Samyann
Book 15 in the Scot Harvath series by Brad Thor, this unabridged audiobook version of Foreign Agent is eleven hours of listening and narrated by Armand Schulz. Released by Simon & Schuster Audio in June of 2016.
One of Harvath’s contacts provides intelligence that results in a covert operation disaster, an assassinated Secretary of Defense, a white house suicide bomber. Harvath has been duped and he is out for justice. Our hero traces through a myriad of connections as the brains of bad guys are subsequently drizzled down walls, throats are slashed. This is a pretty graphic story in which women are raped and abused, bodies pile in a most grizzly manner – including innocents burned alive in a cage. Foreign Agent is a thrill ride that spans the globe from Washington, to Malta, to the deserts of Jordan and Syria.
Why I liked Foreign Agent. Scot Harvath is Brad Thor’s espionage hero; a character that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp – you know the type. Harvath is the self-deprecating, handsome, type A, macho-man … a superman with no superhuman skills – only training, wits, courage, and a gentle heart. This type of espionage/thriller is fun to read, and page-turners are more fun in audiobook format. Armand Schulz does a terrific job with narration. Great pacing, tempo, emotion, a sound production.
Not so hot. The story moves at break-neck speed, which is okay, but it is also confusing at times. Lots of action with some very short chapters that usually involve a locale switch. I didn’t want to miss anything relevant, so did a rewind several times. You may find it just fine and this is simply evidence my attention span failing.
If you enjoy the genre, recommended!
