Rex Dalton and his best friend Digger, the former military dog, are back in Rome. They are at the famous Piazza del Popolo. Seven weeks ago, Rex had to abandon his plans to contact Catia Romano, the woman he’s in love with, to help rescue his former CEO, John Brandt. Now he was back. Catia’s apartment was less than a mile away. But Rex’s reverie is interrupted when he notices two women coming … two women coming through the Porta del Popolo in a hurry. One of them looks familiar.
As he keeps watching them, he realizes they are fleeing. Then Rex sees the men — three of them. One behind the women, the other two trying to outflank them, probably to head them off and prevent them from reaching the other side of the piazza.
Instinctively, Rex puts his hand out to Digger and pulls him close. “Listen buddy, we’ve got a situation here. Pay attention.”
Thus, a chain of events is triggered that take Rex and Digger on a harrowing journey to the brink of World War III.
DONNA TERESA is a full-length novel, a nail-biting thriller by best-selling author JC Ryan. It is the ninth book in the electrifying Rex Dalton series.
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This is the 3rd book in this series that I have read & enjoyed this the least. Too much history & explanation. Was tempted to quit it, but I’m glad I didn”t. Enjoyed the first two books of this series so much that I will probably read more.
Just my opinion!
The author in an effort to develop characters and events, provided so much detail, it detracted from rather than enhanced the plot.
Not so much story…too much back story. I haven’t quite finished it so hope the pace picks up. I normally enjoy this series.
By now, anyone who has become a true fan of Rex Dalton and his war dog, Digger, will know that he’s a serious student of history and that knowledge shines through in Donna Teresa. For some. Those that haven’t read the Rex Dalton thrillers leading to this one may find that all the historical stuff in the beginning makes for slow reading, but don’t give up on this book. What may at first appear to be unnecessary information will come to play an important role in understanding the story’s plot and the characters. Ryan is a master when it comes to weaving historical fact with fiction, so much a master that it’s sometimes hard to tell where fact ends and fiction begins. Donna Teresa has one of the most intricate, tightly woven plots of all the Dalton thrillers so far.
In The Power of Three, Book 2 in the series, Rex Dalton’s team was killed in an ambush. The only survivor besides himself was Digger. Rex went off the reservation. He knew that he had been set up, but by whom he didn’t know. He had received his orders from “The Old Man,” so he didn’t know if he had known he was sending Rex into an ambush or not. Rex didn’t know if he could trust him or not. Playing dead, Rex and Digger tracked down all those that had an immediate hand in the ambush that killed all their friends. His long-range plan was to return to the United States someday to find and kill those who had set him up to be killed.
Then in Duty of Care, Book 8, John Brandt, “The Old Man.” the Director of the CRC is kidnapped and Rex Dalton has to come out of hiding to rescue him. After the rescue, Rex learns the truth about who set him up. He learns that Brandt had been used unwittingly. Trust and friendship are restored and Rex can start a new life for himself and Digger. He retires from the CRC but agrees to be open to doing work for them if needed. But Rex and Digger can’t escape their past. It keeps catching up with them in the most unexpected places, in the most unexpected ways, as we see here in Donna Teresa. In Donna Teresa, JC Ryan shows himself to be a master at interweaving the past with the present, doing it in a way that the reader hardly notices when it happens. We start out in the present and then switch to past action for almost the duration of the first half of the book, and then switch back to the present with a smooth transition.
After an explosive ending to this adventure, one is left wondering what the future holds for Rex, Digger, and Catia. Will John Brandt really retire and start a new life with Lady Proll? Well, we will just have to keep reading the remaining five books in this series to find out.
This is an outstanding action novel. Rex Dalton doesn’t disappoint, a well crafted plot with great characters. It’s nonstop action from start to finish.
My favorite character is Digger, the intelligent dog. It would be wonderful to have a canine partner of that caliber. The suspense is gripping as the team foils the nefarious plan to instigate world wide conflict.
Another great work by JC Ryan
A bit slower to get into this book as there was an awful lot of setting up of the characters & plot than earlier JC Ryan books but once past the plot/character “set-up” it was a good book worthy of the series of Rex Dalton books.
Heart warming characters
Honestly, you have to read this book. Entertaining and educational.
Another great Ryan book
Loved this book as I have each J.C. Ryan book I have read. This particular book has some very interesting characters and deals with some big time criminals. Never get tired of reading about Rex and Digger.
Great suspense book
J C Ryan’s book ” Donna Teresa” is another Rex Dalton thriller!
Always good to catch up with the characters in this entertaining series of books.
This has to be his best.
Excellent spy novel.
A cracker of a book – coudn’t put it down.
Rex and Digger team up with a host of characters to take on an important challenge–involving terrorist, Russian thugs, and members of an Italian crime family. The authors have outdone themselves with the multi-layered plot and real-life characters–even Digger seems to have expanded his ability to understand humans!
As with all o the Rex Dalton thrillers, this is another page turner which will keep you busy long into the night as the story unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
Another very good Rex Dalton book. Great action. Back story to fill in the why for tis new story was a little slow, awkward and cumbersome. Once you get through the back story a great read.