“Talk about blowback. Every single move we make, whether successful or not, seems to come back to bite us in the ass twice as hard.”
Five years ago, I reviewed Brad Thor’s novel “State of the Union” (read my review).
At the end of that review, I said that I had started the “first few chapters” of the next sequential novel in his venerable Scot Harvath series — “Blowback” — and to stay tuned for my review.
It dawned on me a few weeks ago that I hadn’t ever read beyond those first few chapters. As such, I had never written the review.
Do you ever have that happen — you start a book, things come up, you set it aside, and before you know it, five years have passed?
It is especially difficult as it regards “series fiction.” As a reader, it can be daunting to dive into a new series you haven’t read before.
You sometimes find yourself looking at a massive bibliography of 20 or more books wondering how you will ever get caught up.
But I figured “one foot before the next,” and decided to “restart” Thor’s fourth novel “Blowback,” knowing full well that five additional novels have been released since I had initially started that book five years ago.
Talk about feeling like a hamster running on a wheel…
“Blowback” follows counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath as he trots across the globe hunting down the origins of a mysterious virus that has deadly consequences — namely for those individuals not of the Muslim faith.
(It dawns on me now that I originally started “Blowback” in February of 2020. Considering how things were going at the time, it’s entirely possible I wasn’t in the mood to read a book about a life-disrupting virus. Go figure… )
Anyhow, that “hook” is what propels the narrative forward in “Blowback.”
It certainly is an intriguing question: “How can people of a certain religious persuasion be immune to a particular virus, while it is ‘one hundred percent lethal’ to everyone else?”
It kind of sounds like something out of an Indiana Jones movie, or one of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels.
While authorities are pondering this new contagion, Harvath’s career is in turmoil due to the fact that he is caught on camera beating up an “innocent” Baghdad fruit stall vendor he believed to be terrorist Khalid Sheik Alomari.
Harvath — formerly a Navy SEAL and Secret Service Agent — works for the president’s Office of International Investigative Assistance (OIIA). While he can’t be easily identified in the footage, forces soon start aligning against the administration.
His future with the Apex Project (the name for all the off-the-books operations he participates in with the Department of Homeland Security) is in jeopardy.
A feisty senator named Helen Remington Carmichael (who has her eyes on the Oval Office) sees the controversy as a wedge issue she can use to discredit President Rutledge.
The Arab world also expresses concern about Harvath’s tactics.
To add to the intrigue, it is soon posited that Alomari might be connected to the virus in some way, shape, or form.
“The sooner we get this moving, the better off we’re all going to be.”
Before we know it, Harvath is on the case, jetting overseas, hunting for Alomari, and seeking clues to the puzzling virus.
With the help of a London-based chemistry teacher named Jillian Alcott, Harvath starts to peel back the layers of a centuries-old mystery that holds the fate of humanity in its grip (with plot points that feel like they could have been found between the pages of a Dan Brown novel).
Can Harvath figure things out before it is too late? Will humanity survive?
Thor knows how to weave together a topical espionage thriller set in a number of exotic locales.
Prior to his writing career, Thor created and hosted the PBS series “Traveling Lite.”
Much of the action in “Blowback” takes place in Europe, and Thor’s details and anecdotes help define the reader’s sense of place.
“Blowback” was published in 2005. The world has certainly changed in the past 20 years.
Thor has discussed the evolution of his work in a number of media interviews and podcasts over the years. As reader habits change, Thor has tweaked his style to increase the page-turning pace of his novels.
“Blowback” (like his first three novels) is full of rich details, intrigue, and action.
You have to give Thor credit for taking a number of disparate threads and weaving them together in entertaining fashion.
It was neat to see the author’s childhood fascination with Carthaginian general Hannibal on display in “Blowback.” Those details helped the novel rise above the typical thriller fare and gave the story historical heft.
As is the case with all of Thor’s novels, the gear and weaponry add to the story’s authenticity. Whether he is describing mountaineering gear like a KIVA technical backpack, or discussing the finer points of the Aerotechnik Super Vivat Icarus motorglider, Thor’s details are top-notch.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Blowback.” It is an intricate and fast-paced entry in his Scot Harvath series.
Thor is one of the best plotters working in the genre today. “Blowback” illustrates his ability to craft clever stories.
The last time I reviewed a Brad Thor novel I made a “grand proclamation” about wanting to finally get caught up on his novels during that particular year.
That goal obviously didn’t go down the way I had planned.
All I am going to say this time around is that I am looking forward to reading more of Thor’s novels.
So stay tuned…
If you would like to learn more about the world of author Brad Thor, visit his website at www.bradthor.com
>> If you enjoyed my review of “Blowback” by Brad Thor, be sure to follow me on X/Twitter: @TheJonCrunch
More Brad Thor content:
> Book Review: “State of the Union” By Brad Thor
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