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Scot Harvath #17
Spymaster
The newest thriller in the #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and #1 Publishers Weekly bestselling series!
Across Europe, a secret organization has begun attacking diplomats. Back in the United States, a foreign ally demands the identity of a highly placed covert asset. In the balance hang the ingredients for all-out war.
With his mentor out of the game, counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath must take on the role he has spent his career avoiding. But, as with everything else he does, he intends to rewrite the rules—all of them.
In Spymaster, Scot Harvath is more cunning, more dangerous, and deadlier than ever before.
If you have never read a Brad Thor novel, this is the place to start!
Across Europe, a secret organization has begun attacking diplomats. Back in the United States, a foreign ally demands the identity of a highly placed covert asset. In the balance hang the ingredients for all-out war.
With his mentor out of the game, counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath must take on the role he has spent his career avoiding. But, as with everything else he does, he intends to rewrite the rules—all of them.
In Spymaster, Scot Harvath is more cunning, more dangerous, and deadlier than ever before.
If you have never read a Brad Thor novel, this is the place to start!
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2018
6644 people are currently reading
4307 people want to read
About the author
Brad Thor
47 books7,439 followersBRAD THOR is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five thrillers, including EDGE OF HONOR, SHADOW OF DOUBT, 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).
EDGE OF HONOR is on sale now. For more information, visit BradThor.com.
EDGE OF HONOR is on sale now. For more information, visit BradThor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 893 reviews
August 12, 2018
To be continued....I hate endings like this. I had to revise my rating, (down) because BT is better than this. 4 of 10 stars
August 22, 2018
Brad Thor returns with another wonderful novel in his Scot Harvath series, keeping things not only exciting but politically on point. In a world where alliances are always shifting, the reemergence of Russian political dominance is one that cannot be ignored. After a number of high-ranking officials from a number of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries are gunned down, word is that it is part of a larger plan to disrupt the collective. There is proof that the Russians have been amassing troops on the borders of their Baltic neighbours, leaving those within NATO feeling additionally nervous as they wonder if this could be foreboding to an aggressive move. Scot Harvath is a member of the team contracted to follow-up and investigate the intelligence, which purports that Russia will strike close to the Organization’s underbelly, in neutral Sweden. The team makes its way to as island off the country’s coast, looking for a Russian cell that could commence attacks on their former satellite states, particularly those who are new NATO members. Under the Organization’s founding documents, Article 5 insists that an attack on one member is an attack on all, which could lead to a new war on European soil. Meanwhile, the Americans are trying to deal with a major gaffe in Poland that could propel the world to turn against them. Someone has broken into a convoy of vehicle and stolen military parts capable of resurrecting previously banned missiles. With the NATO situation gaining momentum, this revelation could push the Russians to the brink. As Harvath and his team seek to dismantle the Russian cell in Sweden, there is the larger concern of what might come on another front. Diplomatic means are off the table and this must be stopped before the world media gets wind of these potentially catastrophic maneuvers. Harvath has much to accomplish and little time to waste. Thor keeps readers intrigued as the story hits home in what could be a ‘torn from the headlines’ plot. Perfect for series fans and those who love politically relevant thrillers.
At a time when espionage and political thrillers are still fixated on all this ISIS, it is nice to see some authors keeping an open mind. Gone are the days when readers tend to want more Islam versus Infidel themed novels, particularly with all the action taking place with Russia at present. Thor spent a number of his novels dealing with this topic, but has been able to look at current news headlines to craft new and exciting storylines that will continue to impress readers. Scot Harvath has undergone much transformation over the series and continues to keep himself a relevant part of the discussion. Thor has not offered additional backstory, but keeps developing his protagonist. With an ever-updated ‘team’ working alongside him, Harvath’s personal attributes are highlighted in new and interesting ways. Others complement him well, while also carving out their own character development, thereby permitting series fans to see constant growth of those names who keep reappearing on the page and adding hope that some of these new names will find a means of popping up once again. The story was not only interesting, but offered the reader a chance to wonder ‘what if’ as it relates to the sub-plots being developed. While there is certainly less of a Russia-US animosity at present, that is sure to change when America finds itself once again and out of the orange-haze quagmire that has foreign policy nursing from the Russian teat. Until then, Thor posits many plausible and thought-provoking storylines that could develop in Western Europe. Using NATO was a brilliant spin on what is currently taking place and, through some of his research and personal sentiments, Thor makes some fairly grounded arguments to keep the politically savvy reader wondering, as well as gasping at the novel’s ending. Might this be some foreboding remains to be seen.
Kudos, Mr. Thor, for another wonderful novel. Some may not like the tempered action, but I found it completely captivating and hope you’ll consider continuing this theme.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
At a time when espionage and political thrillers are still fixated on all this ISIS, it is nice to see some authors keeping an open mind. Gone are the days when readers tend to want more Islam versus Infidel themed novels, particularly with all the action taking place with Russia at present. Thor spent a number of his novels dealing with this topic, but has been able to look at current news headlines to craft new and exciting storylines that will continue to impress readers. Scot Harvath has undergone much transformation over the series and continues to keep himself a relevant part of the discussion. Thor has not offered additional backstory, but keeps developing his protagonist. With an ever-updated ‘team’ working alongside him, Harvath’s personal attributes are highlighted in new and interesting ways. Others complement him well, while also carving out their own character development, thereby permitting series fans to see constant growth of those names who keep reappearing on the page and adding hope that some of these new names will find a means of popping up once again. The story was not only interesting, but offered the reader a chance to wonder ‘what if’ as it relates to the sub-plots being developed. While there is certainly less of a Russia-US animosity at present, that is sure to change when America finds itself once again and out of the orange-haze quagmire that has foreign policy nursing from the Russian teat. Until then, Thor posits many plausible and thought-provoking storylines that could develop in Western Europe. Using NATO was a brilliant spin on what is currently taking place and, through some of his research and personal sentiments, Thor makes some fairly grounded arguments to keep the politically savvy reader wondering, as well as gasping at the novel’s ending. Might this be some foreboding remains to be seen.
Kudos, Mr. Thor, for another wonderful novel. Some may not like the tempered action, but I found it completely captivating and hope you’ll consider continuing this theme.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
July 23, 2018
This is a pretty meh book. It had action and everything but there is this feeling of 'being there, done that' that kept oozing through quite often. But, the ending (which teases) gives me hope that this is a bridge to a new character arc from the next book onwards.
fingers crossed
fingers crossed
July 27, 2018
Spymaster was awesome!!!
When Harvath and his team were sniffing around tracking Tretyakov; Tretyakov's goons were investigating Harvath.
Brad Thor did well by not portraying the bad guys as imbeciles.
The novel was well written and action packed.
The cliffhanger............ The cliffhanger was top notch.
How come Harvath does not have a movie?
When Harvath and his team were sniffing around tracking Tretyakov; Tretyakov's goons were investigating Harvath.
Brad Thor did well by not portraying the bad guys as imbeciles.
The novel was well written and action packed.
The cliffhanger............ The cliffhanger was top notch.
How come Harvath does not have a movie?
July 23, 2018
Wow. This book was remarkably bad.
This book just can't build up any momentum without going off on some tangent that not only should've been dealt with earlier or just isn't necessary in the first place. Not only is the book structurally a mess (this guy has written a TON of books, how has he not figured this out by now?), but the prose just isn't that engaging. It's bad enough that I was genuinely shocked that it had sold so many copies!
The books builds (I use the word charitably) to a few sequences of thrilling (again, arguably) action in which things kind of just don't happen. Everything kind of just goes right for the main characters until the end, when they go wrong for a second, but then go right again. This book is a snooze. I do not recommend reading it, or even thinking about reading it. There are better crappy books to read.
This book just can't build up any momentum without going off on some tangent that not only should've been dealt with earlier or just isn't necessary in the first place. Not only is the book structurally a mess (this guy has written a TON of books, how has he not figured this out by now?), but the prose just isn't that engaging. It's bad enough that I was genuinely shocked that it had sold so many copies!
The books builds (I use the word charitably) to a few sequences of thrilling (again, arguably) action in which things kind of just don't happen. Everything kind of just goes right for the main characters until the end, when they go wrong for a second, but then go right again. This book is a snooze. I do not recommend reading it, or even thinking about reading it. There are better crappy books to read.
June 4, 2018
See this review and more at www.TheRealBookSpy.com
When Russia implements a daring plan to draw the United States into war, it’s up to counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath to once again save the day in Brad Thor’s (Use of Force, etc.) action-packed new thriller.
A sniper in Portugal, a car bomb in Spain, and a shooter in Greece. Three attacks, three dead diplomats. As blood spills across Europe, an American private security firm discovers that a secret organization is behind the attacks and quickly races to learn more about the group’s whereabouts and their overall objective.
The Carlton Group, currently serving as a lifeboat of sorts to the Central Intelligence Agency while the world’s most famous spy organization undergoes a bureaucratic cleansing, is now being run by Lydia Ryan. The former deputy director of CIA, Ryan brings a wealth of experience to the Carlton Group during a period of restructuring, as the company’s founder, Reed Carlton, battles Alzheimer’s disease. Previously, Scot Harvath, a Navy SEAL turned secret service agent turned counterterrorism operative, turned down the corner office to stay in the field. Though he’s finally showing signs of aging, Harvath is still an apex predator and one of the most cunning weapons in America’s arsenal.
Once again, Harvath suits up when his country needs him most. Forged through decades of experience, the battle-tested warrior is used to taking punches and soldiering onward. So when the American president finds out that Russia is attempting to draw the United States into war by attacking its NATO allies, using the North Atlantic Treaty to solicit an American response, he turns to Scot and the Carlton Group, tasking them with doing whatever necessary to avoid going to war with Russia.
Assembling a team, Harvath goes on the hunt, tracking the assassins around the globe, trying desperately to connect the dots and uncover the organization’s final play before it’s too late. Meanwhile, Lydia Ryan deals with the fallout of Reed Carlton’s condition. As the spymaster’s health deteriorates, Ryan realizes that the secrets previously held in Carlton’s steel trap of a mind are now at risk. As she tries to take down as much information as she can from Carlton, an American ally approaches Ryan and demands the identity of a highly-placed covert asset, further complicating matters on the homefront. Everything comes to a roaring boil as Thor delivers a stunning final act, capped off with a killer, jaw-dropping ending that’ll leave readers absolutely stunned.
Along with a large returning cast (including several Use of Force carryovers such as Jack Gage, who is fast becoming a real go-to source for book recommendations), Thor, who’s long been known for writing strong female characters into his books, also introduces readers to a couple of scene-stealing newcomers in Polish operator Monika Jasinski and Rebecca Strum, the newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who bears a striking resemblance to real-life ambassador Nickey Haley. Still, Harvath is the guy, and Thor shows fans a new side to Scot, who’s put through the ringer physically and emotionally in a number of ways that are bound to play a major role moving forward.
While a lot of authors have written timely thrillers over the years, nobody has been more consistently right on the money than Thor, who has the uncanny ability to predict what the world will look like in the near future and craft his stories accordingly. That’s certainly the case with Spymaster, which feels ripped straight from tomorrow’s headlines, offering readers a terrifying glimpse at how the conflict between America and Russia could eventually play out. One thing’s for sure. . . with the way things are today, the world could use a little more Scot Harvath.
Now seventeen books in, Brad Thor is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If anything, the #1 New York Times bestseller is getting better each time out, a scary proposition for his competition, as Thor once again proves why he’s the undisputed king of the thriller genre. Spymaster is incredible, and the ending makes it clear that Thor is meticulously setting things up for his next book, which, if he can deliver the way he did here, has all the makings to be the kind of very special one-two punch that readers haven’t seen since Robert Ludlum was in his prime.
Timely, raw, and filled with enough action for two books, Spymaster is this summer’s must-read thriller and the most gripping novel of Brad Thor’s iconic career.
Book Details
Author: Brad Thor
Series: Scot Harvath #17
Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 147678941X
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Release Date: July 3, 2018
Book Spy Rating: 9.75/10
Order Now: https://amzn.to/2stb5ii
Praised as “one of today’s finest book reviewers” by New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds, Ryan Steck (“The Godfather of the thriller genre” — Ben Coes) has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.
When Russia implements a daring plan to draw the United States into war, it’s up to counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath to once again save the day in Brad Thor’s (Use of Force, etc.) action-packed new thriller.
A sniper in Portugal, a car bomb in Spain, and a shooter in Greece. Three attacks, three dead diplomats. As blood spills across Europe, an American private security firm discovers that a secret organization is behind the attacks and quickly races to learn more about the group’s whereabouts and their overall objective.
The Carlton Group, currently serving as a lifeboat of sorts to the Central Intelligence Agency while the world’s most famous spy organization undergoes a bureaucratic cleansing, is now being run by Lydia Ryan. The former deputy director of CIA, Ryan brings a wealth of experience to the Carlton Group during a period of restructuring, as the company’s founder, Reed Carlton, battles Alzheimer’s disease. Previously, Scot Harvath, a Navy SEAL turned secret service agent turned counterterrorism operative, turned down the corner office to stay in the field. Though he’s finally showing signs of aging, Harvath is still an apex predator and one of the most cunning weapons in America’s arsenal.
Once again, Harvath suits up when his country needs him most. Forged through decades of experience, the battle-tested warrior is used to taking punches and soldiering onward. So when the American president finds out that Russia is attempting to draw the United States into war by attacking its NATO allies, using the North Atlantic Treaty to solicit an American response, he turns to Scot and the Carlton Group, tasking them with doing whatever necessary to avoid going to war with Russia.
Assembling a team, Harvath goes on the hunt, tracking the assassins around the globe, trying desperately to connect the dots and uncover the organization’s final play before it’s too late. Meanwhile, Lydia Ryan deals with the fallout of Reed Carlton’s condition. As the spymaster’s health deteriorates, Ryan realizes that the secrets previously held in Carlton’s steel trap of a mind are now at risk. As she tries to take down as much information as she can from Carlton, an American ally approaches Ryan and demands the identity of a highly-placed covert asset, further complicating matters on the homefront. Everything comes to a roaring boil as Thor delivers a stunning final act, capped off with a killer, jaw-dropping ending that’ll leave readers absolutely stunned.
Along with a large returning cast (including several Use of Force carryovers such as Jack Gage, who is fast becoming a real go-to source for book recommendations), Thor, who’s long been known for writing strong female characters into his books, also introduces readers to a couple of scene-stealing newcomers in Polish operator Monika Jasinski and Rebecca Strum, the newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who bears a striking resemblance to real-life ambassador Nickey Haley. Still, Harvath is the guy, and Thor shows fans a new side to Scot, who’s put through the ringer physically and emotionally in a number of ways that are bound to play a major role moving forward.
While a lot of authors have written timely thrillers over the years, nobody has been more consistently right on the money than Thor, who has the uncanny ability to predict what the world will look like in the near future and craft his stories accordingly. That’s certainly the case with Spymaster, which feels ripped straight from tomorrow’s headlines, offering readers a terrifying glimpse at how the conflict between America and Russia could eventually play out. One thing’s for sure. . . with the way things are today, the world could use a little more Scot Harvath.
Now seventeen books in, Brad Thor is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If anything, the #1 New York Times bestseller is getting better each time out, a scary proposition for his competition, as Thor once again proves why he’s the undisputed king of the thriller genre. Spymaster is incredible, and the ending makes it clear that Thor is meticulously setting things up for his next book, which, if he can deliver the way he did here, has all the makings to be the kind of very special one-two punch that readers haven’t seen since Robert Ludlum was in his prime.
Timely, raw, and filled with enough action for two books, Spymaster is this summer’s must-read thriller and the most gripping novel of Brad Thor’s iconic career.
Book Details
Author: Brad Thor
Series: Scot Harvath #17
Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 147678941X
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Release Date: July 3, 2018
Book Spy Rating: 9.75/10
Order Now: https://amzn.to/2stb5ii
Praised as “one of today’s finest book reviewers” by New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds, Ryan Steck (“The Godfather of the thriller genre” — Ben Coes) has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.
July 5, 2018
Good book. Everything I've come to expect from a Harvath thriller. The politics of the book are certainly in context with the headlines of the times, not unusual for Brad Thor. But, seriously—what's with that ending? Not cool, man. I mean, cool—but not cool! The next book is a long way off and I am not a patient person.
January 27, 2019
I like the macho man character of Scott Harvath. I like the complex political plot line (which seemingly could be ripped from the current headlines a la Tom Clancy). The enthralling and freshly unique plot in SPYMASTER is interesting, but regrettably, the execution is not captivating; it didn’t even hold my interest well ( evidenced by my putting the book down several times and taking 2 weeks - instead of 2 days- to finish it!)
Even with only 316 pages, the pacing and plot lag. Complex becomes complicate, even confusing, with a slew of characters. A Who’s Who Cast of Characters page would have been helpful. There is action, but not heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat, adrenaline fueled. It is a good espionage story, simply not a compelling one....certainly not a thriller!
The ending is hurried. The resolution to the many threads (and red herrings) is revealed on the next to last page! Now, THAT is rushed and should have been developed. Abrupt endings are dissatisfying.
The last sentence offers a cliffhanger. Not nice. More importantly, not authentic. The Carlton Group is at the apex of security and spy tradecraft. The cliffhanger indicates a scenario that is completely out of character to The Carlton Group’s ethos. Such an inconsistency is disappointing.
With few exceptions, Brad Thor has written explosive espionage thrillers. If you are unfamiliar with this series, I highly recommend starting with the incredibly electrifying LIONS OF LUCERNE (#1). I would rather reread his earlier Scott Harvath books than muddle through the likes of less than stellar recent ones, such as USE OF FORCE (#17)and SPYMASTER (#18j.
Even with only 316 pages, the pacing and plot lag. Complex becomes complicate, even confusing, with a slew of characters. A Who’s Who Cast of Characters page would have been helpful. There is action, but not heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat, adrenaline fueled. It is a good espionage story, simply not a compelling one....certainly not a thriller!
The ending is hurried. The resolution to the many threads (and red herrings) is revealed on the next to last page! Now, THAT is rushed and should have been developed. Abrupt endings are dissatisfying.
The last sentence offers a cliffhanger. Not nice. More importantly, not authentic. The Carlton Group is at the apex of security and spy tradecraft. The cliffhanger indicates a scenario that is completely out of character to The Carlton Group’s ethos. Such an inconsistency is disappointing.
With few exceptions, Brad Thor has written explosive espionage thrillers. If you are unfamiliar with this series, I highly recommend starting with the incredibly electrifying LIONS OF LUCERNE (#1). I would rather reread his earlier Scott Harvath books than muddle through the likes of less than stellar recent ones, such as USE OF FORCE (#17)and SPYMASTER (#18j.
December 8, 2024
This was another audio book experience for me.
There is nothing like a spy thriller that can help get your juices going while you are working out! At least for me, this has been the perfect way to address a book like this one.
Our Mystery Readers Book Discussion group read and discussed a few of Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath adventures.
Spymaster was everything I've come to expect from a Harvath thriller.
The politics of the book are certainly in context with the headlines of the times, which quite frankly, is not unusual for Brad Thor.
But, seriously—
What's with that ending?
I am not going to say anything more – but, when you get to it, tell me what you think!
There is nothing like a spy thriller that can help get your juices going while you are working out! At least for me, this has been the perfect way to address a book like this one.
Our Mystery Readers Book Discussion group read and discussed a few of Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath adventures.
Spymaster was everything I've come to expect from a Harvath thriller.
The politics of the book are certainly in context with the headlines of the times, which quite frankly, is not unusual for Brad Thor.
But, seriously—
What's with that ending?
I am not going to say anything more – but, when you get to it, tell me what you think!
August 12, 2018
I look forward to my yearly date with SH however this was a huge disappointment. I kept waiting for things to get going then when they did the book was over. Thankfully there was little politics in this go round; BT can get a bit preachy. As this ended on a cliffhanger, I will be back next July. Hopefully the next one starts off with a bang and we get the BT outing we are used to!
July 23, 2018
What a disappointment!
The book felt like Brad Thor had a word goal from his publisher.
Too much fluff, not enough action.
If you want an action thriller, just read the last 15% of the book.
And a terrible ending!
The book felt like Brad Thor had a word goal from his publisher.
Too much fluff, not enough action.
If you want an action thriller, just read the last 15% of the book.
And a terrible ending!
July 22, 2018
The story line is very weak, disjointed, and uninteresting. Did I forget to say it was weak?
I've noticed that around the 20th title, some authors seem 'used up'. No new ideas, bonded to the established characters, preventing them from having new ideas. Did I forget to mention 'no new ideas'?
I will keep reading Brad Thor (and Ted Bell and Tom Clancey and Clive Custler) just to see if they can break out of their creative detention center.
I've noticed that around the 20th title, some authors seem 'used up'. No new ideas, bonded to the established characters, preventing them from having new ideas. Did I forget to mention 'no new ideas'?
I will keep reading Brad Thor (and Ted Bell and Tom Clancey and Clive Custler) just to see if they can break out of their creative detention center.
June 14, 2020
This latest entry in the Scot Harvath series appears to be a transitional novel.
Someone is murdering diplomats, and Harvath has to find out who, and why. He's aging out of the field, taking shots of some serum to stay in the game, but knows he has to retire soon. His boss has Alzheimer's disease. There's a scenario that recently (months after the book was published) was discovered in the newspapers.
Very exciting,and beyond timely.
Someone is murdering diplomats, and Harvath has to find out who, and why. He's aging out of the field, taking shots of some serum to stay in the game, but knows he has to retire soon. His boss has Alzheimer's disease. There's a scenario that recently (months after the book was published) was discovered in the newspapers.
Very exciting,and beyond timely.
August 3, 2018
The book opens with Scot as an observer on a Norwegian cabin by its elite military, but all hell breaks loose. Scot is trying to stop a group killing diplomats with an agenda to foment trouble within NATO by a foreign superpower. The deeper plan is to recapture former colonies by making a military response by NATO impossible, both tactically and strategically. I liked the parallels drawn by Thor to Nazi Germany's hegemony to protect its nationals in neighboring countries. Nicholas and Vella play roles, but Reed Carlton continues his sad decline. I had to knock off a star for the lame cliffhanger ending.
November 20, 2018
I enjoy a Scot Harvath adventure once in awhile.
April 28, 2019
My interest in this series has been waning. Thor's last few additions to the series have been rather tiresome in that they seem to be a continuous repetition of hunting down and killing Arab terrorists. After awhile the originality of going about such tasks can be exhausted and that can be fatal for an author. I am happy to report that with this book Thor is back to his A game and has left the Arabs in the desert. This story concerns the Russian plans to undermine NATO and its allies with a phony terrorism group in order to create dissension and confusion. Using this disruption to their advantage the Russians plan to invade the Baltic countries much like they have done on the Crimean Peninsula. There is plenty of action and tension and a whole new team of operatives have joined Thor's hero, Scot Harvath, in this adventure. From the track of the story it appears that the author might be preparing to take Harvath on to a new storyline entirely. If that is true then I am pleased to see it as the series is overdue for an ending or a new direction with new people. The new people seem to be in place so I guess we'll have to wait and see what Thor does with them.
Now while I did enjoy the book a great deal there are a couple of criticisms that I need to make, one minor and one major. First the minor criticism. Three or four times during the course of reading this novel characters mention books that they are reading. The first time this happened I didn't think anything of it but then it happened again and then again. This has never been done in any of Thor's prior Harvath books so it is very noticeable and caused me to check if these were real books and authors and they are. I found this practice to be tacky and clumsy. I do not know if this was the author's idea of helping author friends or if it is the publisher trying to use Thor's fan base to advertise other book offerings. Whatever the reason or whoever is responsible it needs to stop immediately. I do not mind an author or a publisher making book recommendations and there are plenty of less offensive methods for doing that. Recommendations can be included as an end note in the book or on the back of the dust cover but do not put it in the story. Such a practice reminds me of product placements used in movies and it just cheapens the author's work and smacks of an attempt to manipulate loyal readers. If you want to recommend a book then be honest about it instead of trying to be clever.
My major criticism is a pet peeve of mine. This book ends in a cliffhanger and that is a mortal sin. It is the ploy of insecure authors or publishers to sell books. Thor has a very loyal following so there is no need for him to resort to such gimmicks to sell his books. Further, since these books usually only come out once a year it means a year of suspense that the fans must endure for no good reason. That is a terrible thing to do to people that have supported you for years. Thor has never done this before so I am going to assume the publisher may have been behind this and if so then Thor needs to be more of an advocate for his fans.
Now while I did enjoy the book a great deal there are a couple of criticisms that I need to make, one minor and one major. First the minor criticism. Three or four times during the course of reading this novel characters mention books that they are reading. The first time this happened I didn't think anything of it but then it happened again and then again. This has never been done in any of Thor's prior Harvath books so it is very noticeable and caused me to check if these were real books and authors and they are. I found this practice to be tacky and clumsy. I do not know if this was the author's idea of helping author friends or if it is the publisher trying to use Thor's fan base to advertise other book offerings. Whatever the reason or whoever is responsible it needs to stop immediately. I do not mind an author or a publisher making book recommendations and there are plenty of less offensive methods for doing that. Recommendations can be included as an end note in the book or on the back of the dust cover but do not put it in the story. Such a practice reminds me of product placements used in movies and it just cheapens the author's work and smacks of an attempt to manipulate loyal readers. If you want to recommend a book then be honest about it instead of trying to be clever.
My major criticism is a pet peeve of mine. This book ends in a cliffhanger and that is a mortal sin. It is the ploy of insecure authors or publishers to sell books. Thor has a very loyal following so there is no need for him to resort to such gimmicks to sell his books. Further, since these books usually only come out once a year it means a year of suspense that the fans must endure for no good reason. That is a terrible thing to do to people that have supported you for years. Thor has never done this before so I am going to assume the publisher may have been behind this and if so then Thor needs to be more of an advocate for his fans.
September 12, 2022
This was just a read. Nothing special. It took me forever to get into this book and then it wasn't worth it.
July 4, 2018
Wow, Brad Thor, how do you do it? Brad Thor continues to be at the top of the genre, beating headlines, and keeping an exciting the story the whole way through. I've noticed Thor's books taking a harder and harder political stance, but I didn't feel it with this one, which I think will help it to appeal to people across the aisles. What a great story, and it probably has one of the craziest endings of any of Thor's books. Great, great novel!
July 9, 2018
I can't believe I'm giving 3 stars to one of my favorite spy series. This book gets a "meh" from me. The cliffhanger ending did not impact me at all.
August 6, 2018
After a while these types of books all seem the same but I still enjoyed reading it and it was a fast read.
July 9, 2020
Good, but not one of the better BT novels. Too many characters again and started losing interest about 2/3rds finished.
October 25, 2025
I don't know how he does it, but each book in this series is better than the last one. The author continues with his main protagonist, Scot Harvath, and a group of other memorable characters. In this iteration, Harvath is called on to attempt to stop a land war breaking out in Crimea (sound familiar??). The body count in this one is quite high. Overall, a very good story and well worth your consideration. A worthy effort.
June 29, 2019
5/5 Stars
I decided to jump ahead to the most recent Brad Thor novel (now 2nd most recent) because he’s coming to my local bookstore on his latest book tour, and boy am I glad I did! I am usually a read-them-in-order kinda girl, but had heard a lot of good buzz about Spymaster so jumped ahead and read it. I’m not sure when Thor’s stories made the leap into 5-star territory, but this one certainly delivers. This definitely an action-packed thriller. A good, well-developed supporting cast helps propel the story forward. And the plot is a very believable plot involving the Russians. Oh, and did I mention that the ending is heart stopping???? I’m glad I didn’t read this last year when I first picked it up because I would have had to wait an entire year to get a resolution. At some point I will go back and finish the in between books, to find out how Scot Harvath got to this current situation, but for now, I will be going straight to Backlash as soon as I pick it up.
I decided to jump ahead to the most recent Brad Thor novel (now 2nd most recent) because he’s coming to my local bookstore on his latest book tour, and boy am I glad I did! I am usually a read-them-in-order kinda girl, but had heard a lot of good buzz about Spymaster so jumped ahead and read it. I’m not sure when Thor’s stories made the leap into 5-star territory, but this one certainly delivers. This definitely an action-packed thriller. A good, well-developed supporting cast helps propel the story forward. And the plot is a very believable plot involving the Russians. Oh, and did I mention that the ending is heart stopping???? I’m glad I didn’t read this last year when I first picked it up because I would have had to wait an entire year to get a resolution. At some point I will go back and finish the in between books, to find out how Scot Harvath got to this current situation, but for now, I will be going straight to Backlash as soon as I pick it up.
July 23, 2022
I get the impression that Brad Thor either ran out of ideas, or just got lazy, hence the crappy cliffhanger ending. The book was really good until the crappy ending. I liked that he paid homage to Jack Carr and Mark Greaney ;"Kuznetsov was the quintessential gray man. Thor writes that "an entire portion of southern Estonia where atm's went offline."This happened in Canada a couple of weeks ago. Hmmm.
July 9, 2018
Not his best work. The plot was somewhat predictable and not all that exciting.
January 29, 2019
Eh ja.. Actie en reactie, geweld, complotten en overdosis testosteron..
July 13, 2019
Dimenticabile.
E infatti mi son dimenticato di finirlo.
E infatti mi son dimenticato di finirlo.
July 27, 2019
These are getting awfully short, but the plots are still good. WHY not finish this plot, though?????? To end this way is just lazy, and unfortunately feels like $$$ gouging us. Ticked me off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2018
I have to begin this review at the end of the book...
Brad, what were you thinking! I have to wait a year now?!
Now my review: Scot Harvath has now evolved into a different kind of operative/leader. He has gotten older and now has a growing team of top shelf operators to do some of the heavy lifting. And as it turns out, he needs them.
The Russians have embedded cells and individuals that are carrying out terrorist attacks in NATO countries. They want to destabilize them as a preamble to an invasion of the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It's up to Harvath and his team to head to Sweden (and a few other places) to locate a spy and get information on Russian organizer of of these attacks. And boy does it get complicated.
This is one fast paced exciting read as expected from Brad Thor. Once again, he does not disappoint. This book is as timely as any book Brad has written. You can tell it was well researched with all the details included. He really paints a picture and you can almost "see" what he has written. Well recommended.
Brad, what were you thinking! I have to wait a year now?!
Now my review: Scot Harvath has now evolved into a different kind of operative/leader. He has gotten older and now has a growing team of top shelf operators to do some of the heavy lifting. And as it turns out, he needs them.
The Russians have embedded cells and individuals that are carrying out terrorist attacks in NATO countries. They want to destabilize them as a preamble to an invasion of the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It's up to Harvath and his team to head to Sweden (and a few other places) to locate a spy and get information on Russian organizer of of these attacks. And boy does it get complicated.
This is one fast paced exciting read as expected from Brad Thor. Once again, he does not disappoint. This book is as timely as any book Brad has written. You can tell it was well researched with all the details included. He really paints a picture and you can almost "see" what he has written. Well recommended.
February 9, 2025
Book Review - Spymaster - Brad Thot
In Brad Thor’s “Spymaster”, I love seeing Scot Harvath grow and I love how Thor mentioned the events from previous books in the series. This book has so much details and seems eerily accurate with what's going on in the world today, which is sort of frightening but makes you think. As the others in the Harvath series, this book's plot was just as intriguing. I did NOT, however, like the cliffhanger but I must admit that for the first time I was intrigued and anticipate the next book in the Scot Harvath series. Normally when I read a book with a cliffhanger it leaves a sour taste in my mouth, but this is Brad Thor, so... Nevertheless, I love Harvath's character and will continue to be a huge fan of the series. Good read!
In Brad Thor’s “Spymaster”, I love seeing Scot Harvath grow and I love how Thor mentioned the events from previous books in the series. This book has so much details and seems eerily accurate with what's going on in the world today, which is sort of frightening but makes you think. As the others in the Harvath series, this book's plot was just as intriguing. I did NOT, however, like the cliffhanger but I must admit that for the first time I was intrigued and anticipate the next book in the Scot Harvath series. Normally when I read a book with a cliffhanger it leaves a sour taste in my mouth, but this is Brad Thor, so... Nevertheless, I love Harvath's character and will continue to be a huge fan of the series. Good read!
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