By Jon Brooks
Eyes so dark as to be black…
As I am writing this review, we are a few weeks away from the tenth anniversary of the publication of the Mitch Rapp novel “The Survivor” (read my review).
Series creator Vince Flynn died of prostate cancer in 2013, and “The Survivor” (written by Kyle Mills and released in 2015) was the first Rapp novel published in the “post-Flynn” era.
The final “Flynn-penned” Rapp novel was 2012’s “The Last Man.”
But the two novels Flynn wrote prior to that were “prequel” stories “American Assassin” and “Kill Shot” focusing on the origin story of the author’s venerable protagonist.
I have always assumed that Flynn decided to explore his protagonist’s origins because there were — at the time — a number of efforts to bring his novels to the big screen.
I figured the prequels were a way for Flynn to give screenwriters a “fresh” starting point for those theatrical ambitions.
There were reports in that era that “Consent to Kill” was going to be the first novel made into a movie (a novel some argue is Flynn’s best). There were also a number of interesting stories about actors who might play Rapp (with Colin Farrell and Matthew Fox being among the names suggested).
Ultimately, “American Assassin” served as the basis for the movie, and it arrived at the box office on Sept. 15, 2017 (read my review).
The movie featured actor Dylan O’Brien as Rapp and Michael Keaton as CIA operative Stan Hurley (the character who trained Rapp in the novels).
While the movie strayed from the book (and changed key plot points about Rapp’s origin), I still have a soft spot for it. I rewatch it each year and wish they had made more movies in the series.
“American Assassin” (the novel) was envisioned as the first part of a three-book cycle telling Rapp’s origin story. But after two consecutive novels set in that timeframe, Flynn switched gears and returned to “present day” for the final book published before his death.
When author Don Bentley took the helm of the Mitch Rapp franchise from Kyle Mills in 2023, some fans wondered if it might be time to revisit the character’s origins in the 1990s.
Bentley’s 2024 entry in the series — “Capture or Kill” — took Rapp back in time to 2011 and the events that surrounded the hunt for Osama bin Laden. It is a very entertaining book (read my review).
My assumption was that Bentley would return to present day for his 2025 entry in the series.
But fans’ wishes were granted when it was announced that Bentley would finish Rapp’s origin story with the 2025 publication of “Denied Access.”
I just finished an ARC (advance reader copy) of “Denied Access” as part of the Mitch Rapp Ambassador program.
I enjoyed having the opportunity to hop in the time machine and take a trip back to the 1990s. “Denied Access” recalls a number of spy thrillers I read in that era; stories set in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
“Denied Access” finds CIA operative Mitch Rapp trying to figure out where he fits in the proverbial new world order.
Rapp is also trying to figure out what shape his life is going to take beyond the tenets of the job.
His Swiss girlfriend Greta finds herself in danger during the opening chapters of the novel. Her grandfather (a banker previously connected to an East German spy ring) was a key chess piece in Cold War maneuvering. But the espionage players don’t easily forget the game.
Rapp questions what sort of personal life a person in his profession can have.
He’s a man who already lost a girlfriend in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing (leading him to pursue his current profession). At issue for Rapp is whether protecting a romantic partner is antithetical to being an effective operator.
In addition, government wonks are questioning the relevance of the CIA following the dissolution of the Iron Curtain. Key intelligence blunders have created an existential crisis for the agency.
Longtime intelligence stalwarts Thomas Stansfield (interim CIA director) and Irene Kennedy (director of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center) are doing their level best to navigate this new paradigm in the corridors of power.
As the story progresses, Rapp and his mentor Hurley soon find themselves in the trenches of this counterintelligence chess match — a game that shakes up ghosts from the past and portends a dangerous geopolitical future.
In case you hadn’t noticed, Rapp’s pretty damn good in a fight
I started reading these sorts of espionage novels in 1989.
I’ve mentioned on this blog a number of times that I had a high school English teacher my sophomore year who didn’t exactly follow the rules (and didn’t follow the set curriculum) and had us read either a Tom Clancy or a Robert Ludlum novel near the end of the semester… and write a report on it.
I read Clancy’s “Patriot Games” for the assignment.
In that novel, protagonist Jack Ryan finds himself and his family the target of Northern Ireland terrorists after he foils the group’s attempt to kidnap the Prince and Princess of Wales in London.
While Ryan is a different type of character than Rapp, both find themselves motivated professionally by loved ones put in danger by those who want to harm the free world.
In many respects, “Denied Access” feels like a throwback to the sort of thriller novels released in the late 80s and early 90s.
This is Bentley’s tenth novel overall. He has written four novels in his Matt Drake series, four Jack Ryan, Jr. novels (for the Tom Clancy estate), and two Mitch Rapp novels.
There were a number of sections I enjoyed in “Denied Access.”
I particularly liked the prologue following Thomas Stansfield on an operation in Germany in 1945. It kind of made me wish we could have a novel centered around the character working for the OSS during World War II.
I also liked the passages that took place in Moscow. It was nice to see Irene Kennedy in the field, having to consider the “Moscow rules” of things as she applied her tradecraft.
As a kid, I remember watching the espionage film “Firefox” when it debuted on network television (as part of “The ABC Sunday Night Movie” series). I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse moments in Moscow in that movie as Mitchell Gant (Clint Eastwood) maneuvered through the city.
I know Bentley is a fan of Nelson DeMille’s 1988 novel “The Charm School,” which took place in the Soviet Union. I get the sense that DeMille’s novel had an influence on this novel (DeMille is mentioned in “Denied Access,” and the term “charm school” is also used…)
Bentley also tossed in a number of “Easter Eggs” that astute fans will be able to spot.
He integrates authors David McCloskey and Fred Burton into the novel in a creative manner. He also found a way to include Mitch Rapp fan Kris Henrik (a fellow Mitch Rapp Ambassador) in the story with a key role.
Bentley consulted with McCloskey on a “particularly vexing plot problem” he had as he was writing the third act of “Denied Access.” McCloskey is an author of espionage novels himself, including his much lauded debut “Damascus Station.”
McCloskey recommended Bentley read the non-fiction book “The Main Enemy” and put him in contact with one of the authors, CIA veteran Milton Bearden.
Bentley talks about this on a recent episode of the “Acta Non Verba” podcast with host Marcus Aurelius Anderson.
He also dives into his writing process, discusses crafting the Mitch Rapp series, and tells Anderson what “leadership” means to him. It’s one of the more earnest interviews I’ve heard with the author, and definitely worth a listen!
With “Denied Access,” Bentley presents a novel that focuses on old-school spy craft. It is a thriller that sits somewhere on the spectrum between the classic vibe of a John Le Carré novel and the stylized world Robert Ludlum created in his Jason Bourne trilogy.
That makes for the perfect mix to wrap up Mitch Rapp’s origin story. I think fans are going to have a good time reading this entry in the series.
I’m curious to see what is next for Rapp and what facets of the character Bentley explores next. What has our protagonist — the quintessential “tip of the spear” — been up to the past few years? How will he tackle the various geopolitical crises our world faces?
Stay tuned!!
>> Order your copy of “Denied Access” here.
To learn more about about Don Bentley, visit his website at www.donbentleybooks.com, and to learn more about Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp novels, visit www.vinceflynn.com.
>> If you enjoyed my review of Don Bentley’s “Denied Access,” be sure to follow me on Twitter/X: @TheJonCrunch
Related posts on Vince Flynn, Don Bentley, Kyle Mills, and the Mitch Rapp Saga:
> Book Review: “Without Sanction” By Don Bentley
> “American Assassin” Review: “It’s About the Mission, Not About You!”
> Honored to Part of “Mitch Rapp Novel” Title Reveal!
> Cool to be Part of the “What’s Your Story” Feature on VinceFlynn.com
> Thoughts on “The Survivor”... A Mitch Rapp Novel by Kyle Mills
> Book Review: “Vince Flynn - Order to Kill” by Kyle Mills
> Book Review: “Vince Flynn - Enemy of the State” by Kyle Mills
> Contagious Thrills in “Vince Flynn - Lethal Agent” by Kyle Mills
> Book Review: Sparks Fly in “Vince Flynn - Total Power” by Kyle Mills
> Book Review: Things Change in “Enemy at the Gates” by Kyle Mills
> Book Review: Take an “Oath of Loyalty” For Kyle Mills’s Latest Rapp Thriller
> Bentley’s “Capture or Kill” Gives Flynn’s Rapp Series a Shot of Retro Adrenaline
> Book Review: A Unique Protagonist and Snark Highlight Kyle Mills’ Thriller “Fade”
> Book Review: Heroes Come Alive in “Fade In” by Kyle Mills
