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Duel of Assassins
Taras Arensky, a highly trained killer, is summoned to the White House to protect the Soviet president--who has defected to the United States--from Marcus Jolly, a soldier of fortune in the employ of the Soviet Union
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 10, 2014
Dan Pollock writes like we all wish we could. From the first killer line in Duel, he had me hooked. The prologue is a perfect mix of the idyllic; a sail on an alpine lake, peppered with the seemingly nonsequiter; cowboy hats, hang gliders and blue berets, which have the intended effect of generating curiosity and a desire to read more. I don't say this about many authors, especially those in the Fiction genre, but once I start reading a book by this author, I find it hard to put down.
Pollock sets the pace with the first chapter detailing the scenario, introduces the two main characters, addresses the obligatory strong female supporting character (at least he makes her a rabid football fan) and it's off to the races, as old intrigues are settled and new ones are commenced. His knowledge of the subject matter including Russian history, European geography and obscure military technology seemed solid and either well researched or personally experienced. The plot pits the two hit men against each other as they have both accepted a mission neither may come back from.
Dan developed very intricate, intrigue laced backstories of how the two protagonists met told through a flashback. Such literary devices can hamper the continuity of a story, if done poorly, but Dan executes the flashback with exacting precision. Both of the assassins mentioned in the title is a former Spetsnaz commandos. One defected to the employ of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the other is a professional assassin. The defector is given an offer he can't refuse to return to Russia to track down his old comrade, and to prevent the assassination of the Russian president.
He effectively paints word pictures, especially in describing some of the more opulent areas visited while in Moscow. My favorite was "jaundiced froth," in describing a river in eastern Germany. Some of the scene Dan describes, like Arensky's train trip south to visit his girlfriend seem reminiscent of Doctor Zhivago. He spiced the tale with historical facts about classic movies and different geographic areas of the world, including of course, Russia.
The climax of the plot is what you've come to expect from a Pollock novel; intrigue laddered and superlative. Give it a read.
Pollock sets the pace with the first chapter detailing the scenario, introduces the two main characters, addresses the obligatory strong female supporting character (at least he makes her a rabid football fan) and it's off to the races, as old intrigues are settled and new ones are commenced. His knowledge of the subject matter including Russian history, European geography and obscure military technology seemed solid and either well researched or personally experienced. The plot pits the two hit men against each other as they have both accepted a mission neither may come back from.
Dan developed very intricate, intrigue laced backstories of how the two protagonists met told through a flashback. Such literary devices can hamper the continuity of a story, if done poorly, but Dan executes the flashback with exacting precision. Both of the assassins mentioned in the title is a former Spetsnaz commandos. One defected to the employ of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the other is a professional assassin. The defector is given an offer he can't refuse to return to Russia to track down his old comrade, and to prevent the assassination of the Russian president.
He effectively paints word pictures, especially in describing some of the more opulent areas visited while in Moscow. My favorite was "jaundiced froth," in describing a river in eastern Germany. Some of the scene Dan describes, like Arensky's train trip south to visit his girlfriend seem reminiscent of Doctor Zhivago. He spiced the tale with historical facts about classic movies and different geographic areas of the world, including of course, Russia.
The climax of the plot is what you've come to expect from a Pollock novel; intrigue laddered and superlative. Give it a read.
March 18, 2011
Despite the exciting title, it really didn't deliver much in the way of an action thriller like I was expecting. Half the book was the background of the two main characters with a bunch of fictional soviet politics thrown in. The action ramped up in a few places, but it was not enough to save it for me.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews