“THIS IS A NOVEL of redemption,” Jack Carr writes in the preface chapter of True Believer. What followed was a brief description of the current battle many veterans, me included face with transitioning to civilian life from active duty military. This set the tone for me, set me at ease knowing that while I’m reading this incredibly well written novel, I’m not alone in this feeling of questioning myself if my life still has that same meaning and same purpose as it once did when I wore that uniform.TRUE BELIEVER from Jack Carr, the former Navy SEAL who came out of nowhere last year with his acclaimed debut The Terminal List. Jack spent 20 years as an operator himself, starting off his career as an enlisted SEAL sniper, then transitioned to an officer worthy of leading troops into combat. Keep in mind, this is the author of the book, not his protagonist. Two years ago, I had the opportunity to see Brad Thor at one of his tour stops and he mentioned Jack Carr, describing him as opposite of himself. Saying, “he was an author that wishes he was a SEAL, while Carr is a SEAL that wants to be an author.” Well, fast forward two years and Carr is standing tall amongst the best in the thriller community, quickly establishing himself with his debut novel and his follow up, TRUE BELIEVER is even better. So, buckle up, pour yourself a strong cup of coffee, if I may recommend, Black Rifle Coffee Co. A veteran owned and operated business to help keep you awake because putting down this thriller is a tall order.Jack introduced to the world James Reece. A man forced to kill out of pure rage, bringing death and chaos to those who wronged him in the most terrible way imaginable. The Terminal List saw James Reece lose everything that he held close to his heart and by the end of the book, he was 100% certain he was on his way to join his family due to a brain tumor. Well, True Believer picks up with Reece having liberated a sail boat, and made his getaway, as one of the most wanted domestic terrorist in the country. Still experiencing the frequent headaches, and unsure how much time he has left, he ends up spending a few months aboard that boat eventually seeking refuge with an old friend. Where he quickly puts his talents to good use, those talents however is what gets him noticed and as he knew was the possibility, someone came for him. Assuming whoever came for him had the entire area surrounded by a team of commandos and not having the heart to kill anyone that doesn’t deserve to be killed, Reece just approached the property where he was staying and discovered one man. A former SEAL brother and current CIA intelligence officer who came to recruit him instead of kill him.Reece was selected as the best person to succeed in this mission due to the relationships he has established on a prior deployment overseas and the people involved. Not giving Reece too much of a choice, by offering freedom or jail time to not only Reece but those that assisted him in his mission of revenge in the first novel. Also, his friend plays him a certain voicemail, we as the readers already heard at the end of The Terminal List, but Reece did not. Reece agrees to help and from there the two get on a totally non-luxurious CIA jet, citing that he must not rate the luxury of the G550 quite yet. From there, Reece and Navy SEAL Senior Chief Freddy Strain go to an undisclosed location to train and get ready for their mission. Jack didn’t choose to not tell us where this place is, instead the US government did in its amendments. You may have heard, anything Jack writes must go through a strict vetting process by the DOD due to Jack’s security clearance from his time as a Navy SEAL. There are quite a few completely blacked out words, sentences and even an entire paragraph.True Believer has no shortage of action, Jack proves again how well he knows his weapons, their proper use, real world tactics used by elite tier one operators. With dialogue that clearly shows his personal battlefield experience. As a reader, I can always tell which author researched a certain topic, took great notes and pieced together a scene as oppose to those that actually lived that lifestyle. Things that are vital in a fire fight, “speed, surprise, violence of action and situational awareness” are just a few things I took note of while reading this novel. The weapons used were all described in great detail, giving you the reader a much better understanding of how and why certain things are necessary, especially when one takes a shot from two klicks and is deadly accurate. The Terminal List set the bar high, delivering what many prominent people in the thriller genre world have compared to Vince Flynn’s debut, Term Limits. A praise I very much agree with. With True Believer, Jack has once again brought a thriller that will be compared to the very best this year has to offer. Earning himself a Blast Radius of a Nuclear Bomb a perfect 10/10 rating.