News: Vince Flynn’s MITCH RAPP Series to Continue!

Last September, I wrote a piece about how the movie Olympus Has Fallen bore some incredible similarities to Vince Flynn’s Transfer of Power. The piece was pretty short, but I also mentioned in it the fact that Flynn passed away in June 2013. It was also reported, through Flynn’s newsletter, that the planned next novel in the series, The Survivor, had been indefinitely suspended.

Since then, however, some very interesting news has arrived in my inbox! On June 22nd, Flynn’s Newsletter announced that “Mitch Rapp series will continue; The Survivor Tentatively Scheduled for 2015”!

As it turns out, one of my favourite thriller authors, Kyle Mills, has been selected to continue the series by Flynn’s estate and Emily Bestler, Senior VP and Editor-in-Chief of Emily Bestler Books. From the press release:

Mills will complete The Survivor, the book Flynn was writing at the time of his death on June 19, 2013, and then write two additional Mitch Rapp novels. The Survivor is tentatively scheduled to release in the fall of 2015.

“I’m really honored to have been asked to continue the Mitch Rapp series,” Mills said, “Vince was a great guy who helped me out in my career and as a diehard Rapp fan, I know how devastated his readers are. They’re big shoes to fill, but I’m looking forward to the challenge of continuing an iconic thriller character.”

“Vince and Mitch Rapp are so beloved by readers,” Bestler said, “It’s wonderful that we’ve found just the right partner to uphold the legacy of both.”

“To Vince’s wonderful fans, thank you for your love, support and patience,” Vince’s widow, Lysa Flynn said, “Vince was very proud of his team and we are confident that Kyle Mills will be a great addition. God bless and keep the faith!”

Mills is the author of the Mark Beamon thrillers and a handful of stand-alone thrillers. Most recently, he wrote The Immortalists (which, I am ashamed to admit, I have not read yet) and also The Ares Decision, The Utopia Experiment, and the upcoming The Von Neumann Machine – books 8, 10 and 1? of Tom Clancy’s Covert-One series. Many of Mills’s novels are very hard to find in the UK, which I think is a crime. It is also why it has always taken me a long time to get around to reading them – I discovered his novels well before CR was ever a thing.

Mark Beamon Series: Rising Phoenix, Storming Heaven, Free Fall, Sphere of Influence and Darkness Falls

Stand-Alone Novels: Burn Factor, Smoke Screen, Fade, The Second Horseman, Lords of Corruption, The Immortalists

“The Last Man” by Vince Flynn (Simon & Schuster / Atria Books)

The final Mitch Rapp novel

An invaluable CIA asset has gone missing, and with him, secrets that in the wrong hands could prove disastrous. The only question is: Can Mitch Rapp find him first?

Joe Rickman, head of CIA clandestine operations in Afghanistan, has been kidnapped and his four bodyguards executed in cold blood. But Mitch Rapp’s experience and nose for the truth make him wonder if something even more sinister isn’t afoot. Irene Kennedy, director of the CIA, has dispatched him to Afghanistan to find Rickman at all costs.

Rapp, however, isn’t the only one looking for Rickman. The FBI is too, and it quickly becomes apparent that they’re less concerned with finding Rickman than placing the blame on Rapp.

With CIA operations in crisis, Rapp must be as ruthless and deceitful as his enemies if he has any hope of finding Rickman and completing his mission. But with elements within his own government working against both him and American interests, will Rapp be stopped dead before he can succeed?

The Mitch Rapp series is in many ways the one that kick-started my passion for international and espionage thrillers. After reading Transfer of Power, the novel that introduced Rapp as the man who takes back the White House from terrorists, I quickly caught up with the rest of the series, and have read every one since. The Last Man is, sadly, the last novel. Flynn passed away last year, after a long battle with cancer. It’s an awkward ending, however. Thankfully, though, while the novel began shakily, it ended strongly. Long-time fans of the series and characters won’t be disappointed, as this is another fast-paced, gripping international thriller, featuring all of the key series characters.

On “OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN”, “TRANSFER OF POWER” & an Author Appreciation

Director: Antoine Fuqua | Writers: Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt | Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Dylan McDermott, Rick Yune, Angela Bassett

I finally Watched OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, tonight. I thought it was really good, too. A political Die Hard for the modern age, perhaps? The movie is action-packed, very well-paced (I never got bored, and never felt like the screenplay or movie as a whole was padded with anything that was unnecessary). It is quite brutal, though – but in a “realistic way”, if that makes sense? Gerard Butler (the hero, and a member of the Secret Service) offers a very good portrayal of a hyper-efficient, highly-trained killer (former special ops, etc.). There’s no “flash” to the fight scenes, he doesn’t suddenly break into any wire-work or seamless, stylised martial arts. It’s quite chilling, in its brutal directness. Here’s the extended trailer…

So. Why is there a picture of Vince Flynn’s TRANSFER OF POWER? Well, because there are some startling similarities. Transfer was the first Flynn novel I read, and introduces readers to Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s best operative (translation: assassin). Here’s the synopsis:

What if America’s most powerful leader was also its prime target?

On a busy Washington morning, the stately calm of the White House is shattered as terrorists gain control of the executive mansion, slaughtering dozens of people. The president is evacuated to an underground bunker, but not before nearly one hundred hostages are taken. One man is sent in to take control of the crisis. Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s top counterterrorism operative, determines that the president is not as safe as Washington's power elite had thought. Moving among the corridors of the White House, Rapp makes a chilling discovery that could rock Washington to its core: someone within his own government wants his rescue attempt to fail.

“DMZ: Public Works & Friendly Fire” - Vols. 3 & 4 (Vertigo)

Terrorists and shell-shocked soldiers in the DMZ – this series just keeps getting better

Writer: Brian Wood | Artist: Riccardo Burchielli, Nathan Fox, Viktor Kalvachev & Kristian Donaldson | Colours: Jeremy Cox | Intro: Cory Doctorow (#3) & John G. Ford (#4)

As I’m now starting to make some progress into the series, in an attempt to avoid unnecessary spoilers right off the bat, I thought I’d start grouping my DMZ reviews into two-book-per-review. One thing is clear, though: each of these books is fantastic, and the series continues to be engrossing, nuanced and thought-provoking by equal measures. Still a must-read.

“The Run” by Stuart Woods

An unexpected, lightning-fast Presidential Campaign thriller

A respected senator from Georgia, Will Lee has loftier aspirations. But a cruel stroke of fate thrusts him onto the national stage unexpectedly, and long before he’s ready for a national campaign.

The road to the White House will be more treacherous – and deadly – than Will can imagine. A courageous and principled man thrust into the spotlight, he suddenly finds himself the target of clandestine enemies who will use all their money and influence to stop him... dead.

Now Will Lee isn’t just running for president, he’s running for his life.

I’m not really sure what made me pick this up when I did. I’d been reading lots of fantasy and science fiction, and I think I just needed something different. I’d also just finished watching West Wing again, so was in the mood for an American political thriller. The Run is by no means a perfect novel, but it does exactly what we want a thriller to do, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“Kill Alex Cross”, James Patterson (Grand Central/Century)

A terrorist threat, and the President’s children have been kidnapped

Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene of the biggest case he’s ever been part of. The President’s son and daughter have been abducted from their school - an impossible crime, but somehow the kidnapper has done it. Alex does everything he can but is shunted to the fringes of the investigation. Someone powerful doesn’t want Cross too close.

A deadly contagion in the DC water supply threatens to cripple the capital, and Alex sees the looming shape of the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced. He is already working flat-out on the abduction, and this massive assault pushes Cross completely over the edge.

With each hour that passes, the chance of finding the children alive diminishes. In an emotional private meeting, the First Lady asks Alex to please save her kids. But even the highest security clearance doesn't get him any closer to the kidnapper – and Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes in.

I’ve read all of Patterson’s Alex Cross novels, and I’d been a little disappointed with some of the later instalments of the series. However, much to my pleasant surprise, Kill Alex Cross turned out to be a stand-out novel, and perhaps the best since Four Blind Mice (which is the point after which I think they started to lose quality). If you’re a fan of the series, and like me haven’t loved the more recent instalments, this should help you reacquire your faith in Patterson as a writer. It’s not as good as the first eight novels, but it shows some of the qualities that made his earlier novels so good and addictive.

“Cobra: Season 2” (IDW)

Continuing my newfound addiction to G.I.Joe-related comics… The Story of Cobra

In the second season of Cobra, readers get a deeper look inside the Cobra organisation than ever before, as Tomax, Xamot, and Erika continue to feel the effects of the previous miniseries, and more  important and powerful players are introduced into the mix. Several Cobra operatives of old are also reintroduced to this new continuity.

So, in order to catch up with the new IDW-published G.I.Joe and Cobra timeline, I decided to buy the back issues. Thankfully, they were all going for quite cheap on comiXology (a site/service I am coming to feel extremely fond of), so I snapped up all of the issues. This series has three main acts, and the cover images have been split up accordingly.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed these.

Reviewed herein: Cobra Special #1, Cobra II #1-13, Cobra Special #2

G.I.Joe: Cobra Civil War (IDW)

IDW’s line of G.I.Joe comics went through quite an important ‘event’ last year – the Cobra Civil War – and after reading the Cobra Annual 2012, I had catch up with the story.

I seem to have a knack for joining the continuity when something big happens involving Cobra Commander (my first comic was G.I.Joe Real American Hero #100, when he comes back from the dead).

Reviewed Herein: Death of Cobra Commander, Cobra Civil War #0-8, Snake Eyes #1-9, G.I. Joe #9

[Huge thank you to Lorelei at IDW for providing me with the issues I was missing!]

“The Lion”, by Nelson DeMille (Sphere)

John Corey returns to hunt down a long-time foe

John Corey, former NYPD homicide detective and now a special agent for the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, is back. Unfortunately for Corey, so is Asad Khalil, the notorious Libyan terrorist otherwise known as “The Lion”.

When last we heard from him, Khalil had claimed to be defecting to the U.S. only to unleash the most horrific reign of terror ever to occur on American soil. While Corey and his partner, FBI agent Kate Mayfield, pursued him across the country, Khalil methodically eliminated his victims one by one and then disappeared without a trace.

Now, three years later, Khalil has returned to America to make good on his threats and take care of unfinished business. The Lion is a killing machine once again loose in America with a mission of revenge, and John Corey will stop at nothing to achieve his own goal – to find and kill Khalil.

It’s been a while since I read the previous John Corey thrillers (which I read all in one go), and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the protagonist’s return. It’s a decade since The Lion’s Game was published, but only a year-and-a-half has passed in this series’ timeline. (This locates the story in between Night Fall, which ended with 9/11, and Wild Fire.)

All of DeMille’s novels I have read thus far have been superb. They are gripping, thought-provoking, timely (if not prescient), and entertaining. His characters are well-rounded, quirky, entirely realistic, the action is exciting, and his plots are believable and expertly crafted. So, as you can imagine, I came to The Lion with very high hopes indeed…

After a slightly slow start, as DeMille gets readers comfortable with the setting and characters again, the pace and progression of the plot pick up and have the comfortable feel that his previous Corey novels had. The Lion is set very soon after the events of 9/11: emotions are still raw, and law enforcement is angry, on high-alert, and looking for payback (by Corey’s own admission).

Demille is one of the few authors to successfully and skilfully make the transition from writing Cold War novels to War on Terror novels, while maintaining high levels of quality. In a genre of thriller that is becoming over-saturated with FOX-News-ready novels, DeMille certainly, easily stands out as one of the better authors writing today,

DeMille’s characters are well-rounded and well-realised on the page. That being said, despite my familiarity with John Corey’s less orthodox, politically incorrect style, I found him to be a little annoying at times (certainly in the first few chapters, which could be a huge obstacle to new readers). His sarcasm and ‘man’s man’ persona are laid on a little too thickly in the first couple of chapters, which really turned me off. He came across as crass, rather than cynical, and slightly misogynistic. It’s been a while since DeMille wrote the previous Corey novel (Wild Fire, which I thought was excellent), and perhaps one of the problems with the characterisation of our protagonist is that DeMille maybe had quite a few years’ worth of material and ‘jokes’ that he really wanted to include. This came across over-done and made Corey slightly obnoxious, and therefore difficult to connect with. The rest of the cast are, on the other hand, pretty ‘standard’ (in a good way) for this sort of thriller.

Asad Khalil, especially, is well-written, even if he bears a lot of resemblance to characters we’ve read in Vince Flynn’s and Brad Thor’s novels. He’s back in the US intent on revenge against the US and Corey, who foiled his previous revenge-plan in The Lion’s Game. What makes him stand out are his inventive attacks (the aftermaths of which are sometimes painted in particularly grisly detail), and his ability to evade Corey’s Anti-Terrorist Task Force and their inept countermeasures.

DeMille’s writing is fluid and well crafted, and the dialogue feels natural. The author’s wry, cynical humour remains – even if, as mentioned above, it doesn’t always work perfectly. The story is very black-and-white, as can be expected from this sub-genre of thriller, but it would have been nice if there was a little more nuance (which Flynn and Mills, especially, are very good at incorporating into their works).

The Lion is a solid War on Terror, cat-and-mouse thriller. Corey and Khalil are well-matched adversaries, which allows the novel to play out nicely. DeMille’s skill as an author is still evident, but in a field that has some truly great established and up-and-coming authors, The Lion falls a little short, and I didn’t feel it lived up to the quality of authors like Flynn, Thor, Brett Battles, Alex Berenson, and Kyle Mills, who write with (in my opinion) a fresher style and voice. It’s ‘standard’ terrorist-thriller-fare, and not of the quality or originality that one might hope from such a gifted and established author. Corey was also not as worthy a protagonist as in previous novels, and I’ll admit that I had some difficulty moving beyond some of the things he said and thought (again, particularly in the first 10-15% of the novel – DeMille has apparently stated that Corey is written as politically incorrect as he can manage to write, a reaction to his belief that characters become more PC over time).

The Lion is recommended for readers who love the author’s previous work, or anyone looking for a reliable, solid thriller.

John Corey Series: Plum Island (1997 – good, but a little slow to get going), The Lion’s Game (2000 – great antagonist, great plot), Night Fall (2004 – a solid thriller), Wild Fire (2006 – easily the best of the series, with an interesting premise)

For Fans of: Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy, Kyle Mills, Brett Battles, Alex Berenson, Frederick Forsythe, Lee Child, Jack Higgins, Andrew Britton, Tom Cain

“The Silent Man”, by Alex Berenson (Putnam/ Hutchinson)

CIA super-spy John Wells averts nuclear disaster

In this third outing for John Wells, a small, well-funded terrorist cell has hatched a diabolical plan to smuggle nuclear warheads into America in the hope of dealing the US a physical and symbolic loss it will not easily recover from. Putting together a daring, intricate plot to steal the warheads from Russia’s largest nuclear weapons facility (highlighting some potentially terrifying holes in nuclear security), these terrorists are highly-trained, able to blend into their environment and deadly in their single-minded focus on bringing fiery, radioactive destruction to America.

John Wells, following the tense events of The Ghost Agent, is enjoying some downtime with his fiancé and fellow CIA employee, Jennifer Exley, chafing at his new (ever-so-slightly) domesticated life. But, as Berenson shows us, Wells’s various adventures and missions have had a notable, lasting effect on his psyche, making it difficult for him to function properly out of the field. After a failed attempt on his and Exley’s lives, one of Wells’s decisions in The Ghost War comes back to bite him. Pierre Kowlaski, international arms dealer and all-round sociopath, decides to get revenge on Wells for the attack and humiliation he suffered in his own home. When Wells foils the plot on his life, Kowalski is left with only one possible out to save his life – offer information on the missing nukes, and pray Wells can see the bigger picture.

Berenson’s plotting and writing has slowed down a little (though, he was never as break-neck as Vince Flynn or James Rollins), and this makes The Silent Man a more tense, involved read – by revealing tidbits and his characters’ plans only piece by piece, he draws the reader along, keeping us hanging on ever sentence. The three strands of the novel take a little while to coalesce and meld, but when they do the pace does pick up. Wells’s impetuous nature works against him after his own botched attempt at revenge, taking a nice departure from traditional, infallible heroes common in this genre. Wells is no James Bond, and in many ways would make even Daniel Craig’s rougher, tougher version feel like a bit of a pansy. Also unlike James Bond, Wells (and also his colleagues) make quite a few mistakes, giving the novel and the characters a more genuine, realistic feel.

The author’s penchant for multiple international settings remains intact, taking Wells and others from the US to Germany, Switzerland, Iraq and Russia – all locations are perfectly realised and their different characters expertly portrayed.

There were nowhere near as many jokes in The Silent Man; not that The Faithful Spy or The Ghost Agent were comedies, but for this novel Berenson seems to have dispensed with all humour, keeping the novel’s intensity and tension notched up. This is maintained as Berenson shows how much counterterrorism relies on luck and happenstance – Wells and Co are aided unnervingly frequently by the terrorists bad luck, catching the scent of a clue only when the terrorists (or those helping them) slip up.

It’s difficult to hate the antagonists of the novel – Berenson does an excellent job of humanizing them, showing how it is circumstance that has shaped their prejudices and violent tendencies, twisting otherwise decent family men into jihadist murderers. As always, his characters –regardless of affiliation or centrality to the story – are all believably written. Each character’s flaws feel genuine and realistic, lacking clichéd traits or typical thriller tropes (except for Wells being a somewhat psychologically damaged protagonist).

Berenson’s prose are expertly composed, his dialogue believable and natural, and his plot is very tightly constructed. Slower than previous novels, but still a completely satisfying read, The Silent Man is a truly timely novel, superbly written, and one that should please all fans of the international thriller genre. Recommended.

Also try: Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, Andrew Britton, Brad Thor, Daniel Silva (particularly Moscow Rules – review coming soon), Charles Cumming

“Typhoon”, by Charles Cumming (Penguin)

The latest spy-thriller from the new master of the genre

It is 1997, only a few months before the British rule in Hong Kong comes to an end, and China retakes the reins. It is a city populated by every intelligence agency; each jostling for influence and the latest scoop or discovery – not unlike the journalist who narrates the tale.

When an elderly man, supposedly a university professor, emerges from the sea off Hong Kong, claiming he knows of secrets he will only divulge to the British Government, a series of events is set in motion that will have repercussions almost a decade after the story begins. A sinister and ambitious plot aimed at destabilizing the People’s Republic of China for monetary and political gain is hatched in the backrooms of power. Joe Lennox, a young British SIS operative, the first to talk with the Chinese professor, finds his career on the line, only his concerns for his job are dwarfed by the wider geopolitical ramifications. Yet he must still contend with a girlfriend – Isabella – his superiors don’t approve of, an American opposite he doesn’t fully trust but who wants Isabella for himself. His characters are flawed yet alluring, his eye for the faults of gweilos in Asia sharp and occasionally amusing.

Charles Cumming is easily one of the most gifted thriller writers on the scene today. He writes with an assured style, creating a compelling, addictive tale of espionage and deceit. Twisting real-world politics with fictional characters and events (some loosely based on real events), he weaves an exciting story. His pacing is swift, with trim prose and a good sense for writing realistic dialogue, Typhoon is a pleasure to read, and it will keep you up until the wee hours of the morning, as Cumming slowly reveals the wider implications of his story, as he jumps forward in time from 1997 to 2005.

A novel with a focus both on its individual characters and also the wider global situation, Typhoon has an original premise that is flawlessly executed and tightly written, with a panache and skill reminiscent of James Clavell’s Tai-Pan (one of the best novels of all time) and Nobel House. The novel is brilliantly researched, and Cumming’s attention to and understanding of the politics surrounding China’s place in the world is right on the button, giving the novel a contemporary relevance and sense of urgency.

For fans of: John le Carre, Daniel Silva, James Clavell (particularly Tai-Pan and Noble House), David Baldacci

“Extreme Measures”, by Vince Flynn (Simon & Schuster)

The latest political thriller from the master of the genre

In Extreme Measures, Flynn has brought us a new protagonist. Mike Nash, protégé of Mitch Rapp, and CIA operative. Opening with an interrogation at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, Rapp and Nash find themselves caught in the political circus of Washington D.C., as Senator Barbara Lonsdale, chairwoman of the Judicial Committee, sets her sight on Rapp, hoping to make an example of him. A typical liberal, Lonsdale is constantly, sanctimoniously spouting about how the US is a “nation of laws”, questioning who’s going to stick up for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Rapp decides to straighten her out, to educate her on the way the world really works.

Much of the novel is set in Washington D.C., and is not as action-packed as Flynn’s previous Rapp novels. This is not to say that the book is slow of boring, far from it. Like Richard North Patterson, Flynn can make even the most boring side of American politics (committee hearings) seem interesting and filled with suspense and drama. In Mike Nash we get a different temperament and approach to the world of clandestine operatives. Unlike Rapp, he has a family: the scenes when he’s at home are touching and, frequently, hilarious; particularly those involving his newborn son, Charlie. The differences between the two characters is stark, with Rapp appearing more blunt and brutal than he has before, when put next to Nash.

Extreme Measures is far more political novel than action thriller, as Flynn tackles the subject of “enhanced interrogation techniques” and the role of the CIA in the war on terror. In another twist of literature, the arguments outlined by Rapp and his colleagues are more eloquent and rational than anything you might hear on C-Span or read in the newspapers. The social commentary is spot on, too.

While the political machinations in D.C. unfold, Karim Nour-al-Din is plotting an attack on the US. A disenfranchised member of al-Qaeda, Karim has taken it upon himself to teach the Great Satan a lesson, unaided by al-Qaeda’s leadership. Unlike Rapp’s previous opponents, though, Karim has studied the US military, training up a group of fellow jihadists using techniques of the US special forces (specifically the Navy SEALs). Karim is an intriguing enemy, quietly unhinged, completely psychotic (he’s a little too light on the trigger when it comes to his own men), and as a result lethal. Through his meticulous planning, the novel slowly comes to a boil and ends on an explosive finish, setting the scene for the next in the series.

With Extreme Measures, Flynn has transcended all of his previous output. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the new exemplar of what a political thriller should be. While the genre is populated by some truly talented authors, Vince Flynn is truly the master – perhaps only able to count David Baldacci as a peer.

An absolutely essential read, Extreme Measures is simply superb: engaging, thrilling, intelligent, and impossible to put down.

For fans of: Richard North Patterson, Brad Thor, Alex Berenson, Kyle Mills, David Baldacci, Tom Clancy, Frederick Forsythe

Series chronology: Term Limits, Transfer of Power, The Third Option, Separation of Power, Executive Power, Memorial Day, Consent to Kill, Act of Treason, Protect & Defend

“The Whole Truth”, by David Baldacci (Pan Macmillan)

The master of the genre delivers a terrifying global thriller that could have been ripped straight out of today’s paranoid headlines.

Once again David Baldacci has delivered a novel that will keep you up all night reading, as the action pulls you on. The novel focuses on Nicholas Creel (billionaire CEO of Ares Corporation, the largest arms manufacturer in the world) and the one-named Shaw (an international intelligence operative). Creel is on a mission to boost the flagging arms trade by inciting paranoia on the international stage, bringing the world to the brink of a potential Great Power war. With the help of Dick Pender (a leading purveyor of “Perception Management”), Creel starts rumours and innuendo suggesting Russia is regressing ever-so-quickly back to the bad old Soviet Union days, then plants the blame for these rumours on China's doorstep.

Shaw, in the employ of a global security organisation, spends his time around the globe disrupting terrorists and other anarchic, nefarious plots. Joined by Katie James, the young, disgraced, Pulitzer Prize-winning, recovering-alcoholic journalist, the two of them find themselves drawn into Creel and Pender’s web of lies and deception, with the mission taking on a particularly personal nature for Shaw about half-way through the novel.

Baldacci’s writing continues to both inspire and amaze me. Not only has he been doing this for a considerable length of time, but he is able to create and write characters that are never boring, always believable, and also complex. Creel, for example, is a corporate titan who makes his living in the industry of mass-death, but equally gives plenty to charity and the underprivileged (making it hard to hate him). The cast of The Whole Truth are different from Baldacci’s established characters – Oliver Stone and the Camel Club, and also former Secret Service agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. His plotting is as tight as ever, each chapter giving the reader just enough to force them on to the next, and then the next, and so on. That his subject matter is also international relations was particularly interesting to me. His grasp of the current global climate is impeccable, and this comes across through this most-believable (though gloomy) premise.

Baldacci’s The Whole Truth is a tour-de-force of international intrigue, espionage, corporate greed and manipulation. It will grip you from the very first page. Fifteen novels into his career, Baldacci shows no signs of slowing down or losing his edge. Simply superb.

For Fans of: Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, Christopher Reich, David Isaak, Tom Clancy

"Protect & Defend", by Vince Flynn (Simon & Schuster)

Vince Flynn delivers yet another fast-paced thriller masterpiece, ever closer to stealing Tom Clancy's and Frederick Forsyth's crown

Exhibiting an excellent grasp of the current international climate, Flynn has brought Mitch Rapp into the middle of the most dangerous situation in the world - Iran on the war-path, if it had nuclear weapons, or at least an active program aiming for that capability. Released before the recent intelligence report stating this is not the case, Protect & Defend still provides some excellent commentary on the US-Middle East conflict (and rather even-handed, too).

Sometimes it feels like Flynn's characters say everything that US politicians really wish they could say - whether it's the President getting pissed off with Israel for creating the volatile situation specific to this novel (the destruction of Iran's main nuclear research facility). And here is another of Flynn's strengths - his dialogue is never cheesy, and very natural sounding. People say exactly what you imagine them to say, in the way you imagine them to say it. It sounds like an odd thing to praise someone for, as surely other authors do that, too, right? Sure, some do, but a growing number write the most grotesque dialogue (either too sickly-sweet, too butch, too seedy, or any number of other derogatory adjectives).

So, to the story: Simply amazing. While the initial build up is rather slow, once you hit the half-way mark the action ratchets up another notch and all hell seems to break loose on the pages. If ever there was a novel that deserved the words "Gripping" quoted on the front, Protect & Defend is it. The short chapters allow for the story's pace to keep going at a fair clip, but Flynn doesn't fall into a Patterson-esque addiction to them, and therefore the novel doesn't seem hurried.

The detail is impressive, but never devolves into Clancy-esque wonkish-ness (something Cussler does, too, when he's writing about nautical things). Nothing in the novel is surplus to requirements; this is a slimmed down novel, with no excess fat to distract you or draw you away from the fraught situation the characters find themselves in: How to diffuse a potentially explosive situation fanned by loud, ignorant, bigotted and obnoxious ideologues, without plunging an entire region into hell.

Dealing with the issue in a very even-handed manner, with equal sensitivity to both sides of the conflict. Not all the Iranians are bad guys - far from it, it's only a handful of the top tier officials who salivate at the thought of war with the US. Flynn even comes up with an interesting possible solution to the Iran-problem, though I'll leave you to read the book, to see if you agree.

By keeping his story and writing tight, there is never an instance when you feel comfortable putting the book down. You feel like you're right there in the thick of the action, either following Rapp as he annihilates an entire band of insurgents (but, surprisingly, in an incredibly reaslistic way), or at the start when he metes out some justice for events in the previous book (Act of Treason).

Since his debut, Term Limits, the latest Vince Flynn novel has been one of the highlights of my year, and I imagine will continue to be for many years to come.

Thriller writing at its best, Protect & Defend is highly recommended if you like your thrillers quick, intelligent and realistic. Enjoy.