coolreads # Retro Books # Spymaster

Spymaster
Author: Brad Thor
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9781476789422
Year Published: 2018

With the theme of vengeance as the core motivation in this thriller, Brad Thor has weaved another exciting adventure for Scot Harvath, a former US Navy Seal counter-terrorism operative. He’s the key agent in a private,  alternative CIA group created and headed by Reed Carlton, a legend in US intelligence who came out of retirement to correct serious flaws in US intelligence operations.

When Thor’s Spymaster begins, the reader is left guessing about what exactly happened in the cabin at the end of the previous thriller.

As our protagonist is the only survivor of a well planned and executed attack to capture him while leaving behind a score of bodies, the villainous crew is overconfident that they can keep the Harvath captive.

When a plane crash in the wilderness of Russia begins this new book, it is almost certain to be a wild ride, and Thor does not disappoint.

Once the action begins, the plot maintains a relentless pace that makes this book a page turner. Written in short, action packed chapters, the story moves along at an alarming pace, with sufficient twists and turns to keep the readers in suspense, wondering if our hero will not only survive, but wreak vengeance on those responsible for the deaths of so many people close to him.

Along the way, Harvath has to use all of his skills to evade recapture from a determined band of Russian mercenaries. As he overcomes more than a few ambushes and firefights, the desire to not only survive but play psychological games with his pursuers reveals a dark side of his character not seen in previous novels.

Thor also shows the inner emotional conflict of his character wrestling with the demons of guilt and regret as he must deal with the loss of his second chance at a romantic relationship.

The cunning Russian plan to break NATO in Spymaster is both brilliant and ominously plausible. Thor skillfully weaves in facts and evidence from the lessons of recent history, giving Russia a rousing victory and America a mortifying defeat.

True to old Soviet and current Russian ways, their plan fomenting chaos across Europe is carried out by proxy by a Russian-front secret group whose whereabouts and objectives are hidden.

Overcoming enormous obstacles may be what Harvath specialises in, but this time around, he must also cope with new complications. He’s well into his 40s and age and all the awful blows to his body over the years have taken their toll. His brilliant boss and mentor, Carlton, is struggling with Alzheimer’s and doesn’t have much time left in his life.

Harvath realises that he must both personally run field operations and help direct overall operations, assisting the new director, Lydia Ryan, that he, Carlton and the president picked.

Adding to these new complications is that intelligence crucial to the mission is being withheld by an ally unless a demand, which would seriously undermine US intelligence, is met.

Harvath will need all his skills when the president tasks him with a mission whose outcome will determine if America will be forced to choose between either betraying allies or World War III.

As the tension builds, the readers are left guessing until the last minute how Harvath is going to get out of Russia and what kind of revenge he will inflict on his enemies. 

The last two novels by Thor epitomise what espionage thrillers are all about and they definitely show he has lost none of his skill at making his major character a rugged yet vulnerable hero. And Harvath is forced to deal with the cost of his lifestyle as a covert operative.

Without a doubt, Spymaster showcases Thor’s best writing. So clever is the Russian plan and so great the danger of its succeeding that it makes this the most gripping thriller yet. Thor once again demonstrates his ability to make you feel you might well be glimpsing at news from the future.