing book. I like the main character of Hank. He is the regular guy who just regrets some of life decisions. A fitting end to a great series. Highly recommended.

I found Caught Stealing, the first of Charlie Huston's Henry Thompson trilogy, while trolling the stacks of my local library last summer. I couldn't say exactly what it was about the dust jacket that caught my eye but it lead to that wonderful experience of discovering a new to you author or band.

Caught Stealing was followed by Six Bad Things and A Dangerous Man. They are Henry Thompson's own Series of Unfortunate Events. Henry is a likable, imperfect character who is unwillingly introduced to a violent and brutal cast of criminals. The entire sequence of events is triggered by Henry's neighbor asking him to keep an eye on his cat for a couple of days. Already finding a not so small capacity for violence in himself when pushed, Henry is show more forced to run. At considerable additional risk to himself Henry grabs Bud, the cat, and hits the road. I told you, he's a likable guy, trying to do the right thing.

More on Charlie Huston and the Joe Pitt casebooks. show less

Great ending! Enjoyed finally seeing consequences for someones actions in a fiction book. Even if things were out of his control. Definitely worth the time for all three books.