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Tom Clancy's Op-Center #18
Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Sting of the Wasp
After an intelligence failure at Op-Center results in a major terrorist attack, director Chase Williams radically transforms the agency into a ground-breaking mobile strike force. It’s a beautiful day in Manhattan as excited tourists board the floating Air & Space Museum on the USS Intrepid—until a horrible explosion rips across the flight deck, showering the body parts of innocent people everywhere. The perpetrator is none other than Captain Ahmed Salehi, an Iranian mastermind whose last terrorism plot was foiled at the last minute by Op-Center. Back in Washington, the White House orders Op-Center disbanded—or so it seems. Unbeknownst to America’s enemies, director Chase Williams has been put in charge of a brand-new, top-secret covert attack team known only as BLACK WASP. Its members, each chosen for their unique set of specialized black-ops skills—martial arts expert Lieutenant Grace Lee, sharpshooter Lance Corporal Jaz Rivette, and JAG attorney and criminologist Major Hamilton Breen—have been assigned to seek out Salehi and finally bring him to justice. But Salehi is part of an even more frightening conspiracy, led by a renegade Iranian tycoon determined to establish a new Islamic State that will dwarf the horrors of ISIS. From the heart of Manhattan, to the swamps of Trinidad, to the sunbaked mud villages of Yemen, this new Op-Center is America’s only line of defense against a bloody Middle Eastern tyrant.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2019
588 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 25, 2025
A great Clancy. Fast paced and lots of twists.
April 4, 2019
I liked the Jack Ryan books, so I knew immediately I would likely enjoy Sting of the Wasp. I was not disappointed. It's a great action packed read filled with drama and surprises. In typical Tom Clancy fashion, this is a solid thrill ride. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2022
4* Highly entertaining and fast paced special ops jaunt
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't overly big (330 pages) and I smashed it out in a couple of days once I really got into it. That is always a sign of a highly engaging fast paced tale and I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys an action packed spec-ops, intelligence community, terrorist hunt style read.
If you like Tom Clancy or this style of book I think this is a good one.
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't overly big (330 pages) and I smashed it out in a couple of days once I really got into it. That is always a sign of a highly engaging fast paced tale and I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys an action packed spec-ops, intelligence community, terrorist hunt style read.
If you like Tom Clancy or this style of book I think this is a good one.
July 31, 2019
I was a bit disappointed in this particular novel. I have loved the Op-Center books but this one just seemed lacking.
We have a terrorist event that gets the present Op-Center torn apart for lack of stopping the event before it happens. The head of Op-Center is unceremoniously dismissed, or is he? He is reassigned to a group that will search out the terrorist and end his life.
This group is made up of different warriors from different branches of the service and each has a very distinct and different style of warfare. Each is put with the other to form a new style unit of warriors who can work alone or in a group. This time it is in a group. They will work hard at finding the terrorist who has attacked America, but they seem to be one step behind and one minute late to closing their mission.
They use their unique skills to eventually overcome obstacles and together will finally catch up to the man they want.
I just found that the thrill of the hunt seemed lacking. The role of each individual seemed forced. The unit seemed out of sync.
Maybe it was just me. But this one didn't have the adrenaline rush of the previous novels in the series.
We have a terrorist event that gets the present Op-Center torn apart for lack of stopping the event before it happens. The head of Op-Center is unceremoniously dismissed, or is he? He is reassigned to a group that will search out the terrorist and end his life.
This group is made up of different warriors from different branches of the service and each has a very distinct and different style of warfare. Each is put with the other to form a new style unit of warriors who can work alone or in a group. This time it is in a group. They will work hard at finding the terrorist who has attacked America, but they seem to be one step behind and one minute late to closing their mission.
They use their unique skills to eventually overcome obstacles and together will finally catch up to the man they want.
I just found that the thrill of the hunt seemed lacking. The role of each individual seemed forced. The unit seemed out of sync.
Maybe it was just me. But this one didn't have the adrenaline rush of the previous novels in the series.
April 11, 2024
I thought I'd like this one, but I just couldn't get into it.
June 13, 2021
This is the fifth book in the revived Op-Center series after thirteen in the original series, and unfortunately it is the worst of either series.
The story starts with a terror attack in New York. As a consequence, the president blaims Op-Center and decides to disband it. Almost immediate Chase Williams, the now former director of Op-Center, gets given a new assignment. The new assignment is to work with a new small military team called Black WASP to track down the terrorist responsible for the attack.
The story itself is not too bad, though some elements are contrived. Based on the story I'd have rated this three stars. It gets a one star rating for two reasons:
1. This is not an Op-Center novel, it's a black wasp novel.
2. The writing is bad.
Either one of the two reasons is sufficient reason to give this book one star.
I had hoped that the return of Jeff Rovin to the series, that he originally wrote, would be a return to form as the revived series was lackluster at best. I won't immediately give up on the series as I've already bought the next book and the last book has been pre-ordered already, and is to be delivered soon. It would however seem that Rovin's return has had the opposite effect on quality from what I had hoped.
With regards to the two reasons, although one of the characters, Deputy Chief of Staff (to the President) Matt Berry, refers to black was as Op-center 2.0, it really isn't and the author seems well aware of this as at some point the President calls this "semantic versioning". The idea of the new agile team is interesting but it is never made clear why the team has a size of only three people, and why their particular skill sets make for a good team. Chase Williams does not appear to make for a good addition to the team, as they do not appear to need a leader. His primary role appears to be communications officer towards the White House. But I guess the author had to at least keep one element from the previous books to keep this, at least in title, an Op-Center book.
With regards to the writing, some examples
- one character is referred to as a corporal in the navy, while that is not a rank in the US navy (I'm not an expert, but fairly certain on this)
- Chase williams is a retired admiral but keeps being referred to as Commander, which is a different rank. His job at some point was commander of Central Command (CENTCOM), but even that would have been a title not his rank.
- For the character of Grace it is at some point mentioned that she's not bringing any weapons, only knives. Since when are knives not weapons. I know the general public does not use knives as weapons, but we aren't talking butter knives here.
- When the team boards a Navy ship, the captain of the boat is mentioned and within a page the captain changes gender. Initially it is said "received her orders" and later "wants to know who's on his ship". This is sloppy.
- similar to the gender change one character changes his first name once or twice. Though it is possible that one is an official name and the other a given name; this should have been explained if that is the case. The character is Ibrahim Abdullah/Ali Abdullah.
- at some point the book describes two people being sent out of an apartment, in pairs. This again is sloppy writing as the two people can go out separately, together or 'as a pair'. The plural does not make sense. Only with the next sentence does it become clear that four people were sent out of the room, i.e. two pairs.
- a kid riding a bike at some point passes by a person, which is written as "past by" which I believe is not the correct past tense which should be "passed by".
As mentioned these are some examples and the ones that stood out most to me.
- at some point the main characters get into a row boat, which has part of a mast and a boom attached to it. The mast and boom make it a sailboat, which also happens to have the option to be rowed.
- at some point the lance corporal sharpshooter of the team loosens his hands with a technique which is vaguely described and appears to be little more than flapping your hands about. It is mentioned that he learned this technique from the martial arts experts and that she calls this technique Qi Gong. As someone who's just started learning Tai Chi, I'm familiair with Qi Gong. Qi Gong which is a series of movements, not one particular movement. And generally the movements are a lot more than just flapping your hands about.
All in all the book is badly researched and badly written. Perhaps there is too much pressure to publish a book a year. I'd be perfectly happy with a book every other year if that means less issues in the text. If Jeff Rovin happens to read this, or his publisher does, I also would not mind becoming a proof reader to support the quality improvements required to get the series back to what it was for the first thirteen novels.
If you're looking for a good thriller look elsewhere. This is neither a good standalone novel nor a good entry into the Op-Center series.
The story starts with a terror attack in New York. As a consequence, the president blaims Op-Center and decides to disband it. Almost immediate Chase Williams, the now former director of Op-Center, gets given a new assignment. The new assignment is to work with a new small military team called Black WASP to track down the terrorist responsible for the attack.
The story itself is not too bad, though some elements are contrived. Based on the story I'd have rated this three stars. It gets a one star rating for two reasons:
1. This is not an Op-Center novel, it's a black wasp novel.
2. The writing is bad.
Either one of the two reasons is sufficient reason to give this book one star.
I had hoped that the return of Jeff Rovin to the series, that he originally wrote, would be a return to form as the revived series was lackluster at best. I won't immediately give up on the series as I've already bought the next book and the last book has been pre-ordered already, and is to be delivered soon. It would however seem that Rovin's return has had the opposite effect on quality from what I had hoped.
With regards to the two reasons, although one of the characters, Deputy Chief of Staff (to the President) Matt Berry, refers to black was as Op-center 2.0, it really isn't and the author seems well aware of this as at some point the President calls this "semantic versioning". The idea of the new agile team is interesting but it is never made clear why the team has a size of only three people, and why their particular skill sets make for a good team. Chase Williams does not appear to make for a good addition to the team, as they do not appear to need a leader. His primary role appears to be communications officer towards the White House. But I guess the author had to at least keep one element from the previous books to keep this, at least in title, an Op-Center book.
With regards to the writing, some examples
- one character is referred to as a corporal in the navy, while that is not a rank in the US navy (I'm not an expert, but fairly certain on this)
- Chase williams is a retired admiral but keeps being referred to as Commander, which is a different rank. His job at some point was commander of Central Command (CENTCOM), but even that would have been a title not his rank.
- For the character of Grace it is at some point mentioned that she's not bringing any weapons, only knives. Since when are knives not weapons. I know the general public does not use knives as weapons, but we aren't talking butter knives here.
- When the team boards a Navy ship, the captain of the boat is mentioned and within a page the captain changes gender. Initially it is said "received her orders" and later "wants to know who's on his ship". This is sloppy.
- similar to the gender change one character changes his first name once or twice. Though it is possible that one is an official name and the other a given name; this should have been explained if that is the case. The character is Ibrahim Abdullah/Ali Abdullah.
- at some point the book describes two people being sent out of an apartment, in pairs. This again is sloppy writing as the two people can go out separately, together or 'as a pair'. The plural does not make sense. Only with the next sentence does it become clear that four people were sent out of the room, i.e. two pairs.
- a kid riding a bike at some point passes by a person, which is written as "past by" which I believe is not the correct past tense which should be "passed by".
As mentioned these are some examples and the ones that stood out most to me.
- at some point the main characters get into a row boat, which has part of a mast and a boom attached to it. The mast and boom make it a sailboat, which also happens to have the option to be rowed.
- at some point the lance corporal sharpshooter of the team loosens his hands with a technique which is vaguely described and appears to be little more than flapping your hands about. It is mentioned that he learned this technique from the martial arts experts and that she calls this technique Qi Gong. As someone who's just started learning Tai Chi, I'm familiair with Qi Gong. Qi Gong which is a series of movements, not one particular movement. And generally the movements are a lot more than just flapping your hands about.
All in all the book is badly researched and badly written. Perhaps there is too much pressure to publish a book a year. I'd be perfectly happy with a book every other year if that means less issues in the text. If Jeff Rovin happens to read this, or his publisher does, I also would not mind becoming a proof reader to support the quality improvements required to get the series back to what it was for the first thirteen novels.
If you're looking for a good thriller look elsewhere. This is neither a good standalone novel nor a good entry into the Op-Center series.
July 12, 2019
I literally had to stop reading the book.
The author's research was terrible.
My comments below contain spoilers:
................
1. The first person you meet in the story is a retired Navy corporal. The Navy does not have corporals. They said he was a retired corporal, yet he only served one tour of duty. The book also referred to him as a seaman.
2. one man is referred to as a retired four-star commander in the Navy. I spoke to some Navy people about this. If he had four stars he would be an admiral. Yet throughout the book he was referred to as a four-star Commander.
3. They had on a US Army parachute plane. A captain who was the co-pilot, serving as the jumpmaster, who was a female paratrooper who broke her leg.
There was an interaction between her and a lieutenant. The lieutenant was questioned why she was not lead pilot on the plane. the captain said the commander had more experience with this particular type of run.
Again talking to military people I am told that the captain in the Army is the equivalent of a Navy lieutenant. The commander is equivalent of an Army lieutenant colonel. This was an army airplane which would be naturally flown by Army pilots.
4. There was a marine corporal. He's a lance corporal then he's a corporal. A Marine friend of mine says those are two different ranks.
And this corporate at age 10, use a gun from a grocery store to kill two robbers. And the police were so impressed that they put him through some type of gun safety shooting course. This happened in a state with strict gun laws.
5. There is a 5 foot 2 female lieutenant who is some type of super martial artist. She is so good, that the military allows her to go into combat with just four knives.
6. The four Star Commander is heading into a covert mission, with just a kitchen apron full of chef knives. But when he lands in country he has a sig Sauer.
It was at this point that I said farewell to the book.
People read Tom Clancy for the accuracy. Mr. Clancy always researched his material and made sure it was right.
The author of this book appeared not to do any research at all. had he done even a little bit of Google research he could have cleaned up the story.
And I'm actually surprised that the editors did not catch this.
I'm done with the book not going to finish reading it.
The author's research was terrible.
My comments below contain spoilers:
................
1. The first person you meet in the story is a retired Navy corporal. The Navy does not have corporals. They said he was a retired corporal, yet he only served one tour of duty. The book also referred to him as a seaman.
2. one man is referred to as a retired four-star commander in the Navy. I spoke to some Navy people about this. If he had four stars he would be an admiral. Yet throughout the book he was referred to as a four-star Commander.
3. They had on a US Army parachute plane. A captain who was the co-pilot, serving as the jumpmaster, who was a female paratrooper who broke her leg.
There was an interaction between her and a lieutenant. The lieutenant was questioned why she was not lead pilot on the plane. the captain said the commander had more experience with this particular type of run.
Again talking to military people I am told that the captain in the Army is the equivalent of a Navy lieutenant. The commander is equivalent of an Army lieutenant colonel. This was an army airplane which would be naturally flown by Army pilots.
4. There was a marine corporal. He's a lance corporal then he's a corporal. A Marine friend of mine says those are two different ranks.
And this corporate at age 10, use a gun from a grocery store to kill two robbers. And the police were so impressed that they put him through some type of gun safety shooting course. This happened in a state with strict gun laws.
5. There is a 5 foot 2 female lieutenant who is some type of super martial artist. She is so good, that the military allows her to go into combat with just four knives.
6. The four Star Commander is heading into a covert mission, with just a kitchen apron full of chef knives. But when he lands in country he has a sig Sauer.
It was at this point that I said farewell to the book.
People read Tom Clancy for the accuracy. Mr. Clancy always researched his material and made sure it was right.
The author of this book appeared not to do any research at all. had he done even a little bit of Google research he could have cleaned up the story.
And I'm actually surprised that the editors did not catch this.
I'm done with the book not going to finish reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2021
A typical exciting Tom Clancy novel takes you on an exciting ride.
An Iranian (Salehi) orchestrates setting off a bomb on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier which is now a tourist attraction in NY harbor. A chemical turns into a fireball that incinerates the closest people and badly burns many more. He also manages to get a way along with the Iranian chemist who helped him set it up.
Chase Williams works for NSA (or some such agency) and is the person deemed to have been responsible for missing the intel that would have allowed the US to stop the terrorist attack. He gets canned/asked to resign. However, he secretly then gets reassigned to a top secret squad with just a few members. All very talented in different aspects of warfare. And all who think outside the box.
The idea is to have a team that can go in and execute on the fly without extensive pre-planning as the military usually would. It is called Black Wasp. It includes martial arts expert Lieutenant Grace Lee, sharpshooter Lance Corporal Jaz Rivette, and JAG attorney Major Hamilton Breen.
The chemist and his family go to Canada to then go to Iran. But they are killed by a wealthy Arab sheikh/businessman who wants to become essentially another Osama bin Laden. I believe he is tying up loose ends?
Salehi has his escape route planned out but gets abducted by the Sheikh's people and taken to Trinidad. Through some good luck, Black Wasp figures out he is probably there and goes to get him. They almost manage it but he escapes so they continue their search and locate him in Yemen where the Sheikh is based. Salehi realizes he needs to cooperate with the sheikh or he himself will be killed.
There are more adventures in Yemen and narrow escapes and finally they corner Salehi.
Towards the end the JAG and others in discussion talk about the pros and cons of America broadcasting is powers around the world and the potential unintended consequences.
An Iranian (Salehi) orchestrates setting off a bomb on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier which is now a tourist attraction in NY harbor. A chemical turns into a fireball that incinerates the closest people and badly burns many more. He also manages to get a way along with the Iranian chemist who helped him set it up.
Chase Williams works for NSA (or some such agency) and is the person deemed to have been responsible for missing the intel that would have allowed the US to stop the terrorist attack. He gets canned/asked to resign. However, he secretly then gets reassigned to a top secret squad with just a few members. All very talented in different aspects of warfare. And all who think outside the box.
The idea is to have a team that can go in and execute on the fly without extensive pre-planning as the military usually would. It is called Black Wasp. It includes martial arts expert Lieutenant Grace Lee, sharpshooter Lance Corporal Jaz Rivette, and JAG attorney Major Hamilton Breen.
The chemist and his family go to Canada to then go to Iran. But they are killed by a wealthy Arab sheikh/businessman who wants to become essentially another Osama bin Laden. I believe he is tying up loose ends?
Salehi has his escape route planned out but gets abducted by the Sheikh's people and taken to Trinidad. Through some good luck, Black Wasp figures out he is probably there and goes to get him. They almost manage it but he escapes so they continue their search and locate him in Yemen where the Sheikh is based. Salehi realizes he needs to cooperate with the sheikh or he himself will be killed.
There are more adventures in Yemen and narrow escapes and finally they corner Salehi.
Towards the end the JAG and others in discussion talk about the pros and cons of America broadcasting is powers around the world and the potential unintended consequences.
February 2, 2020
"Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Sting of the Wasp" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Jeff Rovin, Steve Pieczenik (contributor), and Tom Clancy (listed as contributor though Mr. Clancy died in 2013). Mr. Rovin has published more than 100 novels. This is the 18th Op-Center novel.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in contemporary times. The primary character is former Op-Center director Chase Williams.
A terrorist attack has taken place in New York City abort the Museum Ship Intrepid. The attack has been carried out by Iranian Captain Ahmed Salehi. Williams is relieved of command of Op-Center and it is dismantled.
Known to only a few, Williams is put in charge of an ultra-secret group known as BLACK WASP. The WASPs are an odd collection - US Navy martial arts expert Lieutenant Grace Lee, marksman extraordinaire Lance Corporal Jaz Rivette, and JAG attorney and criminologist Major Hamilton Breen. This very unorthodox team is loosely led by Williams on the trail of Salehi.
I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 348-page action thriller. I have read many of Clancy’s novels as well as several of the Op-Center novels. While this was not the best, it was an enjoyable read. It was very clearly not written by Clancy. The action was pretty constant in the book. As with so many thrillers, the sequence of events, luck and opportunity fell in line so that the ‘heroes’ prevailed. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 3.9 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in contemporary times. The primary character is former Op-Center director Chase Williams.
A terrorist attack has taken place in New York City abort the Museum Ship Intrepid. The attack has been carried out by Iranian Captain Ahmed Salehi. Williams is relieved of command of Op-Center and it is dismantled.
Known to only a few, Williams is put in charge of an ultra-secret group known as BLACK WASP. The WASPs are an odd collection - US Navy martial arts expert Lieutenant Grace Lee, marksman extraordinaire Lance Corporal Jaz Rivette, and JAG attorney and criminologist Major Hamilton Breen. This very unorthodox team is loosely led by Williams on the trail of Salehi.
I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 348-page action thriller. I have read many of Clancy’s novels as well as several of the Op-Center novels. While this was not the best, it was an enjoyable read. It was very clearly not written by Clancy. The action was pretty constant in the book. As with so many thrillers, the sequence of events, luck and opportunity fell in line so that the ‘heroes’ prevailed. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 3.9 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
October 3, 2023
Book Review – Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Sting of the Wasp – Jeff Rovin
“Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Sting of the Wasp” by author Jeff Rovin reminded me of a Marvel Comics story more so than a Tom Clancy covert operations military thriller. Instead of taking almost believable characters and putting them in an imaginary story, this narrative took the comic book approach of farfetched exaggerated characters – putting them in somewhat improbable situations – but eventually having them ending up saving the day. In this tale, the White House orders the Op-Center disbanded after an intelligence mishap resulted in a major terrorist attack aboard the Air and Space Museum on the USS Intrepid in New York City. Remarkably, the Op-Center is consequently radically transformed into a groundbreaking, top-secret mobile strike force known as ‘Black Wasp’. Its members, each chosen for their unique set of specialized black-ops skills, were assigned to seek out the Iranian terrorist who masterminded the terrorist bombing at the museum, thus leading to ample military action and suspenseful clandestine operations activities. Not totally up to Tom Clancy standards and short of Tom Clancy excellence, Sting of the Wasp was a satisfactory covert ops military thriller. The story ended up being entertaining and compelling and overall it was an appealing and engaging read…
“Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Sting of the Wasp” by author Jeff Rovin reminded me of a Marvel Comics story more so than a Tom Clancy covert operations military thriller. Instead of taking almost believable characters and putting them in an imaginary story, this narrative took the comic book approach of farfetched exaggerated characters – putting them in somewhat improbable situations – but eventually having them ending up saving the day. In this tale, the White House orders the Op-Center disbanded after an intelligence mishap resulted in a major terrorist attack aboard the Air and Space Museum on the USS Intrepid in New York City. Remarkably, the Op-Center is consequently radically transformed into a groundbreaking, top-secret mobile strike force known as ‘Black Wasp’. Its members, each chosen for their unique set of specialized black-ops skills, were assigned to seek out the Iranian terrorist who masterminded the terrorist bombing at the museum, thus leading to ample military action and suspenseful clandestine operations activities. Not totally up to Tom Clancy standards and short of Tom Clancy excellence, Sting of the Wasp was a satisfactory covert ops military thriller. The story ended up being entertaining and compelling and overall it was an appealing and engaging read…
June 4, 2019
I have been a Tom Clancy fan since forever. His character Jack Ryan, now a heart-pounding show on Amazon Prime, is probably one of my top five action characters of all time. His latest book, ‘ Op-Center The Sting Of The Wasp' is packed with action. The characters deal with issues that are modern, timely and wait for it plausible.
A quick synopsis: USS Intrepid becomes a terrorist site when a bomb explodes on the flight desk, killing innocent people who were there to view the floating Air and Space Museum. The culprit behind this horrendous act is Captan Ahmed Salehi, an Iranian with a deep seethed hate against America.
In Washington, The White House has ordered the Op-Center disbanded, but a new team, called Black Wasp, I love the name, is formed. Each member is chosen for his unique talent. We are introduced to an intelligence agent, a lawyer, a martial arts expert, and a sharpshooter.
By far my favorite was the intelligence officer.
My only complaint is that I wish a female character was included in the Black Wasp.
If you are a Tom Clancy fan, ‘Op-Center Sting of the Wasp’ is exactly what you will expect. It’s visually descriptive to help you follow the action, there is plenty of that going on.
I received a copy from NetGalley for my honest review.
A quick synopsis: USS Intrepid becomes a terrorist site when a bomb explodes on the flight desk, killing innocent people who were there to view the floating Air and Space Museum. The culprit behind this horrendous act is Captan Ahmed Salehi, an Iranian with a deep seethed hate against America.
In Washington, The White House has ordered the Op-Center disbanded, but a new team, called Black Wasp, I love the name, is formed. Each member is chosen for his unique talent. We are introduced to an intelligence agent, a lawyer, a martial arts expert, and a sharpshooter.
By far my favorite was the intelligence officer.
My only complaint is that I wish a female character was included in the Black Wasp.
If you are a Tom Clancy fan, ‘Op-Center Sting of the Wasp’ is exactly what you will expect. It’s visually descriptive to help you follow the action, there is plenty of that going on.
I received a copy from NetGalley for my honest review.
September 3, 2019
Tom Clancy’s Op Centre: Sting of the Wasp is your classic military thriller. Following a terrorist attack in the United States, a small group of elite soldiers is dispatched to hunt down the perpetrator.
So the risk that arises when someone like me starts reading a book like this, is to get bogged down with all the unfamiliar names and military jargon. I think I have finally learned to ignore military-ese and just keep reading. In this case I am glad that I did. The book does eventually reach a point after which it becomes difficult to put down. As one door is slammed in the face of the special operatives, they find another to kick in.
Despite the violence, the novel does seem to have been thoughtfully composed. The ways in which large amounts of money are used, the meting out of punishment; these are just two examples of the different-but-the-same dichotomies that the author likes to point out. I did find it curious though, that while some characters appeared for no more than the span of a chapter and managed to evoke from me a visceral response, I remained largely apathetic towards the main players in the book…
Overall Sting of the Wasp was a decent read and I would definitely read more books in this series.
So the risk that arises when someone like me starts reading a book like this, is to get bogged down with all the unfamiliar names and military jargon. I think I have finally learned to ignore military-ese and just keep reading. In this case I am glad that I did. The book does eventually reach a point after which it becomes difficult to put down. As one door is slammed in the face of the special operatives, they find another to kick in.
Despite the violence, the novel does seem to have been thoughtfully composed. The ways in which large amounts of money are used, the meting out of punishment; these are just two examples of the different-but-the-same dichotomies that the author likes to point out. I did find it curious though, that while some characters appeared for no more than the span of a chapter and managed to evoke from me a visceral response, I remained largely apathetic towards the main players in the book…
Overall Sting of the Wasp was a decent read and I would definitely read more books in this series.
July 29, 2019
Tom Clancy is dead; long live Tom Clancy.
Okay, this was written by Jeff Rovin. Good move on his part because STING OF THE WASP written by Jeff Rovin would've sold, oh, about 800 copies a year, with luck. It's getting more and more common for dead guys to keep writing. Personally, I think that's cheating, but that's just me. If you can't make it on your own, are you a "real" writer? Some people don't mind clinging to the coattails of famous writers in order to "succeed." So, about this novel---three stars. It's full of obvious, easy-to-spot typos. Rovin doesn't have a proofreader worthy of the name, and he can't read his own novel and spot the typos, though that's not uncommon. Also, three stars for the unreferenced references. "It" and "that" are often unknowns, which puts the reader out of the novel immediately, scrambling to figure out what's going on. That's bad. In fact, terrible. It's said that "easy writing makes hard reading," and this is hard reading, trying to figure out what "it" and "that" are, so it was easy (lazy) writing. The story itself isn't too bad. It's just unclear, a decent novel hiding under a clutter of typos and murky, opaque writing.
Okay, this was written by Jeff Rovin. Good move on his part because STING OF THE WASP written by Jeff Rovin would've sold, oh, about 800 copies a year, with luck. It's getting more and more common for dead guys to keep writing. Personally, I think that's cheating, but that's just me. If you can't make it on your own, are you a "real" writer? Some people don't mind clinging to the coattails of famous writers in order to "succeed." So, about this novel---three stars. It's full of obvious, easy-to-spot typos. Rovin doesn't have a proofreader worthy of the name, and he can't read his own novel and spot the typos, though that's not uncommon. Also, three stars for the unreferenced references. "It" and "that" are often unknowns, which puts the reader out of the novel immediately, scrambling to figure out what's going on. That's bad. In fact, terrible. It's said that "easy writing makes hard reading," and this is hard reading, trying to figure out what "it" and "that" are, so it was easy (lazy) writing. The story itself isn't too bad. It's just unclear, a decent novel hiding under a clutter of typos and murky, opaque writing.
November 15, 2020
Spoliers ahead:
So this book is the 18th book in the series, and it picks up where the last book ended. It starts out a pretty grim terror attack on U.S. Soil and the Op Center did not know it will happen....
And that is we lose the Op-Center the second time as the president decides to shut it off. My reaction to that is wtf? Why? To me makes no sense.
So this book and the one after this (which I haven't read) is advertised as Op-Center books however it is not. They should call these books Op-Center presents maybe as this particular book is about a rapid team called Black Wasp who are on the hunt for the main terrorist guy.
And sadly, that is where my interest in this book kind of stopped. I did actually enjoy the Op-Center books, like the characters and stories, but another black ops team book, the action was okay, but the book itself was just boring, repetitive and dull.
Shame, I think it was/is a mistake to throw Op-Center away.
So this book is the 18th book in the series, and it picks up where the last book ended. It starts out a pretty grim terror attack on U.S. Soil and the Op Center did not know it will happen....
And that is we lose the Op-Center the second time as the president decides to shut it off. My reaction to that is wtf? Why? To me makes no sense.
So this book and the one after this (which I haven't read) is advertised as Op-Center books however it is not. They should call these books Op-Center presents maybe as this particular book is about a rapid team called Black Wasp who are on the hunt for the main terrorist guy.
And sadly, that is where my interest in this book kind of stopped. I did actually enjoy the Op-Center books, like the characters and stories, but another black ops team book, the action was okay, but the book itself was just boring, repetitive and dull.
Shame, I think it was/is a mistake to throw Op-Center away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2020
This was another one of those “is it a solid three or iffy four stars” books.
The book starts out fast, with a terrorist attack aboard the floating museum USS Intrepid. From there, the story is fast-paved with lots of small things going on.
While I liked the story, the final clue to know where to get the bad guy had me shaking my head as either I was reading way past my bedtime, or the plot switched gears and I missed it.
An interesting editing point on page 287. Can someone please tell me when I missed Williams getting into the boat? It say Grace went first, the Bremen, the Rivette last. Then suddenly, Williams is in. Did I fall asleep in my hammock when Williams gets in?
Overall, the boom had an entertaining plot that moved quickly, which is great for summertime leisure reading. I think it was worth the time spent reading it.
The book starts out fast, with a terrorist attack aboard the floating museum USS Intrepid. From there, the story is fast-paved with lots of small things going on.
While I liked the story, the final clue to know where to get the bad guy had me shaking my head as either I was reading way past my bedtime, or the plot switched gears and I missed it.
An interesting editing point on page 287. Can someone please tell me when I missed Williams getting into the boat? It say Grace went first, the Bremen, the Rivette last. Then suddenly, Williams is in. Did I fall asleep in my hammock when Williams gets in?
Overall, the boom had an entertaining plot that moved quickly, which is great for summertime leisure reading. I think it was worth the time spent reading it.
December 26, 2020
- 'Not that the terrorists were able to function openly, as they once tried, as a political party. In July 1990, the Jamaat al-Muslimeen attempted a coup d'etat' (*sorta funny till realized it's a historical event)
- 'Covert ops was always a risk, which is why Berry had always preferred the safety of money to buy the disloyalty of foreign nationals.'
- ', unless he had a team in the field, info was sporadic and fragmented; the glue was usually guesswork, provided by a team of pros who had been in similar situations. In that respect, Williams felt uniquely helpless at the moment. Ideas sparked ideas. Thoughts took him on tangents that had nothing to do with the mission.'
- 'potatoes proved to be surprisingly sound-absorbing' (p.285)
- 'Covert ops was always a risk, which is why Berry had always preferred the safety of money to buy the disloyalty of foreign nationals.'
- ', unless he had a team in the field, info was sporadic and fragmented; the glue was usually guesswork, provided by a team of pros who had been in similar situations. In that respect, Williams felt uniquely helpless at the moment. Ideas sparked ideas. Thoughts took him on tangents that had nothing to do with the mission.'
- 'potatoes proved to be surprisingly sound-absorbing' (p.285)
May 31, 2024
This is by far the worst Clancy book I've ever read.
If you have nothing else to read, you might want to take up knitting instead of wasting you time on the worst Clancy book I've ever read. Among the DEI injected female spec. operator that only deploys down range with knives and knives alone has to be the single biggest disrespect to the great Tom Clancy I've read to date. This was written by someone with zero knowledge of military tactics or basic operational procedures in a mess hall let alone of a elite stake group. How this passed anyone at the editorial level with basic knowledge of our military or our Shadow groups is shameful.
If you have nothing else to read, you might want to take up knitting instead of wasting you time on the worst Clancy book I've ever read. Among the DEI injected female spec. operator that only deploys down range with knives and knives alone has to be the single biggest disrespect to the great Tom Clancy I've read to date. This was written by someone with zero knowledge of military tactics or basic operational procedures in a mess hall let alone of a elite stake group. How this passed anyone at the editorial level with basic knowledge of our military or our Shadow groups is shameful.
December 9, 2025
In Sting of the Wasp, the Op-Center team faces a high-stakes mission involving covert operations and international intrigue. The plot revolves around a dangerous adversary and a race against time to prevent a global crisis, blending espionage with military strategy.
Honestly, this one was just okay—not great. While the premise had potential, the execution felt flat and lacked the intensity of earlier books in the series. The pacing dragged in places, and the characters didn’t feel as sharp or compelling as before. It seems like the series is losing steam, but since I only have a couple more to go, I’ll finish it and hope the next ones pick up the pace.
Honestly, this one was just okay—not great. While the premise had potential, the execution felt flat and lacked the intensity of earlier books in the series. The pacing dragged in places, and the characters didn’t feel as sharp or compelling as before. It seems like the series is losing steam, but since I only have a couple more to go, I’ll finish it and hope the next ones pick up the pace.
July 18, 2019
Jeff Rovin had what seemed an impossible task in carrying on the Tom Clancy tradition. BUT, he's scored 100 on this one. I read Tom Clancy books because I could count on a story that would pull me in and keep the action going from start to finish. Op-Center is that kind of book. As a highly classified team is built to counter the worst terrorists in history, the selected characters come to life. Ready to fight and win by whatever means necessary, their characters and back story were carefully developed to carry on the jack Ryan traditions. This was a fantastic book.
November 10, 2019
Like traditional Clancy, there is no pause in the action. Unlike traditional Clancy, the action is very narrow and over a very short period of time. The action, like the characters, are pretty much unidimensional. There is nothing grand in scale about this book. There is no part of me wondering how the protagonist or even 'Black Wasp' gets on tomorrow, or next week or next year.
For readers looking for a nonstop action thriller, probably close to a four star. For readers looking for something more multi dimensional like a 'true' Clancy or a Bond or Counts, barely a three.
For readers looking for a nonstop action thriller, probably close to a four star. For readers looking for something more multi dimensional like a 'true' Clancy or a Bond or Counts, barely a three.
Read
November 12, 2020Love the entire Clancy Op Center series.After completing the Op Center For Honor I started to read the excerpt from the Sting of the Wasp.Didn't get too far when I found a very simple error in identifying a character as a "corporal "in the United States Navy. As a Navy veteran I know that there are no "corporals"but there are "petty officers".This seems to me to be a simple error that demonstrates the lack of knowledge of the subject matter.
I have not read the entire book so I will reserve judgment until I do so.
I have not read the entire book so I will reserve judgment until I do so.
February 27, 2025
This book is Tom Clancy's in franchise only. A much shorter book and much less complexity than he would normally write. My main reason for not liking it is that there seemed to be a lot of references to an earlier book. An entire agency is shut down for one failure? Must be some history there.
A very small team had very little backup hunting a terrorist sought by every intelligence agency. One of the team is a lawyer who doesn't want to shoot anyone. And another knocks people out with their MA skills. I'm sorry but it was almost laughable.
A very small team had very little backup hunting a terrorist sought by every intelligence agency. One of the team is a lawyer who doesn't want to shoot anyone. And another knocks people out with their MA skills. I'm sorry but it was almost laughable.
June 2, 2019
The Op Center series usually packs a punch, and Sting of the Wasp delivers. It's an enjoyable action thriller with a heavy dosage of action. I appreciate that Jeff Rovin balances out the action with interesting characters. Sting of the Wasp is the kind of book I look for when seeking a quick vacation or weekend read. It's a well woven story and it introduces a team of new characters that promise interesting stories in the series.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.
June 6, 2019
This review is not going to be long. I am not a huge fan of a review rehashing the entire plot and spoiling it for everyone.
This is the first book by Jeff Rovin that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. His style of writing reminds me of Clancy, it keeps you interested and waiting for more. I cannot wait to read more of his books.
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
This is the first book by Jeff Rovin that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. His style of writing reminds me of Clancy, it keeps you interested and waiting for more. I cannot wait to read more of his books.
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
January 21, 2020
When in the first paragraph the author writes a person was a corporal in the USN, you know the authors knowledge base and editor are lacking knowledge, no matter how many books they have written/edited. That continued, with some grammatical errors, throughout the book.
If Clancy's name is to be attached to the continuing series, the quality control should again be placed at the high level he maintained.
If Clancy's name is to be attached to the continuing series, the quality control should again be placed at the high level he maintained.
December 4, 2020
CC1
Jeff Rovin did an excellent job with this book. He has done an excellent job with these post Opt- Center series books. I really enjoyed how Chase went into the field and took control of new team. It was sad what the President did to the Opt' Center but it was a great plot and story. I really hope Jeff keeps up with series. Getting ready to read next God of War . 5 stars plus. Great job!!!! Thanks, Carl Clause
Jeff Rovin did an excellent job with this book. He has done an excellent job with these post Opt- Center series books. I really enjoyed how Chase went into the field and took control of new team. It was sad what the President did to the Opt' Center but it was a great plot and story. I really hope Jeff keeps up with series. Getting ready to read next God of War . 5 stars plus. Great job!!!! Thanks, Carl Clause
March 9, 2022
This is another Op Center book, and I have to say, this series is definitely not in the same category as the initial Jack Ryan series, and the newer Hack Ryan Jr. campus series. Chasing this terrorist across the world with a small team of black ops operators, one of which see s to not be inclined to use firearms in favor of martial arts is just a little too unbelievable for me. The story was ok, but the quality wasn’t up to the Tom Clancy brand.
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September 12, 2019Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Sting of the Wasp by Jeff Rovin presents an exciting and realistic scenario where a unique black ops group is sent after a terrorist. The unusual group, the Black Wasp, pursues the Iranian terrorist against all adds and, of course, many environmental obstacles. The book is both exciting and informative.
October 7, 2019
I don't want to say it's a betrayal of the brand, but I fell in love with the Op-Center series for its hard-hitting analysis. This book side-steps it by right away shuttering the unit and choosing to put director Chase Williams in the front of the action, like a commando. And rather than piece together the riddle, everything falls into place by author fiat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2021
It was great to see the author include women in so many senior positions. The editing fell through in places, however, when the ship Commander went from a "she" to a "he" within only a few paragraphs. This series of books seems to assume readers are up-to-date on all US military and government terminology; I am not. At times, that made for a frustrating read.
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