Sean Dillon Books

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Sean Dillon is one of the five literary series in Jack Higgins’ bibliography. For starters, the said name is merely a pen name of a British national whose real name is Henry Patterson. A man who is in his late eighties, Higgins’ birthday is July 1929 and his birthplace is Newcastle City in England. Higgins’ parents’ marriage was fraught with problems; the ensuing marital separation prompted Higgins and his mother to relocate to Belfast in Ireland, where Higgins spent his formative years. Higgins also spent his childhood in Leeds, located in West Yorkshire. Higgins attended Roundhay School in the run-up to joining the army and studied sociology at the London-based London School of Economics hard on the heels of his military discharge.

Among the literary figures that inspired Higgins include American penman Ernest Miller Hemingway and English scribbler John Boynton Priestley. According to Higgins, he aimed at earning money when he started writing books in the late 1950s. One day Higgins chanced upon his former teacher who commended him on his niche as it resonated with the teacher’s preference; this encouraged him greatly.

At one time, Higgins used to write over two books annually; this prompted publishers to advice him to adopt multiple pseudonyms to avoid the wrath of the general public that expected him to publish a book yearly. As such, Henry Patterson has many pen names ranging from Hugh Marlowe to Martin Fallon to James Graham. Higgins’ niche is mystery-thriller books and spy fiction.

The series of books in Jack Higgins’ bibliography range from a trilogy to two tetralogies to a sextet. However, the most comprehensive book series is Sean Dillon, consisting of over twenty books. Generally, there are 22 books in the Sean Dillon series. There are nearly fifty editions of the first book in Sean Dillon series, of which the earliest edition was initially published in 1992, titled Eye of the Storm; and this book is shelved under the thriller, mystery, fiction, and action genres.

Sean Dillon is the featured protagonist in the Sean Dillon series. Sean Dillon, who was born in 1952, is a superb hit man, soldier of fortune, and undercover agent. Dillon’s father died in action, prompting him to join Irish Republican Army. A short-tempered man, Dillon’s weak point is his kindheartedness which almost costs him his life. A one-time actor and good at impersonation, Dillon is a champagne enthusiast.

We are first introduced to Sean Dillon in the 1992 book Eye of the Storm. It quickly becomes clear that he is not a man we should be rooting for, and he is definitely not a man beloved by the West, what with him being hired by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to help orchestrate an attack on Downing Street when the War Cabinet is being briefed at Number 10. Because no-one knows exactly what Sean Dillon, thanks to his great acting skills, and his ability to change his appearance almost at will, he is a hard man to track down. Two of Higgins’ other characters, Martin Brosnam and Liam Devlin, both now reformed, make an appearance, and Brosnam is tasked with trying to track down the man who is potentially the most dangerous man in the world. Eye of the Storm is based around real events of a Provisional IRA mortar attack on Downing Street in 1991.

The second book in the Sean Dillon series if Thunder Point, which was also made into a TV movie in 1998, starring Kyle MacLachlan as Sean Dillon. However, the book was published five years earlier, in 1993. This was followed by On Dangerous Ground, which was published in 1994, and was made into a TV movie in 1996, which starred Rob Lowe.

In 1995, the fourth book in the Sean Dillon series of books was published, Angel of Death. The background of Angel of Death is the peace process which was going on at the time in Northern Ireland, which was meant to bring to an end the Troubles. Sean Dillon is called upon to try and stop the terrorist group known as January 30, who target government agencies, but they also appear to target other terrorist groups, with no real reason behind them. However, as the group takes their name from Bloody Sunday, the links to Ireland are never far away. Sean Dillon and Hannah Bernstein must take down this group before the peace negotiations break down and even more people are killed.

Jack Higgins continued his Sean Dillon with Drink with the Devil in 1996, which was followed by The President’s Daughter in 1997, and then The White House Connection, which was published in 1999. At the turn of the millennium, Jack Higgins released the eighth book in the Sean Dillon series of books, Day of Reckoning. And then, in 2001, Edge of Danger was released, the ninth book in the series.

In 2002, Midnight Runner, the tenth book in the Sean Dillon was published. This time, instead of Sean Dillon being the hunter, he is now the hunted. Kate Rashid, the richest woman in the world, has a grudge against Sean Dillon, as well as Blake Johnson, a White House special agent, as well as the President of the United States. She swears vengeance because she sees these men as being responsible for the death of her brothers, who themselves were responsible for the deaths of many, as well as attempting to kill the President. Sean Dillon must stop Rashid, because if he doesn’t, he’ll soon be a victim himself.

Midnight Runner was followed, in 2003, by Bad Company, and then Dark Justice in 2004. The 13th book in the Sean Dillon series, Without Mercy, was published in 2005, and The Killing Ground, the 14th book in the series, was published in 2007. Rough Justice, A Darker Place, Wolf at the Door, The Judas Gate, A Devil is Waiting, The Death Trade and then Rain on the Dead all followed.

Sean Dillon Books into Movies and TV Shows

The following are the film adaptations of various books penned by Higgins. The 1987 film titled A Prayer for the Dying is based on a similarly named 1973 book; Mickey Rourke portrayed Martin Fallon. A 1989 TV series named Confessional (adapted from 1985 book Confessional), starring Keith Carradine (acts as Liam Devline), Simon Chandler (appears as Fox), and Robert Lang (playing Brigadier Charles Ferguson’s role).

Higgins’ 1986 book Night of the Fox was made into a similarly named 1990 TV movie, and starred Michael York (appearing as Rommel) and George Peppard (acting as Martineau). His 1992 book Eye of the Storm became the 1997 TV movie Midnight Man, and starred Rob Lowe as Sean Dillon. The 1996 TV film On Dangerous Ground is adapted from the third book in the Sean Dillon series; Rob Lowe also takes Sean Dillon’s role.

The Eagle has Landed, a 1975 book, became a similarly titled 1976 film, whereby Donald Sutherland appeared as Liam Devlin. The 1993 book Thunder Point: 1998 film Thunder Point, starring Kyle MacLachlan as Sean Dillon. 1971 book The Wrath of God; became 1972 movie, starring Robert Mitchum as Father Oliver and Frank Langela as Thomas. The 1996 book called A Candle for the Dead; became 1967 movie The Violent Enemy wherein Tom Bell is Sean Dillon.

Best Sean Dillon Books

These are the best three books in the Sean Dillon series. The first is Eye of the Storm.

Thunder Point: The second book in that series. To avoid execution, Dillon makes a deal with Britain to get a discreet manuscript containing identities of powerful Nazi supporters.

On Dangerous Ground: The third book in the serialized Sean Dillon. One-time terrorist Dillon is mandated to find a covenant lost during an air accident that holds the key to China’s claim to Hong Kong from leaseholder Britain after the lease expires.

Other Book Series You May Like

Readers who enjoyed Sean Dillon series also liked these book series. The first is “Kirk McGarvey” series, penned by David Hagberg. Protagonist Kick McGarvey is a CIA operative. The second is “Jason Bourne” series, created by Robert Ludlum. Protagonist Jason Bourne is a superb spy and hit man, grappling with burnout and his nightmarish past. The third is “Jack Teller” series, penned by Tom Gabbay. Jack Teller, the protagonist, is a reformed criminal, one-time actor and, later on, CIA operative.

Sean Dillon FAQs

Q: Who writes the Sean Dillon series of books?

A: The Sean Dillon series of books is written by British author Jack Higgins.

Q: What is the first book in the Sean Dillon series of books?

A: The first book in the Sean Dillon series is Eye of the Storm, which was published in 1993.

Q: What actors have played Sean Dillon?

A: Sean Dillon was been played by Rob Lowe, in On Dangerous Ground, and Midnight Man, as well as Kyle MacLachlan in Windsor Protocol, and Thunder Point.

What Is The Next Book in The Sean Dillon Series?

There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Sean Dillon Series. The newest book is The Midnight Bell and was released on December, 27th 2016.

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