Book Review: Act of Treason

I am almost done with Vince Flynn's new book Act of Treason. And to prevent me from spoiling too much I am writing the review now.

At the end of Consent to Kill I was sure that Mitch Rapp would 'retire'. I was wrong.

The book is a page-turner, moreso than Flynn's previous books. And the return of some domestic villians (Garrett & Ross) is an addition to the intrigue. Kennedy is counting down the days to the end of her career in the CIA, Coleman returns to help Rapp...the ingredients are present for a fun book. And it is fun.

What is especially nice about Flynn books are the truths that he does not abandon. Politicians are pure ego and can be horrible and/or vindictive people if not myopic. Bureaucrats are more harmful than good, the dumbest smart people in the country and counterproductive. Russians are more bark than bite.

The other aspect of Flynn's novels that make them enjoyable is he does not try to trick the reader. There is no "gotcha" at the end, there is no "twist" in the plot. The joy of the novels is watching the pieces all fall into place.

Finally, the recurring criticism is a lack of character development. I say, good, leave it out. Why? Well, in Flynn's words, "Guess what, if I load up on character development, the page turner ceases to exist, and suddenly I've written a literary novel ... that, like a rich piece of chocolate, puts people to sleep after a couple of bites." Exactly.

Great book and I strongly recommend it.