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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Restarting The Mitch Rapp Adventures, 4 Mar 2009
'Extreme Measures' is Vince Flynn's attempt to draw a line under Mitch Rapp's previous adventures and restart the series on a slightly new footing. Gone are the slightly outlandish plots involving cunning master terrorists for hire and constant action and in their place is a story that seems to be trying hard to stay within the realms of realism. The narrative pace is still rapid, and the book manages to hold your attention, but at least fifty percent of its length is more interested in political power games in Washington and establishing new recurring characters than in actually thwarting terrorism. Whilst Flynn has used US politics as a plot device previously its usually been in the form of scheming, corrupt senators bent on personal power. Here the motivations of the politicians, although painted as often being misguided, are generally honourable.
This focus on political machinations means however, that Extreme Measures is a far less exciting book than Flynn's previous novels. To add to the time spent in the corridors of power there is also the introduction if his new character, Mike Nash, a CIA officer who Flynn seems have invented in order to deal with the limitations posed by Rapp's well established character. Rapp has always been something of a one-note individual and his take no prisoners, Jack Bauer from 24 style schtick had become slightly old hat in recent Flynn novels. Nash by contrast is a solid family man with kids who demonstrates more doubts about the methods he and Rapp use to catch bad guys than his colleague ever did. This does bring a fresh angle to Flynn's well established fictional world. Unfortunately Flynn feels the need to ram home all Nash's 'not Mitch Rapp' character traits ad-infinitum and forces us to spend too much time getting to know the man's family, a group who could have been given far less prominence in the story without any sense of loss. All of this simply serves to slow down and pad out the narrative and give the whole thing the feeling of being one long prologue to a larger story.
That story would seem to be an attempt at a more realistic portrayal of the US fight against Muslim fundamentalist terrorism. Unfortunately Vince Flynn subscribes to the same set of beliefs when it comes to what are acceptable measures for fighting this battle as the producers of 24 on TV do and this informs much of Extreme Measures (including the title). From the word go it is obvious that Flynn considers extreme interrogation measures to be a perfectly acceptable method of obtaining information from enemy combatants, and that he sees anyone not prepared to countenance such measures to be ill-informed, lily livered liberals who are a danger to national security. Extreme Measures seems to be Flynn's attempt to argue for what he believes in, but by allowing his personal political beliefs to come to the fore too strongly the book often ends up feeling like an excuse to justify the use of torture, rather than just a simple work of enjoyable fiction. It makes for a strangely unbalance read with sudden shifts in tone or focus.
With an open ending that confirms this book to simply be an extended introduction to the all new 'Rapp & Nash Show', Extreme Measures is a less than satisfying read. Personally speaking the hawkish views the book expressed left a slightly unpleasant aftertaste in this reviewer's mouth, but how you react to Flynn's viewpoint will very much depend on your own political leanings. What is undeniable however, is that whilst Mike Nash has the potential to revitalise Flynn's books Extreme Measures itself is a less than thrilling introduction to the character.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
9th Novel of the Mitch Rapp series, 25 Jan 2009
This is the 10th novel Vince Flynn has written and the 10th I will have read. Since first picking up "Transfer of Power" I haven't found a single one which hasn't kept me entertained and intrigued from start to finish. Although many authors use today's current global climate (i.e. the war on terror) to base their books on, none compare to Flynn. In every one of his books, Flynn mixes adrenalin filled action/combat with espionage, politics (both above board and dodgy deals) and the private lives of his characters. This results in a gripping story which is hard to put down. Extreme Measures looks like it won't be any different.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Extreme Measures, 17 Jan 2009
Three stars only this time round, not because "Extreme Measures" isn't intelligently written and well constructed, but because with the Mitch Rapp series, Flynn has created something so utterly gripping, that anything even slightly slow paced will come as a disappointment to fans. That said, the fact that Rapp's unorthodox methods of preventing terrorist attacks have come under scrutiny by the pc do-gooders, this is a necessary and logical next stage of the overall storyline if the series is to maintain credibility. Flynn's mistrust and distaste of politicians is all too apparent but he once again plays to his strengths, creating odious characters, on both sides, who get deliciously and satisfyingly "dealt" with. In Mike Nash, we have a new interesting character, who injects a little sensitivity and humour, and should play a major part in future storylines. Fear not, those of you who think Vince Flynn has lost his touch for it is abundantly clear from the last page that Rapp is going to be back with a bang. I can hardly wait.
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