Customer Reviews

Consent to Kill

5 star:		(158)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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. 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 just enjoy the "good guys" while we can. They kick butt (and never kiss any either!). I highly recommend this read!

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.

I've been reading Mitch Rapp novels by Vince Flynn since the beginning, so I was eagerly anticipating Consent to Kill. I bought it the first day it was out. I normally devour these books in a few days - never more than a week. But this one was different and it sounds corny but I wanted it to last a while because it was so darn good. The character development is thicker, the storyline is stronger and the ending more gratifying than any previous novel. I loved it.

I can't say the average reader would appreciate everything this book has to offer by reading it alone, but go ahead a treat yourself to the whole series and enjoy the ride.

One warning: if you like long-winded boring details about every single passing character in a novel, this book and Vince Flynn isn't for you. Flynn gives you the necessary history on each player to make the characters believable, but not so much detail that you know what every character ate for breakfast for the past year. The action sequences in the book always develop the plot more so you don't feel like your favorite characters are running on empty all the time like some other thriller books.

This book is not predictable. While you know what the main character has a tendency to do (if you've read previous Mitch Rapp books), you don't know how it's going to happen. Also, Flynn brings in a few shockers that even surprised me. One bad surprise I must say, but it makes Mitch Rapp more human. As for a predicable ending - I don't think so - I guess you should just read it and tell me.

Fans of Flynn should have already bought this book. But first-timers should start with Transfer of Power and work your way up to Consent to Kill to truly appreciate it. (Yes, Term Limits came out before Transfer of Power, but trust me, Transfer of Power has what it takes to pull you in. You can go back and read Term Limits another day.)

Vince - great job on this one. I can't wait to read the next book.

If you have never had the privilege of reading one of Vince Flynn's novels, you are truly missing out. From Term Limits to Consent To Kill, Flynn has finally proven to the world that he is a force to be reckon with in the political/espionage genre.

From the streets of Washington D.C. to Afghanistan, Mitch Rapp, America's top counterterrorism operative (assassin) is on the hunt to find out who took a contract out on his life. He will stop at nothing to rid this world of pure evil and with the help of an elite team, he takes the fight to his enemies and shows what true 'dimplomacy' is all about ;).

If you enjoy a good read, this is it! Not only does Flynn weave an entertaining story, but it will also wake you up to the realities of Islamic extremism and gives you a unique insight into the minds of these terrorists.

Flynn is at that top of his game and has now set the standard for what a political/espionage thriller is all about.

I've always liked Flynn and have read all of his books. I bought and read Consent to Kill this weekend and was, as I always am with the very best storytellers (of which there are far too few!)really upset to have finished it. This was masterful story-telling at its very best. I read anywhere from 4-9 books a week. Many of the murder-mayhem-mystery and Flynn spy-and-terrorism genre go too fast, with inattention (or a simple sad shortage of talent and skill!) to the pace and the flow of the story; to one-dimensional characters; and to frustrating short endings (like a short landing in an airplane!). In this book I could FEEL the smooth, rich, balanced pace and flow of the story with every word on every page. I could feel the strength it took to exercise the patience and devotion to develop the characters and narrate what they did. The characters were all three dimensional with great depth (not just the most important characters) woven in vivid, gripping colors and I felt as though I knew them well, and cared for them, or not, realistically and passionately. Flynn kept a lot of balls spinning in the air simultaneously and so smoothly that I never felt lost or let go of, or annoyed. (Believe me, there are a lot of stories I have read where I feel all three of those things!) I can picture family members sticking their heads in the door of Mr. Flynn's writing room, and calling softly, "Vince?" or "Daddy?" and I can see him, after a long wait, slowly lifting his head and looking around, like a bear coming out of hibernation... puzzled to find himself in that room with that person in that world. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one in October. (Although I warn you, this one is going to be very hard to top.)

This is the latest of Vince Flynn's thrillers featuring Mitch Rapp, an extraordinary assassin. I am glad that I've read all the previous Mitch Rapp stories because without them it is difficult to know just how much both Flynn and Rapp have grown throughout his six prior novels.

Mitch Rapp is definitely a take no prisoners kind of guy. He is covert beyond covert: an off-the-books assassin who exterminates the enemies of the United States with brutal efficiency and no questions asked.

This novel begins with a zealous Saudi royal "helping" a friend to avenge the death of his son. Through a cut-out, a contract is placed on the life of Mitch Rapp. A couple is engaged to end his life: a bonus will be paid if it looks natural. The contract assassin is ambitious but his plans go awry, very awry. The bodies start piling up as Mitch Rapp seeks his vengeance. While fighting off a politically ambitious bureaucrat, Rapp has from the President his unofficial consent to kill.

The action is non-stop. For those familiar with the Mitch Rapp saga, the desire to see all the bad guys wiped out will be especially intense.

Flynn's characters have always been intensely vivid. They come alive in Flynn's words: you root for the good guys and hate the bad ones. This time, everything is more real than previously because Flynn's plot is compelling beyond anything he's ever done.

Flynn fans may be worried that he can never equal "Consent To Kill." The ending is different, very much a surprise that can bode ill for the future of Mitch Rapp and Vince Flynn. Time will tell.

Flynn, as usual, doesn't disguise his views, though they are a bit toned down this time around. My reaction is still the same: I truly hope there are people like Mitch Rapp, Director Kennedy, President Hayes, Scott Coleman and others like them protecting the nation's interests.

"Consent To Kill" is a true thriller: I read it from beginning to end and was totally riveted. I can only hope that Flynn and Mitch Rapp continue to grow, but it is clear that Flynn has a difficult road ahead of him because he is without a doubt the very best thriller author on the stage today and this is his finest work to date.

Jerry

In the tangled world of terrorists, our "friends" can be our worst enemies. Those with careful memories recall that 9/11 was primarily executed by middle class Saudi citizens . . . with nary an Iraqi in sight. Consent to Kill carefully explores that duality of role among leading Saudi citizens in a way that will leave most people wondering if we really have things under control.

Mitch Rapp becomes the target of a Saudi billionaire after the billionaire's soon was captured and killed by Mitch. With the connivance of a member of the King's family, top talent is recruited to do the dirty deed. At the same time, Mitch is facing up to some surprises. He's slowing down and starting to take married life more seriously. Where will it all lead? As you can imagine there are a lot of bangs and flashes involved.

Most action thrillers are pretty much interchangeable. Vince Flynn has risen above such clichés in this novel by using unusual circumstances to reveal the character of Mitch Rapp. It's rare to find a book about assassins that explores their motives and feelings about their work. Most assassins are simply described as sick people or not developed psychologically.

The book's basic premise is that being on the receiving end of murderous intentions will change a man. And that point is certainly right. How being hunted changes Mitch Rapp makes for a good story.

Unfortunately, many of the other characters in the book are simply caricatures of the types we all love to hate. That makes much of the book's oversimplifications into intentional satire. If those elements had been edited down about 30%, for me this would have been a much more entertaining book.

As it was, the plot kept taking me places I didn't expect to go, and I enjoyed the trip. Nice book!

Mitch Rapp fans will definitely want to read this one!

This book is not for the faint of heart, simply because you will find that you lose all track of time from the moment to open the cover until you finish the book. The main character is Mitch Rapp, a counter-terrorism specialist for the CIA and his form of counter-terrorism is usually putting a bullet between the terrorists eyes.
In this book, a Saudi billionaire has placed a rather large price on Rapp's head for killing his son. Surprisingly, someone accepts the contract and the fun and games begin. The pace is brisk without seeming rushed and Mr. Flynn has all of his characters fully fleshed out. And while having read the previous books is not entirely necessary, it does help in understand some things hinted at.
So, find a free day, turn off the phones and settle in for one whale of a ride.

I stayed up until 2 am to finish this book since I was in the midst of the nonstop action and simply could not put the book down despite sleep deprivation. The book grabs you, and keeps you in suspense, and best of all it is not as predictable as you might think for a Rapp novel. It is politically relevant, and emulates what I imagine Washington politics to be. Also important to me is the fact that the author has done his homework with the technical details so that all everything is accurate. All in all I can't wait until the next Rapp novel, let's have some more Mitch Rapp. I can hardly wait for his next set of adventures.

I read 3-6 books per week and there are not many authors who can command this kind of respect.

I rate it a very enthusiastic Buy !