Danger In Paradise by A. S.
Fleishman. (Gold Medal Books, 1953) Jeff Cape, an oil geologist recently of Java, is on a stopover in
Buleleng, Indonesia, on his way back to America. While the boat is in Port for
a few hours, he decides to get a beer at Father
Jon’s Bar. He’s approached by a beautiful woman he suspects is a White
Russian; she wants him to carry a message to the CIA for her and gives him a
card. It’s written in Russian, so he can’t read the message. Leaving the bar he
sees a fat man trailing him, and decides to ditch the tail, but misses the
boat, and has to hide. Things get worse, and he wants to find the girl again,
but others are searching for her too.
This was very similar to those
Dan Cushman novels, but without the great dialogue Cushman was noted for. Rebels
are terrorizing the island, and someone is selling them guns. If the terrorists
don’t kill him, the gunrunners might. A nice plot, with good action, and a fun
read.