Never Look Back

by Ridley Pearson

The ultimate terrorist, a KGB agent known as "Dragonfly" has resurfaced in Canada armed with a toxic biological weapon, and Security Intelligence agent Andrew Clayton knows that he has one last chance at revenge and only one chance to save North America. Reissue.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Ridley Pearson is the author of more than fifty novels, including the New York Times bestseller Killer Weekend; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children's novels Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.

Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.

Reviews

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heavy on cinematic action with spy-on-spy thrills as established by late 1960's conventions. A great summer read, especially for guys looking for something light.

Andrew Clayton is hurting because his fellow spy and twin brother has apparently died on a job that Andy should have taken. While cooling his heels writing a lengthy report, an important secret lab working on germ warfare is attacked by a famous Soviet spy, Leonid Borikowski, code name Dragonfly. Andy is released from his purgatory to find Dragonfly and regain the deadly bacteria before Borikowski returns to Moscow with his deadly cargo.

Ooooops. It appears the vial containing the germ has a crack. Suddenly, while the spies are racing across Canada to Vancouver Island where a Soviet ship awaits, Borikowski's nose begins to bleed. And it won't stop.

Ok. This is a silly book, but most men-oriented adventure thrillers are. Clive Cussler fans, for instance, will like this. Having read Cussler, I can barely stand this genre, usually. The women are all big chested beauties and the men are all James Bond or WWE bad guys. Characters are movie stock cartoons, emotional development is either lame or non-existent, fist fights and explosions which would wipe out a Tyrannosaurus rex seem to only motivate protagonists into superhuman feats of derringdo.

This is my third Ridley Pearson read. Whether he is writing a police detective procedural or a spy adventure, he is a fantastic action scene guy. Everything else sucks, especially in the emotional motivation of his characters. While emo emoting is comically pronounced (familiar to Sylvester Stallone/Arnold Schwarzenegger fans, I'm sure), the whys and hows of all that emotion leave me scratching my head in confusion. Characters feel loyalty where none is due, reverence for traditions are unexplained, honor must be defended for nonesensical reasons, traumatic responsibility is agonizingly sustained over hangnails or accidents. Pearson is only one more typical writer in this type of male-oriented thriller genre where motivations strike me as tone deaf and plotting is all about chases, crashes, explosions, three-story falls and monumental fist fights while scuba diving, airplane flying, boat racing and firing off a lot of bullets from big guns while big-chested girls cower nearby.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good spy thriller. Bulgarian spy Dragonfly has killed American agent Hummingbird. As a result, Hummingbird's twin brother, Chameleon/Baker2, also an American Agent, is on the hunt for Dragonfly before Dragonfly can release a deadly bacterial agent into the atmosphere. As I write this review in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the plot is still relevant today.

[Patricia Gummel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my style

[Ginny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reminded me of an early Robert Ludlum. Lots of description, the dialog was not great and the scenes didn't flow well. Decent enough story.

[Geri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I

[Whit]

Lots of action and excitement. Pearson reminds me of early Follett!

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

An early Ridley Pearson thriller involving Security Intellegence Agent Andrew Clayton in a cross country chase to track down a KGB Agent and stop his attempt to steal a secret biological creation that has potential to solve the fuel crisis, but in its current state is a dire threat if it gets released. Plenty of action as they chase across the US and Canada.
ISBN - 9780312929756, Suspense, Pages - 310, Print Size - R, Rating - 4
All books reviewed are from the library or purchased by the reviewer.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller - Agent Andy Clayton is dispatched to track down Bulgarian Leonid Borikowski seen entering Canada en route to the US. Borokowski is on an unusual mission to impersonate a US scientist and steal a virus from a secret laboratory. Borokowski murdered Andy's twin brother 18 months earlier and Andy tracks down the killer with personal and professional motivation.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early (1985) and not top drawer Pearson. This is just an average espionage tale dealing with the kidnapping of a scientist and his lethal biolagical weapon. Agent Andrew Clayton investigates. Ending is top drawer but it takes a long time to get to that point.

[Fred]

1993

[Ron Judenberg]

to-read

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Realistic plot and characters.