The mere existence of PURSUIT OF HONOR, Vince Flynn’s
latest Mitch Rapp thriller, is enough to make one stand up and
cheer even before its binding is cracked open. Those familiar with
Rapp know him as the CIA agent who colors outside the lines,
effectively getting the job done while incidentally keeping the
country safe. Rapp is becoming a literary icon, the guy you would
be proud to have as your friend and glad to have watching your
back. Those holding out for a hero in these bleak times need look
no further than Flynn and PURSUIT OF HONOR, as accurate a title and
as exciting a novel as you are likely to encounter…at least
until the next time Flynn takes fingers to keyboard.

PURSUIT OF HONOR takes place shortly after the conclusion of
EXTREME MEASURES, which featured a series of cataclysmic events
that left the nation reeling. Rapp and Mike Nash, his trusted
protégé, managed to thwart a dastardly terrorist attack
before it reached its ultimate goal, but not before it exacted a
great personal cost upon first responders and those who support
them. In the aftermath, Rapp is engrossed in plugging a potential
intelligence leak but must also deal with Nash, who is marked with
adverse psychological aftereffects following the previous
book’s events and the losses he has suffered.

Meanwhile, Karim, the mastermind behind the attacks --- the
self-styled “Lion of al Qaeda” --- and his two somewhat
reluctant associates are crossing the heartland of America, cutting
a bloody swath that, unbeknownst to them, will bring their pursuers
closer to identifying them. Rapp’s most immediate and
dangerous enemies, however, are the leaders of the nation who he
has sworn to protect and who seem hell-bent on turning the United
States over to its enemies without a single shot being fired. Flynn
does an excellent job of portraying the so-called progressive
mindset in action with dialogue so frighteningly accurate that it
almost seems to have been lifted verbatim from C-SPAN.

Once Rapp has dealt with the oversight committee, he must turn
his attention to Karim, who is inadvertently goaded into a
confrontation in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Rapp neatly maneuvers
Nash into a position that seemingly benefits everyone. His plan
backfires, though, in a way that he never anticipated, and PURSUIT
OF HONOR concludes with a chilling and dangerous confrontation
where Rapp once again puts everything on the line to protect the
two things he loves most --- his nation and his friends --- from a
deadly attack.

Flynn, who made his debut over a decade ago, shows no sign of
slowing down. If you have a long night ahead of you, PURSUIT OF
HONOR is the book to pick up to keep you company. In the land of
one-sit reads, Flynn is king, and his latest is Exhibit A for that
proposition. The first half of the book moves rapidly, and as for
the second half, all I can say is strap yourself in, particularly
for the last 50 pages.