Customer Reviews

The Apostle: A Thriller (Scot Harvath)

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Brad Thor is one of the preeminent writers of thriller today, and his best-selling books are too numerous to count...so instead of talking about his past successes, let's get straight to his newest novel: The Apostle: A Thriller, shall we? The book, in short, is about an American physician who gets kidnapped while working in Afghanistan. Ah, the scene is set, but this doctor has connections. He, and his family, are politically connected to America's new President, and turn to him for help, but the ransom being asked is too steep for the President, and he decides to launch a covert operation to get the American physician back instead.

The premise, along with the characters, are rather interesting - they have a passionate view on the current state and try to convince others to come to that point of view. It would seem that The Apostle has mingled in current affairs with a fictional tale. The President in the story is another interesting facsimile of our current Commander in Chief. A quote from the book "the new President had been very aggressive with his first 100 days. Campaigning on a platform of change, and he had done just that when he stepped into the Oval Office, and not necessarily for the better." The President, in the book, had single handily eviscerated the central intelligence of the country.

Much like all of Brad Thor's novels, he bases them on current headlines but allows the reader to decide which is which. Is the President in the book based off of our current President? The Apostle informs, implores, and entertains the reader in a way that only a few authors can. He has created another bare-knuckled thrill ride that seems so believable, it could have been taken from the headline news. I really enjoyed this novel (as I've enjoyed all Brad Thor's novels) I guarantee everyone will walk away from this reading experience knowing more about global terrorism, central intelligence, and other aspects of our country that you didn't know before.

But I personally think the true message of the book (or at least what I took it to be) As Americans there is quite a bit of frustrations with the higher offices of the country. We have got fantastic men and women in the militaries that are putting their lives on the line to protect our citizens, to protect our country, and to protect Lady Liberty, and yet, they are forced to deal with some of the worst management and leadership...and they shouldn't have to. This book really is a voice for the people who can't speak of these matters due to the red tape and bureaucracy. The Apostle: A Thriller is an incredible novel that you don't want to miss...another great book I'd recommend is: Conquest: The First Horseman (The Four Horsemen Series, Book 1) a remarkable tale of heroics and bravery.

Brad Thor's eighth novel featuring special-forces hero Scot Harvath provides decent entertainment value along with an in-depth and realistic look at the conditions U.S. troops face in Afghanistan, but it is plagued by a flawed premise and lackluster writing.

When the daughter of a wealthy presidential supporter is kidnapped in Afghanistan, Scot Harvath is called upon to comply with the ransom demands by breaking a captured terrorist out of prison. Unwilling to compromise his patriotic principles by aiding the enemy, even under orders from the commander in chief, Harvath assembles a team to help him carry out a revised mission--free the terrorist, but instead of exchanging him for the American hostage, use him to ascertain where she is being held, then free her and return the terrorist to the Afghan authorities. True to form, Harvath is determined to right a wrong and save the day while upholding the fundamentals of conservative American foreign policy.

As a military adventure story, the book mostly succeeds. Thor is good at writing exciting action scenes, and the book is for the most part fun and easy to read. The problem is that in trying to manufacture a believable reason why the U.S. president would so blatantly misuse his office's authority by ordering a terrorist freed in exchange for the life of a political ally's child, the story becomes overcomplicated. By the time the reader has made it through the background investigation by a Secret Service agent into events that politically indebted the president to the hostage's mother, the story is all but finished, rendering the background basically moot and the tidy conclusion ultimately unsatisfying. The book would have been better had it focused on a simple search-and-rescue operation. Of course, then there might not have been reason enough for Scot Harvath to rise to the challenge in the first place.

Thor actually traveled to Afghanistan and was embedded with a military unit as part of his research for writing The Apostle, which lends a degree of authenticity to the characters' experiences. One tidbit that stands out is the acronym TIA--"This Is Afghanistan"--used to explain seemingly incomprehensible differences between American and Afghan sensibilities.

Unfortunately, the book's positives are balanced, if not outweighed, by the negatives. Lack of character depth and the plot's overcomplexity significantly detract from the well-researched story and genuinely suspenseful military action scenes. In the end, The Apostle serves as an example of what could have been a timely, compelling book held to mediocrity by a few avoidable flaws.

This fast-paced, well writen and knowledgeable book gives you a real insight into the culture of Afganistan. It opened my eyes to the ordeals our military personnel go thru daily in this long lasting, unending war.

On the cover of this book, there is a quote - is reads "The master of thrillers.", and is attributed to [...] - in my humble opinion, this is most certainly an accurate description of the way Brad Thor writes and his fantastic stories.

Continuing the story of his hero Scot Harvath in this tale, we see Harvath risk everything to do the right thing. This time, it isn't just about protecting national interests; instead, its about finding a way to free a woman, whose mother has political connections with the President, from her abductors in Afghanistan.

The book is very believable - especially in this day and age, and the way Thor writes, the reader can become so immersed that it feels as if you were right there. In some scenes, you can almost feel your heart thumping right along with Harvath as he's trying to evade the Taliban or find some way to protect his compatriots.

I must say that I enjoyed the book tremendously, and I'm looking forward to picking up another book in this series soon. I would highly recommend this to any reader interested in thrillers.

I grabbed The Apostle on the way to the airport for vacation and was happy to have the opportunity to plow through the pages over long stretches. It was a quick, suspenseful read. Fans that have enjoyed Thor's previous works and the Scot Horvath character will almost certainly be happy with this latest installment. Thor brings current geopolitical events to the storyline and there is no misunderstanding the political perspective he presents. He is clearly unapologetic in his antipathy for what some have called the "anti-antiterror" contingent and challenges the reader to think about issues facing the country's current leaders. All of which leads to a great, page-turning thriller. The Apostle is strongly recommended.

First and foremost I am a Brad Thor advocate. I have purchased all of his titles and have enjoyed his artistry as he paints exciting plots using dynamic characters that literally jump off of the page. Each effort has lived up to my expectations....except The Apostle. it seemed he went through the paces of a ...have to effort...one that was intended to fulfill a commitment from his publishing house. the story line and build up to this book baited my interest and anticipation to another exciting journey, unfortunately after an excellent beginning it ran out of steam and what could have been a very compelling effort turned into a lack luster, predictable and indifferent product.

i have not read any of your books before i enjoyed the apostle i will be reading more of your books thank you

A woman doctor is kidnapped in Afghanistan. Scot Harvath, a covert conterterrorism operative is called by the President to find her and free her, but without the backing of the US government. His assignment is to trade her for al-Qaeda master mind Mustafa Khan who is imprisoned in Afghanistan. This is an intense, fast moving read with stories within stories. I enjoyed the way Brad Thor interjected humor into a serious situation, which is the way soldiers banter with each other inbetween combat situations. He also gave me more insight into this war then any news program.

I picked up the book in Costco to pass some time while new tires were being installed. I read 80 pages without looking up. I finished this in pretty short order. The action component of the book was very believable and well thought out. I really appreciated the contextual development of the region and Mr. Thor's portrayal of and respect for the Afghan people.

The Apostle is a excellent read from Brad Thor. Mr Thor has really found his groove in storytelling, character development, factual details, and current topics in a fictional setting. I really enjoyed reacquainting myself with Scot Harvath, Mr Thor's main character. If you are looking for a summer thriller that you open up and just cant put down, this is the book.