RATING: C-
SYNOPSIS: A continuation of Vince Flynn’s long-running Mitch Rapp series, this book starts right when Extreme Measures leaves off—a terror attack in the U.S. that wreaks horrific damage and the masterminds on the run. Rapp and team try to find them using any and all means necessary. Along the way, Flynn, through his characters, opines on the necessity of torture as an interrogation tactic, the uselessness of politicians in general and Democrats in particular, and the stupidity of the American public.
REVIEW: As a long-time fan of Vince Flynn, I picked this book up with much anticipation, especially since with Extreme Measure, Flynn seemed to have been phasing out Rapp and moving his sidekick, Mike Nash, into more of a starring role. Which was fine by me. I felt that by the time Protect and Defend came along, Rapp had become a fully evolved character, meaning he no longer seems to suffer from any kind of emotional wound or plagued with self-doubt. Might be fine for some readers, but not for me. I like my characters flawed (makes them more interesting, gives them inner conflict) and Rapp had become too perfect, too full of himself, with no one around to punch holes in his ego. Nowhere in Flynn’s other books displayed Rapp’s “my road or the high road” mentality more than in this book which left a really sour taste in my mouth even though Rapp turned out to be right and the bad guys went down in spectacular fashion. Why the sour taste? Two reasons: (a) Rapp’s rightness bordered on the self-righteousness, and (b) came at the expense of his good friends. He figuratively castrated his good pal Nash but felt no remorse about it because he was right dammit, and acted like the worst know-it-all from page one all the way to “The End.” I put up with it because I expected some kind of contrition at the end of the book, to humble himself in front of his friend whose fate he changed, and yet nothing. Nada. He was right, he knew it, he told you so, and you’re gonna like it because he saved your ass yet again and you should just shut up and be grateful.
Lovable guy, isn’t he? Oh, you want my opinion on the rest of the book? The plot was good, the bad guys compelling, the pacing excellent, yadda yadda. None of the goodness can make up for the sheer arrogance of the main character. There wasn’t even any sex to soften the hard edges. As far as I’m concerned Rapp’s all played out. Unless he gets a smackdown in the next book (from a sexy blonde operative named you-know-who), I might just skip the next one. And the next.
