The president of the United States has been kidnapped. Worse yet,
it was on Scot Harvath's watch, and the Secret Service agent
doesn't take failure well. What begins as a lovely ski vacation in
Utah for the first family and entourage snowballs into a nightmare
scene, leaving dozens of bodies strewn about the slopes, a cadre of
law enforcement officials stepping all over each other's toes, and
a country missing its revered leader. Once the snow has cleared,
the awful truth becomes apparent. The Secret Service man screwed
up, big time. Wisecracking Agent Harvath pushes himself, and his
superiors, to the breaking point, picking up evidence where the
clues lead him. As he formulates a theory about the kidnappers and
their whereabouts, the rest of the agency is on a different path,
one that comes around to Scot as the main suspect. Now he must not
only fulfill his duty to recover the president but also regain his
reputation and clear his name.

THE LIONS OF LUCERNE is off and running from the start. Each page
is filled with more action and intrigue spanning several countries
than would seem possible in one book. Just following ex-Navy SEAL
Harvath through the author's energized words nearly wears out the
reader. How Harvath avoids total exhaustion must be due to his
sheer pluck, the fact that he's a 20-somethinger, or a mammoth
supply of time-release adrenaline.

Naturally, we begin in Washington, DC. Soon, we hit the slopes of
Utah, then join the villains in Switzerland, ultimately ending up
somewhere in the Caspian Sea. How we get there is on a
rollercoaster ride of chase scenes, shootouts, clue hunts, and
disguise changes, with just a hint of romance thrown in to soften
the edges. Our superhero Scot Harvath possesses superhuman luck,
both bad and good. He's tireless, driven, sarcastic, blessed with
the nine lives of a cat, a short but colorful past, and a hatred of
having things pointed at him. His dogged pursuit of the coalition
that snatched the president exemplifies the selfless ideal of
honoring a solemn vow. After all, it was his sworn duty to protect
the lives of others even at the risk of his own. Brad Thor has
given us a classic good versus evil thriller.

In each chapter, skiers, snowboarders, climbers, and travelers will
long to be flying, schussing and rappelling beside our protagonist.
Lovers of sophisticated spy gadgets and state-of-the-art espionage
toys will itch to get a hold of the assortment the "Lions" and the
Secret Service have. In the midst of the action, both sides display
a host of weapons that would make even 007 envious. This fresh new
author brings us an exhilarating tale of power, greed, and
political machinations entwined in this nonstop thriller with witty
dialogue and catchy prose. Mix Ian Fleming with Robert Ludlum and
the result is an exciting newcomer on the scene, Brad Thor.