I found this book through its movie trailer. The movie looked action packed. There was shouting; there was shooting; there was LOUD. Exciting!
I saw that it was based on a novel and, feeling the need to liven up my reading list, I decided that a departure into the spy thriller genre couldn’t do much harm.
Because this genre is relatively new to me, I found it both exciting and confusing at the same time.
Exciting; because there was always something happening. Every chapter seemed to hang you off a cliff; urging you forward to see what happens next.
Confusing; because, although I am quite knowledgable about things like technology and guns and middle eastern politics, I tend to glaze over when I’m reading about them.
We start by following a recruiter for the CIA who has spotted something special in Mitch Rapp. He doesn’t tick the normal boxes, but there’s something there, some sort of x-factor.
A self-made assassin, he’s got his own revenge on his mind; and instantly we’re pulled into his rogue mind as he is trained and sent on a mission and I found myself asking not ‘Will he follow orders?’ but ‘Can he?’
This is the first book I’ve ready by Vince Flynn, and I was impressed at how he was able to switch scenes and characters with ease. I instantly knew which ‘world’ I was in based on the tone.
I also was fascinated by the fact that even the antagonists were allowed a little sympathy and rooting for ‘the good guy’ wasn’t as black and white as one would expect in a spy thriller.
It’ll keep you turning those pages, but expect a little bit of ‘ gross’ in some scenes of torture.
