Such Men Are Dangerous

I’ll be honest: *Such Men Are Dangerous* won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for a high-octane, explosion-filled blockbuster, you’ll leave disappointed. But if you crave a thriller that’s more about the slow unraveling of a bad idea than the execution of a perfect one, Block delivers. The plot—a stolen nuke shipment—could’ve been a generic Cold War potboiler, but Block twists it into a character study of a man who’s good at violence but terrible at judging people. Kavanagh’s first-person narration is where the audiobook shines, especially in Sullivan’s hands. His delivery is so dry it’s almost a whisper, like he’s telling you this story from a barstool at 2 a.m., and you’re not sure if he’s bragging or confessing. The pacing drags slightly in the middle during a protracted negotiation sequence (Block loves his dialogue, sometimes to a fault), but the payoff—a double-cross that’s telegraphed yet still stings—makes it worth it. My biggest critique? The female characters feel like afterthoughts, reduced to either plot devices or Kavanagh’s arm candy. It’s a product of its era, sure, but it grates in 2024. That said, Sullivan’s performance almost redeems it; he gives even the throwaway lines a weight that makes you wonder if there’s more beneath the surface. The sound quality is solid, though the lack of ambient scoring or effects keeps it feeling like a throwback—appropriate for the story’s gritty, no-frills vibe. This isn’t a thriller that’ll leave you breathless; it’s one that’ll leave you slightly unsettled, questioning whether any of these men were ever *not* dangerous. And sometimes, that’s the better kind of tension.