American Assassin: A Thriller (1) (A Mitch Rapp Novel)

American Assassin is a fast-paced and intense thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. It follows Mitch Rapp, a young man who’s recruited into a secret CIA training program after losing his girlfriend in a terrorist attack. What I really liked is how the book dives into Rapp’s transformation—he starts off raw and emotional, but quickly becomes a skilled and ruthless operative. The training scenes are brutal and realistic, especially his dynamic with Stan Hurley, the tough veteran who pushes Rapp to his limits. Flynn does a great job showing the mental and physical toll of becoming an assassin, while still making Rapp feel human and relatable. The action is sharp and well-written, and the story moves quickly without losing depth. I appreciated how Flynn didn’t shy away from the moral gray areas of espionage and revenge. It’s not just about fighting terrorists—it’s about what that fight does to the people involved. Overall, American Assassin is a solid read if you enjoy spy thrillers with strong characters and gritty realism. It’s a great entry point into the Mitch Rapp series, and I’m definitely planning to read more.

American Assassin is another must read by Vince Flynn. This latest edition to the Mitch Rapp series will help you put two and two together on the Mitch Rapp history that was never covered. Not only does this clear up a fuzzy history of Mitch but also some of the other players in the series such as Irene Kennedy and Thomas Stansfield as well. It is not the non-stop action you may be accustomed to with Vince Flynn but this is still a much-needed addition to the series. The beginning of the story is about how Irene recruits Mitch from college vs. being from a more operational background. Which doesn't set to well with the trainer Stan Hurley, who will do everything possible to stop Mitch from finishing his training. Right from the start you can see the competition and building friendship between these two that will continue to grow throughout the series. You could tell from the first meeting in the barn that Mitch had a raw talent for the Clandestine service that others had to be taught. We know Mitch as a killing machine that needs no backup, but in this story we get to walk through his first engagements with Islamic radicals and Russians. Even from these first engagements you can see what a natural Mitch is at this line of work. Reading this book after already feeling you know Mitch helps to clear up some confusion I had while reading the others. I would sometimes feel that I was missing some part of the story and since I started reading the series 2009 I always thought I had missed a book. Turns out I did not miss a book it just didn't start from the beginning. This was not the page-turner that the majority of series seems to be but it was a very necessary book, which I think wrote very well. A vast majority of his audience may expect more action out of a Mitch Rapp book, but this one incorporates more of the back-story along with the normal action. It was like finding the missing piece of a puzzle hiding under the couch. The biggest drawback to American Assassin was the editing. It seems to be rushed to make a due date or some other glitch. It's hard to believe that they went ahead with releasing it with so many spelling errors and missing words. But these are the only drawbacks to the book that I found. To sum the book up I would say that this is not Vince's best work but he has set the bar so high its hard to keep it that way for every book. Other than the spelling errors I think that overall this is still a great book and a must read for anyone that has read about Mitch Rapp. You get to go back in time to the beginning of a great character in Mitch Rapp and tie together the missing pieces from so many books.

American Assassin is my first Mitch Rapp and Vince Flynn read. I was intrigued about the books when I heard it was being made into a movie and after a quick Goodreads search on it, I determined it was a book I was intrigued enough about to order, which I did. And once I started reading it, I was hooked on the story and the character of Mitch Rapp. Rapp is one of those characters that immediately draws you in and keeps you invested in his story. He’s intense, driven, extremely intelligent, highly logical and observant, and immensely skilled at what he does. This particular book takes readers through how Rapp got his start as an assassin, going into who he is and where he came from while also showing how he became the man he (seemingly) becomes throughout the rest of the series. Once Rapp is recruited by Irene Kennedy and taken to meet Stan Hurley at the start of American Assassin, we start to see how Rapp is different from the others who came before him. All those qualities I listed above start to show themselves in varying different ways, each of which confuse and intrigue the people who either want him to succeed or want him to fail. He’s unlike anyone else, and that makes him as unpredictable as it does dangerous. Which seems like perfectly good traits for an assassin. This book takes you through Rapp’s training and into his first forays into field work and every single bit of it compelled me to read on. I couldn’t put it down once I started it, and I was never so glad to have made the snap decision to buy the second book in the series before I’d read the first as I was when I finished this book. I was also glad I’d chosen to buy both of books in print because there’s something extremely satisfying about turning the pages on this one. It’s a book that stayed me with, and made me want to go out and buy every single one of the books in the series because of how much I loved reading this one. If you’re looking for an entertaining and compelling espionage read you can escape into for a while, definitely pick up a copy of American Assassin by Vince Flynn. I am going to go out on a limb and recommend getting it in print, too, because if you’re anything like me, this is a series you’re going to want to own in print.

As a person who loves well-written spy and assassin fiction novels while I was browsing on Amazon, I came across a series of novels written by Vince Flynn, which surprisingly I had never heard of and never read any of his novels in the past. After doing a little research of my own I decided to read this book (American assassin: A thriller by Vince Flynn) first (even though it is actually the 11th book in his series) and move on to the others he has written in the order they were presented. As soon as I received the book and began reading it, I could not put it down for very long because I could not wait to get back to the novel. The main character in this book is Mitch Rapp, who while in college was recruited to join the CIA, after the Pam AM Lockerbie terrorist attack. At 23 years old he is the youngest to have been recruited for this special secret assassin unit. He is constantly under supervision, and they are suspicious of his abilities and skills. Some think he is not who he claims to be, and he is constantly being tested at every turn. There is no question he is physically in fantastic shape, and he catches on very quick to anything he is taught like shooting skills. I really enjoyed this book from the very first action-packed page. If you are a fan of spy assassin type novels that are well-written and great reads you should check out this series by Vince Flynn. Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Tactical Principles of the most effective Combative Systems).

I read this after reading Kill Shot It was excellent These novels stack up with the best action espionage novels out there

First, the book arrived well ahead of schedule and in pristine condition, which deserves to be acknowledged. As for the novel itself, it is a fast-paced and engaging read, particularly in light of the current state of global affairs. Without giving away spoilers, the story essentially explores how Mitch Rapp becomes Mitch Rapp, how a young man is shaped, trained, and hardened into a lethal operative capable of carrying out the kind of assignments that governments prefer not to acknowledge. The training sequences are among the more interesting parts of the book, though not always the most convincing. The references to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, presumably intended to demonstrate Rapp’s growing mastery of close-combat techniques, are at times difficult to follow and occasionally feel more descriptive than immersive. Similarly, the movement of the plot from Turkey to Zurich and then to Lebanon gives the novel a broad international canvas, but some sequences stretch credibility. In particular, the electronic heist involving a Swiss bank feels somewhat far-fetched, even by thriller standards. The final confrontation in Lebanon is certainly cinematic, but perhaps too much so. It has a distinctly James Bond-like quality, which may appeal to some readers, but it also distances the story from the harder realism that one might expect from this genre. Overall, this is an enjoyable, high-energy thriller with a compelling central character and enough momentum to keep the reader turning the pages. However, it is weaker when it comes to factual precision, technical detail, and operational realism. It is an entertaining and energetic thriller, though readers expecting the dense technical realism of Tom Clancy may find it lighter and more cinematic.

American Assassin: A Thriller Reviewed by Tracy L. Karol After the last Flynn novel, I wondered where he would take us on our journey with Mitch Rapp. Our hero has weathered devastating heartbreak, betrayals, corrupt (and/or stupid politicians), more danger than any James Bond character, and has barely managed to keep his soul intact. I find it a great testament to Mr. Flynn's writing and creativity that he has penned a character who has evolved so much. Yet there was always something missing. We knew from previous books that Rapp had been recruited to join the CIA, but his early years with the agency remained a mystery. In fact, just before I started reading this book someone who wanted to start the series asked me if he needed to start at the beginning or if he could pick up anywhere and understand the books. I hesitated to answer, but after reading "American Assassin" I can fully endorse starting with the latest release. Obviously Flynn gives enough background material in each book that a new reader can enjoy the novel, but I'm personally glad that I actually read "Term Limits" years ago when it was first released, then read the rest of the books as they were published. Yes, it was agony waiting for each to come out, but they were all well worth the wait. That said, "American Assassin" is one book that anyone can actually start reading now and then go back and read the other books in the series ("Term Limits" is probably optional, but still a great read). It goes back in time and describes a young Mitch Rapp, just graduated from college, recruited by Dr. Irene Kennedy to join a super-secret black ops program to fight terrorism. Not only was the book fascinating, it was wonderful to take a peek at the lives of other major characters in the series, some who are no longer around. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I quickly read "Transfer of Power" again and am now reading "The Third Option." So I would say if you've never read Vince Flynn but have wanted to try out his series, "American Assassin" is a great place to start. While it's the latest book, it goes back in time so you don't miss anything from the later books, and if you love a good thriller, you'll have a plethora waiting for you to read once you finish it. And trust me, Flynn knows of what he writes. When I check out the copyright date on these older novels, it's clear that Flynn had a firm grasp on the threat our country was facing from Islamic extremists, prior to 9/11. He has been spot-on ever since. I highly recommend all of his novels, not only for their entertainment value, but because they are actually educational as well. A few times I have been lucky enough to stumble upon an author who has already produced a body of work that is fantastic, and after reading one novel I tear through all the other published titles (this happened with Robert Crais and Nelson DeMille). If you haven't started reading Flynn, this is your chance. I'm now on my third go-round with some of these books; that's how much I enjoy them. Happy reading!

Readable for the masses, minimal depth and historically superficial.

Prima avventura di M.R. L'inizio non mi è piaciuto granché, poi quando si entra veramente nell'azione della storia, è scattato l'incanto. Ne comprerò altri di questo autore

You can see why the book was taken up for the movie rights, and while I enjoyed the movie the book is much, much better. I have many grit-my-teeth moments as well as laughter at the kissy bits. Really, a well-rounded feast.

Fast paced, well researched and an exciting read. The characters feel real and are well developed. I’m looking forward to the next Rapp book

Great read. If you love action thrillers (Bond, Reacher, etc) the Mitch Rapp series is one of the best. This is a great prequel to the later books, and the best place to start if you are new to the series.

英国から米国に向かっていた飛行機がリビアのテロリストによって撃墜された事件は未だに生々しく記憶に残るノンフィクション。その事件を背景にしビンス・フリンが描いた連続スパイ小説です。撃墜事件で一人のアメリカ青年の人生が一変し、復讐の念をエネルギーとしてCIAのエージェントとして活動をはじめる。以降のシリーズで主人公の性格が変化していくのを知っていたので「シリーズの原点」として非常に興味深く読んだ。