1576. Only the Dead by Jack Carr

Prologue: It's the mid 1980s. Walt Stowe is a member of Congress from New England. The party is grooming him for a run at the White House right up until he and his wife are targeted by a sniper. Walt dies. His wife survives and moves into a life of quiet contemplation on Martha's Vineyard. 

Current day picks up where The Devil's Hand ended . . . shortly after President Christensen has been assassinated by an IED with a framed James Reece in a Colorado SuperMax prison. 

He's been in there for three months. Solitary confinement. One or two meals/day. No light. No window. Nothing. Out of the blue, he's released. Friends in the intel community work the system for his release. But for what? Apparently, his father Tom (cold war spook) had been digging into connections of a whole bunch of weird goings on right up until he was killed in Russia. He'd left a cache of documents somewhere for James (make that 'just Reece') to find. Once he found the documents, just how all those were connected and the path to a shady clan of powerful people worldwide (The Collective) with a devastating plan set to go that will change the world into the proverbial 'new world order' with, of course, this Collective in charge, because they know best.

Carr takes us on a long (>500 pages!) journey from that Supermax across the US, into DC, New England and destinations across Europe. The plan is ingenious. The US is tied up (indirectly, of course) in Ukraine. Russia wants some of its former territories back under Moscow's control that should be an easy grap. Iran and Israel still hate each other and China is desperate for Taiwan. The Collective's plan is as complex as it is surreal. Get Iran and Israel into a war. The US will of course side with Israel and cut back its support of Ukraine. Meanwhile, with the US distracted and unable to wage a war on two or three fronts, China will swoop in and snatch Taiwan. When the dust settles, Russia and China will be left standing, but The Collective will actually be in charge. 

Having said all that may seem like a spoiler. It's not. The real genius in Carr's book is in how Reece and his small group of friends/spies track down and put together all the plans uncovered by Reece's father. Then, is it possible to stop The Collective now or even in the future. Be prepared. To protect his family and friends, and the US at large, Reece is prepared to go nuclear on anyone in his way. Reece cuts a path through hired guns, Russian Mafia, the shady Russian Wagner Group, and far more (kinda wish someone would take on this book and deliver a body count). Reece uses every weapon at his disposal, particularly his tomahawk. Hollywood would need to tone down the bloodshed for this one. Political thriller as a slasher flick. 

Carr's short career (this is his 6th book) has skyrocketed him to the top of the espionage thriller genre. Not to be missed. One wonders how Carr will top his most recent book. So far, he's managed to do just that. 

BTW. 1. Carr's first book, The Terminal List is now an Amazon Prime series with Chris Pratt taking on the role of Reece. 2. if you like this sort of book, tune in to his podcast called Danger Close with Jack Carr. You have a lot to catch up on.

East Coast Don

In The Blood by Jack Carr

Book 4 in The Terminal List storyline.

James Reece is a beast. Son of a Vietnam-era sniper. Now a former SEAL who has contracted with the CIA to do what must be done quietly, lethally, and waaaay off the books. And he’s survived (see The Terminal List, True Believer, Devil’s Hand). But like all assassins, time has a way of tapping on a shoulder and asking, ‘are you sure?’

Jack is living the dream in the Montana mountains with Katie (see how they met in the earlier books). Thinking he has put that life behind him (didn't Michael Corleone said the much same thing?) A call comes telling him to turn on CNN. An airliner has been shot down after takeoff from the Burkina Faso international airport. 120 or so killed. As the passenger photos are arrayed on the screen, Jack recognizes this female Mossad killer. She’d been in country to do what she does, kill someone who didn’t have Israel’s best interests at heart. But someone else knew she’d be there, what her travel plans were, and supplied a local revolutionary group with a couple shoulder-fired missiles.

And the heat inside Jack builds. First stop is DC and the CIA. Then the Mossad. Then into Africa. All the while he is picking up info bit by bit. Turns out he is chasing a Syrian hired by Moscow (why would Moscow have any interest?) and his French partner. And the Mossad agent wasn’t the main target. Reece is the target and killing the Israeli would draw Reece to them. Further stops in the chase include a coastal Italian town, then Serbia. Each stop presents Reece with challenges only a former SEAL/author can dream up.

Carr is the pseudonym of a former career SEAL/sniper. The challenge is to pen a story that is entirely believable while just nudging the envelope of reality a touch. And Carr is learning his trade admirably. If you haven’t jumped on board the James Reece bandwagon . . . you just aren’t paying attention. Quality plot, well-developed characters, and not too over-the-top. Add James Reece to your list that includes Steve Harvath (Brad Thor), Jack Reacher (Lee Child), Bob Lee Swagger (Stephan Hunter), et al. 

BTW, I see that Terminal List is in production for a multi-episode series due to start July 1, 2022 on Amazon Prime with Chris Pratt in the lead. If it’s any good, expect the next book to be green-lit before the first series is even done.

As usual, pay attention to the publisher. Another winner (aren’t they all?) from Emily Bestler Books, an imprint of Atria Books under the Simon & Schuster umbrella.

 

East Coast Don

The Devil's Hand by Jack Carr

Flashback 20yr: Alec Christensen is a Stanford grad. Met Jen there. He took a job with a Silicon Valley startup. She went to work Manhattan finance. The long-distance thing was unacceptable, so Alec moved to NYC and they got engaged. She had to skip a downtown breakfast to deliver some reports to her bosses. While eating, Alec heard what sounded like a bomb. He goes outside to see the unthinkable, tears off toward the Towers while the rest of the world was running away. Alec tries to help the NYFD dig through the rubble for Jen.

Current day: The world is coming out from under both the covid pandemic and a presidency that fanned the flames of division. The new president it a young and self-made business success. One of those natural leaders. Alec Christensen.

(You’d need to read Jack Carr’s earlier books to see what simmers insider a man like James Reece. Is he an amoral executioner or a skilled operative whose spur of the moment decisions, which are sometimes flirting with being illegal, always seem to favor US interests?)

 After the preamble about the new President's history, we witness Reece undergoing a lie detector test for reinstatement into the CIA (That Q/A sort of summarizes Carr's first 3 books). Practically every answer is labeled ‘deceitful’. The guy Reece will be reporting to ignores the test results and hires him.

While Reece is at The Farm getting reacquainted with Company guidelines, he is called out for a meeting where he is transported to Camp David at the specific request of President Christensen. They meet in the President’s private cabin; probably the only place on the planet where what the President does and says is not recorded. The President wants to sell Reece on an operation that will be known only to the two people in that cabin. After taking office, the President reviewed all the materials related to 9/11 including highly classified documents where he finds out that the Towers came down not because of the actions of 18 hijackers, but also the names of those behind the scenes who help make it happen. Some are sleeper cells still in the US, but the important people, those that made the go/no go decision, are still n the Iranian hierarchy. Christensen wants his vengeance for Jen’s death and after learning about how Reece works, he gives Reece a list of names and the freedom to do what has to be done.

Remember, 'current day' is 20yrs after 9/11 and terrorists see the symbolism of returning to their ways on anniversaries. The Iranians have watched how the Great Satan operates on all levels. And the US response to covid has shown them that the best weapon to bring down the US is biological. And what they have managed to acquire is a virus called Marberg Variant U. A hemorrhagic virus with a fatality rate of 90%, far more vicious than Ebola. A plan has been developed to weaponize the virus, activate sleeper cells, grow the virus and stealthily smuggle it into the US to be released in Richardson, TX and Denver.

As Reece tracks down the first couple names on his list, the virus is released. His work has now increased a 1000-fold as his first task for the President intersects the developments with the virus. Part of the problem is that there is a deeply hidden set of procedures to deal with containment and eradication of such a biological weapon on US soil. And the time is running out for the President to make a decision that’ll effect millions.

This is a big story with multiple layers, dozens of good and bad primary characters, complex decisions, political manipulations, and heroes across the board. Yep. It's a big story (and book as it clocks in at 524 pages). And Carr pulls it off like a seasoned pro and not an author with just 3 books to his credit. Not to mention that his 20-yr career as a SEAL means he has the chops to assemble such a complex story. 

Set aside some time because this races ahead like a runaway train. ‘Can’t put it down’ is too trite a phrase. Intense? Oh yeah. Insanely intense. The plot (and body count) keeps building as Reece races against the clock to save the President from having to make a nightmare decision. This is a real winner for those who like thrillers that cross medical, intelligence, and political lines.

And I’m not sure how many people read an author’s acknowledgement, but I do. And it’s a doozy – 13 pages worth.

And as I was sitting down to write this, I noticed that it is an Emily Bestler Books title. Why am I not surprised?

East Coast Don

 

True Believer by Jack Carr

When we last met former SEAL James Reece in The Terminal List, his family had been murdered, his team slaughtered, and he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor brought on by a drug company’s product that was designed to cure PTSD. His fit of rage resulted in the death of the company’s CEO, the Congressman who pushed the product for their own financial benefit, and more than a few Pentagon brass. The last Senator to die owned an ocean-going sailboat that Reece used to escape the US. Most of the US intelligence agencies were trying to find Reece.

True Believers picks up with Reece in the Atlantic (most of the first 100 pages are about his solo voyage). It takes him months to sail from the US, across the Atlantic, around Africa to Mozambique where he scuttles the ship. On foot, be crosses deep into the bush to a safari guide whom he knows via his best friend from college and the SEALs, Raife. At the Niassi Game Preserve, he learns the ways of the professional guides, becoming well accepted by those who work there. Their job is to take guests on safaris into the bush and also to weed out poachers.

They stumble across a group of poachers. In the ensuing gunplay, Solomon, one of the guides, is severely wounded. Reece uses his knowledge of battlefield medicine and gets him to the closest clinic. Little does he know that one of the doctors is a contact for British intelligence. Doesn’t take long for Reece’s description and abilities to filter back to Langley.

It’s been months since Reece left the US to go off the grid. Until a former SEAL-turned CIA contractor shows up. Being an international fugitive, Reece thinks his former friend is there to take him in. But Freddy has an offer that is based on some events that Reece has missed since he hasn’t seen a newspaper in months.

Terrorists ravaged a London shopping district when it was packed with Christmas shoppers. Hundreds killed, thousands wounded. The retiring NATO chief is assassinated in front of his wife when an RPG tears apart his parked car. Other coordinated attacks signal something ever bigger is coming. Western stock markets have been rocked worse than after 9/11. Chatter collected by the NSF points to Mo, an Iraqi protégé of Reece’s who appears to have been turned and radicalized. Freddy makes Reece an offer: find Mo, find out who’s behind this sequence of events and why . . . in exchange for all his offenses being wiped clean.

So, find Mo, who asks why his being looked for. He is still working for a CIA contractor and both are under CIA control, at least as far as Mo knows. Then find Mo’s controller and up the chain to a former GRU colonel who wants Mother Russia returned to her rightful place at the top of the food chain, and get rich along the way by shorting the stock markets.

Quite an array of culprits. The former GRU colonel who is at odds with current Russian president. This colonel runs a huge charitable foundation and has half of Congress in his pocket, meaning considerable political clout and consequences should his mission be curtailed. Then there is that rogue CIA ground branch sadist who continues to run agents, Mo included, who think they still are working for the CIA.  Behind the scenes is a CIA Russia analyst on the run in order to stand at the side of the Colonel’s triumphant return to Moscow. Can’t forget about a Syrian general with ties to Assad who is brokering weapons and mercenaries to the highest bidder. In this case, snipers, weapons, and enough chemical-based WMD to make 9/11 look like a picnic. All being tracked down by a disgraced but deadly SEAL on the run accompanied by his equally deadly friend.

This is a BIG story with more layers than I can count. One might not expect such a complex set of circumstances to be so expertly assembled by an author in only his second novel. But Jack Carr shows a maturity of plot, character, and presentation normally seen only in the most mature and experienced of writers. I’d suggest you read The Terminal List first to get a grasp on the rage that boils inside of Reece. True Believers then shows you how Reece focuses that rage into this epic hunt. And based on how the plot develops, I am sure we will be seeing a #3 in the James Reece series next year.

And surprise. It’s published by Emily Bestler Books. As I’ve said many times on this blog. Every book I’ve read out of Emily Bestler books is a top drawer, first rate, winner. This one included. Continued kudos to Emily Bestler Books.

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The Terminal List by Jack Carr

This capital investment company has come across a startup pharma company that is working on a drug that is designed to prevent PTSD. Seeing an opportunity, the CEO, Steve Horn, reaches out to a small group of folks with the wherewithal to profit handsomely when the drug gets FDA approval. Along with the typical lawyer, accountant, and his personal assistant, Horn has a connection with a former congressman (and failed Presidential candidate) now government consultant who, most importantly, is married to the current SECDEF and leading candidate for President in the next election. Not to mention an ambitious Admiral with designs on becoming the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Get this woman elected, she can push the FDA for approval. Providing the drug to all those who serve means billions in profits.

Problem is an adverse event associated with the drug. Mice develop brain tumors. While the drug developers think they have the solution, a brief safety trial on humans is needed. This admiral arranges for a SEAL squadron to be non-consented subjects.

And now the fun begins.

Commander James Reece is a career SEAL. Pushing 15yr as a commander in the field. No desk for him - he belongs in the field. His team’s current deployment is Afghanistan and have received an unusual assignment that has come down not via the usual intelligence networks. No, this one came from the home-based brass. They are told that a high valued target is in some nearby no name village. That’s about all Reece gets. Go in, kill the target and anyone nearby.

The assignment gnaws at Reece’s gut, but he follows orders. As they make their final approach on the house, the entire area blows up. His team is dead. He and his #2 (Boozer) are all that remain. A bunch of helo’s full of Army Rangers descend to get the two survivors and the dead out and they, too are attacked. 60 Rangers, their support, and flight crews are dead. The largest death toll from a single task. As the leader and survivor, Reece’s knows this catastrophic failure will rest on his shoulders.

In the Bagram hospital, this one doc trying to save anyone he can tells Reece that CT scans on a bunch of the dead or dying SEALs show a brain tumor. So does Reece’s CT. Given the rarity of brain tumors, it’s highly unusual to see such a high concentration of tumors in a small group of men.

Reece and Boozer are sent back to San Diego to face the music from the military, civilian government, and the media. After checking in at headquarters and before heading home to his wife and young daughter, he stops in at Boozer’s apartment only to find him dead of an apparent suicide. He collects his senses and heads home where he finds his house encircled with dozens of police and EMTs. The cops say it looks like a random gangbanger assault. Given what happened in Afghanistan and the pressure soon to come, the press and others start to think that Reece has lost his mind. 

In his daze, Reece makes contact with some former SEALs and others who know him and respect his skills and abilities. They know he couldn’t be behind any of this. With the help of his friends, he comes to realize that this is all connected to the tumors. And, that a small core of people stand to become exceedingly rich once the drug is approved.

So I ask you now: What would be your worst nightmare? How about a pissed off SEAL with nothing to live for and nothing to lose.

So he makes a list of those behind the loss of his men, friends, and family, going after them one by one.

Many thanks to the good folks at Atria and at Emily Bestler Books for the advance copy. This is the initial effort of Jack Carr, himself a former SEAL. For regular readers of MRB, you may recall that I've praised Emily Bestler Books for the quality of titles in their catalogue. A book from Emily Bestler Books is going to be good, very good.

Now I’ve read a number of debut books. If this isn’t the very best debut I’ve read, it certainly is in my Top 5. If we at MRB graded books on a 1-5 star rating, I’d be tempted to give this a 6. Sum it up in one word: WOW! Had life not encroached, this would’ve been a single sitting read. No down points. None. It starts fast, stays fast, and finishes even faster. If you like Scot Harvath (Brad Thor), Jack Reacher (Lee Child), John Wells (Alex Berenson), Bob Lee Swagger (Stephen Hunter), et al., you are gonna add James Reece to your list of favs. I have a hard time believing that this won’t be on numerous best seller lists this year. Trust me, folks. This is a certifiable winner.

East Coast Don

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