Category Archives: Vince Flynn
Book Review: “American Assassin” by Vince Flynn
Genre: Thriller
(Mitch Rapp before he was Mitch Rapp)
The terrorists who brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland had no idea what hell they brought upon themselves.
They will find out.
Mitch Rapp was a star lacrosse player at Syracuse University in Upstate New York. A gifted athlete waiting for his girlfriend to return home for the holidays. When he learned of the bombing of the Pan Am flight, his goals in life changed….and the terrorists were doomed.
CIA agent Irene Kennedy found Rapp and spent several months observing him. She thought he was special, but, only found out how special when she approached him and he kinda wondered why it took her that long. Ooops.
The CIA was forming a super secret team of assassins to counteract the wishy washy politicians and throw some fear into the terrorists who were becoming bolder and bolder knowing that no punishment would come their way.
Taking Rapp to the Lake Anna, Virginia training facility run by Stan Hurley, Rapp immediately showed everyone that he was one of a kind (even though he had no military training).
While he and the others were being weeded out, then trained, at Lake Anna, Islamic Jihad members (led by Assef Sayyed) in Beirut, Lebanon had taken two American’s hostage and were taking their time torturing them to gain information. Working with the Russians, Sayyed and friends had no fear of reprisal from the Americans.
Suddenly, one of their colleagues (an arms dealer) was shot and killed, and, a few days later, all their money (over $30 million) disappeared after the death of their banker. WTF?
You will just have to read “American Assassin” to know what happens.
“American Assassin” is a great read. Vince Flynn’s writing is smooth as silk, and the story is flawless. It was nice to visit with long dead friends and see how the characters we know and love (or loved) met.
Mitch Rapp rocks!
Book Review: "Pursuit of Honor" by Vince Flynn
Book Review
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.5 Watertowers (Rapp wraps up “Extreme Measures”)
Six days after the events in “Extreme Measures”, Mitch Rapp, his boss, CIA Director Irene Kennedy, and Mike Nash are trying to find the surviving terrorists.
Several Senators and many civilians and government employees who were having lunch at a famous restaurant are now dead. Mitch and Mike took care of the terrorists invading the National Counterterrorism Center, but, not before a total of 185 people died in Washington DC that day.
Karim, Ahmed, and Hakim made their escape. They fled to Iowa and an isolated house they purchased previously via an attorney in NYC. The only problem is Karim (the terrorist leader) is becoming more and more unpredictable, and Hakim (Karim’s lifelong friend) is becoming more and more hostile to Karim.
No matter what, their plan is working. They have effectively disappeared and have the luxury of sitting tight and waiting until the world settles down.
But that is not to be.
One day, shortly after their arrival, a father and son decide to go hunting on the property belonging to the owner of the old house. Being decent folks they asked permission to use the land. Hakim had the matter completely handled when Karim burst out of the house killing both father and son. This action triggered a very strong rebuke from Hakim who was severely beaten by Karim, and now they had to leave. A deadly road trip ensued until Hakim escaped vowing to take his best friend down.
Meanwhile, Rapp has been following information leads and capturing and questioning people who have information related to the attacks. Nash is becoming concerned about Rapp’s motives and methods (remember “Extreme Measures”) and in the process is losing his edge.
The American people need a hero. Rapp and Kennedy plan to give them Nash (since, in reality he was). The only problem is that covert operators and publicity do not mix, so Rapp had to get Nash to accept the medals and public admiration on the sly.
Watching the news, Karim sees Nash get his medals, and hears the President call the terrorists “cowards”. This sets Karim off and he and Ahmed head back to Washington DC to prove to the world they are not cowards…
“Pursuit of Honor” is simply “Extreme Measures”, Part 2. The characters are the same and the story follows the events of the previous book. As such, it is more subdued as Rapp, Kennedy, and Scott Colemen and company uncover the evidence needed to capture the remaining terrorists.
Do they succeed?
"Extreme Measures" by Vince Flynn
Rating: 4 WaterTowers (Rapp unleashed)
Genre: Thriller
Bagram Air Base in Afganistan is holding two high level al-Qaeda prisoners. They have just been assured fair treatment according to the Geneva Convention by several ultra-liberal Senators, including Senator Barbara Lonsdale, the chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee.
A half a world away, a terrorist cell (the last of three) led by Karim Nour-al-Din is training his team of elite commandos in the Triple Frontier of South America. Their ultimate target is Washington D.C.
The arrival of Mitch Rapp at Bagram Air Base marks the end of fair treatment for the two al-Queda operatives. One willingly gives information on the third cell (two others have been intercepted by the CIA) while the other needs a bit of coaxing…..Mitch Rapp style.
Unfortunately, the “Extreme Measures” Rapp used to get information did not go over well with the higher ups, or Senator Lonsdale, and Mitch ends up in a pile of trouble. The tracking down of the third terrorist cell takes a back seat to politics, lawyers, and hearings. Arrrghh….
As the laywers and politicians try to villify Rapp, Irene Kennedy (the head of the CIA and Mitch’s boss), Mike Nash (Rapp’s employee)…..the terrorist cell training continues and they evolve into a brutal, efficient, fighting force.
Karim suspects one of his own of feeding information, and brutally kills him in front of the others. Karim, as the time gets closer to invading the U.S.A., becomes more focused on his impending greatness and, in the process, becomes much more brutal.
When the day to leave the Triple Frontier arrives, the team efficiently attacks a drug trafficking airstrip killing everyone and taking a plane to Cuba (along with the drugs). There they use high speed boats to enter the U.S. via the Keys.
Against the rules, the CIA has introduced operatives in Mosques in the U.S. But because of the Judicial Committee hearings against Rapp and company, the operatives are called back….and the Mosque operation terminated. Chris Johnson is one of those operatives. He meets with Nash and tells Nash that something is happening and he needs 48 more hours. Nash gives it to him, but, requires him to check in twice a day.
The terrorists make their way to Washington D.C., Johnson does not check in, Rapp gives the Senators a piece of his mind, and all…….oh, you will just have to read the book to see what happens. I will say that the ultimate battle takes place in a location that will shock you.
“Extreme Measures” is unique in that it explores all the sides of every equation. You understand and even root for (not sure that was intentional) the terrorists as they train hard and diligently plan the attacks. You understand why Rapp and Nash (a family man who realizes he needs to spend more time with family) need to apply their own brutal methods to gather information, and you understand how the Senators (who are not on the front lines) feel about “Extreme Measures” being used to interrogate prisoners.
“Extreme Measures” is a terrific continuation of the Mitch Rapp series! I highly recommend picking it up. And, yes, Mitch Rapp and Vince Flynn both still rock!
Here is Vince talking about “Extreme Measures”
“Protect and Defend” by Vince Flynn
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4 Water Towers
“Mitch,“ Kennedy cautioned, “stay away from him until I say the time is right.”
“Fine, but we are going to kill him, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are.”
Thus ended “Act of Treason” in 2006.
In late 2007, “Protect and Defend” opens with Mitch Rapp in Costa Rica tying up that loose end in typical Mitch Rapp fashion.
“Protect and Defend” follows today’s news headlines as Iran is building a nuclear weapon facility in the city of Isfahan. It is there we meet an old janitor, Moshen Norwrasteh, going about his normal boring daily activities. Moshen has worked at the facility for almost 2 years and because of his ability to fix anything electrical he has fit right in and is very well liked and trusted.
On the day we meet Moshen, Lebanese terrorist Imad Mukhtar is also at the facility checking security. Mukhtar was sent (by the diminutive, volatile, irrational Iranian President Amatulah) to the facility to meet with leader of the Iranian Ministry of Intel and Security, Azad Ashani.
As Moshen is heading towards his workshop, he spots Imad and Azad and immediately recognizes Imad as one of Israel’s most wanted terrorist. Moshen knows this because he is really not a janitor, but, a deep cover spy working for Mossad.
The time to destroy the facility was scheduled for later today. However, the appearance of Imad moves up that timetable a bit so that Adam Shoshan (aka Moshen) could kill two birds with one stone.
Setting the timers on the explosives attached to the supporting structure, Adam leaves the facility just before it implodes and collapses on itself much like the Twin Towers collapsed. Unfortunately, Azad saves Imad’s life….an event that will come back to haunt Azad (who is a capable honest leader) later.
This monumental event sets in motion the remainder of the action in “Protect and Defend”.
President Amatulah blames the United States and Israel for bombing the facility. He rattles his saber threatening to send Israel into the water and to destroy the United States. He threatens the U.S. and Israel with sanctions in the U.N. and gathers allies in this effort. The delicate balance of peace with Iran has tipped in favor of unrest and possibly war.
Mitch Rapp, a covert assassin involved in the Middle East, comes up with a bold plan. Presenting this to the newly elected President Alexander and his boss, CIA Director Irene Kennedy, the plan to discredit Iranian President Amatulah is put into play.
Unknown to Mitch and Irene, President Amatulah and Imad have a plan of their own that puts the U.S. and Iran at the brink of war and CIA Director Kennedy in great peril.
What President Amatulah forgot to account for was Mitch Rapp. Big mistake.
To find out what happens you will have to read the book…but only if you have read all of Flynn’s other books…in order since circumstances, and deaths, occur that you need to be aware of. Soooo, if you have not yet read a Vince Flynn book, and want to, please start with “Term Limits” and proceed from there. You will not be disappointed.
As you may know, Vince Flynn is one of my top all time favorite authors and Mitch Rapp is right up there with Nina Reilly as my favorite long running characters (recently joined by John Rain and Bobby Pendragon). I have read every Vince Flynn book nearly the minute it has come out. They are all terrific and so is “Protect and Defend” which is a linear-action-packed-high-speed-bullet of a book that I read in two days. I could not put it down.
Mitch Rapp rocks, and so does Vince Flynn.
