Extreme Measures: A Thriller (Mitch Rapp Novels) [Paperback]

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Extreme Measures: A Thriller (Mitch Rapp Novels) [Paperback]

Product Details

Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books; Reprint edition (August 25, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416505040
ISBN-13: 978-1416505044
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Vince Flynn
Price : $9.99

Customer Reviews

Having read all of Flynn's other books, I was excited to receive his latest in the mail today. After reading it cover-to-cover in one sitting, I must admit that I'm a bit disappointed. This clearly wasn't Flynn's best work. Mitch Rapp had a greatly reduced role, and far too much time was spent on the rote family life details of Mike Nash. At times it felt like the equivalent to when television sitcoms advertise "a very special episode" involving an important message about drugs or whatever. The book's overall message -- that America has become overly complacent in the war on terror -- is one that I share, but it didn't need to be delivered in such a drawn out and almost 'preachy' manner. Too many pages were devoted to changing diapers, Nash's erectile disfunction, and the laborious preparations of a rather lackluster band of cardboard terrorists; with too few involving Rapp in action, or even dealing with Rapp at all. I'm not sure if Flynn is looking to transition his books away from the Rapp character, but it certainly seemed to be the case with this one. In the acknowledments, Flynn referenced that this has been "a very hectic year" for him. Perhaps this explains why he had trouble delivering on this one. Hopefully, things will settle down and his next book will be more in line with what his fans expect and deserve.

If you're looking for a "traditional" Rapp story, I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment. Rapp is a fairly peripheral character in this story that primarily focuses on his protégé Mike Nash.
Terrorist cells are planning strike missions against targets within the United States. Two of the three have been "neutralized", but the last is led by a megalomaniacal fanatic bent on furthering his own ambitions by striking a crippling blow at our strategic capabilities.
This story, as is usual with Flynn, is his signature unique blend of political intrigue and manipulation with shoot-`em-up thriller. But instead of focusing on Rapp and his CIA boss Irene Kennedy, the action centers around Nash and lesser lights at the CIA. Kennedy's appearance is less than perfunctory; she's barely in this story at all, and plays absolutely no meaningful part in its furtherance.
The quality that makes Rapp a "superstar" is that he's virtually a force of nature; an implacable, unstoppable weapon of American policy. Nash is... not.
We spend a lot of time reading about Nash's angst, family problems, the conflict of his job with his family life, etc. It was done in an entertaining fashion, but it's just not a Mitch Rapp book!
And Nash isn't anywhere near as just plain deadly as Rapp. In other reviews of Flynn's work, I've written that Rapp is the American version of James Bond as originally written by Ian Fleming. That's a major part of his appeal and Flynn's popularity.
At the end of this book, I was left with the feeling that Nash was lucky to still be alive, and wouldn't be if it weren't for the timely appearance of Rapp at the final showdown.
So... buyer beware.