Jon Crunch: Book Review: Jack Carr’s “Savage Son” is a Modern Thriller With Retro Flair

“I’m going hunting…”

Many moons ago, I started reading the brand of high-concept espionage thriller that would become a lifelong interest of mine.

Readers of my generation typically cite stalwarts who came to fore in the 1970s and 80s — like Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum — as being among their favorites. There’s little doubt that reading Clancy’s novel “Patriot Games” in 1989 had an impact on my literary habits as I entered adulthood.

But it was the books I read during my elementary school years that planted the seeds of interest in the genre.

A book I read in third grade called “Radar Commandos” by Bernard Glemser was the first thriller I remember consuming. I found a tattered copy in my school’s library and absolutely loved it.

The World War II story tells the tale of a 15-year-old boy whose family farm is occupied by the Germans. The British contact the boy because reconnaissance photos have discovered technology on the farm that will make it difficult for Allied aircraft to maneuver over the area. As a result, the boy aids in planning a commando raid to infiltrate the property.

The book is uses a classic “men on a mission” structure — a narrative technique that has epitomized numerous thrillers over the years.

Having followed author Jack Carr on Twitter the past few years, you can see he also shares a passion for that brand of story. It’s no secret that the books he enjoyed growing up influence his writing, and he often shares selections from his youth with his followers.

Those sturdy underpinnings provide the foundation his latest novel “Savage Son.”

Carr has quickly become a favorite in the world of high-tech espionage thrillers.

It isn’t a plethora of technical anecdotes that sets his writing apart from his contemporaries. Carr's watermark is an “analog sensibility” that imbues the visceral action sequences in his stories.

“Savage Son” finds former Navy SEAL James Reece in scenic Montana environs recovering from brain surgery (to remove a tumor that was diagnosed in Carr’s first novel “The Terminal List” — read my review).

Reece is recuperating at Kumba Ranch in Flathead Valley, Montana. The ranch is the homestead of former college classmate and SEAL teammate Raife Hastings and his family (who emigrated from southern Africa in the 1980s).

The Hastings clan has quickly become an integral part of Carr’s novels. In his second novel “True Believer” (read my review), Reece spends quite a bit of time with Raife’s uncle at his safari operation on the Niassa Game Reserve in Mozambique.

I’m someone who grew up in an era when sweeping family sagas were a staple of primetime television. As a kid, I remember my family watching the epic 1983 miniseries “The Winds of War” on ABC. In some respects, the Hastings family is something akin to Victor “Pug” Henry’s brood in Herman Wouk’s story.

(Jack Carr — if you’re reading this — I wouldn’t mind at all if you decided to write a family saga centered around the Hastings family during the Rhodesian Bush War.)

Reece’s interactions with the Hastingses add depth to the character. The early sequences in “Savage Son” find our hero bowhunting with Raife, attending cozy family dinners, grilling elk tenderloin, and serving love interest Kate Buranek stylish pinot noirs from the Sonoma coast named “Semper.”

These are moments where the protagonist — who has lost so much during his journey — finds a sense of place and belonging.

Unfortunately, Reece’s idyllic respite is tossed asunder when hitmen hired by the Bratva (an umbrella term for the Russian mafia) are sent to murder our hero for his handiwork in events that took place during “True Believer.” The hit is orchestrated by a former CIA analyst named Oliver Grey who is working for mob boss Ivan Zharkov.

This sets into motion a series of events that shape the remainder of “Savage Son.”

Carr has mentioned that Richard Connell’s 1924 short story “The Most Dangerous Game” served as one of his inspirations for this novel.

I first read “The Most Dangerous Game” in eighth grade English class. I then revisited it in a literature course called “Short Story” I took as an undergrad at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I read it again a few years ago when my niece was studying it in her high school English class (she asked for assistance filling in a worksheet on the story).

The short story’s inspiration is first seen in “Savage Son’s” prologue — a foreshadowing sequence that takes place in the frigid climate of Russia’s Medny Island.

The intriguing aspect of “The Most Dangerous Game” is its raw illustration of the “man vs. man” struggle between protagonist and antagonist — a big-game hunter named Sanger Rainsford finds himself the prey of a fellow hunter named Zaroff.

In Carr’s “Savage Son” prologue, we see Aleksandr Zarkhov (son of the aforementioned Ivan) hunting a human target on Medny Island.

(It is interesting to note the similarities between the name “Zarkhov” in Carr’s novel and “Zaroff” in Connell’s short story.)

Carr has also Tweeted that Louis L’Amour’s Cold War adventure “Last of the Breed” influenced the narrative in “Savage Son.”

Astute readers will notice an homage to “Last of the Breed” in the third act of “Savage Son.”

I read “Last of the Breed” in the summer of 1996 (right after I graduated from college). I’d been a fan of L’Amour’s “horse operas,” and decided to try out one of his “non-western” stories. If you haven’t had a chance read it, I’d definitely recommend it.

In “Savage Son,” Carr writes: “The Teams had a saying: ‘Don’t rush your death.’”

By the same token, Carr doesn’t rush his plotting in “Savage Son.” There is a richness to his battle-scarred prose that recalls masters of the past.

I know Carr’s fans love the author’s descriptions of tactical gear and ballistics (the man exquisitely describes Jonathan Hastings’s battered FN FAL rifle). That said, the conflict in “Savage Son” excels when the author deals with the more primitive elements of combat — and the motivations behind those who mete them out.

Speaking of weaponry, Carr posted a video of Reece’s compound bow (made by John Dudley at NockOn Archery) on his YouTube channel:

Carr’s loyal cadre of followers will also recognize many of the Easter eggs strewn throughout the novel (some of the author’s favorite brands are mentioned, along with references to classic movies he enjoys, like “Young Guns”).

Carr is Toyota Land Cruiser aficionado, and the author’s recently restored 1988 FJ62 Land Cruiser makes an appearance in the novel (it kind of reminds me of when Clive Cussler featured cars from his vintage collection in his Dirk Pitt novels).

The Land Cruiser was restored by ICON 4x4 and the results can be seen in this YouTube video:

Considering everything going on the the world right now, it might be time for you to escape into Jack Carr’s James Reece series.

The first six chapters of “Savage Son” are available on the author’s website. If you haven’t read a James Reece thriller before, I’d recommend starting with “The Terminal List” and working your way forward. Each book builds on its predecessor.

(It was recently announced that actor Chris Pratt is set to star in — and executive produce — a TV series based on “The Terminal List,” so it is a good time to jump in.)

“Savage Son” epitomizes the modern thriller and infuses it with retro flair.

The CREW Reviews podcast (a weekly show you should subscribe to if you are interested in mysteries and thrillers) has a terrific interview with Jack Carr where he talks about his influences, inspirations, and writing process: