While all eyes are on Taiwan, China makes a stunning move against Thailand. Using a series of proxies, it plunges the country into chaos, looking to capture a narrow, but critical piece of land, which will give it the upper hand over the United States and help the Chinese Navy dominate both the Indian and Pacific Oceans. With the new American president unwilling to openly commit troops or intelligence personnel, Scot Harvath and his team are called into service. Their assignment: to track down an American turncoat—a former teammate of Harvath’s who is assisting Beijing. What they will discover, however, is China’s most elite espionage unit and their plans not only for Thailand’s collapse, but also America’s.
BRAD THOR is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven thrillers, including CHOKE POINT, COLD ZERO, EDGE OF HONOR, BLACK ICE (ThrillerFix Best Thriller of the Year), NEAR DARK (one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of the Year), BACKLASH (nominated for the Barry Award for Best Thriller of the Year), SPYMASTER (“One of the all-time best thriller novels” —The Washington Times), THE LAST PATRIOT (nominated Best Thriller of the Year by the International Thriller Writers Association), and BLOWBACK (one of the “Top 100 Killer Thrillers of All Time” —NPR).
CHOKE POINT is on sale now. For more information, visit BradThor.com.
Hard to believe this was the 25th Scot Horvarh book. Brad Thor always tells a great story, and this one definitely continues his track record. Almost all the action happens in Thailand, with a brief parallel plot in the US. Honestly, the domestic sub plot didn’t add to the book. It was a mild distraction, albeit interesting. I still gave the book 5 stars, so not a big deal. His descriptions of Bangkok and surrounding areas was a Birds Eye view of the region, bringing the people, the country and the culture alive.
It seems like everything I’m reading lately, recommended and supplied by ScoutsTales.com has been wonderful! Order now, because Thor’s marketing team is going to create very long wait lists at the ljbraries.
I have said this before, but it bears repeating. There is no author with his finger on the pulse of the global political landscape with the experience and background that Brad Thor brings to the game. He has held countless roles within the halls of government and deep espionage, and he freely releases much of what he knows in his terrific series featuring Scot Harvath.
Thor also brings with him a distinctly conservative approach to telling these stories, which is frankly refreshing. Additionally, he touches the heartstrings from the get-go with a dedication to his brother, Scot Thor, after whom Harvath is named.
The action in CHOKE POINT is immediate and relentless. The opening scene features Kevin Kobler, a rogue former SEAL whose bomb-setting skills are at the center of a series of terrorist plots meant to create the highest level of political subterfuge and lead to a deadly global conflict. That is, until Harvath and his associates get involved.
Harvath recently has gotten married and has rejoined his longtime employer, The Carlton Group, who have him on a deep jungle reconnaissance mission in the Philippines when he is pulled out to address the bombing in Bangkok. Kobler, meanwhile, is a mercenary working for an unknown benefactor and has driven himself deep inside Bangkok’s dark underground to plan his next attack.
Harvath teams up with a former adversary, Rick Morrell, who he must be able to work with in order to prevent another terrorist attack that potentially could drive the U.S., China, Russia and other major political players into a dangerous game of global chess. Whoever is paying Kobler is doing so as part of a huge shell game to make intelligence of the U.S. and their allies believe that someone else is behind it in order to get an expected and possibly catastrophic reaction.
There is a second plot line featuring agents based in the U.S. who find themselves targeted by the same people behind Kobler and the bombings. They spend most of the novel on the run from dangerous assassins seeking to silence them. Meanwhile, Harvath and Morrell have made some rare missteps that not only has allowed the bomber to get away but also has cost the lives of some valuable and non-military team members who they vow to avenge.
Once Harvath and company figure out that they are being duped by the political shell game, with China being used as bait, they are able to respond accordingly with their own subterfuge. The goal is to keep their enemies believing that they are taking the bait while tirelessly working to smoke out Kobler before one of his bombs cost thousands of more lives.
CHOKE POINT is aptly titled. Brad Thor and his dynamic political thriller writing takes us by the throat and does not release its hold until he is completely done with us. This is another timely and insightful read from a master of the genre.
I have said this before, but it bears retelling, there is no author with his finger on the pulse of the global political landscape with the experience and background that Brad Thor brings to the game. He has held countless roles within the halls of government and deep espionage and freely releases much of what he knows within the pages of his terrific series featuring Agent Scott Harvath, the latest of which is entitled CHOKE POINT.
Thor also brings with him a distinctly conservative approach to telling these stories which is frankly refreshing. Additionally, he touches the heartstrings from the get-go with a dedication to his own brother Scot Thor, for whom his most famous fictional character is named after. The action in CHOKE POINT is immediate and relentless. The opening scene features a rogue former SEAL named Kevin Koebler whose bomb setting skills are at the center of a series of terrorist plot meant to create the highest level of political subterfuge and push things towards a deadly global conflict. That is, until Scot Harvath and associates get involved.
Harvath had recently gotten married and rejoined is long-time employer, The Carlton Group, who have him on a deep jungle reconnaissance mission in the Philippines when he is pulled out to address the bombing in Bangkok. Koebler, meanwhile, is a mercenary working for an unknown benefactor and has driven himself deep inside Bangkok’s dark underground to plan his next attack.
Our hero, Harvath, teams with an former adversary named Morrell who he must be able to work with in order to prevent another terrorist attack that could potentially drive the U.S., China, Russia, and other major political players into a dangerous game of global chess. The fact that whoever is paying Koebler is doing so as part of a huge shell game to make intelligence of the U.S and their allies believe someone else is behind it in order to get an expected and possibly catastrophic reaction. There is a second plot line featuring agents based in the U.S. who find themselves targeted by the same people behind Koebler and the bombings and they spend most of the novel on the run from dangerous assassins seeking to silence them. Meanwhile, Harvath and Morrell have made some rare missteps which has not only allowed the deadly bomber to get away but also cost the lives of some valuable and non-military team members who they vow to avenge.
Once Harvath and company figure out that they are being duped by the political shell game, with China being used as bait, they are able to respond accordingly with their own subterfuge meant to keep their enemies believing they were taking the bait while tirelessly working to smoke out Koebler before one of his bombs can cost thousands of more lives. CHOKE POINT is aptly titled as Brad Thor, and his dynamic political thriller writing, takes the reader by the throat and does not release its hold until he is completely done with you. Another timely and insightful read from the master of this genre.
What can I say about this book that I haven't said in the past? One thing I CAN say is that I completely disregarded my never ending (and ever growing) TBR list and threw everything to the side to read this on the day it came out. THAT is not something that I can say about too many books or too many authors.
First of all, I have grown to love Scot Harvath. Full Stop. (I mean, we ARE at 25 books now)
Was this the best book in the series? No. It wasn't. But with that being said, I enjoyed it and finished it in one sitting. I also left feeling content knowing that this was my one Scot Harvath book of the year and was happy that I read it.
This book is a bit odd in that we really don't have anyone from Scot's world working on this case with him (Secondary characters that work with him). We do get a few telephone interactions with Nicholas when he needs some important information relating to the case he is working on.
I listened to this on audio and as usual, the narration was performed by Armand Schultz, who has basically become the voice of the series. Why am I mentioning that? Well, because one of my favorite voice portrayals that he does (at least for me) is of Nicholas. I don't know what it is about that particular portrayal, but I love it and can always immediately recognize his character.
This book gets a little complicated setting up the back story of the history of Thailand, Cambodia, China and Taiwan but it is neccessary for the reader to understand the political implications of what the bad guys are attempting to accomplish.
The story actually breaks off into two seperate storylines - Scot's storyline in Bangkok chasing a villainous bomb maker and then there is another character in the United States that is somehow also tied into everything. They stay seperate storylines until the end when everything gets pulled together.
As usual, this book is filled with non-stop action as things begin with some major bomb attacks in Bangkok and then continue as Scot is brought in to help with the local authorities. He is able to find and follow certain clues and ends up teaming up with one of the local Americans who is stationed out of the Bangkok office.
Again, while not the best book of the series, it still kept my interest and had me invested right up until the very end. After 25 books, I'd consider that a win :)
Who is really behind deadly explosions in Thailand?
The world is reeling after a series of bombings in Thailand leave citizens of many countries, including the US, dead. As Thai law enforcements agencies desperately try to identity those behind the attack, speculation points to neighboring Cambodia. Tensions have been simmering between the two countries over a border dispute, so their being the culprit is a logical assumption. The US government wants to find answers quickly and prevent an escalation of hostilities between the two countries so sends in not only the technical assistance Thailand has requested but also Scot Harvath and his team of highly skilled operatives. Harvath and company soon find that not all is as it seems...there are indeed Cambodian teams in the area, but there are also Chinese operatives and a rogue American bomb-maker who once worked on a SEAL team with Harvath before being forced out of the service. Back on US soil, a discredited analyst turned podcaster with PTSD is on the run from what he claims is a hit team out to stop him from printing his speculations as to China's expansion plans. As more bombings occur, can Harvath discover who is truly behind them and what the group's end goal is before more die and war erupts? As is generally the case in this top notch series from author Brad Thor, this 25th installment weaves an of-the-moment geopolitical concern...fears of Chinese aggression in Southeast Asia...into a fast-paced tale of territorial ambitions, clashing countries, and the high stakes world of international intrigue. Protagonist Scot Harvath is back on his game, pushing boundaries and breaking rules in his quest for answers while pursuing a formidable opponent (who is reminiscent of Dennis Hopper in Speed) on foreign soil. The book can be read as a standalone for those who haven't read previous entries in the series without missing out on too much, and is guaranteed to be a welcome addition to the oeuvre for those who are fans of the series. Readers of Jack Carr, Brad Taylor and Nelson DeMille should give this book (and the series as a whole) a try as well. A great summer thriller that seems to spring from today's headlines, served with a dollop of patriotism just in time for the US's 250th birthday.
Scot Harvath is back! Book 25 in this series did not disappoint. A hallmark of a good geopolitical thriller is when clues are dropped as to the endgame throughout the plotline, but it stays just out of grasp for the reader. Choke Point does exactly this, leaving clues as to what overall plot Scot and the team are attempting to stop, but we get so drawn in with the hunt for the rogue American bomber that the macro view becomes more obscured. This is masterful plot creation by Brad. The aligning subplot with Chinese infiltration of the American government did leave me wanting more, and it certainly felt as if the ground was set for future looks into this topic.
My only big complaint is that it went by too quickly!
Enjoyable but typical Brad Thor thriller; 25th in the Scot Harvath series. This one only mentions Nicolas once or twice and Scot's wife Solvi is not in the story. The story follows two separate threads, one occurring in Thailand and one in D.C.. They somewhat come together at the end for a wrap up that explains the motivation behind the bombings and killings that occur throughout the story. While scrumptiously mentioned earlier in the book, the ultimate motivation for the bombings, killings and subterfuge relates to actual current events having happened 3,000 miles away. An easy one day read if you have the time: perfect for a rain day, a poolside read or digesting on a long flight. Enjoy.
Choke Point is overflowing with international intrigue, explosive action and enough tension to make a bomb technician sweat. It’s Scot Harvath at his best as he engages in a deadly game of cat and mouse through Thailand with thousands of innocent lives and the established world order hanging in the balance. Brad Thor has once again crafted a top-notch thriller that is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Simply put, this book absolutely rips.
My absolute, most favorite way to spend a down day. 👏🙃🙂🙃
Brad Thor never, ever disappoints.
I always love how I only have to read a couple paragraphs and I am completely whisked away for serval hours on another high adrenaline and action filled patriotic escapade from America’s favorite top Spy.
My next dog will most definitely be named Harvath Thor (as all my previous dogs have been named after my favorite authors and characters).
One way to pay tribute to this many with a golden pen!
Please Mr Thor … never stop telling this story. ✍️
Another easy 5-star read by Brad Thor! As a huge fan of fast-paced thrillers, this one checked every single box for me. From the very first page, the momentum never lets up. There is tons of great action running all through the book, and the suspense is dialed up perfectly. It’s one of those rare, addictive stories where you just have to know what happens next—I couldn't put it down until the final page. If you love a smart, hard-hitting tactical thriller, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended!
Choke point continues Brad Thor’s Scott Harvath series. I would not say that this is one of the better books in the series, but as time goes on and it gets harder and harder to match your earlier works, I think I miss his earlier teammates the new people around him just do not have the same effect on me. is there excitement in the book? Yes! Is the world saved once again from conflict? What do you think? Have fun!
I have to admit, it was pretty cool that the latest Scot Harvath thriller was set in Thailand, most of it in my home city of Bangkok! The narrator did fair justice to pronouncing a lot of the names correctly (wow), and the author gave a pretty fair depiction of life and politics in Thailand. Some of it felt a little hyped, including the sophistication of ISOC, but that's totally within reason for a good thriller.
3 stars. If you love Brad Thor then this read will not waste your time. However, speaking as someone who has read every Brad Thor novel (and gave his last one 5 stars), I am sad to say I was not impressed with this one. It felt very much like a rinse and repeat novel. And I even hesitated to give it 3 stars 😳! Plots felt familiar and not much new.
Fast and furious - nonstop travel and jumping around. Book finally settled in enough to know what, where, how… then you were moved back to the US again. I set the book down for three days and had to backtrack to figure out where, what, etc., again. If you start this book, stay with it. If you cannot…you won’t enjoy it.
I'm a big fan of Scot Harvath and was enjoying this page turner all the way to its improbable ending. My rating went from a 4.5 to a 3.5 due to the ridiculous conclusion. I eagerly await Mr Thor's next installment .
Like Scot Harvath, though of late the books in the series had become unimaginative. Choke point was both exciting and a return to what grabbed my attention in the first place.
Interesting Scot Harvath book, this one takes place in Thailand and involves the Chinese and Cambodians. The team is all here and they continue to work in sync. There is also some action in DC which turns out to be related.
Fast-paced, action-packed thriller that kept me turning the pages. I loved the international setting and all the political intrigue, and Scot Harvath was as entertaining as ever. If you like spy thrillers with lots of action and high stakes, I highly recommend this one!