On Dangerous Ground

February 28, 1994
Having turned former IRA terrorist Sean Dillon into a hero in Thunder Point , Higgins refines his portrait of that deadly little man even further here by allowing him to acquire almost mystical kung-fu skills. This latest thriller opens with a prologue set in Chungking, 1944, during which Mao Zedong and Lord Louis Mountbatten sign the mysterious Chungking Covenant--a promise by Mao to extend the treaty giving Britain control of Hong Kong by 100 years. With Hong Kong due to be returned to China in 1997, the existence of such an agreement could destroy delicate international relationships. One copy of this vital document may still exist, supposedly hidden in a Scottish castle known as Loch Dhu (``Place of Dark Waters''). American billionaire Carl Morgan, determined to locate the document so that he and his Mafia associates might have leverage to protect their operations in Hong Kong, takes up residence in the castle with Asta, his stepdaughter. On the scene to foil their designs are Dillon, Brigadier Charles Ferguson and his Chief Inspector, Hannah Bernstein. Following a path from the castle to a villa in Sicily to a final confrontation in London, the search leaves a bloody trail. Unfortunately, revelation of the novel's most duplicitous villain will come as no surprise to most readers. Nevertheless, Higgins compensates for a less than elegant style with his signature unrelenting pace. BOMC main selection.

A missing silver Bible and a secret document signed by Mao Tse-tung and Lord Mountbatten extending the Hong Kong Treaty lead the British Secret Service and the Mafia on a race to the Scottish Highlands. Macnee gives a sparkling performance as he gives life to each of the story's characters. His accents, Scottish, Irish, Italian and English, are superb. And his rich voice adds to the performance as this adventure weaves a web of excitement and danger right down to the very last scene. D.L.V. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine