Takedown by Brad Thor

 (Scot Harvath #5)

416 pages

"In the aftermath of a Fourth of July terrorist bombing that has destroyed all of the bridges and tunnels leading out of Manhattan, an elite cadre of highly trained Middle Eastern soldiers performs a methodical search to locate a man who holds a powerful secret of key importance to both sides. 125,000 first printing." --provided by the publisher

A good thriller with some elements I didn't care for. Three out of five stars for me.

Blowback by Brad Thor

(Scot Harvath, #4)

 433 pages / 13 hrs, 32 mins

"When a mysterious new weapon tips the balance against American and Allied forces throughout the Middle East, the only person the president can call for help is the man the administration has just fired - Navy SEAL turned covert Homeland Security operative, Scot Harvath. Caught live on Al Jazeera in an off-the-books operation, Harvath is forced to go to ground, as a senator with presidential aspirations, turns her sights on the White House and forces President Jack Rutledge to publicly end the career of America's number one counter-terrorism operative. But when the tide in the war against terror suddenly turns against the West, the president has no choice but to bring Harvath back inside.

"Ducking a congressional subpoena, Harvath travels to Cyprus where he learns about a weapon called The Sword of Allah, which terrorists intend to use to rid all Muslim lands of Western infidels. As the layers of truth unfold, Harvath is witness to realities more menacing than he ever could have imagined and must rely solely on his instincts to confront a new evil closing in on the United States."  --from the publisher

The story is very good and could have been written for 2020, which is a little scary since it was published 15 years ago. My only complaint is that Thor offers too much detailed, background information. A little goes a long way for me when I'm reading a thriller. I give it three out of five stars.

State of the Union by Brad Thor

State of the Union by Brad Thor
(Scot Harvath #3)
532 pages / 11 hrs, 35 mins

"America's worst nightmare has just become a brutal reality. The most unlikely terrorist enemy of all now holds a knife against the country's throat. With both diplomatic and conventional military options swept from the table, the president calls upon Navy SEAL turned Secret Service agent Scot Harvath to disable a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy intended to bring the United States to its knees.

"Teamed with beautiful Russian Intelligence agent Alexandra Ivanova and a highly trained CIA paramilitary detachment, Harvath embarks on an adrenaline-fueled search that spans the world - and leads to a final, deadly showdown on American soil, with a lethal and sinister enemy from the past."  --from the publisher

This was nonstop action from the beginning to the end. I had a hard time setting it aside! I like that Harvath works as part of a team to accomplish his missions, and he isn't always the one to discover new information that leads the team to their next step.  I gave it four out of five stars.