New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with his most explosive political thriller yet. A tour de force of action-packed suspense, Protect and Defend delivers an all-too-realistic and utterly compelling vision of nations navigating the minefield of international intrigue. A true heavyweight in the political thriller arena (Minneapolis Star Tribune), Vince Flynn has created a flesh-and-blood hero that readers can cheer for and a finger-blistering page-turner they won t dare put down.
In Protect and Defend, the action begins in the heart of Iran, where billions of dollars are being spent on the development of a nuclear program. No longer willing to wait for the international community to stop its neighboring enemy, Israel launches one of the most creative and daring espionage operations ever conceived. The attack leaves a radioactive tomb and environmental disaster in the middle of Iran s second largest city. An outraged Iranian government publicly blames both Israel and the United States for the attack and demands retribution. Privately, Iran s bombastic president wants much more. He wants America and Israel to pay for their aggression with blood.
Enter Mitch Rapp, America s top counterterrorism operative. Used to employing deception, Rapp sees an opportunity where others see only Iranian reprisals that could leave thousands of Americans dead. Rapp convinces President Josh Alexander to sign off on a risky operation that will further embarrass the Iranian government and push their country to the brink of revolution. As part of the plan, CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region for a clandestine meeting with Azad Ashani, her Iranian counterpart.
But Rapp isn t the only one hatching plans. Iranian President Amatullah, has recruited Hezbollah master terrorist Imad Mukhtar to do his dirty work. For decades Mukhtar has acted as a surrogate for Iran, blazing a trail of death and destruction across the Middle East and beyond. When Kennedy s meeting with Ashani goes disastrously wrong, Rapp and Mukhtar are set on a collision course that threatens to engulf the entire region in war. With the clock ticking, Rapp is given twenty-four hours, no questions asked, to do whatever it takes to stop Mukhtar, and avert an unthinkable catastrophe.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Another winner from Mr. Flynn! Comment: This was my first Kindle read. What a great way to start. I couldn't believe I was done with it so quickly--what a great action thriller. If I ever get in trouble in a foreign country, I can only hope that people like Mitch come to my rescue. I wouldn't recommend it for the PC folks. Much too real for them. Customer Rating: Summary: Can't wait for the movie! Comment: This is another great Mitch Rapp thriller. It is scary to see the parallels to real-life political circumstances. Flynn has yet again done a supberb job. Customer Rating: Summary: Vince Flynn Comment: My favorite author! Another great read. A friend gave me one of his books and I immediately went and bought all he had out at the time. I eagerly await each new release> Customer Rating: Summary: Disappointing... Comment: I am a long time VF fan and have read all the Rapp books. This one was disappointing. As always the story flows and is a good easy read, but the plot here runs kind of thin.
The plots sets out on a good pace and a certain directional build up, but somewhere about a third through the book Flynn loses direction and focuses on what happens with Irene (won't spoil it for those who haven't read yet). Once her problems are worked out the book ends without returning to the original plot.
It's almost like his editor held a gun to his head to finish the book rather than finish the plot. Zero character development didn't help either.
Was very cool how the beginning of this books brings closure to his previous book. Customer Rating: Summary: Second-rate contrived garbage! Comment: I have liked all of Flynn's previous books. They were fast moving, well written and believable. This one was not. It read like a first draft. There were so many typo's I couldn't believe that the editor at Atria would let it go out like that. The dialog was phony and contrived, as was the plot. And I don't need Flynn to shove it down my throat, what his politics is. Vince, we get it buddy. You're a devout neocon. That's fine, but don't lecture me through bad omniscient writing. It was pathetic. The storyline between the characters was NOT believable. The only believability for me came from the first two characters; Maria Rivera, the special ops gal Rapp was with in the beginning and the long time Israeli spy, Shoshan. We never heard from them again in the story. Instead we get this heavy-handed diatribe from silly caricatures of Iranian despots, especially Amatullah. I knew how the story was going to end once Flynn introduced us to these unbelievable characters and the one dimensional Hezbollah leader, Imad Mukhtar. And finally, our hero in these stories, Mitch Rapp came across like a one-dimensional demented street thug. Not the greatest secret ops guy ever.
In sum, this book was VERY disappointing. For those who haven't read Flynn's books in the past, I do recommend TERM LIMITS, ACT OF TREASON, CONSENT TO KILL, SEPARATION OF POWER and TRANSFER OF POWER.
