NUMBER: 47TITLE: Consent to Kill
AUTHOR: Vince Flynn
STARTED: May 23, 2006
FINISHED: June 1, 2006
PAGES: 465
GENRE: Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: To kill a man is a relatively easy thing - especially the average unsuspecting man.
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] For years, Mitch Rapp's bold actions have saved the lives of countless Americans. He has killed with impunity, tortured to avert disaster, and shown he will do whatever it takes to prevent terrorists from fulfilling their bloody wishes. His battles for peace and freedom have made him a hero to many, and an enemy to countless more. In the tangled, duplicitous world of espionage, there are those, even among America's allies, who want to see Mitch Rapp eliminated. They have decided the time has come.
Now, the powerful father of a dead terrorist demands vengeance in its simplest form — an eye for an eye, and Rapp instantly becomes the target of an international conspiracy. This time, he must use all of his vigilance and determination to save himself before he can turn his fury on those who have dared to betray him.
REASON FOR READING: It was the latest book in one of my favorite series.
THOUGHTS: I'm having trouble deciding if I've outgrown this series, or if the author's writing has gone downhill. I also made the mistake of reading the Washington Post's review of the book, and they readily panned it. So, I can't decide if they influenced my reading of the book.
On the whole, Consent to Kill was just as enjoyable as the rest of the Mitch Rapp series, it just felt a little more black-and-white and heavy handed to me. I believe this is Flynn's first completely post-9/11 book, and I think it influenced his writing style. Flynn's writing and his characterization of Rapp comes across as preachy, my-way-or-the-highway, and that was not a good thing. I'm reading this book because I want to, not so that I can be told that terrorists are bad and innocent Americans are good. As the book progressed, this style gave way to the old political thriller greatness of the earlier books in the series, but the lingering taste in my mouth was not a good one.
The one great thing about this book was the way it turned Rapp into a man. In the past books, I've always seen him as a flawed, but still steely super-hero. This book knocks him down a notch and it was interesting to see how his character handled the massive tragedy the overtook his life. It was nice to see some real emotion out of Rapp for once.
Aside from the tone, I just wish that Flynn would give more space and attention to the side characters. They are an intregral part of every book, but always seem to fall away when they're just getting interesting. Are you hearing me Flynn? I want to know more about Scott Coleman and Irene Kennedy!
It was the final scene, one which had me in tears, that makes me want to read the next book in the series. Then again, the last line makes me wonder if there is even going to be another book. The new Rapp may not be the best character anymore, but he's still worth following.
MISCELLANEOUS: It took me forever to get around to reading this, it was about time I did.
KEEP/SHARE/CRINGE(?): Keep
RATING: 6/10 [Good]
CR: Y The Last Man: Paper Dolls by Brian K. Vaughan
RN: The Cobra & The Concubine by Bonnie Vanak
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