The Terminal List by Jack Carr

Lieutenant Commander James Reece is a Navy SEAL; a skilled, highly trained and deadly soldier. Things start to go bad when his men are led into an ambush in Afghanistan. Soon after returning home, his family and the only other soldier to survive the attack are targeted. When they unsuccessfully come for him, Reese discovers a conspiracy that reaches to the very highest levels of government. Now Reese has nothing left to lose and a powerful sense of vengeance.

The Terminal List is not just a political thriller, it’s a tale of vengeance. Everything that James Reece cares about has been stripped from him and nothing will stop him from visiting retribution on all those who played a part in the conspiracy. With the help of a few trusted friends, Reece determines who is responsible and puts together a list of the people who are going to have to pay.

Jack Carr has created a convincing action hero and Carr’s own experience as a SEAL shines through from descriptions of intelligence gathering, battle preparations and brutal combat. Comparisons to other contemporary action heroes are inevitable, but there are also flashes that remind me of earlier action series such as Don Pendleton’s Executioner series. This is particularly true when Reese shows up with his arsenal of weapons to deliver very personal forms of justice and retribution on those who deserve it.

It’s tough to rise above the noise in the political thriller genre but Carr has delivered a promising debut. The Terminal List is a top-notch thriller and Carr is an author to watch. It will be interesting to see where he is able to go next. Highly recommended.

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

Buy it here: