Consent to Kill

It is post 9/11, and the focus of the CIA is terrorism. Agent Mitch Rapp is on a secret assignment to kill terrorists and to thwart attacks on the U.S. When a Saudi Arabian hires contract killers to assassinate him, this nonstop thriller takes off. George Guidall's performance is excellent, preferring, for the most part, to let the story itself pack its emotional punch rather than projecting an overly dramatic tone. However, when called for, he reads with feeling. Most of the voices are credible, though the German accent sounds Arabic, and the British accent is weak. S.S.R. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

October 10, 2005
A veteran of more than 800 unabridged novels, Guidall brings his considerable talents to this latest thriller featuring CIA assassin Mitch Rapp. This adventure finds Rapp the target of a billionaire Saudi, who blames Rapp for his son's death and has put a $20-million bounty on the American operative's head. Accepting the offer is a husband and wife assassin team who may be the equal of the seemingly invulnerable Rapp. What follows is an intricate story of death, betrayal and revenge. Guidall's smooth, confident narration and fully developed characterizations make for a first-rate listening experience. He handles Flynn's detailed, and at times long, exposition with ease, while effortlessly switching voices and accents in his portrayal of the book's international cast of characters. He nicely avoids turning the sometimes over-the-top writing into a melodramatic cartoon and keeps the story straightforward and suspenseful. It's a credit to both Flynn and Guidall that this trio of cold-blooded assassins are humanized, which makes the rather surprising ending all the more effective and moving. Simultaneous release with the Atria hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 12).

October 3, 2005
Flynn continues to ratchet up the stakes for CIA assassin Mitch Rapp, who here battles a Saudi billionaire bent on revenge, an ex-East German Stasi spy and a deadly husband-and-wife team of assassins. There's a $20-million contract out on Mitch's head, and to add injury to insult, he hurts his leg during a morning run. After a knee operation and an even more serious mishap, Mitch is out of the hospital and hot on the trail of the evildoers. Meanwhile, Mitch's wife, NBC White House correspondent Anna Reilly, who has been in jeopardy in other Flynn novels like The Third Option , announces midway that she's pregnant: even the dullest of readers will know big trouble is in store. Besides terrorists and assassins, Mitch has to battle the new national director of intelligence, a craven, hypocritical, inside-the-Beltway operator. When Mitch whacks this twerp on the side of the head with a heavy file during a high-level meeting, readers will stand up and cheer. Flynn is sometimes criticized for turning out formulaic work, and while that description fits here, he perfectly measures all of the ingredients for a fast and furious read. 12-city author tour; 20-city radio satellite tour.