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THE
OLD MAN
BY THOMAS PERRY
REVIEWED BY LINDA WICKLUND
 I've
never read Thomas Perry before, but I found this
spy story one that moves along nicely and relevant
to many stories you see on the news about monies
given to foreign countries to help them in many
different ways. This is the story of a military
intelligence officer who has been hunted for 35
years, for trying to do the right thing.
The story begins with Dan Chase taking his two big
mutts, Dave and Carol, for their daily four to
five mile walk in Northern, New England. Dan wore
a pair of short leashes hanging around his neck.
His belief was "that all dogs wanted to be good
dogs" so if he saw a stranger, he could snap the
leashes to their collars. It's at this point that
his instincts kick in and he senses that he is
being followed. When he returns home there are no
signs that whoever was following him had broken
in. But as a cautious man, he sets up some old
fashioned security - tin cans connected to
invisible fishing line around the entry ways.
I'll leave you hanging right there, but it gets
pretty exciting at this point... He collects his
escape kit loaded with two guns, spare magazines,
three wallets with different identities as well as
American and Canadian passports and lots of cash.
As you will find out, as a young man he was
discharged from the Army and moved into a civilian
special ops status that left no records. His first
assignment was to deliver a huge amount of money
to Libya to a middle-man named Faris Hamzah. Dan
stayed there for two months waiting for the money
to do it's work. The insurgents were short of
food, weapons, and fuel. Meanwhile, Faris Hamzah,
was driving a new car, a Rolls-Royce and his body
guards were driving two new Range Rovers. When he
reported this to his handler, his reply was "you
only gave him twenty million". It was then that he
made the decision that changed the course of his
life. To try to do the right thing.
Throughout the book Dan takes on several
identities and moves several times. There was even
time for a little romance.
The sad part is that it's not only the Libyan
assassins that have him running, but our own
government who have falsely labeled him a traitor
and a thief as part of a cover-up. I'm sure you've
gotten the gist of this story by now. There is
lots of action and exciting parts that have you
wondering if he will come out alive. He's been
living on the edge for so many years he's not
afraid of death, but would rather be alive
enjoying his long walks with his two dogs and
maintaining a long-distance relationship with his
daughter and two grandsons.
'til next time, happy reading!!!
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