The Third Option: Mitch Rapp Series

I enjoyed reading this book

This Mitch Rapp tale continues to entertain, although it seems to get lost at times in unnecessary detail. As always, it was hard to put down, and there were the usual surprising twists. Wish the ending were different, but it leaves you eager to read the next one in the series!

Inside views of the way politicians work in Washington. The characters are strong and the intricacies are clever. Definitely makes you want to keep reading.

Following up Mitch Rapp's introduction in 'Transfer of Power,' this continuation does not disappoint! It jumps right into Mitch carrying forward his patriotism from protecting national interests at home in the first novel to taking the fight abroad! An immediate twist takes the fight back home quickly enough as he seeks to unwind layer after layer of betrayal, trying to determine who can be trusted but also trying to protect those closest to him. This novel chases Mitch as he runs from both domestic terrorists and his own government as he seeks the truth!Whereas the first novel throws you right into the professional story of this honed weapon, the sequel spends a bit more time exploring the more "human" side of Mitch and the struggles to reconcile his military life with the life he wants to eventually lead. That helps speak to the vulnerability of Mitch's character in his constant exposure via his reporter girlfriend, Anna. She serves as his ongoing "foil" but also one of the series' more inconsistent plot points on account of that. She is built out as a domineering/intelligent persona but then consistently makes reactive/short-sighted decisions that both conflict with her background and undermine Mitch's ongoing efforts. Despite that though, she provides a wonderful extra dimension to this otherwise stoic hero.Continuing from the first novel, something the author, Flynn, does exceptionally well is providing an exciting blend of thrills/action alongside heavy servings of political intrigue and bureaucratic back-channeling. Rather than just glazing over the political backdrop, Flynn spends a significant amount of time focusing on the governmental factors simultaneously in play giving this series an attractive balance not often seen in the genre!

I read this book several months ago but I don't recall the information but I recall that the book was very good. I don't know why it won't list the book as read. I enjoy reading Flynn books a lot!

As a general rule, I often enjoy movies about super-stud, kick-ass spies like James Bond or Jason Bourne, who are often caught up in labyrinthian plots where everyone is betraying everyone else and you never know who to trust. But for whatever reason, I've never been very fond of books about these sorts of characters. The characters often seem very one-dimensional and the plots are so completely over the top that I just can't suspend disbelief long enough to spend three or four hours reading them. (I have no idea why I can do this for a movie but not a book; go figure.)At any rate, for this reason I have never read a Vince Flynn book featuring his series character, Mitch Rapp. But then this month one of my book clubs selected Flynn's novel The Third Option and trooper that I am, I sat down and read it. I didn't hate the book, and I'm actually glad I read it just for the experience. I recognize that Flynn does (or did) what he does very well, and I know that this sort of book appeals to large numbers of readers. But again, I just couldn't buy into it, and my three-star rating may be unfair because it really reflects the fact that this book, however well done, is just not my cup of tea.The book takes its title from the notion that the United States occasionally faces problems where diplomacy doesn't work and where full-scale military action would be inappropriate. In such cases, the C.I.A., or some other super-secret government agency, may resort to the "third option," which is to send in a highly-trained killer to deal secretly with the problem, even though such action may be illegal, immoral, or unconstitutional.In this case, a German industrialist has been secretly selling equipment to Saddam Hussein which would enable Iraq to build a nuclear weapon. (This book was published in 2000, before we invaded Iraq and long before we realized that Hussein actually had no such weapons.) In this case, the C.I.A. resorts to the "third option," although naturally it would never admit to doing so. The director dispatches Mitch Rapp to kill the industrialist and other activities are also mapped out which will hopefully suggest that the Iraqis or some other nasty folks have assassinated the guy, deflecting any attention away from the U.S.Inevitably, problems arise and it turns out that our hero is caught up in a nasty Washington, D.C. turf battle. The director of the C.I.A. is dying and there's a major struggle over his successor. Rapp's mission is compromised by forces in the government opposed to the director's chosen successor. Once this happens, all hell breaks loose and the bodies are going to be falling left and right. There's very little hope that this might turn out well, and what little hope there is rides on the broad shoulders of Mitch Rapp.As I said, to my mind this is an "okay" book, but it could have been better. There are a ton of characters parading through the book and it's very hard to keep them all straight. Flynn complicates matters by naming one of the main characters Cameron and another Coleman. They're often on the scene together and every time one of them appears, the reader has to stop and try to remember which of the two is the really bad guy and which is the sort-of-okay guy. There's no excuse for an author complicating matters like that.In books like this virtually all of the women are super-sexy vixens. Some of them are assassins too, and for some reason, most of these women seemed to have been trained by the Israelis. These women are cool customers and hardened killers, and most of them seem to have discovered that they love guns even better than sex. One such woman appears in this book and when we first meet her, she's walking down the streets in Milan in four-inch heels. The shoes are not particularly comfortable, but if a female character wants to appear in a book like this, she has to make the necessary sacrifices.In this case, however, the woman walks into a building, and for no reason whatsoever, instead of taking the elevator, she climbs four flights of stairs in her four-inch heels! Only in a book like this would any woman do such a thing.My major complaint about the book has to do with action that occurs very early on. [ When Rapp shows up at the mansion to kill the German industrialist, he's accompanied by a female partner. On the way out the door, she asks Rapp if he's wearing his Kevlar vest and he says no. Once Rapp has killed the industrialist and his bodyguard, the woman then turns and shoots Rapp twice in the chest. (She has double-crossed him for reasons too complicated to explain.) She then high-tails it out of the room, leaving Rapp dead on the floor behind her. But, of course, he really isn't dead, because, contrary to what he told her, he really is wearing Kevlar, and so he will rise up and wreak serious vengeance on those who set him up.This development takes the reader right out of the story because anyone knows that even the most incompetent hit person on the planet always finishes off his victim with a shot to the head. But not this woman. Of course, she can't do that or the book will end on page 25, but the whole scene is totally nonsensical. Anybody who's ever read even a couple of these books could figure out a way that Flynn could have finessed this problem without having the character do something so stupid. But, for me at least, this scene, which was supposed to be one of great tension, turned into a laugh-out-loud moment, and it made it even harder to take any of the rest of the book even remotely seriously. (hide spoiler)]Again, I'm glad I read the book, just for the experience. But I probably won't be lining up to read another.

As a longtime fan now of the Mitch Rapp novels by Vince Flynn I am reading them in the order they came out and this action-packed tale (The third option by Vince Flynn) is the fourth book I have read on this super assassin character.As most people know, the spy/assassin business is filled with sometimes ruthless, backstabbing people who will do anything to stay in power. The world of politics, as can be seen today, is also corrupt and crooked because of the lust for power. In any case, Mitch Rapp must again deal with dishonest and ruthless corrupt people who think nothing of throwing him to the wolves.I never give away too much information when reviewing any novel because I respect readers who want to discover on their own the plots etc. If you are also a fan of the Mitch Rapp series you may want to check out his volume.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Martial Art and Warrior Haiku and Senryu).

Since I started reading the Vince Flynn series, I was hooked from the first novel! And it only gets better and better reading this action pact series!

The story could be true and its fast and brutal. A believable tale.

Non l’ho ancora letto ma la serie mi piace molto

After reading Flynn's first three books, American Assassin,Kill Shot and Transfer Of Power, I was looking forward to another tale of non-stop action and thrills. Much to my surprise, however, The Third Option,was a bit disappointment. The plot was dragged out and the action was neither very exciting nor frequent enough. Further, the biggest letdown in this book pertained to it's conclusion -- or lack thereof. The Third Option ends leaving the reader "hanging." Flynn is an author that I felt I could count on for edge-of-your-seat suspense and a very satisfying reading experience. Unfortunately, Flynn let me down big-time in his fourth effort featuring Mitch Rapp. I'm hoping that this book was just a fluke and that the others in the series will live up to the high expectations I have when I pick up a Vince Flynn book.

Wonderful story with wonderful characters and plenty of action