Consent to Kill

Mitch Rapp #8

by Vince Flynn

For years, Mitch Rapp's bold actions have saved the lives of countless Americans. He has killed with impunity, tortured to avert disaster, and shown he will do whatever it takes to prevent terrorists from fulfilling their bloody wishes. 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.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Action, Espionage, Audiobook, Suspense, Mystery

675 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 11, 2005

About the author

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.

Vince Flynn passed away on June 19, 2013 after a three year battle with prostate cancer.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 8 in the Mitch Rall series published 2005

This is Vince Flynn with bells on, all that I have come to expect and more.
Mitch Rapp might be the world’s number one righter of wrongs and the most feared agent in the assassination business but beyond that his life is pretty crappy.
He walks around constantly expecting an attempt to be made on his life and that of his wife’s. Not a job description that appeals to me.
Mitch has dispatched more than a few baddies in his career with the CIA but there is one bereaved father, who happens to be mega rich, who wants Mitch dead.
The bereaved father now starts a long and convoluted search for the right people to make his dreams come true. When the guns for hire find out whom it is that they are to assassinate they have second thoughts. Mitch Rapp will be no easy target. But when told that their fee will be several million dollars, how could they refuse.
The cat and mouse game is on. But who is the cat and who is the mouse.
By the end Mitch Rapp’s life will never be the same again.

This is tense and highly charged story telling at its best. Yes Mitch Rapp is one over the top character but who cares; we all need to escape from reality every now and again.

An entertaining 4 star thriller.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

Vince Flynn does it again, he provides a highly entertaining thriller novel that allows you to ramp up the testosterone to 11. If it’s a choice of a) going to the gym and lifting weights that equate to a small car then flexing the guns whilst looking in a mirror with the occasional grunt; or b) picking up a Vince Flynn novel and living vicariously through the life of Mitch Rapp; I’m always going to pick number b.

This novel takes a different turn from the usual outing in that Mitch Rapp is not at the forefront of stopping a cataclysmic event and more a target of vengeance from some of the people he has crossed paths with in previous outings. There is also a feeling of age creeping into Mitch’s life which is a new enemy he’s not had to battle before, old mother time. This combines to make a different experience which hasn’t been explored before and adds a bit of fresh air into the series. Quite a few major things happen in this one too which will shape the following novels (I’ll avoid any spoilers here) and I was happy with the overall story line.

In summary, this was top notch as are the others in this series. It veers a little on the long side and I can imagine that in 6 months time the plot events will merge with some of the others in the series (this is why it fails to get the ever elusive 5 star rating) but it was a fun read whilst it was going on. I can’t fault this series for what it is and look forward to picking the next one up to get that testosterone rush I always often … sometimes need.

If you like this try: “The Killing Floor” by Lee Child

[Ryan Steck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp books in chronological order a few months ago. Over the course of time it's taken me to read this entire series I can say with absolute certainty that I've fallen in love with Flynn's work. He's, in my humble opinion of course, the gold standard as far as authors go in the contour-terrorism genre.

By the time I began reading Consent to Kill I felt like I knew exactly who Mitch Rapp was a person. At this point I had gone along on a ride with him that carried us both through many low points, and of course some high points as well. From the training it took to mold him into the most dangerous killing machine ever unleashed by the Americans to meet force-with-force and beat the terrorists at their own game, to surviving multiple gunshot wounds, being on the run, stuck alone without any to call for help, with all the odds stacked up against you, Mitch Rapp has always found a way to get things done.

He was finally at a place in his life where he had found love, married Anna Riley, and was ready to step back form the front lines of killing the terrorists that threaten our country and her safety. Mitch was happy, well as happy as you can be in his life of work. That's why this book is so riveting, because suddenly everything about the Mitch Rapp you once knew is now once again changing. His life isn't fair. It isn't easy. Most of all, he learns the painful lesson that he will never, under any circumstances, have a "normal" life.

When you allow yourself to get lost in Flynn's work, and it's easy to do, Rapp feels like a very real man that you want to root for because of all he's done for his country. In the same regard, you feel his pain when he's served the reminder that his enemies are still lurking and want him dead.

This book is also, in a way, the "end of an era". There are lots of changing parts, and the next book in the series conveys that. For instance, President Hayes doesn't return in Flynn's next piece of work. Instead, a new President (and subsequently numerous other new characters) are introduced after this book. It's just another example that Rapp's life is changing, and the reader is forced (and lucky) to be move on with him.

There is happiness and sadness, heroism and heart break. It all ends with Mitch Rapp once again learning more about himself, evolving into a different way of thinking that I know certainly shocked me. This is an excellent book which I highly recommend.

EDIT***

I love this book so much I shelled out for a new hardcover copy that was signed by Vince Flynn himself before he passed away. I have put it on a special display by my desk, and treasure it more than I could ever convey through words. RIP Vince Flynn

[Alain Burrese · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Consent to Kill" is the second book of Vince Flynn's I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Flynn's hero Mitch Rapp is a great character, and I found myself laughing when he confronted a particular politician and smacked him upside the head with a folder.

Flynn writes a great thriller. It keeps you wanting to read more. He mixes military technology, fast paced action, and politics to engage the reader in this violent political tale. I don't want to give the story away, but there was an event, a key event of the story, that surprised me. I was not expecting it, and it actually made me mad for a bit. I didn't want it to happen. This is the mark of a good author, he gets you to care about the characters and story.

I will tell you that in this chapter of Mitch Rapp's life, he finds himself not only battling with terrorists from afar, but also dealing with those in Washington D.C. that would rather see him reigned in, or maybe eliminated altogether?

I just discovered the works of Vince Flynn and Lee Child this summer, and they have both quickly entered the ranks with some of my favorite authors such as Brad Thor, Barry Eisler, and Stephen Hunter.

With all of these authors, I read the books for escapism enjoyment. I definitely enjoyed "Consent to Kill." The book is longer than many thrillers, but I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed it all and am looking forward to the next Mitch Rapp adventure I read.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Vince Flynn has finally turned that last corner into becoming a complete storyteller. I have enjoyed his previous Mitch Rapp books a lot but this one has really cranked up a notch. Excellent writing, plot, setting, and characters that are completely fleshed out.

This novel is also an important milestone in the Mitch Rapp series as a lot changes in this one. The author deftly avoids what I call the "24" syndrome, referring to the TV show "24". Despite having lots of adrenaline-charged action, you can really only save the world so many times and in so many ways before it starts to get old and stale. So Flynn avoids that problem with this marvelously crafted novel that takes a different approach to continuing Rapp's saga. I can't say much more without spoilers so I'll only mention that it's important to read the preceding novels in this series first...and you won't be disappointed.

[ElaineY · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Narrator: George Guidall

This was 17 hours-plus long and it left me teary at the end. I checked the 1 and 2 star reviews before writing this review to see if they triggered anything I didn't like and forgot about but what they didn't like, weren't my issues. I love the Mitch Rapp books just as they are - except for Anna.

This installment is where I saw Mitch angry. I got to see how dispassionate he can be when he's on a personal quest. I loved it when President Hayes gave him the green light (via Kennedy) to go take those SoBs out. Was it a wimpy ending? Not to me. I loved it.

In my fantasies, Irene Kennedy is single and secretly married to Mitch. She's, at times, the hero of the series.

[Doug · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel had a Tom Clancy, "best seller" air to it, and I wouldn't normally have read it, but an acquaintance of mine recommended it highly.

Unfortunately, my instincts were correct. This is a ridiculous book. Mitch Rapp is the super spy who doesn't like to answer to anyone and frequently doesn't. His wife is the White House correspondent for NBC. His enemies are assassins trafficking hundreds of millions of dollars. He's the only one who truly understands what it takes to protect our freedom! If only the bureaucracy and petty minds would get out of his way!

Time to get back to "A History of Western Philosophy." It has more intrigue than this pulp moon pie.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

NEVER DREAM OF DYING

'It's all right,' he said in a clear voice as if explaining something to a child. 'It's quite all right. She's having a rest. We'll be
going on soon. There's no hurry. You see -' Bond's head sank down against hers and he whispered into her hair -'you see, we've
got all the time in the world.'- Ian Fleming's James Bond. On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

“This creature softened my heart of stone. She died and with her died my last warm feelings for people.”- Josef Stalin

Beware the vengeance of a retiring government assassin or spy. A legion of antagonists in spy fiction have never heeded this warning. And for each and every one of them, it has ended in unmitigated disaster. Missed gunshots, mistimed explosions and missed targets who inevitably come back after mourning with retribution on their minds, the list is endless. Consent To Kill is built around this theme. One of the best revenge tales ever written, I consider it the finest novel written by Vince Flynn and the point where he fully matured as a writer. Perfect pacing. Superb structure. There's not a word out of place unlike some of the earlier, clunkier books, the story arc is expertly executed and as for character development? This is the turning point in the Rapp series due to events which will change the main players forever, especially the Iron Man himself, Mitch Rapp. Unflappable and seemingly only married to the job, for the past few books, he's been trying to make an actual married life for himself. With varrying degrees of success due to the difficulty he has with reconciling his wife with the usual addiction to the thrill of the hunt. In Consent To Kill, he finally makes his decision, and at the worst possible moment some very mad men decide to plan his murder. Now to the review. What happens when the retirment plans of a government assassin explode?

The novel begins with a Saudi businessman telling a friend he wants a man killed. The friend happens to run the Saudi Arabian religious police and happens to know someone who could broker a contract. Promising to get in touch, he makes a decision that kicks off the blood soaked saga. Meanwhile in Langley Virginia, Mitch Rapp and DCI Kennedy discuss the killing of a extremist Muslim Cleric in Canada. With the man's crimes piling up and even Canada's law enforcement itching to take a crack at him, she signs off on the operation. Rapp then flies up north and does what he does best, gutting the man like a fish and taking advantage of the target's lurid vices to create a false motive for the killing.

Flying back to Washington, Rapp gets busy juggling several items on his agenda. First Irene sends him to negotiate with two senators to authorize the budget appropriations for the orion team project. Secondly, Rapp runs into the new DNI and has a small misunderstanding which escalates into a full blown inter-service rivalry fight. And finally, on the home front, his wife decides to reveal something significant which motivates him to make the most significant choice of his life. Meanwhile in Europe, a married couple who run their own contract killing business are roused for what might be their final contract, killing the CIA's resident hitman. All these threads come together in a tale of fire, forgiveness and vengeance, where the only certain thing is that death comes to all who cross Mitch Rapp.

First the plot. It's a standard revenge story with the usual structure. But it's one that is so beautifully executed and written with great maturity and depth, that it effortlessly sweeps you up into the defining moment of Rapp's life, the point when the blunt instrument for the war on terror, decides to sacrifice the one thing that has truly meant something to him, rather than trying the futile dance, of having his cake and eating it as well. Which makes it all the more tragic with what ensures during the events of the novel.

Next, the settings. From the corridors of the Office Of National Intelligence to the halls of power in Saudi Arabia, this is one of the more sweeping novels in the Mitch Rapp series, seemingly bigger in scope even without a time-sensitive scenario or "epic threat" to counter. Next, the action. From a discrete targeted killing in Canada to an attack on the CIA's countryside farm and a kidnapping in Vienna, Flynn expertly brings to life modern Post 9/11 counter-terrorist work. Efficient, well planned, unglamorous and practical. The violence isn't on the level of Transfer Of Power, but it's more realistic. No stylish gunfights. Only those who have the element of surprise come out on top. As a bonus, there's a certain "joke" from the previous book Memorial Day which finally receives its payoff in a most combustible fashion (read it and this to find out). Then, we have the themes. Quite a few in this book.

First, there's Flynn's favorite, the perils of bureaucracy. He turns his guns on the Office Of National Intelligence, and considering many of his sources were former company men, that not surprising. Redundancy is bad when trying to effectively manage intelligence gathering and adding an extra organization on top doesn't make things better. Far from it, as it causes problems such as inter-service rivalry to erupt with a vengeance.

Secondly, untrustworthy allies. Specifically the Saudi Arabians. Flynn explores how they sporadically dabble in sponsoring terrorism as a foreign policy implement, similar to the Iranians. He also explored the ongoing political dispute between the fanatics and the modernizers, a conflict which is one of the more important ones in Middle East and has caused headaches due to the oil reserve cudgel the Saudi's use to get any nuisances off their back. Thirdly, revenge and forgiveness. Lets face it, Mitch Rapp is an unforgiving person. The events of this novel will demonstrate that fact to you readers clearly. But what is the limit you can take vengeance and live with it? And is it possible that you could forgive anyone? Flynn explored this interesting theme through the dilemma faced by one of the central antagonists and the final choice Rapp makes when retribution is within his reach.

Finally, we have the research. As always, Flynn continues to impress. Apart from portraying the darker side of Saudi Arabian politics and very well, we also get the usual look at the tactics and kit of 21st century espionage. A particular treat is the tracking techniques the two assassins use on Mr and Ms. Rapp. No fancy computer hacking gimmicks. Just a bit of money and a few phonecalls to the right overworked government agencies allow them to hunt down Rapp and find his house.

Next, characters. Consent To Kill has more emphasis on characterization than in the previous books. So there are many standouts here.

First, Mitch. Here he becomes a lot more well rounded. He's finally getting used to married life and is seemingly doing his best to manage his changed circumstances now that he's forced to reduce his usual workload as the CIA's resident hitman. For a man who for a decade has been married to his job, especially one which he loves, that's a big step to take. Unlike other spy fiction characters who faff about trying to have the best of both worlds (John Wells), he makes the decision without much hesitation. Which makes what happens to him all the more devestating. Has he gone soft? Nope. When all his dreams get blown to smithereens he returns to his role as the angel of death, bringing hellfire and damnnation to all who destroyed his chance at a normal life, and cemented his marriage to his job as the American Assassin.
Secondly, Ann Rapp. While not my favorite character in the Rapp series, she's gradually matured over time, becoming much more accepting of her husband and his job. The character development helps give her final fate the extra impact and makes it one of the few genuinely sad moments in the Rapp series.

Next the antagonists. Three standouts. First, Herr Abel. A former Stasi officer turned security consultant, he finds himself acting as the middle man in the plot to target Mitch Rapp. A smug snake who is too clever by half, he takes a gamble which does not pay off in the slightest. And when Abel tries to run from the inevitable, he becomes the star of what I consider the most satisfying killing executed by Mitch.

Last we have the couple running the contract killing business. Vince expertly utilzed some dramatic irony using them. They're the mirror image of Mitc and Ann, being in a similar situation and having similar hopes and dreams. What makes them stand out is that they're the only people in the entire Rapp series to throw the usually unflappable Iron Man off his game, in a most horrific manner. They're also in the select club of antagonists created by Flynn who are well rounded and sympathetic to a degree. While not as relatable compared to Jabril from Executive Power, the couple are not cardboard cutouts or two dimensional smug jerks, being three dimensional and willing to accept what they initially think is an inescapable fate.

In the final page of Consent To Kill, Rapp follows the tradition of most fictional hard men and throws away his gun. It's symbolic of him abandoning his hopes for a normal life and can be seen in some ways as a metaphor for him casting away the few things which have held him back. Consent To Kill is where the Mitch Rapp series kicks into high gear.

This is Flynn's most mature book. The writing is by far the most crisp in the series. The plotting is executed to perfection. And the character development and interaction, which up till this book had been Flynn's main weak point, explodes like a firecracker going off in Congress. As a spy fiction novel it's good. As the only tragedy Flynn wrote, it's superb. But as the story of a extraordinary man on top of the world who gets brought crashing down to earth, it's one of the best I've seen.

[Stuart Ashenbrenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Vince Flynn's best novels! It is non-stop energy and action the entire way through. It is incredible!

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a kid, I read most of Tom Clancy's novels; I think I stopped right around the time Jack Ryan became President, which pushed plausibility further than I was willing to accept. Still, as it's been twenty years or so, I've been curious to revisit them, both to see if they held up and because I'm ready to read a good thriller.

And then my Dad gave me Consent to Kill, which I thought would be a good substitute. Having read it, however, I really hope that it's not. I remember Clancy's books as intricate puzzles, with a variety of diverse and seemingly random elements coming together in surprising ways to create a cohesive finale. Flynn's book, in comparison to what might be my faulty memories of books I read decades ago, is laughably simple and simplistic.

Flynn's writing is cliched and boring. His characters are barely two-dimensional. But the book's worst flaw is its plot, which is so transparently obvious and predictable that the actual act of reading the book is almost unnecessary. Evil foreigners want to kill the ruggedly-handsome super-assassin Mitch Rapp, but their assassin misses the mark and only manages to further inflame Rapp's already-inflamed martyrdom complex by killing his gorgeous pregnant wife instead. After spending the first half of the book proving his machismo by sneering at any bureaucrat who crosses his path, Rapp can now turn his sights on evil terrorists instead, and in the course of about two days, he criss-crosses the globe, delivering sweet, flaming justice to those who done him wrong. The book's big attempt at a twist is that Rapp decides to spare the assassin, but given that Flynn takes every opportunity to present Rapp and the assassin as mirror images (they're both the best at what they do, but have become disillusioned with how easy the killing has gotten; also, their beautiful wives are both pregnant), it's pretty obvious that the man of action will be given a pardon, while the moneymen and string-pullers must pay the full, gruesome price.

And that's it. Everything proceeds according to plan, and any obstacle is easily surmounted. There's no sense whatsoever that these events happen in a complicated world. Rapp's hunt for his wife's killers lasts all of about a hundred pages and every clue he needs is handed to him on a silver platter. There's neither subtlety nor intricacy to be found here. Flynn is peddling pure fantasy, and failing to conceal it with even the veneer of realism.

[Carl Alves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mitch Rapp is one of the more interesting characters that I've come across in literature and Vince Flynn is an exceptional writer, so I had set a pretty high bar when I started reading Consent to Kill. Of the thrillers that I have read, Flynn has among the more realistic and gritty portrayals. Most international terrorist type novels are more fantasy than fiction. In Consent To Kill an ultra-rich Arab fundamentalist puts a massive bounty to have Mitch killed, bringing out some heavy hitters to participate in his assassination. When he survives the attempt, he is hell-bent on exacting revenge in the most ruthless fashion possible. Mitch is a pretty intense character to begin with, but he takes it to a new level in this novel. There was a high level of violence, so it's not for the squeamish, but it all added to the novel. He hunts down every single person who was involved in the attack, going off the grid. This may be the best of the Vince Flynn novels that I have read and I would highly recommend it.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairly long book.

A bereaved Saudi cleric puts a price on Rapp's head for his terrorist son's death. Assassins are hired but the job gets botched and instead of Rapp being killed he is just injured... but his wife Anna is killed.

Thus begins Rapp and Coleman saga of hunting down all the parties involved. Does he succeed? Well- he is after all Mitch Rapp so you figure it out... but just to let you know there's a very unlike Rapp twist in the end.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of his better books. Just great action and lots of adventure. I really enjoyed it.

[Abram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another stout work from Vince Flynn, not for the faint of heart and left wing advocates need not apply, please take this as disclaimer, this book deals with very violent and disturbing issues, many of which are beyond the scope of most sheltered CNN understanding. Be ye warned. But the thing that attracts me to Flynn's writing is the no nonsense attitude that should be more alive in our current political system. But alas we are led by the elite few, a week group of appeasers and politically correct power seekers who are morally corrupt and effectively ineffective...
Long live the stars and stripes and may the founding principles of freedom burn forever bright in the bosom of my children.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read any of this series in quiet some time so was very happy to find that Mitch Rapp hadn't change one bit...didn't even get any older. He's one character that has the power to draw the reader in and keep you turning pages. It was an interesting plot with a very satisfactory ending and it seemed like a very quick read. There is a movie that was made supposedly from this book so having just finished the book, I watched it last night. There are so many major parts of the storyline that have either been changed or just left out that you would hardly recognize it. If you have read or plan to read this book and/or love this author...don't ruin it by watching the movie.

[Alexw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flynn never disappoints and after a few ironic uses of suicide bombers, I found myself looking for another Flynn book- great escapism.

[Mariya Mincheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Харесах всички книги от поредицата за Мич Рап до тук, шпионските истории и политическите игри, поднесени много премерено и обрано от Винс Флин вече месеци ме разтоварват от напрегнатото ежедневие.
Очаквах с всяка следваща книга неминуемо да се загуби част от енергията, но "Лиценз за убиване" е изключително динамична и вълнуваща игра на коварство, преследване, отмъщение и прошка.

[karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vince Flynn is a Twin Cities writer who reads like a DC policy wonk who hangs out with CIA types. Wild guess is his sources are Clancy on tech things and Cheney on policy. Like his others, this one is fast, furious, fun, great!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost 500 pages in before the action starts, beyond one event. Still, kept me interested right to the end. What happened to the MS-13 leader of the attack? Kinda disappears. Cardboard characters but some are interesting. 3 Stars

[Ana Jembrek · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dan sjećanja” mi se jako svidio, stoga sam imala visoka očekivanja od knjige “Dozvola za ubojstvo“. Pričalo se da je “Dozvola za ubojstvo” čak i bolji roman! I moram priznati da je to u mnogo aspekata istina. “Dan sjećanja” možda ima malo brži i stabilniji tempo radnje, ali “Dozvola za ubojstvo” je emotivno iskustvo kakvo nisam očekivala.

Priča se nastavlja nedugo nakon događaja koji su se dogodili u knjizi “Dan sjećanja” i fokusira se ponajviše na Rappa i njegovu obiteljsku situaciju, konkretno odnos sa suprugom Annom. Naravno, tu su i nezaobilazne političke spletke i struje koje pokušavaju preuzeti kontrolu nad Rappom (plaćenim ubojicom koji radi za CIA-u). No, prije svega, tu je grupica ljudi koji doista, ali doista želi vidjeti Rappa mrtvog. I dok to nije ništa neuobičajeno, ova grupica ljudi osmišljava plan koji bi zaista mogao ugroziti život Mitcha Rappa. I tako započinje ultimativna igra mačke i miša, u kojoj se uloge mačke i miša često izmjenjuju.

“Ubij onoga koji želi ubiti tebe i to će biti najzdraviji iskonski osjećaj koji ćeš ikada iskusiti.”

Trudim se ne otkriti previše detalja o samoj radnji, ali vjerujte mi kada kažem da ove zaplete i obrate nisam očekivala, niti sam očekivala ovu razinu emotivne angažiranosti koju je autor izvukao od mene. Flynnu je stalo da meni bude stalo do likova, i to se doista dogodilo, a taj sentiment nije ostao rezerviran samo za “the good guys“. Mislila sam da je sasvim nemoguće da ulozi u ovoj knjizi budu veći nego u prethodnoj, ali gadno sam se prevarila. Flynn je ovom knjigom toliko podigao stupanj vrućine da sam se bojala da ću zadobiti toplotni udar!

Unatoč problemima s tempom od kojih je radnja ponekad patila, a bome i problemima s duljinom romana, ovdje je riječ o izuzetno uzbudljivom političkom trileru, crème de la crème, i silno sam uživala u njemu.

Originalnu recenziju možete pročitati ovdje: https://knjigesumojsvijet.com/2019/03...

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters, plot and writing were all good in this book.

This was the first book I was reading in the series and he has introduced all the charachters and provided brief backgrounds so well that you don’t feel like you are misisng out on anything.

A saudi business man puts a bountry on Mitch’s head for the death of his son. First half was about the plot and second half was all action.

Engrossing, fast paced and with enough plot twists to keep you engaged throughout.

It had a very satisfactory ending as you really get to like Louisa and Claude in the book.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pop Quiz

True or False: I believe that aggressive use of overwhelming force is FREQUENTLY the ONLY means whereby evil men, their surrogates, and often, their governments, can be effectively controlled.

True or False: I have previously, thoughtfully, considered the possibility that if confronted by someone who intended to, or had, harmed someone I love, I would not hesitate a single heartbeat before shooting said person or persons in the head, at close range, and that having done so, I would not suffer a moment’s remorse.

If you, like I, can answer emphatically TRUE to both of these statements you will probably enjoy Vince Flynn’s Consent to Kill. Consent to Kill was an exciting page-turner where good triumphs and the bad guys get theirs. Who doesn’t find feel a certain primal satisfaction when evil men, real or fictional, meet a just and irrevocable demise? (Aside from the misguided pacifists who answered False above…)

That said, I have to take off my testoste-rose colored glasses long enough to report that I found the authors writing style to be rather course and unrefined. In the first paragraph of the first chapter the narrator says, “Rapp stood in front of his boss’s desk. He’d been offered a chair but had declined... The file was an inch thick. It pissed him off.” Now don’t get me wrong, I am no prude. I don’t mind if a character is pissed off. The character can say, “I’m pissed off”. He can think, “I’m pissed off”. His friend or wife can say, “He’s pissed off”. But I’d rather not have to listen to a third person NARRATOR use vernacular, slang, or colloquialisms, a pattern that Mr. Flynn repeats throughout the book. (He uses the phrase “pissed off” alone no less than ten times in the book.) I also felt that the author relied too heavily on telling me how tough the characters were, rather than showing me. It may be a subtle distinction, but I guess that is my primary complaint with Flynn’s writing; it lacks subtlety. The story is rather clichéd and predictable. I mean, come on, who didn’t foresee the result of the explosive events on page 249 when they read the first paragraph in the book?

All in all it’s not a bad read if you answered true to both questions in the pop quiz and enjoy the genre. There is plenty of violence and profanity, including the ones that would give your mother chest pains, so it’s certainly not for everyone, definitely not for the kids.

[Angela R. Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

STORY

Wow! Fast paced, bursting with adrenaline and intrigue, and full of interesting twists (most of which I saw coming). SO good. The story line wraps up well with the previous books. Full of action and tough moral questions, the story is probably one of my favorites of the series thus far (I don't think anything can beat American Assassin and Kill Shot, though)...

THEMES

WOW. Goodness, where do I start? As usual, the themes of brotherhood and loyalty are prominent and handled well. You have your amazing friends and you have your backstabbing grease balls. You can't trust many... but the ones you can? They've got your six no matter what.

This book really packed a punch as far as the moral questions go. The ending was quite incredible. So far, most of the bad guys in the series are that--wicked. Evil. Unrepentant. This book turned that streak on its head. Some of the bad guys make you stop and think, wondering if redemption truly is for everyone, etc. And it was GREAT. I loved the hard questions asked, answered, and left for individuals to decide.

I'll say it again... some of the themes in this series... brotherhood... love... loyalty... patriotism... courage... family... these are beautiful things. Important things. This series never shies from absolutely wicked and vile things, the things that the Good should fight and conquer. In this day and age, it is so easy to turn a blind eye to the evilness. May we never stop fighting it, regardless.

CHARACTERS

Coleman and Rapp are an absolutely amazing duo. Coleman's humor is a 101/10. I love them.

ALSO WICKER WAS IN THIS ONE I LOVE WICKER. TINY SNIPER MAN = ♥

And Mitch's brother and Tommy are just.... I MELTED.

Rapp was really good in this book. You sincerely felt for him. Such a heartbreaking novel (I didn't cry but it takes a lot for me to cry so, yeah)...

Anna was... she's always been kind of iffy with me. I wasn't attached to her. So. Yeah.

As I said, some of the baddies really turned some tropes on their head, so fabulous.

CONTENT

R. Heavy language. Heavy violence, gore, blood, etc. Sensual content, mild depictions of rape, etc. The usual.

OVERALL

Really enjoyed it and cannot wait to finish this series. I'm dying to reread the first two books but can't till I finish.

[Henry Gruenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consent to Kill is truley the definition of an action thriller. From chapter to chapter you dont know what to expect next. The book kept me at the edge of my seat as I kept reading in order to find out what happened next. Throughout the book, the reader follows the life of Mitch Rapp, a CIA operative who works in counter-terrorism. After Rapp kills an Al Queda terrorist, his father wants revenge. For this reason a 22 million dollar bounty was placed on Rapp's head. The story follows a young couple and contract killers who have taken the 22 million dollar job to kill Mitch Rapp. After the couple fails to complete the job, Rapp’s wife is caught in the crossfire. All the while, the Director of National Intelligence, Mark Ross eats breakfast with the prince of Saudi Arabia, who is also a known sponsor of Al Queda terrorist actions, and in turn discusses sensitive information about Mitch Rapp and other United States operations. This sensitive information gives the Al Queda leader a way to put several United States officials in danger. In the end everybody who had a hand in the killing of Rapp's wife was brought to justice.

This book also helped me answer my guiding question, what drives people to create conspiracies? Thoughout the novel, several events occur in which the Director of the CIA, or the President makes the executive order to not let the press know about it. When Rapp's house was blown up, the commonwealth was told it was a gas leak. I found that this could be one reason that people suspect their government is not being forthcoming. The top counter terrorism agent's house does not just have a gas leak.

All in all this book was great, it was a perfect balance of action, drama, and conspiratorial suspense.

[Allan Smulling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find reading Vince Flynn novels enjoyable. As someone wrote in a previous review there is something primal in the feeling that one gets when evil is defeated and pushed (real or fictional). This theme runs strong through all of the novels that I've read by Mr. Flynn.

The things that make this Mitch Rapp novel stand out from the previous ones is the additional time spent on further developing Rapp and hia wife's characters. Both are fleshed out in greater detail - much more than they have been in the previous stories. OK... Character development isn'n a hallmark of this series but it is noticeably stronger here. Also of note: this is the first time that I've noticed any kind of sympathy with a protagonist in a Rapp novel. It was a nice change of pace.

I consider this one of the better Mitch Rapp novels. It probably doesn't stand well on it's own, but if you, like me, are trying to read the novels in order, Consent to Kill is, so far one of the better stories.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2013, I was a smoker. Hated smoke inside the house, so I would smoke on my porch and read. I was mostly reading David Baldacci then, and I was looking for a new writer because I was almost done with his books. My neighbor recommended Vince Flynn, and I read all of his books in a summer. Mitch Rapp was one of my favorite characters.

I was so saddened to learn when he died. I have no idea who has been keeping up his series after he passed away. Not sure I'd want to continue them. Kind of like Steig Larsson's series, I suspect it will fall short of the author's original vision.

Because I read all these books in 2013, I'll be copying/pasting this review into all of the 13 Mitch Rapp books I read.

[Byron Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good!!

The events that transpired in this novel were to be expected. That's if the legend if Mitch Rapp and his exploits were to continue to grow. As always, you're never disappointed with a Rapp book as long as the focus stays on the main character and eschews commentary on the politics of the day. There are good and bad on both sides of the aisle, IMHO.

Good story, great action, with memorable deeds and people. Really, really good storytelling. There were some that escaped retribution, but maybe in a future book? One can only hope.

Buy it, read it and enjoy!!! 👍🏾🇺🇸👍🏾🇺🇸👍🏾🇺🇸👍🏾🇺🇸👍🏾🇺🇸

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good installment in the series. This book had a few twists. A more main character was killed off, I won’t say who in order to not spoil it. This sent the events in a downward spiral. The book had plenty of action and had a good ending to redeem and change my view of another character.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars, very good.

[Terence M [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio book - 17 hours 15 minutes - 4 stars out of 5
Another good Mitch Rapp re-read, probably better second time around.