I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This was a fantastic first novel by Mr. Ebbers. The story toggles between the Vietnam War and Present day. The transition is wonderfully easy to follow as each character recollects portions of their past. The imagery was amazing, and the suspense kept me pulled into the story. Needless to say, I enjoyed this spy thriller so much; this book was very difficult to put down, worthy of a five star rating. ( )

I was given a pdf copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility. This story is really a thriller whodunit, with information and scenes that bounce back to the Vietnam War. The protagonist, Frank Braden is now a commercial pilot, and one with secrets. Those are revealed in tiny bits and pieces as the story unfolds, and we see where the past collides with the present in truly frightening ways; frightening because they are all too believable and possible.

What was more interesting to me is that the plot line is very dependent on the characters and their development. Each character we encounter is a player in the storyline, and any one of them could be the perpetrator looking to kill Frank. And Frank isn’t the only character developed with a depth of personality that includes the bits that we all would like to ignore. While the story, the connections and the plot were all very well crafted and kept me intrigued, there were some point of view issues, often in the same character, which would have been resolved with one more round of editing. Sadly, these POV wavers happen rather frequently, and I found myself realigning as I read to better suit each character.

The story does bounce about from 1967 Vietnam, early 2000 Austin Texas and Washington, DC and some shadowy operations in Laos that coincide with the Vietnam timeframe: the frequent hops feel required by the story, even as they distract from the action as it is happening at the present. This is an amazingly intriguing and successful first novel from this author. If you are, or know, a military action thriller fan, a fan of Vietnam-era storylines or a fan of mysteries that span decades – this is the book for you. Just don’t take it for distraction on your next airplane ride. Every sound will make you jump.

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What did Frank Braden do that caused someone to plant a bomb in a plane, purposely leave him unconscious on the railroad tracks, and point a gun right into his face and make it look like he was trying to commit suicide.

Someone definitely had a grudge, but who? And how could Frank prove all of these things were not suicide attempts and get his job back. Could it be someone from his Viet Nam days?

DANGEROUS PAST is a very suspenseful mystery that focuses on the frightening fact that someone can frame you. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next.

The first few pages did have me thinking that I wasn't going to want to continue because it was about war, but it was simply background information for the book, and I was proved wrong....the book was an outstanding thriller. It was action packed and gripping with many twists and turns that kept you guessing along with an inside look at how cruel, crafty, and evil some people can be.

The ending will have you turning the pages faster than you thought you could ever read. :)

Anyone who enjoys an intense, mysterious plot will want to read this book. The only drawback for me was the war information, but the rest of the book's suspense and plot made up for those sections. A Warning.....don't read this book when you are on an airplane. :) 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )