Book Review: Full Black (Scot Harvath Series #10)

 

Full Black, published in 2011, is the 10th book in the Scot Harvath series of novels written by the series creator, Brad Thor. It is the 11th book if you count The Athena Project, which did include Harvath in a couple of chapters, but the group of female spies was that book's focus, not Harvath. 

Full Black involves the threat of multiple terrorist attacks on the United States, including hitting many "soft" targets simultaneously in multiple waves. The goal of the attacks is the complete disabling and collapse of the United States. There are two storylines that are parallel through most of the book but connect toward the end as the plots play out. One involves a Russian wetwork team sent to take out a Hollywood producer, and the other involves Harvath and his team going after the terrorist network. The second plotline ties back to the events of the 9th novel in the series Foreign Influence.

The hardcover version of the book is about 380 pages long. The pace and tone of the books are very similar to the other books in the series, and it has a good blend of action and suspense. It includes several new characters, and Thor does a good job of developing them enough to get the readers invested in them without slowing down the overall story.  If you are a fan of the prior books in the series, this one is worth the time to read.

Book Review: The Athena Project

 

The Athena Project is a novel published in 2010 and written by Brad Thor. The novel is a spin-off to Thor's Scot Harvath series (which in 2010 included 9 novels). The main characters in this book were introduced in Thor's 2010 entry in the Harvath series, Foreign Influence. In this book, the members of the Athena team, Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper, are assigned a mission to hunt down an arms dealer responsible for providing explosives used in an attack in Rome that killed several Americans. They discover a larger plot involving a combination of old World War II-era technology and a modern-day threat.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 300 pages, which is just slightly shorter than most of Thor's novels in the Harvath series. Harvath does make a couple of appearances in the book, but he is not a major part of the overall plot. There are actually a couple of different storylines that run parallel to each other. The main one involves the Athena team members. The second one involves an undercover FBI agent who is in too deep with a Russian spy. Each of the storylines is tied to the overall plot of the book but mostly separate from each other. The book is a good action-suspense thriller. While I like most of the novels in the Harvath series more than this one, this is still an enjoyable read with a good story. It is definitely worth the time to read if you like Thor's other novels or just like the spy novel or action-thriller genres.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Inception

 

Inception is a 2010 film written and directed by Christopher Nolan (and made between his Dark Knight movies). It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page (before transitioning), Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine. DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a professional thief who can hack into a person's mind through their dreams, extract information from the person, and/or implant a thought into the person's mind. That part of the story is relatively simple to follow. The film's complexity comes from the rules of what can be done, how the mind fights back, how time reacts differently, and how there can be multilevel dreams (or dreams within dreams). You may have to watch the movie a couple of times to track all those nuances, but they make the movie great.

The audio and visual quality of the Blu-ray are wonderful. If you get the two-disc edition (which is really three discs because there is a DVD copy of the movie included), you get the film on one disc and a separate disc with bonus features. The bonus features include a documentary that focuses on the science of dreaming, a short animated story, some artwork, trailers, and TV spots.

There are a couple of storylines going on in the movie. The main story is a tale of corporate espionage, in which Ken Watanabe's character hires DiCaprio's character to implant an idea into the head of a rival corporation. The subplot basically reveals how Leonardo Dicaprio's character discovered that inception (the idea of planting a suggestion into the mind through a dream) works and the consequences of that action. The story can be hard to follow at times (especially the first time you see it) because it cuts back and forth between different levels of dreams and jumps between the two storylines.

The acting in the film is top-notch. You see many supporting actors from the Dark Knight movies in this one. Christopher Nolan is one of those directors who, like Tim Burton, uses many of the same actors over and over. The main cast is the Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard. They all do great jobs in their respective roles. The subplot involving Dicaprio's and Cotillard's characters was the most intriguing part of the story, and the scenes where those two were interacting were very powerful. Many people know that the ending leaves things rather open-ended. I know some people hate that you are never given a definitive answer, but I like how the filmmakers leave it up to the viewer to imagine.

If you are a fan of Nolan's other movies (especially the non-Batman movies), I would say this is definitely worth a look. If you are a fan of thriller/suspense movies with some action in there as well, it is also worth a look. If you love the movie and want the most bonus material, get the two-disc edition, not just the single-disc edition.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Anna

 

Anna is a 2019 movie written and directed by Luc Besson (who has directed movies such as The Professional, The Fifth Element, Taken, and Lucy) and starring Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, and Helen Mirren. In the movie, Luss plays Anna, who is recruited into the KGB by Evans' character, Alex, and works under the direction of Mirren's character, Olga. She is trained as a KGB assassin with the promise of being discharged after five years. When the director of the KGB refuses to honor the agreement, Anna becomes a double agent for the CIA in exchange for a new life.

The 4k set is a two-disc set with a UHD disc and a regular blu-ray disc. Both of the discs include the movie and the special features. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good. It is not quite reference quality, but close. There are about 30 minutes of bonus material consisting of four different making-of featurettes. The movie is a good spy thriller, with a handful of action scenes spread out well throughout the movie. The story is not told linearly. It plays out similarly to the movie Memento. The movie starts partway through the story, and then flashbacks are used to tell Anna's backstory, to fill in gaps, or to show events from a different perspective than when they first played out. So, by the end of the movie, you know how Anna was recruited into the KGB and the CIA, but as you watch the movie, there are twists and turns that play out via the flashbacks. The action scenes that are in the movie are very good, but very violent. There is a bit of sexual content and one nude scene in which Luss is topless. So, it is not really a family-friendly movie.

Ultimately, the movie is well-written and very well-acted. Luss does a very good job in what was her second movie role, and Mirren pretty much dominated every scene she was in. Luss was especially good, considering she came from a modeling background and not an acting background. Evans and Murphy did well in their supporting roles, but neither were in the movie as much as Luss and Mirren. While it was not a blockbuster movie, it is much better than a lot of people will likely expect. So, if you are a fan of spy thrillers, this is worth the time to watch. 

Book Review: Foreign Influence (Scot Harvath Series #9)

 

Foreign Influence, published in 2010, is the 9th book in the Scot Harvath series of thrillers written by Brad Thor. This book has two different plots that run in parallel through most of the book and then intersect at the end. The first plot is the one that Harvath is most involved in. It involves a bombing in Rome that points to Nicholas/The Troll being involved. The second involves a hit-and-run accident in Chicago that leads a couple of cops to an al Qaeda cell planning a series of attacks. The book also introduces a group of characters that will be prominent in the spin-off novel, The Athena Project.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 380 pages and reads like the other books in the series. Like the other books in the series, this one has a good blend of action and suspense. This book does not have as much of the political maneuvering that some of the other books have had (and definitely not as much as the Mitch Rapp series does). Thor definitely seems to be conservative and puts his stamp on the whole torture debate that was raging back around the time this was written. That is as political as he gets, however. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the action thriller/spy novel genre and/or have liked the prior novels in the series, this is worth the time to read.

DVD/Movie Review: Hide and Seek (Minor Spoilers)

 

Hide and Seek is a 2005 movie directed by John Polson and starring Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Janssen, Elisabeth Shue, and Amy Irving. De Niro plays David Callaway, a psychologist who moves with his daughter Emily (played by Fanning) to upstate New York after his wife (Irving) commits suicide. Emily reveals that she has a friend named Charlie, whom David assumes is an imaginary friend, and starts to become more and more worried for his daughter as "Charlie" becomes violent. 

The DVD has several bonus features, including a commentary track with the director and screenwriter, several alternate endings, deleted scenes, rough scenes that are a mix of live-action and storyboards, and a making-of featurette.  You can also watch the movie with the alternate endings or just watch the alternate endings on their own. The movie is a good, but not great, thriller. I thought De Niro did a good job being crazy when he was let loose at the end of the film. But you could really see what was going to happen with his character a mile away. Dakota Fanning did an excellent job with her part and was really able to convey a range of emotions that someone her age usually cannot pull off. It is in part because of her great acting you can tell what happens with De Niro's character. Her reactions to him were perfect. The rest of the film, however, was pretty formulaic. From the potential love interest, the creepy next-door neighbor, and the mistrusting sheriff. I just think that there was not a ton of originality to the script. A lot of that got saved by the acting, but it could have been better. Even so, it is worth watching if you are looking for a thriller/suspense movie. 

Book Review: The Apostle (Scot Harvath Series #8)

 

The Apostle is the 8th book in the thriller series based around the character of Scot Harvath. It was written by the series creator, Brad Thor, and published in 2009. This book mostly resets the storyline and is not heavily tied in with the events in the prior novels. This one has two parallel storylines. The main storyline, which is the one that involves Harvath, involves the kidnapping of an American doctor in Afghanistan. The doctor is also the daughter of one of the newly elected President's largest donors and political advisors. Harvath is hired to lead an off-the-books mission to go to Afghanistan and free an al-Qaeda leader, which is the ransom demanded for the doctor's release. The second storyline involves an investigation by a member of the Secret Service named Elise Campbell prompted when she overhears a conversation that threatens to bring down the new President, Robert Alden.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 350 pages, which is on par with the length of the other books in the series. Like in the prior novels, Thor blends action and suspense (especially in the main storyline) with political drama and intrigue. The book jumps between the two storylines frequently (usually there are 1-3 chapters devoted to one storyline and then the book shifts to the other storyline for 1-3 chapters), which makes it a bit harder to read since you have to pay attention to both storylines at the same time. Thankfully, the chapters are relatively short so you do not get 100s of pages devoted to one storyline and then switch and have to remember what was happening in the other storyline. If you liked the prior books in the series, or are a fan of the genre in general, this is well worth your time to read. 

Book Review: The Last Patriot (Scot Harvath Series #7)

 

The Last Patriot, published in 2008, is the 7th book in the Scot Harvath series of action-thriller novels written by Brad Thor. This book is set down the line from the events of the prior novel, The First Commandment, with Harvath determined to get out of his role as a quasi-spy/assassin based on what he sees as being kept in the dark, sold out, and then betrayed by President Rutledge. This book starts with Scot and Tracy vacationing in France where they are witness to (and get involved in) an attempted assassination/hit. Their involvement gets Scot pulled back into working for President Rutledge in a storyline that mirrors a National Treasure-like follow-the-clues storyline, all while trying to avoid the assassin.

The hardcover version of the book is relatively short, coming in at just over 330 pages. In the Afterword, Thor lays out the background research he did for the book and goes through what elements of the story were real (or at least based in reality) and what he made up. The book has a good mix of action and suspense and by the end, essentially resets the overall storyline leaving the direction of the series very much open. There is less political intrigue/fighting as in some of the prior novels, but something like that would not have worked in this story anyway.  If you are a fan of the prior novels in the series this one is absolutely worth the time to read. 

Book Review: The First Commandment (Scot Harvath Series #6)

 

The First Commandment, published in 2007, is the sixth book in the Scot Harvath series of action-thrillers written by Brad Thor. The events of the book are set about a week after the end of the prior novel, Takedown. In it, Harvath is told to stand down and not look for the person who shot Tracy, but as more people connected to him are attacked, Harvath has to figure out who is going after the people he loves while also avoiding capture by government agents who are told to take him dead or alive. The story is a good mix of action and suspense and keeps readers engaged.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 400 pages. The style and tone of the book are very similar to the other books in the series and it reads as fast (or as slowly) as the other novels. As in the other novels, Thor weaves real-world elements into the fictional storyline, including the debate that was occurring after 9/11 about how the US should go after and treat terrorists. This book ends with the story wrapped up and concludes without a hint of where the storyline in the next book is going to go. If you liked the prior books in the series and/or like similar books (such as the Mitch Rapp series), this is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Takedown (Scot Harvath Series #5)

 

Takedown, published in 2006, is the fifth book in the now long-running series of action-adventure thriller novels set around the character of Scot Harvath written by author, Brad Thor. As he has in the prior novels in the series, Thor continues to blend real-world elements with his fictional storylines in this novel. The main storyline in this book involves a terrorist attack on New York City by fictional Al-Qeada members. Harvath essentially becomes trapped in the city and follows a group of terrorists who are hitting what appears to be random targets while seemingly looking for something or someone. The other main storyline in the book involves political fighting and maneuvering and brings the real-world enhanced interrogation technique controversy (which was just coming to light around the time Thor was writing the book) into the story. The book ends on a fairly large cliffhanger that will almost certainly affect one or more subsequent books in the series. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 400 pages. The book has a good blend of action and suspense. There are a couple of side stories here and there, especially early on. But the main storylines are the focus. If you like the first four novels in the series you will probably like this one. If you are a fan of the genre but have not yet read the other books in the series, it is a good idea to start with the first book because the main characters are fairly established by this point and the author only does minimal character development on a couple of characters that are newly introduced in this book. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Blowback (Scot Harvarth Series #4)

 

Blowback, published in 2005, is the fourth book in the Scot Harvath series of thrillers created by Brad Thor. The plot of this book involves a bioweapon threat from the Middle East. Much like Vince Flynn did in the Mitch Rapp series, which is in the same genre, Thor blends real-life events (such as the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks) with his fictional storylines. This one specifically involves an Al-Queada plot being aided by a tangential member of the Saudi Royal family.

The hardcover version of the book is a little under 450 pages. Like the previous three books in the series, it has a good blend of action and suspense. It has a few different storylines going on that intersect at different points. The main storyline is the bioterrorism storyline, but there is also a story arc involving an ambitious Senator who is looking for a VP spot on the next Democratic ticket who is clearly modeled, at least in part, after Hillary Clinton. If you liked the first few books in the series and/or are a fan of spy novels, international thrillers, or the like, it is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: State of the Union (Scot Harvath Series #3)

 

State of the Union, published in 2004, is the third in the long-running series of thriller novels by author Brad Thor set around the character of Scot Harvath. The plot of the book involves a threat from Russia, specifically, to detonate a series of suitcase nukes hidden in the United States unless President Rutledge announces a series of concessions during the State of the Union address. The events of the book are set in Germany, Russia, and the United States. Some of the characters from the two previous novels appear in this book, and a couple of new characters are introduced. We also get more character development and backstory for both Harvath and Gary Lawlor.

The hardcover version of the book is a moderate length, coming in at just over 330 pages. This book has a very similar tone and style to (and is a similar length as) the first two books, and has a good blend of action and drama with some humor mixed in. Thor balances the action with plot development well and as a result the book has a good pace. The chapters are kept relatively short so there are a lot of natural stopping points for those who take more time to read. If you are a fan of the first two books, or generally a fan of the genre, this is absolutely worth the time to read.

Book Review: Path of the Assassin (Scot Harvath Series #2)

 

Path of the Assassin is the second book in the long-running series of novels by Brad Thor set around the character, Scot Harvath. This novel, which was published in 2003, is mostly a reset of the story but does tie into the first book, The Lions of Lucerne, at the beginning. The events of this book are set about a year after those of the prior novel. Harvath is up for a promotion within the Secret Service, but he is also tracking down the remaining conspirators who were involved in the kidnapping of the President from the first novel. During a mission, one of his targets is taken out by a mysterious assassin who has ties to terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East. From there, the storyline involves a cat-and-mouse game between Harvath and the assassin.

The hardcover version of the book is a little under 400 pages. It reads very similar to novels that are in the same genre such as the Red Sparrow novels and the Mitch Rapp novels. It has a very good blend of action and suspense and Thor does set the fictional events of the book within the real world as much as possible (e.g., referencing the 9/11 attacks and the very real unrest in the Middle East and the pissing contests between different US agencies). It is a very good follow-up to the first book and even surpasses the first book in terms of quality. If you liked the first book or are just a fan of the spy novel or international action thriller genres, this is absolutely worth the time to read. 

Book Review: Oath of Loyalty (Mitch Rapp Series #21)

 

Oath of Loyalty is the 21st book in the prolific Mitch Rapp series of novels, and the 8th book written by Kyle Mills after taking over the series from the creator, Vince Flynn, after Flynn's death in 2010. The book, published in 2022, is set immediately after the events of the prior novel, Enemy at the Gates. I will not spoil the plot too much, but it is basically about the fallout of the events of the prior novel and includes more than one cat-and-mouse game involving Rapp. The book ends in a way that the next book could go in a totally different direction or the plot line could be continued in the next book or in later books. 

Overall, this is probably the best book in the series of the ones written by Kyle Mills. The book is just over 350 pages and is a very fast read. It has a very good blend of action and suspense, and Mills does a good job getting to the end with readers wondering how everything will play out. Mills again weaves in elements of real life into the book, specifically the political divide and hatred of the "other side". The fictional President Cook is clearly a play on t***p, but a much more dangerous version because, unlike the real thing, Cook is actually smart. Mills even goes so far as to call Cook's followers cult members, which is exactly what t***p's ball washers are. And, Cook's Wife is clearly a play on Hillary Clinton, written as ambitious and power-hungry in a marriage of convenience. It is absolutely a must-read for fans of the series.

Book Review: Enemy at the Gates (Mitch Rapp Series #20)

 

Enemy at the Gates is the 20th book in the prolific series of novels started by Vince Flynn and continued by Kyle Mills. The book, published in 2021, was the seventh in the series that was at least partially written by Mills. As most fans know, Mills finished the novel "The Survivor", which Vince Flynn started, but was not able to finish before he passed away.

This novel was really the first hard reset of the story that Mills did. That was something that Flynn did every couple of books, but the first six books that Mills wrote had a storyline that was fairly continuous. The events of this book take place six months after the events of the book, Total Power. In this one, there is a new President who has autocratic tendencies and is distrustful of the CIA in general, and Irene and Mitch (who is still not technically working for the CIA anymore) specifically. The plot involves an attack on a medical research facility in Uganda that is funded by the world's first trillionaire, and headed by a brilliant scientist who is working on a way to create a vaccine that can kill all viruses, even the common cold. The new President is hesitant to launch a rescue mission and does not want Rapp to get involved. 

The book is relatively short. The hardcover version comes in at exactly 340 pages. It is a relatively quick read, and fast readers should be able to finish it in a day or two. Mills has really found his tone and voice with the series. He definitely pays homage to Flynn's work and stays true to the characters, but does not do a carbon copy of what Flynn did. For example, where Flynn would identify what party the various politicians belong to, Mills goes with the Veep formula and keeps it ambiguous. In this book, President Cook and his wife seem like an amalgamation of t***p and the Clintons, which was a good move (in my opinion) since he cannot be accused of bias against either one. Mills does weave some real-world topics into the book, specifically the political divide and the hatred the two parties have for each other and things like COVID. It is definitely a good book that is worth reading, especially if you are a fan of the series.

Book Review: Total Power (Mitch Rapp Series #19)

 

Total Power is the 19th book in the prolific Mitch Rapp series of novels. It was published in 2019 and is the sixth book in the series written (in whole or in part) by Kyle Mills, who took over the series after the death of its creator, Vince Flynn.

In this novel, Mills mostly resets the storyline. He does reference some of the events of the prior novels, but that is mostly done tangentially. The plot of this book is the takedown of the United States' electrical grid and a plot by the book's main antagonist, to keep the grid offline for a year, sending the US into the dark ages and killing millions of people. In a note at the beginning of the book Mills calls the subject matter (and his research of it) scary, and like Flynn did in the book Transfer of Power, he left details on exactly how such an attack could be pulled off intentionally vague. As someone who had to study how power systems work in school, and did a senior project on faults in a power system, I definitely agree with his assessment of how scary an attack on our power grid could be. 

The book is about 370 pages long and reads fairly quickly. It has a very similar style and tone as the previous books in the series, especially those written by Mills, and can easily be read in a few days. The book mixes the action with plot advancement and even introduces a couple of new characters who could have larger roles in the subsequent books. It is definitely worth reading for fans of the series and/or the genre.

Book Review: Lethal Agent (Mitch Rapp Series #18)

 

Lethal Agent is the 18th book in the Mitch Rapp series, published in 2019. It is the fourth book in the series written solely by Kyle Mills, who took over the series by finishing the book The Survivor after Vince Flynn passed away in 2013.

This book ties back to the novel Order to Kill, picking up on the plotline from the end of that book and then getting into the new storyline. We find out that the fictional ISIS leader survived the grenade attack by Rapp in the cave and now he is plotting to not only get revenge on Rapp but release anthrax in the US ahead of the contentious presidential election. The antagonist politician in this novel is a character named Christine Barnett, who hates Irene Kennedy and Mitch Rapp and who is considered to be a shoo-in to win the upcoming election. The plot of the book basically involves ISIS working with the Mexican cartels to smuggle anthrax-laced drugs into the US across the southern border which turns into an even larger threat.

The book is just under 400 pages and reads fairly quickly. The action is spaced quite well to balance the slower parts of the story. Assuming anyone reading this has read the other books in the series, you should be able to get through it in the same amount of time you have read the other books. The book is also a bit prophetic in light of what would happen in the real world in 2020. Like Flynn did, Mills weaves some elements of real life into the book like the political division in the country, drugs being smuggled across the border, etc. If you have liked Mills' contribution to the series up to this point, you will probably like this book as well.

Book Review: The Survivor: (Mitch Rapp Series Book 14)

 

The Survivor, published in 2015, is the 14th book in the Mitch Rapp series of novels, and the sequel to the 2012 novel, The Last Man. The fate of this book was in limbo for a long time because Vince Flynn passed away in 2013. He had started writing the novel but had only written a few chapters before he was too sick to finish it. Flynn's estate and publisher commissioned author Kyle Mills (who had written several books in the same genre as the Rapp series) to finish this book and write another in the series. Of course, as most fans of the series know, Mills stayed on to write several additional novels.

The focus of this book is on the fallout from Joe Rickman's betrayal of the CIA, as videos that he made in the event of his death revealing the identities of various CIA assets around the world begin to leak out. The "real world" storyline from the book is about Pakistan, and how the country is a tenuous ally with the US. And, in continuing Flynn's tradition of having antagonist politicians, the role of Senator Ferris is greatly expanded in this book. 

The book is another very good one in the Mitch Rapp series. When it was announced that Mills would finish the book, many people were skeptical of whether Kyle Mills could take up the mantle of writing the characters that Flynn popularized, and write them as well as Flynn did. Mills apparently re-read all of Flynn's books to prepare for finishing this book and taking meticulous notes on Flynn's wording choices and overall style, and as a result, you cannot tell where what Flynn wrote ends and what Mills wrote starts. Mills stayed true to the characters and the tone that Flynn had set over the course of the prior 13 books and told a very good story. This is definitely worth reading.

Book Review: Protect and Defend: (Mitch Rapp Series Book 10 Chronological Order; Book 8 Publication Order)

 

Protect and Defend is the 10th book in the Mitch Rapp series of spy/terrorist hunter novels by the late author Vince Flynn (if you read the books in chronological order) and the 8th if you read them in publication order. This book was published in 2007 and set about a year after the events of the prior novel, Act of Treason. The first few chapters are spent alternating between wrapping up the storyline from the prior novel and introducing the main storyline of this book, namely, the destruction of a nuclear facility in Iran. Of course, Rapp (and Irene Kennedy) get brought into the Iran storyline as the events of the novel play out.

As is the case with his other books, Flynn included some real-world concepts into the largely fictional storyline. For example, working the Abu Ghraib prison story and the effect that it had on the intelligence community into the storyline. The book has a good blend of action and suspense and flows very well. And, this time, the political intrigue storyline did not involve members of the US government, but members of the Iranian government. 

The book is a moderate length, at just over 400 pages but is a pretty easy read. If you are a fast reader you can easily finish it in a few days or less (depending, of course, on how much time you have to devote to reading). 

Overall, if you have liked the other books in the series you will probably like this one. Unlike some of the prior novels in the series, the story in this one is totally resolved by the end of the book, although it is possible that events from this book could influence future books. It is definitely worth the read.

Book Review: Act of Treason: (Mitch Rapp Series Book 9 Chronological Order; Book 7 Publication Order)

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior novel, Consent to Kill+++

Act of Treason, published in 2006, is the follow-up to the novel Consent to Kill written by Vince Flynn and continues the story of CIA counter-terrorism operative, Mitch Rapp. In this book, Mitch is dealing with, or not dealing with, the death of Anna, basically drinking himself into oblivion until he gets wrapped up in the investigation of a bombing that kills the wife of a presidential candidate just before the election. The book starts out in October and then does a time jump to early January just before the President-elect Josh Alexander and Vice President-elect Mark Ross, who was introduced in Consent to Kill are ready to replace President Hayes, who announced he would not seek another term because of his Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Rapp discovers that responsibility for the attack is pointing away from it being an Al Qaeda operation as everyone assumes, and is instead pointing toward domestic terrorism.

By this point, Flynn had written six novels in the Mitch Rapp story and had really developed his style and tone. This one has a similar blend of action and suspense, with political gamesmanship and corruption interweaved throughout. The book is 415 pages but is a pretty quick and easy read. If you read fast, you can easily finish the book in a day or two. The story is mostly self-contained and resolved by the end of the novel. Flynn does introduce some new characters who could potentially be included in later novels and also uses some of the characters from the prior books. So, if you have liked Flynn's prior novels, you will probably like, or love, this one.