By Diane Donovan/Senior Reviewer
Thrillers revolving around terrorism and struggles against it abound; but what places John Ruane's story in a different category than most is its attention to building a character who confronts adversity in a different way.
Dylan Reilly has only resorted to carrying a gun in the aftermath of three attacks that threaten him and his wife. Dylan has become an expert shooter. This leads to an approach to confronting danger that is reminiscent of old-time Western days as he develops a sixth sense for trouble and protects wife Darleen and himself.
This story offers realistic focus on the lasting effects of 9/11 on the country. Dylan not only develops a hyper-ability to perceive threats and tackle them more effectively, but those around him acknowledge that this awareness has permeated society: "A smirk grew on the security guard’s face. “Sure, I get it,” said the officer with a strong Brooklyn accent. “You’re at the Freedom Tower for the first time, right?” “Yes,” said Dylan, looking around, realizing this guard wasn’t taking him seriously. “You’re overwhelmed by the fact that you’re standing in the place where the worst attack on American soil took place, and you have to keep an eye out for terrorists, who will no doubt attack again, right?”
While Dylan's instincts are spot on and get him out of many kinds of binds, terrorist threats become part of the cat-and-mouse game he's always fighting: "Ziad felt no remorse about killing innocent civilians, Americans."
Forced to change his looks and his approach to identifying trouble in the making, Dylan finds that, too often, he remains the only obstacle to terrorist plots that others don't seem to see in advance.
Can the world's fastest gun outthink them all and prove a hero to a country reeling from violent attacks?
John Ruane does a particularly fine job of capturing the psychological milieu of modern-day America post-911. As his main protagonist's role and objectives are brought to life, so is the growth process of both an individual tasked with protecting others and the ordinary citizens of a nation tasked with protecting itself.
Readers who think that the proliferation of guns and those who employ them in the name of justice should be tempered might find the plot and actions of its main protagonist to be counter to their beliefs, but Ruane creates a thought-provoking inspection of the character of a man who turns to firearms to thwart his enemies.
As Dylan's coveted anonymity is lost, along with many of the things he treasures in life, he reinvents himself in a specific manner that leads him to expose not just himself, but the undercurrents of threat that create the very dangers communities strive to foil.
The result is a thought-provoking blend of cowboy-style heroism, terrorism inspection, and social commentary that will leave thriller readers thinking long after the final volley is fired.
By Jenny Dela Cruz
June 6, 2021
4 out of 4 Stars
How many times have you smiled right after putting a book down? Well, it’s pretty rare for me. This book had me smiling from ear to ear after I read the word “The End.”
A Dangerous Freedom by John Ruane is an impressive fictional story. It tells us a story of how the fateful 9/11 incident affected everyone; even people who were just watching the scene on the television. A creatively written book that appears to be more like a superhero-kind-of-movie – minus the superpowers.
Ruane introduced the story by showing us young Dylan Reilly. It was September 11, 2001. Dylan and his friends were at the school. They were talking and having fun in their conversation when they saw some teachers looking somewhat alarmed. Moments later, somebody was running from the hallway yelling about a plane crashing. All students and teachers gathered in the library to watch the news. Everyone was filled with various reactions and emotions.
That moment, one of Dylan’s friends declared that he would join the Marines to get back at the terrorists responsible for the tragic event. Thinking about the unfortunate event and his friend’s proclamation, his mind is filled with thoughts of revenge. Dylan had never seen a real gun, unlike his friend who goes hunting with his father. He is considering getting himself a gun to be able to protect his loved ones when necessary.
More than a decade passed after the 9/11 incident. In this part of the story, we are introduced to another young kid, named Arman. His family escaped from Iran during the revolution and came to America. After the incident, Arabs or who look like Arabs are bullied. Things were challenging for young Arman who was frequently bullied by his schoolmates.
Dylan and his wife survived three attacks, which made him decide to own and learn how to use a gun. He uses the gun like a cowboy with amazing speed. With his agility and accuracy, he is now a well-celebrated hero presented on national media. How is Dylan relevant to Arman’s life? How did he learn how to handle a gun, let alone be extremely accurate?
The author did not beat around the bush. The book is invigorating from start to finish. Not a page wasted for unnecessary and irrelevant anecdotes. This is one of the numerous reasons why I love the book. It was as if I was watching a movie about a superhero. The story is inspired by the 9/11 incident, nonetheless, it is far from reality. I have immensely enjoyed reading the book despite being unrealistic. I love how the characters were introduced and how the author orchestrated stories to integrate them. I enjoyed the narration of the action scenes. I have nothing to report on what I did not like about the book.
Some minor errors can easily be edited. To be honest, if I wasn’t consciously taking notes of errors, I would have overlooked them. There were light graphic descriptions of death – light to my standards and may not be pleasant to some. Foul language is also present but no indecent contents. Because this story was inspired by the 9/11 event, mention of Islam is present and the principal characters are Catholic. The book is not preaching, however, this is something to keep in mind.
That being said, I am rating this book 4 out of 4 stars with a smile. A good-to-read book that kept me engaged. I would like to commend the author for such an enjoyable and entertaining story.
John Ruane, author and longtime journalist, has released his newest book, “A Dangerous Freedom.”
Ruane said it is a story that Southwest Siders will love. With parish neighborhoods filled with police officers, firefighters and city workers, patriotic men and women who believe in law and order, faith and family, this Chicago thriller novel will hit home.
“A Dangerous Freedom,” an action-packed thriller, introduces Dylan Reilly, the everyman who never imagined himself owning or using a gun.
But, after he and his wife are on the site of three deadly attacks, he purchases a Smith & Wesson six-shooter, trains with a former U.S. Marine and becomes incredibly fast with a gun. Then, like a cowboy from the old west with his six-shooter at his side, Reilly confronts armed and dangerous killers carrying semi-automatic weapons. He knows that, if he’s not lighting fast and deadly accurate, innocent people will die.
“Dylan Reilly is the average man who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Ruane, who has written for both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune.
“Pushed too far, he is compelled to stand up to the killers and fight back,” Ruane said. “I take readers through that experience with Dylan Reilly, who becomes a great hero, and everyone loves a hero!”
“A Dangerous Freedom” is Ruane’s fifth book. He attended St. Bede Elementary School and St. Laurence High School and is best known for his second book, “Parish the Thought.”
“Beverly Review readers will most certainly know the places here in Chicago and the Southwest Side where the action takes place,” said Ruane. “And, they may believe they know some of the fictional characters in the book. That will be part of the fun.”
Reviews of “A Dangerous Freedom” have been positive.
Author and Chicago historian Richard Lindberg wrote, “John Ruane has written a compelling story for our times, seen through the lens of Dylan Reilly and a generation coming of age at a time of profound change wrought by globalism, terrorism, fear and political insecurity. Fast-paced, action-filled and a moving commentary on war and the state of the post-9/11 world, ‘A Dangerous Freedom’ is a novel with a statement that will be hard to put down.”
“A Dangerous Freedom” is published by Permuted Press and is now available at bookstores and Amazon.com.
For more information, visit the website at johnruane.net.
Dylan Reilly is a peace-loving Irish American who gets pushed too far and is compelled to fight back to protect himself and others. Reilly is a fictional character, the protagonist in my new novel, "A Dangerous Freedom."
I chose the Reilly name to honor a great man, Mike Reilly, who helped me and my five siblings after our parents passed away at young ages and within a 16-month time period. My mother Therese Ruane (nee McInerney) was first-generation Irish.
Her father, Matthew, came over from County Clare in 1917. She passed away at the age of 47 after a four-year battle with cancer. Her husband, my father, Bernard Ruane, came over from Ballymacward County Galway in 1948 and died of a heart attack a year later at the age of 50. Mike Reilly lived two blocks away and was a husband and father of his own with five children, but would always step up to help other people in the Irish community.
He came over in 1955 from Bailieborough, County Cavan. So when naming my hero in this book I thought it very appropriate to name him after a man who was a true hero in my life, Mike Reilly. He made a tremendous effort to help us when we most needed it.” The story begins with Dylan Reilly as a sophomore in high school on 9/11. He witnesses the devastating attack on the twin towers with his classmates on the television in the school’s library. Like most Americans, the horror of that dreadful day stayed with Reilly.
A decade later, he and his wife, Darlene, visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum to see the place where the vicious event occurred to try and bring some perspective and closure. Unfortunately, during their visit, they witness a murderous attack by a lone terrorist. Luckily, they escape. However, over the course of the next few months, they find themselves on site at two more violent attacks in Chicago.
At this point in the story, Dylan, a peace-loving everyman, feels compelled to fight back and protect himself and other innocent people around him. Dylan Reilly is the average man, who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pushed too far, he believes there is no other choice for him than to stand up to the killers and fight back.
Dylan makes the life-changing decision to purchase a Smith & Wesson six-shooter, trains with a former U.S. Marine and becomes incredibly fast with a gun. Then, like a cowboy from the old west with his six-shooter at his side, he confronts armed and dangerous killers carrying semi-automatic weapons. Dylan knows that if he’s not lightning fast and deadly accurate, innocent people will die. This is where the story changes, taking readers into a hero’s tale in which Dylan shoots semiautomatic weapons out of the hands of the killers, saving thousands of lives.
Given all of the shootings taking place in cities like Chicago and New York, this novel provides an opportunity for readers to feel like they are standing right by the side of the hero who is performing acts of courage and bravery many of us can only dream of doing. Many readers have told me that those moments in the story make them feel great.
This is my fifth book and I have also written for the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times. I grew up on the southwest side of Chicago, attended St. Bede’s Grammar School and St. Laurence High School. I am best known for my second book, "Parish the Thought," which is about growing up Catholic in the 1960s. Reviews of "A Dangerous Freedom" have been very positive.
Author and historian Richard Lindberg wrote: “John Ruane has written a compelling story for our times, seen through the lens of Dylan Reilly and a generation coming of age at a time of profound change wrought by globalism, terrorism, fear, and political insecurity. Fast-paced, action-filled, and a moving commentary on war and the state of the post-9/11 world. A Dangerous Freedom is a novel with a statement that will be hard to put down.” Jenny Dela Cruz of Online Book Club wrote: “A Dangerous Freedom is invigorating from start to finish.
The book had me smiling from ear to ear.” A Dangerous Freedom is published by Permuted Press and is available at Amazon.com. Further information is at www.permutedpress.com or www.johnruane.net.
