Consent to Kill: A Thriller [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Vince Flynn (Author), George Guidall (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2005

Fearless counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp finds himself directly in the line of fire in the latest riveting political thriller from New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn.

For years, Mitch Rapp's bold actions have saved the lives of countless Americans. His battles for peace and freedom have made him a hero to many, and an enemy to countless more. In the tangled, duplicitous world of espionage, there are those, even among America's allies, who want to see Mitch Rapp eliminated. They have decided the time has come.

Now, the powerful father of a dead terrorist demands vengeance in its simplest form -- an eye for an eye, and Rapp instantly becomes the target of an international conspiracy. This time, he must use all of his vigilance and determination to save himself before he can turn his fury on those who have dared to betray him.

Consent to Kill takes listeners behind the headlines and catapults them to the front lines of the global war on terror. It sizzles "with inside information, military muscle, and CIA secrets" (Dan Brown). Vince Flynn mixes military technology with his exclusive knowledge of Washington politics to create a hero that Americans will wish existed outside the realm of fiction.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A veteran of more than 800 unabridged novels, Guidall brings his considerable talents to this latest thriller featuring CIA assassin Mitch Rapp. This adventure finds Rapp the target of a billionaire Saudi, who blames Rapp for his son's death and has put a $20-million bounty on the American operative's head. Accepting the offer is a husband and wife assassin team who may be the equal of the seemingly invulnerable Rapp. What follows is an intricate story of death, betrayal and revenge. Guidall's smooth, confident narration and fully developed characterizations make for a first-rate listening experience. He handles Flynn's detailed, and at times long, exposition with ease, while effortlessly switching voices and accents in his portrayal of the book's international cast of characters. He nicely avoids turning the sometimes over-the-top writing into a melodramatic cartoon and keeps the story straightforward and suspenseful. It's a credit to both Flynn and Guidall that this trio of cold-blooded assassins are humanized, which makes the rather surprising ending all the more effective and moving.
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Review

"The king of high-concept political intrigue." -- Dan Brown

"A fast, fun read." -- People

"An exciting, Ludlum-like series." -- Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (October 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743550064
• ISBN-13: 978-0743550062
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (222 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dear Mitch Rapp fans

I would like to apologize for some of the confusion that occurred for those of you who read Kill Shot in the digital format. We thought readers would enjoy being able to read excerpts from all of my backlist, but as it turns out, we've heard otherwise from many of you.

All of this free material was counted as part of the book and led readers to believe they still have 29% of the book left to read when in fact Kill Shot has just ended. Managing your expectations is something I take very seriously and I understand your frustration. If I was on a plane and I thought I was only two thirds of the way through a book and it abruptly ended I would be very disappointed.

We heard you and we fixed this. We have taken out the free sample chapters and should have this problem rectified. I appreciate your patience on the matter and I apologize for any disappointment or frustration that it has caused.

Sincerely,
Vince Flynn


The fifth of seven children, Vince Flynn was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1966. He graduated from the St. Thomas Academy in 1984, and the University of St. Thomas with a degree in economics in 1988.

After college he went to work for Kraft General Foods where he was an account and sales marketing specialist.

In 1990 he left Kraft to accept an aviation candidate slot with the United States Marine Corps. One week before leaving for Officers Candidate School, he was medically disqualified from the Marine Aviation Program, due to several concussions and convulsive seizures he suffered growing up. While trying to obtain a medical waiver for his condition, he started thinking about writing a book. This was a very unusual choice for Flynn since he had been diagnosed with dyslexia in grade school and had struggled with reading and writing all his life.

Having been stymied by the Marine Corps, Flynn returned to the nine-to-five grind and took a job with United Properties, a commercial real estate company in the Twin Cities. During his spare time he worked on an idea he had for a book. After two years with United Properties he decided to take a big gamble. He quit his job, moved to Colorado, and began working full time on what would eventually become Term Limits.

Like many struggling artists before him, he bartended at night and wrote during the day. Five years and more than sixty rejection letters later he took the unusual step of self-publishing his first novel. The book went to number one in the Twin Cities, and within a week had a new agent and two-book deal with Pocket Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint.

Term Limits hit the New York Times bestseller list in paperback and started a trend for all of Flynn's novels. Since then, his books have become perennial bestsellers in both paperback and hardcover, and he has become known for his research and prescient warnings about the rise of Islamic Radical Fundamentalism and terrorism. Read by current and former presidents, foreign heads of state, and intelligence professionals around the world, Flynn's novels are taken so seriously one high-ranking CIA official told his people, "I want you to read Flynn's books and start thinking about how we can more effectively wage this war on terror."

October 2007 marked another milestone in Flynn's career when his ninth political thriller, Protect and Defend, became a #1 New York Times bestseller. A few months later, CBS Films optioned the rights for Flynn's Mitch Rapp character with the intention of creating a character-based, action-thriller movie franchise. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who previously launched the Harry Potter and Matrix films as head of production at Warner Bros., and Nick Wechsler (We Own the Night, Reservation Road) will produce the films.

Flynn's 10th hardcover, Extreme Measures, was published in October 2008. It was also a #1 New York Times bestseller. His most recent novel, Kill Shot, was published in Fenbruary 2012.

The Mitch Rapp story begins with American Assassin, followed by Kill Shot Transfer of Power, The Third Option, Separation of Power, Executive Power, Memorial Day, Consent to Kill, Act of Treason, Protect and Defend, Extreme Measures and Pursuit of Honor.

Influences: Ernest Hemingway, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gore Vidal, and John Irving. Flynn lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Consent to BE killed, November 25, 2005

By 

Michael D. Trimble (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Consent to Kill: A Thriller (Hardcover)

Arab terrorists, international assassins, and politically appointed nitwits, Vince Flynn's newest thriller delivers everything you have come to expect from the Mitch Rapp series. There is lots of action, impressive no nonsense black ops professionals, and edge of your seat suspense-filled plotting. As you might expect, Consent to Kill begins with Rapp doing what he does best, tracking down and killing a dangerous Islamic cleric with direct ties to suicide bombers. This little sidebar to the main story is meant to demonstrate Rapp's technical skill and sense of justice. In that respect it forcefully succeeds. Unfortunately Rapp has now reached that stage in his career where his reputation is legendary and his enemies are both numerous and extremely powerful and resourceful.

Until now Mitch has never had to face an opponent of equal talent, but that's what happens when a fundamentalist Arab billionaire places a twenty million dollar bounty on Rapp. Predictably he lives to fight again but only after losing everything that is precious to him. Now everyone who was involved in this attempted assassination is on the run as Rapp tries to piece together exactly who to blame. Rapp is the proverbial loose cannon that not only has the terrorists ducking for cover, but also has the chicken-hawk politicians trying to put him on ice as well.

Vince Flynn has another exciting eye-for-an-eye thriller that is sure to be enjoyed his many fans. My complaints are few, but I will list them here; the book could have been maybe 50 pages shorter without as much needless explanation; there are some loose ends that should have been tied up since most readers will be left wondering; and some of those 50 pages that could have been cut should have been devoted to better character development. But these are minor criticisms and on the whole the book is thoroughly enjoyable and matches Flynn's earlier fiction.

If you enjoy this book, then you might also enjoy the similarly themed/styled books of Daniel Silva and Brad Thor.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atypical Characters in This One, May 31, 2007

By 

Gizmo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Consent to Kill: A Thriller (Mitch Rapp Novels) (Paperback)

I've only read 2 Vince Flynn books, but they've been enough to pique my curiousity and now I will go back and read the earlier Mitch Rapp novels to catch up on this assassin's history. I like Flynn's writing for the sometimes atypical bents he puts into the characters. Mitch Rapp is an assassin, straight-up, and almost never conflicted about his job. He is NOT a Jack Ryan (as some have likened) and we rarely get any moral pause in the action in these books. If you're squeamish, be forewarned that Flynn does detail the kills. I was shocked a time or two in the first book - Flynn took me a little past my comfort zone - but now know what to expect. I would liken it to a roller coaster you've never ridden before. A twist or turn will be too much - but then you get to the end and yell, "Wow - that was great! Let's go again!" The last few chapters of Consent to Kill are fantastic. Flynn does not take Rapp where I thought Rapp would surely go. Supporting characters are also terrific and you're left hoping to have them reappear in future Rapp stories or even to get stories of their own. Gotta love Rapp's loyal friends. Wouldn't surprise me if Flynn has one or two turn out to be not so loyal in future books, but hey, let's enjoy the "good guys" while we can. I highly recommend this read!

68 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Consent to Kill, October 21, 2005

By 

rsasdr (chicago) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Consent to Kill: A Thriller (Hardcover)

It's been over a year since Flynn's previous book, but it was worth the wait as this is certainly one of the author's best books. Unlike the previous ones, the story here is more character driven with less of a focus on action. Mitch Rapp is at his most human and realistic in the series, as are the other characters. A powerful Saudi hires two assassins to kill Mitch Rapp following the death of his son during the events in the previous book. The assassination attempt fails, but at great personal cost to Rapp, and Mitch hunts down everyone involved in the conspiracy, including a Saudi prince, former Stasi officer, and French assassins, and wages his own, private and very ruthless war against terrorism for the first time. There's lots of good stuff here, and the last quarter of the book especially is easily some of Flynn's best writing.