Takedown

May 1, 2006
More terrorist-whupping kicks off Thor's latest addition to his series (Blowback, etc.) featuring Scot Harvath, covert counter terrorism operative for the Department of Homeland Security. Harvath abducts an Algerian bomb-maker out of Montreal while another U.S. team snatches Mohammed bin Mohammed (a.k.a M&M), head of al-Qaeda's weapons of mass destruction committee, from Somalia and stashes him in a secret facility in New York City. But Harvath's premonition that the next terrorist attack would make "9/11 look like choir practice" comes true when Al-Qaeda operative Abdul Ali, backed by a three-foot-tall freelance intelligence agent known as "the Troll," goes to New York to rescue M&M. As part of the al-Qaeda rescue attempt, the Big Apple comes under furious attack. The U.S. president's daughter is seriously injured and thousands are slain as Harvath and his team chase a ruthless enemy through the devastated streets and subways. Bullets fly, bombs explode and people die. Back in Washington, to the disgust of the president, cowardly bureaucrats mewl and whine. Despite stock characters and just-get-the-job-done writing, hawkish readers may relish the non-stop action, lethal weapons, flag waving platitudes and outrageous American-on-terrorist torture. Others may have no stomach for Thor's vision of a U.S. that has dispensed with rule of law to deal with "bad guys...always probing for another soft spot they could exploit."

Featuring former Navy SEAL Scot Harvath, this post-9/11 thriller includes Al Qaeda terrorists, a dwarf seeking revenge for childhood abuses, and possible traitors within the U.S. Government. George Guidall takes listeners on a roller-coaster ride of suspense as Harvath and his band of patriots track down the perpetrators of major attacks on New York City. Guidall gives the characters voices that are consistent and natural as he narrates this complex story, adding just the right amount of drama. Leaving some things unresolved in the cliff-hanger ending, the author makes it difficult for listeners to be patient as we await the next Harvath adventure (due out in July). S.S.R. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine